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the present invention displays numerous features in that an active ingredient is contained in a polymer pellet that optionally is coated with a barrier material that acts as membrane that allows the active ingredient to move to its surface . the pellet is contained in a polyurethane matrix that also acts as membrane that allows the active ingredient to move to its surface . the active ingredient on the surface controls ( e . g ., repels or poisons ) selected ( targeted ) pest species that approach or touch the surface . the products of this invention provide sustained effective performance over many years . the products of this invention also can be applied by spraying , roller coating , or by other coating techniques . these products further can protect cracks , gaps , and other irregular surfaces , in addition to floors , walls , and other conventional surfaces . to protect structures further , the composition can be admixed with soil , vermiculite , or perlite , and distributed in the soil around the structure to disturb an oft used pathway of pests . in order to achieve these features , the invention faces several challenges . the barrier coating of the pellet must retain its barrier properties over many years , but the active ingredient must dissolve in the barrier polymer in order to reach the polyurethane phase . if too much of the control agent dissolves or if it dissolves to rapidly , the barrier is compromised . then , the product could fail . polyurethanes face environmental challenges because they have sensitive functional groups that are attacked by water , oxygen , microbes , acids , alkalis , and sunlight . degradation of the polyurethane matrix could cause product failure . these challenges are inventionally addressed and solved as will be described below . referring initially to fig1 the sustained release system disclosed herein is illustrated . initially , the product life goal , 18 , determines the ingredients used and system constructed . based on product life goal , 18 , the active ingredient of pesticide , 10 , and a sorbent , 12 , which is not soluble in the pellet polymer , are sent to an incorporating ( e . g ., sorbing ) process , 14 , whereat pesticide 10 is incorporated by sorbent 12 . desirably , sorbent 12 is in the form of small particles of nominal size ranging from about 100 microns to 12 , 700 microns ( 0 . 5 in ) units in size . an inorganic sorbent ( e . g ., silica , carbon , an aerogel ) or an organic sorbent ( e . g ., a polymer that strongly attracts the active ingredient ) can be used to incorporate active ingredient 10 . the loaded particles , 16 ( pesticide 10 and sorbent , 12 , are combined with a pellet polymer , 18 , and sent to a pellet making process , 20 , from which ( active ingredient ) loaded pellets , 22 , are produced . sorbent 12 releases active ingredient 1 0 into the pellet polymer ( e . g ., polyethylene , polypropylene , polyethylene terephthalate , or polyurethane elastomer ). the volume of this layer , pellet polymer 18 , is selected to provide a concentration of active ingredient 10 that is below the failure threshold for pellet polymer 18 . in some embodiments of this system , active ingredient 10 is incorporated into pellet polymer 18 during pellet - making step 20 . no sorbent 12 would be needed . examples of this short cut include , inter alia , epoxy resins , unsaturated polyester resins , and block copolymers of epoxy or silanol intermediates with polyurethanes terminated with isocyanate groups that would serve simultaneously as polymeric sorbents and pellet polymer . at this point in the process , loaded pellets 22 optionally can be coated with a barrier material , e . g ., polyvinylidene chloride ( pvdc ). in order to accomplish this , loaded pellets 22 and a barrier material , 24 , are passing into a barrier making process , 26 , for coating or encapsulating loaded pellets 22 with barrier material 24 . this coating is applied , for example , in a liquid fluidized bed of pellet particles 22 or by other suitable means . the thickness of the coating ranges from relatively thin to quite thick , for example , from about 1 μm to 75 μm . this results in a product that provides sustained release of active ingredient over many years of product use . alternative pellet barrier coatings include , for example , amorphous nylon , ethylene - vinyl alcohol , epoxy resins , and unsaturated polyesters . the resulting loaded pellets with barrier , 28 , along with transport polymer , 30 , e . g ., polyurethane ingredients , are send to a pellet dispersing process , 32 , to produce a sustained release product , 34 . during this process , a small amount of active ingredient may be released into the transport polymer , which is desirable in providing immediate usefulness . if this release does not occur , a small amount of active ingredient may be added at this stage . in designing sustained release product 34 , criteria that must be met include , inter alia , a release rate goal , 36 and a product life goal , 38 . product life goal 38 also impacts the ingredients chosen to synthesize transport polymer 30 . sustained release product 34 then is sent to an application process , 40 , which is determined by both the target to be protected , 42 , and the pest species to be controlled , 44 . in some embodiments of this invention , transport polymer 30 may be made of a polyurethane that is so highly crystalline and / or crosslinked that transport polymer 30 itself also serves as a barrier in place of barrier material 24 . an example of this type of material is described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 352 , 754 as a primarily hard segment polyurethane . in an advantageous embodiment of the present invention , active ingredient 10 is dispersed in a polymer ( e . g ., hdpe ) and then molded into pellets without use of a barrier coating . this cheaper pellet is dispersed into this high performance polyurethane . in some other embodiments of this invention , transport polyurethane 30 is tailored to be so highly crystalline and / or crosslinked that the active ingredient is dispersed in the polyurethane without use of pellets . in this case , the chemical structure of active ingredient 10 determines at which point in the process that this ingredient is added to the formulation . that is , reaction of active ingredient 10 with isocyanate groups or amines is avoided by waiting until the process is partly completed . the polyurethanes that are preferred for this invention are designed to overcome the environmental challenges by use of one or more of the following methods . hydrolysis is a major challenge . the present invention reduces exposure to water required for hydrolysis by designing the surface of the product to be hydrophobic . therefore , very little water will stay in contact with the surface . aromatic isocyanates are replaced with aliphatic or alicyclic isocyanates , and polyols that contain ester or ether linkages are replaced with aliphatic or alicyclic diols . these changes make the product much more durable . other approaches to fight hydrolysis include use of such drying agents as molecular sieves or silica to tie up water that does pass through the surface of the product . the products of this invention will be used frequently to coat concrete , masonry , and like surfaces , which often can serve as pest species pathways to wood and wood products . fresh concrete contains an excess of lime that makes it highly alkaline . the inventive pest species control product can be tailored to overcome this alkaline hydrolysis challenge by using the hydrophobic surface approach . microbes are major agents that cause hydrolytic or oxidative damage . therefore , the inventive pest species control product may include antimicrobial active ingredients , as well as other pesticides . rodents , deer , and other large pest species may gnaw on the object that the inventive pest species control product is designed to protect . in such circumstances , one of the active ingredients will be an irritant , such as powdered pepper or pepper extract . alternatively , bitter - tasting substances , such as those used in denaturing ethyl alcohol , could be used . exposure to sunlight can trigger several types of environmental degradation . photochemical oxidation attacks polyurethanes that are based on aromatic isocyanates especially . therefore , aromatics are replaced with aliphatic or alicyclic ingredients . polyetherdiols have ether linkages that are subject of oxidative degradation . these vulnerable ingredients are replaced by aliphatic or alicyclic diols . alternatively , pigments and / or uv absorbers also can be used to reduce the effects of sunlight . structures that are to be protected over time spans of decades develop cracks due to mechanical stresses . these cracks could affect the performance of the products of this invention . the polyurethanes of this invention also can be tailored to have adhesive properties to reduce the occurrence and adverse effects of cracking . the sprayability and longevity needed for some applications of this invention cannot be attained with conventional polyurethane technology in which isocyanates are reacted only with polyols . the polymerization time is too long and the degree of crosslinking is not sufficiently high . in this invention , most or all of the polyol is replaced with amine - containing ingredients . in such cases the transport polymer will predominate in urea groups , rather than urethane groups . alternatively , thiols could serve as the active hydrogen reactive groups in place of hydroxyl ( polyol ) groups . thus , one or more isocyanate ingredients such as toluene diisocyanate ( tdi ), methylene diisocyanate ( mdi ), polymeric methylene diisocyanate ( pmdi ), hexamethylene diisocyanate ( hdi ), or isophorone diisocyanate ( ipdi ) is reacted with a separate mixture comprising one or more amine - containing ingredients , such as , for example , 4 , 4 ′- methylene dianiline , 1 , 4 - diaminocyclohexane , 2 , 4 - diaminotoluene , 2 , 6 - diaminotoluene , or 1 , 4 - diaminohexane . the active ingredient that may be incorporated into a pellet is combined with this amine component . the amine formulation also can include some polyols , diols , and catalysts to adjust the physical properties ( e . g ., modulus ) of the polymer , the rate of reaction , and to reduce unit costs . the reactants are kept separate in a two - component spraying system until time for reaction because the gel time may be as little as 5 seconds . the spraying method disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 250 , 567 may be useful for this application . the polymer made by this process contains mostly urea linkages , instead of mostly urethane linkages that are formed in conventional urethane polymers . urea linkages are more resistant to hydrolytic reactions that are the major causes of polymer degradation . therefore , the polymer of this invention is more likely to last longer than conventional ones . crosslinking of the type only possible with urea linkages further increases the longevity of this product . the ratio of isocyanate to amine is selected so that there is some excess isocyanate present . this excess then reacts with active hydrogen atoms in the initial polymer to yield biuret crosslinking . biuret crosslinking is known to be more stable than the allophanate form of crosslinking ( szycher , m ., szycher &# 39 ; s handbook of polyurethanes , pp . 4 - 9 , crc press , boca raton , 1999 ). crosslinking also increases the molecular weight and reduces the free volume of the polymer structure . the resulting structure reduces the rate of release of the active ingredient and prolongs the life of the product by reducing the rate of permeation of moisture into the structure . although this process is especially useful for spray systems , it can be adapted for roller coating and other coating systems . for this purpose , use of more sterically hindered isocyanates ( e . g ., 2 , 4 ′- mdi ) would be desirable . many applications of this invention do not expose the product to sunlight . however , protection of utility poles , wharves , fence posts , and some parts of buildings do expose the product to sunlight that contains significant uv radiation . products that use mdi , tdi , and other aromatic isocyanates are likely to fail due to photo - oxidation and other free radical - initiated reactions . aromatic isocyanates absorb uv radiation in the range of 220 nm to 300 nm . various uv absorbing additives could be used to alleviate this problem , especially if long product life is not a goal . however , longevity is a major goal for the products of this invention . accordingly , polymer design can be used to increase the uv resistance of the inventive pest species control system . polyurethanes made from aliphatic and alicyclic isocyanates are known to resist yellowing upon exposure to sunlight because they do not absorb uv radiation , in contrast to those made with aromatic isocyanates . the preferred aliphatic isocyanates include , for example , 1 , 6 - hexamethylene diisocyanate ( hdi ) and 1 , 4 - tetramethylene diisocyanate . preferred alicyclic diisocyanates include , for example , hydrogenated methylene diphenyl diisocyanate , 1 , 4 - cyclohexane diisocyanate , and isophorone diisocyanate . longevity in all uses is enhanced by the increased hydrophobicity of the nonaromatic isocyanates . it is further enhanced if the non - aromatic isocyanates are used in a formulation that yields a product that has a low percentage of soft segments . soft segments contribute to water absorption that reduces longevity . a soft segment in polyurethanes is defined as a portion of the polyurethane molecule that is amorphous or low in crystallinity . such regions usually arise from the polyol component . they can be caused by use of long - chain polyol ingredients or by using shorter chains but having frequent amorphous regions . in this invention , the formulator uses short - chain polyol ingredients ( e . g ., polypropylene glycols with mw & lt ; 1000 , preferably about 300 daltons ). the formulator also limits the polyol content to less than about 20 %. in some embodiments , diamines are substituted for polyols . soft segments not only contribute to water absorption , but also to elongation and elasticity . the longevity benefits that are attained from low soft segment content have to be balanced with the need for some flexibility in the coating product , as is true with all coatings . the hard segments of the polymer chain are crystalline or crosslinked . they resist permeation by water and oxygen . this barrier attribute contributes to the longevity of the product . the barrier attribute applies also to the active ingredient so that the release rate is reduced by the presence of hard segments . the sensitivity of the carbonyl groups in these polymers to uv radiation is reduced by the hydrogen bonding that is involved in crystalline domains of polyurethanes ( szycher , m ., szycher &# 39 ; s handbook of polyurethanes , pp . 2 - 10 to 2 - 20 , crc press , boca raton , 1999 ). therefore , crystallinity enhances the longevity of the products of this invention . the hard segments also contribute to the rigidity of the product . because some flexibility is needed , an upper limit is set for the percentage of hard segments . there are six types of crosslinks , some of which can be broken under stress and re - formed . the six types of crosslinking are : 1 . use of isocyanates with functionality greater than 2 creates crosslinks between polymer chains . a commercially available example is polymeric methylene diisocyanate ( pmdi ), which has an average number of isocyanate groups that is between 2 and 3 . another commercially available isocyanate with functionality greater than 2 is the product obtained by reaction of hdi with water . it has a functionality of 3 . 2 . use of low molecular weight polyols with functionality greater than 2 creates tight crosslinks between polymer chains . these crosslinks are involved in generating hard segments in the polyurethane . examples of hydroxy crosslinkers include trimethylolpropane , glycerin , and sorbitol . 3 . use of polyols with functionality greater than 2 also creates crosslinks between polymer chains . the tightness of polyol crosslinking is less than that achieved with isocyanates or low molecular weigh polyols because the polyol chains are much longer . examples of polyols with a functionality of 3 include glycerin polyether triols , and trimethylol propane polyether triols . hydrogenated castor oil , which has a functionality between 2 and 3 , is a polyester that has crosslinking capabilities . 4 . in a system in which the molar equivalents of the diol are reacting with the isocyanate , there is still an opportunity for crosslinking by allophanate formation . the hydrogen of the - nh group of a urethane can react with an isocyanate group associated with another chain which forms a branching at this point . this means that a hydroxyl group somewhere in the polymer does not have an isocyanate partner . thus , the polymer becomes crosslinked , but it also has developed some weak points where hydroxyls are not reacted . however , the formulation can be modified to have an excess of isocyanate groups above that required by stoichiometry in order to accommodate such unreacted hydroxyl groups . then , allophanate crosslinking can be used without leaving unsatisfied hydroxyls . use of vaporous amine catalysts would be desirable to obtain the most complete reaction of the residual hydroxyls ( for example , u . s . pat . no . 4 , 517 , 222 ). 5 . reaction of isocyanate with water yields free amine groups , which are much more reactive with isocyanate groups , so that di - substituted urea groups are formed . these ureas also can react with isocyanate groups to form highly stable biuret groups . thus , astute use of moisture can cross - link the polyurethane to make it more resistant in the environment . instead of using the reaction of water with isocyanate to make the amine , it may be more desirable to manufacture the polyurea more directly as described above wherein isocyanate compounds are reacted with amine compounds , which then is added to the isocyanate cross - linkers to form polyureas . then , the crosslinking amine need not be the one that results from reaction of the isocyanate with water . 6 . virtual crosslinking via hydrogen bonding is associated with the development of hard segments . this concept allows a product to have a higher percentage of hard segments than would be possible in conventional polyurethane systems . hydrogen bonding “ virtual ” crosslinks are reversible and , therefore , of value to this embodiment of the invention . the major hydrogen bonds are those between — nh and — c ═ o groups located in separate chains of the polymer . almost all commercial polyurethanes make use of polyols that are hydroxyterminated polyesters or polyethers . the presence of the ester and of ether linkages facilitates the penetration of water or oxygen into the polyurethane . one embodiment of this aliphatic / alicyclic embodiment is the replacement of some or all of the polyester / polyether moieties with aliphatic and / or alicyclic moieties . for example , butadiene can be polymerized to make a polybutadiene that can be converted to hydroxy - terminated aliphatic compounds . this butadiene - derived diol then is reacted with hmdi to generate polyurethanes that are very hydrophobic ( ma , et al ., “ mechanical properties of hydrophobic urethane elastomers ”, acs polymer division preprints , 2000 , page 380 - 381 ). these polyurethanes show considerable enhancement of barrier properties and have good modulus , even though they contain 60 % to 85 % of the soft segment ingredient . the aliphatic or alicyclic polyol component of the polyurethane of this invention includes the diol described above and other diols as follows : 1 . straight chain hydrocarbons that have 8 to 30 carbons with hydroxyl groups at each end ; 2 . carbocyclic rings that contain from 5 to 32 members with hydroxyl groups that are not on adjacent carbons ; and 3 . molecules that have one or more rings , as defined in item 2 immediately above , that have two straight chain hydrocarbon chains that are substituents , with two hydroxyl groups are present , one at the end of each pendent chain . thus in this invention , alicyclic / aliphatic isocyanates are employed in ways that generate polyurethanes with a high percentage of hard segments . use of a limited percentage of short - chain polyols and added diamines or triamines promote crystallization and virtual crosslinks that are needed to have high percentages of hard segments without being overly rigid . the invention also includes the use of polyols that are not derived from polyesters or polyethers but which are aliphatic and / or alicyclic ingredients ( u . s . pat . no . 5 , 043 , 484 ). the added hydrophobicity can provide much longer product life . two additional sources of hydroxyls for reaction with isocyanate - terminated polyurethanes are silanol and epoxy intermediates . thus , block copolymers can be made by reacting silanols with polyurethane prepolymers that have free isocyanate groups . silanols have silicon atoms attached to hydroxyl groups . epoxy resins cure to provide hydroxyl groups that are reactable with isocyanate groups . these block copolymers also have been made and found to be useful in medical devices ( see szycher , supra ). this pest species control system includes the active ingredient ( s ) incorporated into a sorbent ( s ), the polymer phase , and the pellet shell ( fig1 ). the active ingredient moves through the pellet , into a matrix of transport polyurethane to the surface of the product where it provides its service . this embodiment focuses on the pellet subsystem . the active ingredient is a pest species control agent as defined above . sorbents ( sorbent 12 from fig1 ) are selected from the ingredients that include , inter alia , silica ; carbon ; aerogels ; oxides of metals ; and oxides , carbonates or phosphates of group 2 metals . the sorbents are selected for their ability to incorporate and release large amounts of active ingredient 10 . this implies a large surface area per unit volume . the sorbent also must not cause degradation of the active ingredient to a significant extent . suitable pellet polymers are selected based on their ability to attain sufficient concentration of the active ingredient to pass it through the barrier and to have a partition coefficient with the sorbent such that a desirable release rate can be attained . suitable polymers include , for example , polyethylene , polypropylene , polybutenes , natural rubber , polyisoprene , polyesters ( such as , for example , polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene adipate ), styrene butadiene rubber , polyacrylates , polymethacrylates , and polyurethanes . the polyurethane composition that is best suited for the pellet is usually not the same as the one that is chosen for the polymer that transfers the active ingredient to the surface . for example , the pellet polymer could be a purchased thermoplastic elastomer . the polymer could be melted and blended with the particles of sorbent that contain the active ingredient . the polyurethane is not being synthesized simultaneously as the pellet is being manufactured ; therefore , there are no free isocyanate groups that could react with the active ingredient . the barrier material is selected to adjust the release rate to a level that meets the longevity goals , while also meeting the requirements for active ingredient concentration . in addition , the barrier polymer needs to retain these properties over the life of the product . relatively few polymers meet this stringent set of requirements . the leading candidates are polyvinylidene chloride ( pvdc ), dry polyethylene polyvinyl alcohol copolymer ( pvoh ), amorphous nylon 6 , liquid crystal polymers , crosslinked elastomers , plasma - treated polyolefins , epoxy resins , and unsaturated polyesters . the barrier layer may be applied as a finished product or it may be a reactive coating . typical reactive coatings include amine curable materials ( epoxies ) or free radical cured elastomers ( e . g ., unsaturated polyesters ). further information on barrier materials can be found in “ barrier polymers and structures ”, edited by w . j . koros , acs monograph 423 , american chemical society , washington , d . c . ( 1990 ). the pellet content of the system must contain enough active ingredient to release at a rate that is adequate to repel the target pest species for a period of time that meets the longevity goals . for example , if the release rate is one nanogram / daycm 2 for 30 years ( ca . 11 , 000 days ), then the pellets must store at least 0 . 11 mg for each square centimeter of surface area . the concentration of active ingredient in the pellet polymer additionally must not exceed a threshold level that would cause barrier failure . these elements of the system can operate in several modes that depend on the specific application . the following modes summarize the processes of this invention as described above . 1 . as shown in fig1 active ingredient 10 is incorporated onto ( into ) selected sorbent 12 . sorbent 12 in turn releases active ingredient 10 into a buffer layer of pellet polymer 18 . the volume of this layer is selected to provide a concentration of active ingredient 10 that is below the failure threshold for the barrier coating . 2 . the barrier coating that is applied to the pellet that contains the active ingredient is chosen to be a dispersion of polyvinylidene chloride ( pvdc ). this coating is applied in a liquid fluidized bed of pellet particles or other suitable means . the thickness of the coating ranges from relatively thin to quite thick ( e . g ., 1 μm to 75 μm ). this results in a product that provides sustained release of active ingredient over many years of product use . 3 . alternative pellet types include epoxy resins and unsaturated polyesters . the active ingredient is incorporated into the pellet during its formation . no barrier coating would be needed . 4 . in some embodiments of this invention , the polyurethane is tailored to be so highly crystalline and / or crosslinked that the pellet needs to have little barrier properties . an example of this material is described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 352 , 754 as a primarily hard segment polyurethane . in the present invention , the active ingredient is dispersed in a polymer ( e . g ., hdpe ) and then molded into pellets without use of a barrier coating . this cheaper pellet is used with this high performance polyurethane . 5 . in some other embodiments of this invention , the polyurethane is tailored to be so highly crystalline and / or crosslinked that no pellet is needed . that is , the hard and soft domains of the polyurethane are tailored to permit one polymer to perform the functions that usually require separate polymers . therefore , the active ingredient is dispersed in the polyurethane without use of pellets . in this case , the chemical structure of the active ingredient determines when this ingredient is added to the formulation . that is , reaction of the active ingredient with isocyanate groups or amines is avoided by waiting until the process is partly completed . acceptable insecticides include those insecticides approved by the u . s . environmental protection agency to kill or repel termites , ants , other boring insects , and wood decaying microorganisms . the class of insecticide which is presently preferred for use in the present invention are pyrethrins , including tefluthrin , lambdacyhalothrin , cyfluthrin , deltamethrin , cypermethrin , permethrin , and natural permethrin . it will , however , be recognized by those skilled in the art that other effective insecticides such as isofenphos , fenvalerate , cypermethrin , permethrin , natural pyrethrin , organophosphate type insecticides , repellents as well as naturally occurring chemicals that act as irritants such as skunk oils and extracts of pepper can also be used . these insecticides are available from a number of commercial sources such as , for example , dow chemical company , mobay , ici , velsicol , novartus , syngenta , and fmc , respectively . insecticides , pesticides , pest species repellents , alone or in combination with one and another , or in combination with other bioactive ingredients , such as fungicides , may also be used in accordance with the present invention . combinations of insecticides , pesticides , repellents , nematicides ( also referred to as nematocides ), and fungicides additionally may be used to advantage . fungicides include , for example , carboximide , dicarboximide , diflumetorim , ferimzone , chloropicrin , pentrachlorophenol , tri - chloronitromethane , 1 - 3 dichloropropane , and sodium n - methyl dithiocarbomate . nematicides include 1 , 3 dichloropropene , ethoprophos , fenamiphos , benfuracarb , and cadusafos . commercial mollusicides include , inter alia : niclosamide ( bayluscide ) from bayer ; clamtrol from betz ; calgon h - 130 from calgon , and mexel 432 from rtk technologies . these products are intended for controlling zebra mussels that cause water intake problems for electric power plants and / or the snails that carry schistosomiasis . copper compounds , e . g ., cuprous oxide , has been a favorite leachable component of antifouling paints . insoluble cuprous chelates could be active ingredients that bloom to the surface and stay there repelling fouling organisms . commercial antifouling paints ( e . g ., sil mar ) that feature silicone ingredients make the surface too slippery for fouling organisms to form a stable biofilm . organotin compounds are known to work , but present toxicity issues . copper compounds are seen to present toxicity issues too . organic antifouling agents , such as are disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 441 , 743 , may be used to advantage too . endod , a natural plant extract from the soap berry bush , contains the saponin , lemmatoxin . endod has been used to control zebra and quagga mussel infestations . catalysts also may be added to some of the polyurethane systems to lower the reaction temperature down to levels more easily tolerated by the pesticide . for example , a suitable catalyst may drop the reaction temperature of polymerization from about 160 ° c . to about 120 ° c . suitable catalysts include homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts . heterogeneous catalysts are usually provided as fine powders . examples of suitable catalysts include , for example , tertiary amines , organometallic tin compounds , triethylene diamine , dibutyl tin dilaurate , dibutylbis ( laurylthio ) stannate , dibutyltinbis ( isooctylmercapto acetate ), dibutyltinbis ( isooctyl maleate ), dimethylcyclohexylamine , and 1 , 8 - diazabiscyclo [ 5 , 4 , 0 ] undec - 7 - ene ( dbu ). often , these catalysts are not added to the transport polyurethane ingredients until just before application . to combine the sustained release product with the low temperature catalytic curing agent in a single application ( e . g ., spray application ), the two are mixed together immediately prior to spraying , to prevent the clogging of the spray equipment . preferably , the curing agent is combined with the sustained release product within the nozzle of a pressurized spraying device . however , applications wherein the sustained release product is combined with a low temperature catalytic curing agent prior to the introduction of the mixture into the spraying device are within the scope of the invention . a great variety of suitable spraying devices are suitable for the practice of the present invention . for example , pages 158 - 170 of oertel &# 39 ; s , polyurethane handbook , published by hanser in 1993 describe a variety of suitable mixheads . these devices are well understood by those having skill in the art , and no further elaboration of their operation is necessary to enable their use in the practice of the present invention . as contemplated by the present invention , any spraying device which will allow a liquid to be combined with pressurized gas ( typically air ) and expelled as a fine mist or droplet is acceptable , as are spraying devices which allow the delivery of liquid under pressure without air . the pellets preferably are small enough to fit through the spray head of standard spraying equipment utilized in the spray application of the present invention , or below about , for example , { fraction ( 1 / 16 )} th inch in diameter and comprise the same pesticide bound within transport polymer matrix . these pellets may be produced in a manner similar to that described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 856 , 271 . it will be appreciated , however , that the versatility of the invention permits application by other techniques including , for example , roller coating , brush coating , dipping , spray curtains , and like conventional application techniques . the coatings thus formed by the practice of the present invention will immediately begin releasing pesticide in sufficient quantities to deter the invasion of pest species through the barrier formed by these coatings . these coatings will also continue to release pesticide in sufficient quantities to deter the invasion of pest species for many years , in some cases for periods of thirty years or greater . to enhance the safety of these coatings , a protective layer of ethylene vinyl acetate ( eva ), polyvinyl alcohol ( pva ), or a like material may also be applied thereover . the eva also may be applied as a sprayed coating utilizing spray equipment well known by those having skill in the art . the eva is applied in a second spraying on top of the polyurethane coating . the eva coating provides a protective barrier to prevent humans and other non - target animals from coming into contact with the pesticide being released from the coating . the eva coating also assists in enhancing the durability of the coating through its resistance to the effects of uv radiation . in addition to eva and pva coatings , polyvinyl acetate latex coatings can be applied to the cured urethane product , using spray technologies employed to paint the interior of buildings . copolymers of vinyl acetate with acrylic esters also are used to make latices that are promising for spray application . styrene butadiene latex paints also can be spray - applied to protect humans from contact with the pesticide . while the invention has been described with reference to certain preferred embodiments , those skilled in the art will understand that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention . in addition , many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof . therefore , it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention , but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims . in this application all units are in the metric system and all amounts and percentages are by weight , unless otherwise expressly indicated . also , all citations referred herein are expressly incorporated herein by reference .	1
as described herein , wound healing after injury or surgical intervention is adversely affected by tension on the wound margins . the present invention embraces enhancement of wound healing and prevention of scar formation using naturally occurring and / or modified neurotoxins , including clostridial neurotoxins , as well as those neurotoxins which are free of complexing proteins . this aspect of the invention is based on a new method to immobilize the area around the wound by paralyzing the muscles acting on the wound . this can be achieved by injecting a peripherally acting muscle relaxant directly into the appropriate muscles . conventional muscle relaxants are , however , unsuitable for this for two reasons . firstly , due to their small molecular weights they rapidly diffuse outward from the site of injection , thus producing undesirable effects in other parts of the body . secondly , they are metabolized locally very rapidly and thus lose their efficacy . botulinum toxin , a peripherally acting muscle relaxant , advantageously remains at the site of injection sufficiently long to be taken up by the nerves where it remains in its active form for a long period of time . due to the toxin &# 39 ; s high molecular weight , the amount not taken up diffuses only slowly out from the injection site . because of its dilution in the circulating blood , more distant nerves are not affected . the toxin is quickly inactivated by proteases in the serum . the various serotypes of botulinum toxin have different durations of action . while serotypes a and b block nerves for many weeks , serotype f does so for 34 weeks and serotype e for only 3 - 10 days . to achieve a brief period of paralysis the toxin must be injected a few days before the operation at one or several sites around the operation field , depending on the size of the muscle to be paralyzed . serotype e or f may be selected according to the desired period of paralysis . since the musculature at the chosen operative site is already paralyzed by the toxin at the time of operation , the anaesthetist requires smaller amounts of postsynaptic acting muscle relaxants . the danger of postoperative respiratory impairment by paralysis of the respiratory muscles is thus reduced . as local paralysis at the site of operation is maintained for up to 4 - 5 days postoperatively , the wound sutures are subjected to no additional tension during this time . the period of local immobilization should be maintained maximal until the wound is completely healed , typically 1 - 2 weeks maximum . if wound healing is complicated , for example by secondary healing , paralysis lasting a longer period of time may be indicated . in another embodiment , where an extended duration of muscle paralysis in wound healing is desired , administration of botulinum toxin serotype a or b is warranted . recovery of nerve function occurs slowly after breakdown of the toxins in the nerve cells and is complete approximately 2 days after full proteolytic degradation of the toxin . it is not expected that the brief immobilization leads to any significant atrophy of the muscle . in another embodiment , clostridium botulinum neurotoxins from serotypes a or b , c 1 , d , e , f , g which are free of complexing proteins , hemagglutinins , and other exogenous proteins may be advantageously used to facilitate wound healing and prevent scar formation . as an alternative to the two commercial type a botulinum toxin complex products , botox ® and dysport ®, and also as alternative to the complexes described in the prior art of the other types ( b , c 1 , d , e , f , g ), a novel pharmaceutical has been developed which comprises only neurotoxin ( type a , b , c 1 , d , e , f or g ) free of complexing proteins , hemagglutinins and other exogenous proteins . because of its lower molecular mass , it diffuses more quickly to the target cells in which it is taken up , before immune cells , attracted by hemagglutinins , are activated . antigenicity studies demonstrate that neurotoxin of any type which is free of complexing proteins , induces no , or at the most very little , formation of antibodies , which is distinct from commercial products of type a and the complexes of types b to g . on therapeutic use of this newly developed pharmaceutical ( neurotoxin of types a , b , c 1 , d , e , f or g which is free of complexing proteins ) there is no failure of therapy due to antibodies even after repeated administration . it has also been possible to show that such neurotoxins are , because of their immediate bioavailability , still suitable for the therapy of patients who have developed , after administration of a botulinum toxin complex , e . g . after treatment with botox ® or dysport ®, an antibody titer against the appropriate type ( so - called secondary non - responders ), that is to say are no longer amenable to further treatment with botox ® or dysport ®, because administration of the commercial toxins no longer provides therapeutic effect . this newly developed pharmaceutical can be employed with particular advantage for patients who have never , or not for many years , been treated with botulinum neurotoxin , because their antibody titer is low or zero from the outset . the advantage of its use is then that the increase in the titer in these patients due to the treatment with pure toxin is zero , or at the most very insignificant . in other words , the newly developed therapeutic composition can be administered over long periods without losing its effect . it is also suitable for patients who exhibit an antibody titer against a botulinum toxin . the induction of antibodies during therapy with a clostridium botulinum neurotoxin is thus prevented by administering a neurotoxin free of complexing proteins in place of the high molecular weight toxin complexes . the neurotoxin which has been completely separated from the complex proteins is immediately bioavailable and can bind directly to the nerve endings of the motor endplates . in keratitis and certain operative interventions on the eye , either a bandage is put over the eye or the upper and lower lids are sutured together to keep the eye closed . this measure serves to immobilize the eye and thus favors healing . daily assessment of the healing process can be done at the time the bandage is changed . however , it is not possible to inspect the surface of the eye if the lids are sutured together . closure of the eyelids can also be achieved by drug - induced ptosis , through the injection of a peripherally and locally acting muscle relaxant . depending on the desired duration of closure , botulinum toxin e or f is injected into the levator palpebrae superioris muscle . the advantage of this procedure is obvious . the eye remains accessible for inspection so that the healing process can be monitored and any necessary further measures can be undertaken without stress to the patient . transient ptosis is reversible , just like the paralyses described above . as has been previously described in detail , botulinum toxin serotypes a and b are used in dystonia or spasticity of different origins . if the disorder is complex or if several muscle groups are involved in the symptoms , it is often not clear which muscle should be paralyzed by the toxin to provide maximal relief for the patient . test injections of serotype a or b would cause additional stress to the patient if they were to be injected into the wrong muscle . to localize the optimal area of injection for toxin therapy with a long - lasting efficacy toxin , a test may be conducted using a toxin which exhibits a short duration of effect . botulinum toxin e is suitable for such a diagnostic test . the patient can experience the expected changes before the actual treatment . as its action lasts for only a few days , the patient finds out what effects will be produced later by treatment with a long - lasting efficacy toxin . should the injection not be optimal , the disturbing effect will last for only a short time and another injection can be performed to test the effect on another muscle . a patient undergoes scar revision excision surgery . the scar is located on the abdomen . the scar was a result of a trauma , and was closed at a tertiary referral center at the time . the patient is placed in a supine position , and 5 ml of 0 . 5 % lidocaine with 1 : 200 , 000 epinephrine is locally injected . the scar is excised and bleeding is controlled with monopolar cautery . botulinum toxin a , which is free of complexing proteins is injected ( 10 units ) into the wound periphery and fanning out from the wound . the wound was closed using 6 - 0 vicryl for deep and 6 - 0 nylon for superficial sutures . approximately 24 hours after surgery , the patient develops marked paralysis of the injection muscles , and had lost the ability to move the skin in an area of about 4 cm in diameter around the excision . the wound heals well in the early postoperative period . it is apparent that there is decreased movement and tension on the wound edges . the wound of the patient heals without complications . compared to the preoperative scar , the cosmetic appearance of the resulting scar 12 months postoperatively is excellent and superior to the initial scar . a patient suffers from keratitis or undergoes surgical intervention on the eye . botulinum toxin type e or f which is free of complexing proteins is injected into the levator palpebral superioris to produce a flaccid ptosis on the upper lid and provide safe and effective protection for the cornea . the eye is inspected to monitor the healing process . injections are repeated until the underlying disease or condition heals . it is to be understood that while the invention has been described in conjunction with the detailed description thereof , the foregoing description is intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of the invention , which is defined by the scope of the appended claims . other aspects , advantages , and modifications are within the scope of the following claims .	0
hagfish are marine craniates of the class agnatha or myxini , also known as hyperotreti . some researchers regard myxini as not belonging to the subphylum vertebrata . that is , they are the only living animals that have a skull but not a vertebral column . see , n . a . campbell and j . b . reece ( 2005 ). biology seventh edition . benjamin cummings , san francisco calif . despite their name , there is some debate about whether they are strictly fish , since they belong to a much more primitive lineage than any other group that is placed in the category of fish ( chondrichthyes and osteichthyes ). the earliest fossil record dates back approximately 550 million years , or earlier to the lower cambrian period . their unusual feeding habits and slime - producing capabilities have led members of the scientific community and popular media to dub the hagfish as the most “ disgusting ” of all sea creatures . although hagfish are sometimes called “ slime eels ”, they are not eels at all . see , sea and sky : atlantic hagfish . hagfish are long and vermiform , and can excrete copious quantities of a “ slime ” or mucus ( from which the typical species myxine glutinosa was named ) of unusual composition . when captured and held , e . g ., by the tail , they secrete the slime , which expands into a gelatinous and sticky “ goo ” when combined with water ; if they remain captured , they can tie themselves in an overhand knot which works its way from the head to the tail of the animal , scraping off the slime as it goes and freeing them from their captor , as well as the slime . recently it has been reported that the slime entrains water in its microfilaments , creating a slow - to - dissipate viscoelastic substance , rather than a simple gel , and it has been proposed that the primary protective effect of the slime is related to impairment of the function of a predator fish &# 39 ; s gills . see , lim , j ; fudge , d s ; levy , n ; gosline , j m ( jan . 31 , 2006 ). “ hagfish slime ecomechanics : testing the gill - clogging hypothesis ”. journal of experimental biology 209 ( pt 4 ): 702 - 710 . it has been observed that most of the known predators of hagfish are varieties of birds or mammals ; it has been proposed that the lack of marine predators can be explained by a “ gill - clogging hypothesis ”, wherein one purpose of the slime is to impair the gill function of marine animals that attempt to prey on the hagfish . if true , it could be regarded as a highly successful evolutionary strategy against predatory fish . ibid . free - swimming hagfish also excrete “ slime ” when agitated and will later clear the mucus off by way of the same travelling - knot behavior . see , martini , f . h . ( 1998 ). the ecology of hagfishes . ( ed . j . m . jorgensen , j . p . lomholt , r . e . weber and h . make ), pp . 57 - 77 . london : chapman and hall . see also , strahan , r . ( 1963 ), the behavior of myxinoids . acta zool . 44 , 73 - 102 . the reported gill - clogging effect suggests that the travelling - knot behavior is useful or even necessary to restore the hagfish &# 39 ; s own gill function after “ sliming ”. an adult hagfish can secrete enough slime to turn a 20 litre ( 5 gallon ) bucket of water into slime in a matter of minutes . research is ongoing regarding the properties of the components of hagfish slime filament protein . drilling formations below the bottom of a body of water is described , for example , in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 380 , 614 issued to williamson et al . incorporated herein by reference . fig1 shows a ship or vessel 2 having a winch 3 or similar spooling device thereon on the surface of a body of water 4 such as the ocean . the winch 3 can spool and unspool a deployment cable 6 and an umbilical cable 34 used to deploy a drilling system 10 on the bottom 11 of the body of water . the deployment cable 6 may nor may not be part of the same physical cable as the umbilical cable 34 . a water bottom based drilling system 10 is deployed using the cable 6 and is caused to rest on the bottom 11 of the body of water . after drilling operations are completed , the system 10 may be retrieved and returned to the vessel 2 . the drilling operations are more completely described in the williamson et al . &# 39 ; 614 patent . in an example method according to the invention , hagfish may be caused to generate bodily slime in a container at the surface . one or more hagfish may be deployed in the container and agitated to cause secretion of the slime . the slime may be lowered in a separate container ( not shown separately ) along with the drilling system 10 when it is deployed on the water bottom . the slime may be mixed with sea water for use as a drilling fluid during the drilling operations . effective mixtures may range from about one part hagfish slime to 10 parts of water to about one part hagfish slime to about 20 parts of water . drilling operations may be performed as described in the williamson et al . &# 39 ; 614 patent or as otherwise known in the art of sea floor drilling using the above described hagfish slime - water mixture . it is within the scope of the invention to make synthetic hagfish slime as well as using slime obtained from live hagfish . while the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments , those skilled in the art , having benefit of this disclosure , will appreciate that other embodiments can be devised which do not depart from the scope of the invention as disclosed herein . accordingly , the scope of the invention should be limited only by the attached claims .	2
in the following detailed description , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention and how it may be practiced in particular embodiments . however , it will be understood that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details . in other instances , well - known methods , procedures and techniques have not been described in detail , so as not to obscure the present invention . while the present invention will be described with respect to particular embodiments and with reference to certain drawings , the invention is not limited hereto . the drawings included and described herein are schematic and are not limiting the scope of the invention . it is also noted that in the drawings , the size of some elements may be exaggerated and , therefore , not drawn to scale for illustrative purposes . furthermore , the terms first , second , third and the like in the description and in the claims , are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequence , either temporally , spatially , in ranking or in any other manner . it is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and that the embodiments of the invention described herein are capable of operation in other sequences than described or illustrated herein . moreover , the terms top , bottom , over , under and the like in the description and the claims are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing relative positions . it is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and that the embodiments of the invention described herein are capable of operation in other orientations than described or illustrated herein . it is to be noticed that the term “ comprising ”, used in the claims , should not be interpreted as being restricted to the means listed thereafter ; it does not exclude other elements or steps . it is thus to be interpreted as specifying the presence of the stated features , integers , steps or components as referred to , but does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features , integers , steps or components , or groups thereof . thus , the scope of the expression “ a device comprising means a and b ” should not be limited to devices consisting only of components a and b . a sensor according to the present invention comprises at least one sensing element , the at least one sensing element comprising a resonant cavity device for emitting optical radiation at an operation wavelength , the resonant cavity device comprising a first mirror at a first side ( e . g ., the radiation emitting side ), and a second mirror at a second side opposite to the first side . the at least one sensing element further comprises a sensing layer overlaying the second mirror , and a detection component ( e . g ., a photodetector , such as an integrated photodetector ) at the first side of the resonant cavity device , for detecting the optical power of the optical radiation emitted by the resonant cavity device . the first mirror of the resonant cavity device can , for example , be a iii - v dbr mirror comprising a plurality of layers with alternating high and low refractive indices . the second mirror can , for example , comprise several periods of a dielectric dbr mirror combined with a structured layer , such as a structured metal layer . the structured metal layer can , for example , comprise a metal grating structure and / or can comprise metal nanoholes and / or can comprise metal nanoparticles which can support surface plasmon resonance . the metal nanoholes or metal nanoparticles can be arranged in an array , or in another configuration . the sensing layer may be provided over or on the structured layer and can , for example , comprise a polymer , bio - molecules or binding - dna . the thickness of the sensing layer may depend on the analyte to be sensed . for example , the thickness of the sensing layer may be in the micrometer range when the analyte is vapor , or may be thinner than 1 micrometer if the analyte is a gas , or may in the order of a few hundreds of nanometers for the detection of biomolecules . other examples are possible as well . in general , any suitable sensing layer thickness known to a person skilled in the art may be used . in some embodiments , the sensing layer can be adjacent to the second mirror or an additional layer can be present between the sensing layer and the second mirror . this additional layer can , for example , be used to tune the refractive index of the environment near the metal structure , and thus the resonant spr wavelength . in some embodiments , the resonant cavity device may be a vcsel , but the invention is not limited thereto . for example , in a sensor of the present invention the resonant cavity device can be a led with roundtrip reflection , a fabry - perot cavity or any other suitable resonant cavity device known to a person skilled in the art . a typical vcsel may comprise a short active region in between two distributed bragg reflector ( dbr ) mirrors with very high reflectivity (≧ 99 %), the iii - v dbr mirrors typically comprising tens of layers with alternating high and low refractive indices . the active region may comprise a iii - v quantum well ( qw ) offering a high gain coefficient . fig1 schematically illustrates a cross - section of an example sensing element of a surface plasmon resonance sensor , in accordance with an embodiment . as shown , the sensor comprises an active region 10 in between two mirrors : a first mirror 12 at the light emitting side of the vcsel and a second mirror 11 at a side opposite to the light emitting side of the vcsel . the second dbr dielectric mirror 11 may comprise , for example , 2 to 10 periods , e . g . 4 to 8 periods of alternating layers with high and low refractive indexes , and a structured metal layer 13 , such as , for example , a metal grating or metal nanohole array or metal nano - particles , possibly offering higher than 99 % of reflectivity . an anti - reflection ( ar ) coating 16 can be provided at the iii - v - dielectric interface for suppressing non - desired residual reflections . the ar coating can , for example , comprise a plurality of layers . a sensing layer 30 for adsorbing or absorbing an environmental target or analyte ( gas , molecules , virus , dnas , etc .) is provided on the second mirror of the vcsel . the sensing layer 30 can be any layer that changes its refractive index upon exposure to an analyte to be detected . fig3 a - 3c show top views of some exemplary metal grating structures that can be used to support surface plasmon resonance at a second mirror of an example sensing element , in accordance with an embodiment . different grating structures or orientations can be designed to match the polarization status of the vcsel . for example , the structure shown in fig3 a can be used in case of p - polarization , the structure shown in fig3 b can be used in case of p - and s - polarization , and the structure shown in fig3 c can be used in case of s - polarization . however , the present invention is not limited thereto and any other suitable structured layer 13 known to a person skilled in the art can be used . fig4 a - 4b show two possible cross - sections of example second mirrors 11 of a sensing element , in accordance with embodiments . fig4 a shows an embodiment in which a metal grating is formed on a flat dielectric layer surface , and fig4 b shows an embodiment in which a metal grating is formed on a structured dielectric layer surface . in the embodiments shown , the second mirror 11 comprises a dielectric dbr mirror ( comprising alternating layers 111 , 112 with higher refractive index and lower refractive index , respectively ) combined with a structured layer 13 . in some embodiments , the sensor may comprise a photodetector 20 , such as an integrated photodetector , at the light - emitting side of the vcsel . the integrated photodetector can comprise a stack of layers ( e . g ., p - i - n ). the integrated photodetector can be wafer - bonded or glued at the light - emitting side of the vcsel , or it can be grown in a same process as the vcsel , since the photodetector can possibly share the same iii - v material with the vcsel . the detection component , which may also be integrated , can be adjacent to the first mirror , or can be at predetermined distance from the first mirror . in operation , an electrical current is injected through the p - type metal contacts 14 and the n - type metal contacts 15 of the vcsel . when the injected electrical current is higher than a threshold current ( for example several ma ), the vcsel starts to lase . when the refractive index of the sensing layer 30 changes due to the absorption or adsorption of a target material ( gas , bio - liquid , virus , dnas , etc .) and the surface plasmon resonance is excited near or at the operation wavelength , the reflectivity of the second mirror 11 decreases . consequently , the threshold current for lasing increases , and the output optical power of the vcsel drops for the same injection current . the changes in optical output power of the vcsel are measured with the detection component 20 . fig2 schematically illustrates the intensity of the light emitted by a vcsel ( 1 ) in the absence of an analyte , and ( 2 ) after absorption or adsorption of an analyte at the sensing layer , for an example sensor in accordance with an embodiment . the difference ( 3 ) between the optical power emitted by the vscel before and after exposure to a target material for a given injection current can be detected by the detection component . in some embodiments , the structure can also be operated the other way around , namely the detection of the transition from non - lasing ( curve 2 ) to lasing ( curve 1 ) upon adsorption or absorption of a target material resulting in a power increase can be measured by the detection component . in some embodiments , the vcsel ( or , more generally , the resonant cavity device ) functions both as a light source and as a sensing element . due to the preferred total integration , the sensing element and / or the sensor as a whole can be both compact and low cost . the optical power change is prominent as it is related to breaking or initiation of a lasing condition , thus leading to a higher sensitivity . in some embodiments , an array of sensing elements can be used for obtaining a larger measurement range . to illustrate the working principle of the disclosed sensor , simulations were performed for a sensor as illustrated in fig1 . the simulated sensor comprises a vcsel ( gaas substrate ), the iii / v first dbr mirror is composed of 15 periods of algaas with different compositions , the active layer is a multi - quantum well with a gain peak at 860 nm , and the second mirror consists of a structured metal grating and six periods of alternating sinx and sio2 . in the simulations , the thickness of each sinx layer and each sio2 layer was 128 nm , and a gold metal grating with a period of 620 nm was assumed with a metal thickness of 50 nm and a 60 nm wide slit . the structure of the second mirror consisting of a dielectric dbr and metal grating can be seen in fig4 a . the sensing layer has an intrinsic refractive index of 1 . 3 , which gradually increases with an increasing amount of analyte . this can , for example , be obtained by flowing a target liquid with a higher index over the sensing layer surface . in the numerical simulations , the intensity of the radiation emitted by the laser ( vcsel ) was analyzed as a function of the refractive index of the sensing layer , for a sensing element of the present invention . fig5 shows simulated intensity change of an example sensor as a function of the wavelength for different values of the refractive index of the sensing layer , in accordance with an embodiment . from these results it can be concluded that the output power of the vcsel at the peak wavelength ( 860 nm ) of the sensing element decreases gradually from 6 . 5 × 10 4 to 1 . 8 × 10 4 when the refractive index of the sensing layer changes from 1 . 3 to 1 . 4 , e . g . resulting from the presence of an analyte . fig6 shows simulated reflectivity of a second mirror of an example sensor as a function of the wavelength of incident light , in accordance with an embodiment . as shown , the reflectivity of the second mirror changes from 99 . 3 % to 86 . 6 % at a wavelength of 863 nm when the refractive index of the sensing layer changes from 1 . 30 to 1 . 40 , which corresponds to the output intensity change in fig5 . although in the examples describe above the operation wavelength used is close to 860 nm , the present disclosure is not limited thereto . the disclosed sensor can be designed for use at any other suitable wavelength . for example , the second mirror can be designed for obtaining a very high reflectivity at any wavelength by properly designing the dielectric dbr mirror and the metal grating . the thickness of the alternating dielectric layers depends on the target wavelength . in the context of the present disclosure , the thickness may be equal to the target wavelength or operating wavelength divided by 4n , wherein n is the effective refractive index of the dielectric materials . fig7 shows simulated reflectivity of a second mirror of another example sensor as a function of the wavelength of incident light , in accordance with an embodiment . in fig7 , second mirror is designed for maximum reflectivity at 970 nm . in the simulated structure , the thickness of the alternating sinx and sio2 layers was 145 nm , and the metal grating period was 700 nm . the reflectivity of the second mirror changes from 99 . 8 % to 93 % at a wavelength of 970 nm when the refractive index changes from 1 . 30 to 1 . 40 . the sensing layer material may be selected depending on the analyte to be detected . for example , the sensing layer material can comprise a polymer for detecting alcohol vapor , or an antibody for dna analysis . other examples are possible as well . the metal supporting the surface plasmons can be , for example , silver or gold . other examples are possible as well . the exact number of period pairs and the thickness of the metal layer of the second mirror are dependent on the operational wavelength and the target reflectivity and sensitivity .	6
typical prior art aps pixels are shown in fig1 a and 1 b . the pixel in fig1 a comprises a photodetector 12 , typically a photodiode ( pd ), a reset transistor 14 with a reset gate 15 ( rg ), a row select transistor 16 with a row select gate 17 ( rsg ), and signal transistor 18 ( sig ). light incident upon the photodetector creates free electrons that are confined to the photodetector by an isolation region , or region , surrounding the photodetector . the isolation regions typically comprise a field oxide region surrounding the photodetector , and a transfer gate or reset gate that when appropriately biased confine photocharge to the photodetector . blooming protection is to provided by keeping the off - level of the reset gate 15 at an electrostatic potential ( the conduction band minima ) deeper than zero volts so that excess photoelectrons can flow through the region under the reset gate 15 into vdd , which is a drain for the photoelectrons . this is depicted by inclusion of the electrostatic potential diagram for the pixel cross section . the electrostatic potential is shown by the dotted line in fig1 a . the electrostatic potential of the isolation regions are typically 0 volts in the pixel design shown in fig1 a , blooming protection is essentially inherent , but this pixel architecture cannot perform frame integration without use of a mechanical shutter . the pixel in fig1 b comprises a photodetector 12 , that can be either a photodiode or photogate , a transfer gate 11 , a floating diffusion 13 , a reset transistor 14 with a reset gate 15 , a row select transistor 16 with a row select gate 17 , and signal transistor 18 . blooming protection can be done in the same manner as described for the pixel in fig1 a . the transfer gate 11 and reset gate 15 off - levels are kept at an electrostatic potential deeper than zero volts so that excess photoelectrons flow through the region under transfer gate 11 into the floating diffusion 13 , through the region under reset gate 15 and into vdd . once again this is depicted by the dotted line diagram of electrostatic potential for the pixel cross section . this method will provide blooming protection only during integration . it will not provide blooming protection during read out , ( i . e . when one is sampling the signal stored on the floating diffusion 13 ). referring to fig1 c , the problem discussed above relating to blooming protection during readout is addressed by the inclusion of lateral overflow gate ( log ) 9 and lateral overflow drain ( lod ) 8 . now excess photoelectrons can flow through the region under log 9 and into the lod 8 so that the excess photoelectrons cannot corrupt the signal on the floating diffusion 13 during read out . inclusion of an log 9 and lod 8 within the pixel reduces fill factor leading to inferior sensitivity . this is also shown in top view in fig1 d . this invention provides a means to provide blooming protection during integration and read out , without impacting fill factor , for a pixel architecture that can be used to perform electronic frame integration . some physical embodiments of the new pixel architecture are shown in fig2 a through fig5 . while other specific physical embodiments will be realizable , these are chosen for illustration because they represent the most preferred embodiments of the present invention . fig2 a illustrates a pixel comprising : a photodetector 22 ( either a photodiode or a photogate ); a transfer gate ( tg ) 21 ; a floating diffusion ( fd ) 23 ; a reset transistor 24 with a reset gate ( rg ) 25 ; a row select transistor 26 with a row select gate ( rsg ) 27 ; a signal transistor ( sig ) 28 ; and a lateral overflow region ( lor ) 39 . it is the lor 39 that provides a path to reach the vdd of an adjacent pixel 38 . the lateral overflow region 39 is realized by using 2 - dimensional narrow width effects to provide a region that has an electrostatic potential that is deeper than the off potential used on tg 21 , but shallower than the collection potential for photodetector 22 . the electrostatic potential is shown by the dotted line for the pixel cross section provided in fig2 a . the lor 39 is placed between the photodetector 22 and a vdd 38 for an adjacent pixel . it is envisioned that the , vdd of the pixel itself can be used to remove charge from photodetector 12 , however , for the purposes of a preferred embodiment , the best mode takes into account the overall architectural design of the image sensor . accordingly , issues such as fill factor dictate that it is preferred that vdd 38 be the drain vdd of another pixel , or pixels . the lor 39 can be formed in various ways . a top view of one method is shown in fig2 b . in this case the active area region and implants or diffusions used to form the photodetector 22 , are used to create a narrow region for the lor 39 that is essentially the same as the photodetector 22 only significantly narrower and situated between the photodetector and a vdd region 38 . fig3 a - 3 c illustrates the electrostatic potential of a narrow vs . wide photodetector region showing how narrow width effects can be used to create a region with an electrostatic potential that is deeper than zero volts but shallower than the photodetector potential . fig3 a illustrates the electrostatic potential for the wide region used to create the photodetector 22 . fig3 b illustrates the electrostatic potential for the narrow region used to create the lor 39 . again referring to fig2 a , as photoelectrons begin to fill the photodetector 22 , excess photoelectrons will flow through the lor 39 and into vdd . the electrostatic potential level of lor 39 is lower than the electrostatic potential for transfer gate 21 in the off - state , accordingly , excess photoelectrons cannot flow over transfer gate 21 onto the floating diffusion 23 and corrupt the signal level during read out . since there have been no added components placed within the pixel 20 , the fill factor of pixel 20 is left unchanged . another means for producing an lor for a photogate based pixel 40 architecture is shown in fig4 . in this case the active area and photogate regions 42 are used to create the lor 49 . a separate p - type implant could also be used in the narrow active area region underneath photogate 42 to make the effective threshold voltage of that region higher than that of the photogate photodetector region . in either case the result is that when photogate 42 is biased in depletion in order to collect photoelectrons , the electrostatic potential of the lor 49 region is shallower than that of the photogate 42 photodetector region but deeper that that of tg 43 in its off - state . fig4 b is a cross sectional diagram along the line aa ′ of fig4 a with a corresponding electrostatic potential diagram that illustrates the electrostatic potential of lor 49 with respect to vdd and the photogate 42 . fig4 c is a cross sectional diagram along the line bb ′ of fig4 a with a corresponding electrostatic potential diagram illustrating the electrostatic potential of the lor 49 with respect to the field oxide region on either side of lor 49 . the electrostatic potentials is represented by the dotted lines in fig4 a and 4 b and the overall operation is similar to that described for fig2 a and 2 b . in addition to using narrow active area regions and implants to create the lor , a narrow field oxide region can be used . this is seen in pixel 50 as shown in fig5 . by making the field oxide region in between the photodetector 52 and vdd of the adjacent pixel narrow , the depletion regions from the photodetector and vdd begin to merge . as a result the electrostatic potential of the field region is pulled deeper than 0 volts . by properly designing the width of this narrow field oxide region 59 , its electrostatic potential can be adjusted to be deeper than the off potential of the transfer gate , the reset gate , and the electrostatic potential of the field oxide isolation regions , but shallower than the electrostatic potential of the photodetector . hence , blooming of photoelectrons is prevented . operation is similar to that already described . another method for forming an lor is envisioned by selective blocking of the field threshold adjust implant . this implant is used in cmos processes and comprises a boron field threshold adjust implant . it is typically employed in the field oxide regions to prevent depletion and inversion of the field oxide region . this implant can be selectively blocked in a narrow region in between the photodetector and vdd to create a lor . the foregoing description of the preferred embodiments has detailed the best modes envisioned by the inventor , obvious variations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the relevant art , accordingly , the scope of the present invention should be measured by the appended claims .	7
if the stator currents and stator voltages of an asynchronous machine are combined as a stator current vector i and stator voltage vector u , these vectors can be described by their magnitude and the angle which they enclose e . g . with a stator axis which is shown in fig1 as reference axis α 1 of a stator - oriented ( fixed ) reference system . preferably there are formed from the measured values for the stator current and stator voltage at the three stator windings of a three - phase asynchronous machine , by means of a coordinate transformer , the projections onto the two axes of a cartesian fixed reference system . if , therefore , the revolving vector i of the stator current describes the angle ε with the α 1 axis , its stator - related cartesian components are given by i . sub . α1 = i x cos ε , i . sub . α2 = i x sin ε . in the stationary state shown in fig1 the stray voltage drop d / dt i x . sup . σ is given by a vector of the length i x . sup . σ ω perpendicular to the vector i , where ω = de / dt ε is the rotational frequency of the stator current . the ohmic voltage drop is a pure active current drop and thus directed opposite to vector i , and it has the magnitude i r s . consequently there results according to equation ( 1 ) the emf of the rotor as a vector e which is determined as to magnitude and length according to fig1 . responsible for the build - up of the field is the magnetization current i . sub . μ pointing in ψ direction , which in the stationary case is equal to the stator current component i . sub . φ1 parallel to ψ . in the stationary state , the length of the flux vector ψ pointing in the direction of the magnetization current is proportional to i . sub . φ1 , whose end point lies on a semicircle k 1 over the stator current vector i and moves on this semicircle according to the load of the machine . this follows from the fact that the active current determining for the torque is perpendicular to the magnetization current . for the further analysis it is advantageous to describe the stator current in a cartesian coordinate system which is rotated relative to the stator axis by the flux angle φ , by the two components i . sub . φ1 ( which under stationary conditions changes over to the magnetization current i . sub . μ ), and by i . sub . φ2 ( active current ). in the considered stationary case , the emf vector e is rotated 90 ° relative to the flux vector ψ ; because of the proportionality between e and ψ , therefore , the end point of the vector e also lies on a semicircle ( k 2 ). this construction of the vectors e , ψ thus proceeds , according to equation ( 1 ), from the vector u and the parameters r s and x . sup . σ . however , also equations ( 2 ) and ( 3 ) or ( 3a ) must be fulfilled . therefore , it is possible also , starting from the vector i and the parameter x h , to determine the vectors e and ψ respectively . both methods must lead to the same vector e , respectively ψ . as these are plane vectors which have two determinants ( e . g . magnitude e and angle ε . sub . φ for the vector e ), both methods must lead to the same value for a determinant of this vector . further , in fig1 e j1 represents the component parallel to the stator current , and e j2 the component perpendicular thereto . there applies e j1 = e sin ε . sub . φ , e j2 = e cos ε . sub . φ ( current - oriented component ). hence if the angle ε . sub . φ is known , the vector e has an additional determinant , for which e , e j1 or e j2 can be used . the same is true for the flux vector ψ . by using estimated values r s &# 39 ; , x . sup . σ &# 39 ; for the construction of the emf vector from the stator voltage vector , a vector e &# 39 ; will be determined which differs considerably from the real emf vector e . now by forming instead of the projection of the stator current i on the real flux vector ψ the projection on a vector perpendicular to the estimated vector e &# 39 ;, one obtains an estimated magnetization current component i &# 39 ;. sub . φ1 likewise lying on the circle k 1 . by using this estimated magnetization current component as input magnitude for an arithmetic model circuit simulating the asynchronous machine ( e . g . according to equations 2 and 3 ), one obtains a second estimated emf vector e &# 34 ; which differs from the first estimated emf vector e &# 39 ;. analogously , instead of the emf vectors e &# 39 ;, and e &# 34 ; the corresponding flux vectors ψ &# 39 ;, ψ &# 34 ; may be used . now if two of the three considered parameters are known accurately enough , the setting of the third parameter can be varied until the two estimated vectors coincide . in fig2 are shown the conditions for the case that the parameter values for x . sup . σ and x h are sufficiently known , but for the emf formation according to equation ( 1 ) an estimated parameter value r s &# 39 ; is used which is smaller than actual stator resistance r s . hence the correlated emf vector e &# 39 ; points to a point outside the circle k 2 . by δ is designated the angle between e &# 39 ; and e . to this estimated emf vector e &# 39 ; belongs a flux vector ψ &# 39 ; which likewise differs from the true flux vector ψ by the angle δ . as estimated magnetization current component i &# 39 ;. sub . φ1 there is now formed the projection i &# 39 ;. sub . φ1 of the true stator current vector i onto a unit vector pointing in the direction of ψ &# 34 ;, with respect to which the arithmetic model circuit forms a second estimated emf vector e &# 34 ; according to equation ( 3 ). there applies for the magnitudes of these emf vectors e &# 39 ;- e &# 34 ;& lt ; 0 when r s &# 39 ; - r s & lt ; 0 . consequently , the difference e &# 39 ;- e &# 34 ; can be supplied to an integrating regulator which automatically follows up the estimated value r s &# 39 ; until at coincidence of the vectors e &# 39 ; and e &# 34 ; the difference between the magnitudes disappears . for the projections ( not marked in fig2 ) of the vectors onto a unit vector parallel or perpendicular to the stator current vector i ( current - oriented coordinates e &# 39 ; j1 , e &# 39 ; j2 ) always the same dependence of r s &# 39 ; - r s applies . therefore one can use as determinants also a stator current - oriented component of each of the vectors e &# 39 ;, e &# 34 ; for the control . in fig2 operation as motor is considered , which is characterized by the condition i . sub . φ2 & gt ; 0 or m = i . sub . φ2 / i . sub . φ1 & gt ; 0 . for operation as generator the sign of the difference e &# 39 ;- e &# 34 ; is reversed . consequently the control sense of the control circuit must be switched in operation as generator . as switching criterion may be used the sign of the quotient m = i &# 39 ;. sub . φ2 / i &# 39 ;. sub . φ1 or respectively the sign of i &# 39 ;. sub . φ2 . only in idling ( m approx . 0 ) difficulties arise , so that it is best not to make any r s determination in these ranges . if the parameter values x . sup . σ and x h , which until now were assumed to be known with sufficient accuracy , are themselves only imprecise estimations , it is found that with increasing stator frequency ω the stator resistance is determined in this manner with increasing imprecision . for this reason it is advantageous to determine the stator resistance only in the lower frequency range . if the rotor resistance found in this lower frequency range is used for a field - oriented control of an asynchronous machine , this does not cause a substantial falsification of the control since for field - oriented control the stator resistance need be set accurately only at frequencies which are small in relation to the nominal frequency ω nenn ( e . g . ω / ω nenn & lt ; 0 . 1 ). in fig3 it is assumed that the values for r s and x h are known accurately enough , but that for the stray inductance x . sup . σ and inaccurate estimated value x . sup . σ &# 39 ; is used . for x . sup . σ &# 39 ; & lt ; x . sup . σ there then results according to equation ( 1 ) an estimated emf vector e &# 39 ; whose end point lies , if the angle between emf vector and stator current vector is less than 45 °, within the circle k 2 and is displaced relative to the true emf vector e by the angle δ . accordingly also the respective estimated flux direction is changed by the angle δ relative to the direction of the flux vector ψ , so that there results the estimated magnetization current component i &# 39 ;. sub . φ1 differing from the true magnetization current component . according to equation ( 3 ) there belongs to this the second estimated emf vector e &# 34 ;, which differs from the vector e &# 39 ;. here , too , there results a monotony between the deviation r s &# 39 ; - r s and the difference of the vector magnitudes e &# 39 ;- e &# 34 ; or respectively the difference of a stator current - oriented component of these vectors . consequently this difference can be used also in this case to adjust the estimated parameter value x . sup . σ &# 39 ; estimated by means of an integrating regulator until for the case e &# 39 ;= e &# 34 ; the estimated value x . sup . σ &# 39 ; equals the true stray inductance x . sup . σ . for the case that the angle between emf and stator vector exceeds 45 °, e &# 39 ;- e &# 34 ; is greater than 0 if x . sup . σ1 - x . sup . σ & lt ; 0 . in this range , which likewise is given by a condition for the quotient m = i &# 39 ;. sub . φ2 / i &# 39 ;. sub . φ1 , namely m & gt ; 1 or the condition k &# 39 ;. sub . φ2 & lt ; i &# 39 ;. sub . φ1 , it is therefore necessary to switch the control sense of the control arrangement . for the range m approx . equals 1 difficulties result , so that in this range the device advantageously remains switched off . it is found that an imprecise input of the parameters r s &# 39 ; and x h &# 39 ; in the vicinity of idling can lead to greater mis - determinations for x . sup . σ . this mis - determination , however , will be the smaller as the load of the machine is greater , i . e . the more the quotient m exceeds the value 1 . the method is therefore to be used advantageously mainly at high frequencies and large values for the quotient m . in the special case that the parameter values x . sup . σ and r 2 are known exactly and there is an imprecise estimated value only for the main inductances x h , the emf forming circuit determines as emf vector e &# 39 ; the actual emf vector e of the machine ( fig4 ). and therefore the directions of the associated flux vectors ψ and ψ &# 39 ; and hence also the magnetization current components i . sub . φ1 and i &# 39 ; 100 1 coincide . the arithmetic model circuit , however , determines an estimated value e &# 34 ; for the emf vector , which because of the orthogonality with ψ = ψ &# 39 ; has indeed the direction of the vector e = e &# 39 ;, but has a different magnitude e &# 34 ; and whose end points therefore lie on a circle k 2 &# 34 ; corresponding to the load . the diameter of this circle depends on the parameter x h &# 39 ; . therefore the relationship between the magnitude difference e &# 34 ; and e &# 39 ; and the estimated value deviation x h &# 39 ; - x h of the parameter x h is a monotonous one , and here too one can use for the adjustment of the parameter x h the difference between a determinant of vector e &# 39 ; and a corresponding determinant of vector e &# 34 ;. if the values x . sup . σ and r s are known only imprecisely , there results a mis - determination for the parameter value x h which is small at higher frequencies , in particular ω / ω nenn & gt ; 0 . 5 at idling ( m = 0 ) and becomes greater only at higher load ( m & gt ; 1 ). the determination of x h by this method is therefore advantageously carried out at higher stator frequencies and low machine loads . since the determination of each individual parameter value amounts in the last analysis to a comparison of the vectors e &# 39 ; and e &# 34 ;, the same emf - forming circuit and the same arithmetic circuit can be used for the formation of the balance of the determinants required for the respective adjustment of a parameter value . for the determination of x h there is provided at the computation model circuit an input at which an estimated value for this parameter can be entered . correspondingly the emf - forming circuit contains a setting input for the parameter x . sup . σ &# 39 ; and the parameter r s &# 39 ; , respectively . to each parameter value to be determined its own integrating regulator is assigned , whose output is connected with the setting input of the associated parameter value . advantageously each integrating regulator can be adjusted to the initial conditions for the control operation ( control integration ). to avoid mutual interference of the balancing methods for different parameter values , the controllers are released preferably only at different times , in particular in different operational states . if we define the load of the asynchronous machine by the tangent of the angle between the stator current vector and the flux vector or by approximation by the quotient m = i &# 39 ; φ 2 / i &# 39 ; φ 1 , these being the stator current components perpendicular and parallel to the vector e &# 39 ; determined in the emf - forming circuit , we can define the operating states in which one of the parameter values is determined from each other in such a way that at low stator frequencies and higher load the stator resistance is calculated ; at higher frequencies and near idling , the principal inductance ; and at higher frequencies and higher loads , the stray inductance . fig6 shows schematically a complete arrangement for the determination of all three parameter values . the arrangement consists of the emf - forming circuit 1 , the computer 2 , the computation model circuit 3 , and the controller stage 4 . at the input terminals of a three - pole asynchronous machine 5 are tapped the stator voltages and stator currents which in appropriate coordinate transformers 6 , 7 such as described in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 775 , 649 are combined as vector magnitudes pointing into the direction of the axis of the respective stator windings to form a vector u . sub . α and i . sub . α respectively . for simplified representation a vector is marked in the figures by a double arrow , which is to indicate that these are the components of a vector in a cartesian coordinate system , where the respective computing operations marked at the respective computer elements by the switching symbols are to be carried out component by component . in the emf - forming circuit 1 , the vector r s &# 39 ; x i . sub . α of the ohmic stator voltage drop is formed by multiplication ( multiplication member 8 ) of the set parameter values r s &# 39 ; by the stator - related component - tapped at the coordinate transformer 7 -- of the stator current vector i . sub . α . likewise , by componentwise differentiation ( differentiation member 9 ) and multiplication by a set parameter value x . sup . σ &# 39 ; for the stray inductance ( multiplication member 10 ), the vector of the inductive stray voltage can be formed . in a subtraction circuit 12 , the vector e &# 39 ; (&# 34 ; first vector &# 34 ;) of the emf correlated with the set values x . sup . σ &# 39 ;, r s &# 39 ; is formed from the components - tapped at the coordinate transformer 6 -- of the stator - related stator voltage vector u . sub . α . for the field - oriented control of an asynchronous machine a similar arrangement is required anyway as flux detector to determine the direction of the magnetic field of the asynchronous machine . such detectors contain also , as a rule , an integrator for determining the flux vector belonging to the emf vector , by componentwise integration . the deduction of the inductive stray voltage can here be effected by first integrating only the difference u 60 - r s x i . sub . α and then forming the stray voltage drop by subtraction of the vector x . sup . σ x i . sub . α . also such a flux detector can be used as emf - forming circuit in the apparatus according to the invention , in which case there is formed , instead of the vector e &# 39 ;, the respective flux vector ψ &# 39 ; as the first vector correlated with the set parameters x . sup . σ &# 39 ;, r s &# 39 ; . the arithmetic control circuit , well - known in the art and described , for example , in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 775 , 649 comprises at least one vector analyzer and a transformation circuit . the vector analyzer 13 determines from the vector e &# 39 ; entered by the emf - forming circuit , on the one hand , a correlated quantity determining this vector , in this case the magnitude e &# 39 ; of vector e &# 39 ;, and an angle quantity . with this angle quantity the transformation circuit , which in this case is designed as a vector rotator 14 , calculates from the stator - related components of the stator current vector i . sub . α the component i . sub . φ1 perpendicular to vector e &# 39 ; ( that is , parallel to the flux vector ψ &# 39 ;) and the component i &# 39 ;. sub . ψ2 perpendicular thereto . the stator - oriented given vector i . sub . α is thus transformed into a coordinate system revolving with the first vector e &# 39 ; and rotated by the angle ( φ &# 39 ;+ π / 2 ). in the arithmetic model circuit 3 , a flux ψ &# 34 ; is determined from the stator current component i &# 39 ;. sub . φ1 parallel to ψ &# 39 ; ( correlated magnetization current component ) and a set parameter value x h &# 39 ; for the main inductance of the asynchronous machine by mathematical simulation of the processes leading to the production of the magnetic field , which flux ψ &# 34 ; is now correlated with the set main inductance parameter x h &# 39 ; . advantageously this calculation of the flux ψ &# 34 ; takes place in that i &# 39 ; 100 1 is supplied to a filter designed as a smoothing member 15 for the formation of the magnetization current i . sub . μ &# 39 ; according to equation ( 2 ) thereafter to a multiplication member 16 whose multiplier is given by a set ( e . g . estimated ) parameter value x h &# 39 ; for the main field inductance . the smoothing member 15 here simulates the dynamics with which the field builds up in the asynchronous machine . in the ideal case , the time constant of the filter 15 corresponds to the main field time constant of the asynchronous machine , which is given by the quotient of main inductance and rotor resistance . but since the determination of the parameter values can be effected practically in stationary processes , an exact setting of the time constants of the filter 15 ( first order delay member ) is not necessary ; it suffices to set the time constant for example to a range of from 0 . 5 to 1 sec . the essence of the field - oriented control consists in that the flux and the torque can be controlled by independent nominal values for the field - parallel and field - perpendicular portions of the stator current . the corresponding actual values of the stator current can therefore be obtained in that the components i &# 39 ;. sub . φ1 and i &# 39 ;. sub . φ2 , which in the balanced state , in which the parameter values x . sup . σ and r s &# 39 ; are equal to the true machine parameters , are tapped from outputs 26 and 27 from the arithmetic control circuit 2 , in order thus to obtain the required information about the direction of the flux vector . in like manner , the magnitude e &# 39 ; can be tapped from output 28 as actual value , to obtain an actual value for the respective flux . a separate emf detector for the control is thereby economized . determination of the true machine parameters , which can be tapped at an output 29 , is not necessary for the field orientation proper . from the flux ψ &# 34 ; associated with the arithmetic model circuit 3 there is determined in the control circuit 4 first a quantity e &# 34 ; which is used as determinant of an emf vector associated with the arithmetic model circuit in the same manner as the quantity e &# 39 ; tapped at the vector analyzer serves as determinant of the vector e &# 39 ;. to this end the fact that the emf belonging to flux ψ &# 34 ; can be formed by differentiation of the flux vector can be utilized . in the quasi - stationary state , the flux vector belonging to the flux magnitude ψ &# 34 ; revolves practically at the stator frequency , so that rather than determining the vectors ψ &# 34 ; and e &# 34 ;, the sought emf magnitude can be formed by multiplication ( multiplier 17 ) of the flux magnitude ψ &# 34 ; by the stator frequency ω . the difference e &# 39 ;- e &# 34 ; obtained in this way at the summation circuit 18 is now used as control deviation in order to follow up by means of an integrating regulator one of the set parameter values x h &# 39 ; , x . sup . σ &# 39 ;, r s &# 39 ; until the deviation disappears . the vector e &# 39 ; and the corresponding vector e &# 34 ;, of which only its magnitude was calculated , will then be coincident . if the other two parameter values are in sufficiently exact agreement with the corresponding machine parameters , then also the value available at the control circuit output , of the parameter to be followed up , is in agreement with the corresponding machine parameter . in the circuit according to fig6 the difference e &# 39 ;- e &# 34 ; can selectively be used for the following up of one of the parameters , a separate controller 20 , 21 , 22 being provided for each parameter value . the control deviation e &# 39 ;- e &# 34 ; is added by a switching device 23 to the integrating regulator associated with the respective parameter value to be determined . since , as has been explained before , the control sense is switched for certain values of the quantity m = 1 &# 39 ;. sub . φ2 / i &# 39 ;. sub . φ1 , the controllers 20 and 21 are preceded by appropriate switching devices 24 , 24 &# 39 ; for sign reversal of the controller input signal . by 29 lastly an output is designated at which , after a control adjustment , the sought parameter value , e . g . r s = r s &# 39 ; , can be tapped . as has been mentioned before , instead of the emf vector e &# 39 ;, the respective flux vector ψ &# 39 ; can be determined by the emf - forming circuit . in this case the formation of the emf magnitude e &# 34 ; in the control circuit is obsolete and instead the flux ψ &# 34 ; determined in the arithmetic model circuit is used directly as quantity correlated with the arithmetic model circuit . fig7 shows a computer 30 for this case which corresponds to the arithmetic control circuit 2 . in the arithmetic control circuit are entered the components i . sub . α1 , i . sub . α2 of the stator current vector , which are given with the angle designations from fig1 by i . sub . α1 = i cos ε , i . sub . α2 = i sin ε in the stator reference system . by the integrators 31 , 32 it is indicated that as further input quantities for computer 30 there are entered instead of the emf vector e &# 39 ; the stator - related coordinates ψ &# 39 ; cos φ &# 39 ; and ψ &# 39 ; sin φ &# 39 ; of the flux vector ψ &# 39 ;=∫ e &# 39 ; dt . by φ &# 39 ; is designated , in analogy to the flux angle φ from fig1 the angle between the axis of the respective flux vector φ &# 39 ; and the α 1 axis . the vector analyzer 13 of fig6 here has its equivalent in the vector analyzer 13a , which on the one hand determines the magnitude ψ &# 39 ; as the determinant , and on the other hand adds the angle quantities sin φ &# 39 ;, cos φ &# 39 ; to a vector rotator 14a which , like the vector rotator 14 in fig6 forms from the coordinates i cos ε , i sin ε the corresponding field - oriented coordinates i &# 39 ;. sub . φ1 = cas ( ε - φ &# 39 ;), i &# 39 ;. sub . φ2 = 1 sin ( ε - φ &# 39 ; ) referred to the vector ψ &# 39 ;. as characteristic determinant correlated with the arithmetic model circuit there is used , as mentioned before , directly the flux magnitude ψ &# 34 ;, so that in the control stage , at the appropriate subtraction point 23a , the difference ψ &# 39 ;- ψ &# 34 ; can be formed . in fig7 is shown a further possibility for the formation of a quantity determining the vector ψ &# 34 ;. this possibility consists in that there can be formed in a vector analyzer 33 first the stator current magnitude i and the angle quantities cos ε , sin ε from the stator - related components of the stator current vector . these angle quantities are added to a vector rotator 34 which forms the stator current - related components ψ &# 34 ; cos ( φ &# 39 ;- ε ), ψ &# 39 ; sin ( φ &# 39 ;- ε ) from the stator - slated components ψi cos φ &# 39 ;, ψ &# 39 ; sin φ &# 39 ; by a rotation of the coordinate system in which the α 1 axis of the stator reference system is rotated by the angle ε into the direction of the stator current vector . now in this variant , instead of the vector magnitude ψ &# 39 ; as determinant there can be used selectively one of the two stator current - related coordinates . to this corresponds as determinant correlated with the arithmetic model circuit a corresponding stator current - related coordinate of the flux vector ψ &# 34 ;. this vector ψ &# 34 ; is established as to magnitude by the flux magnitude ψ &# 34 ; calculated in the arithmetic model circuit and as to direction by the direction of the magnetization current i &# 39 ;. for the formation of the stator current - oriented component of the vector ψ &# 34 ;, therefore , it suffices to form by means of a vector analyzer 35 the corresponding angle quantity cos ( φ &# 39 ;- ε ) or respectively sin ( φ &# 39 ;- ε ) and to multiply it by the magnitude ψ &# 34 ; ( multiplier 36 , 37 ). the adjustment of a parameter value can now be effected by adjustment of the magnitude or of a stator - related component of the two vectors ψ &# 39 ;, ψ &# 34 ;. for this one uses the subtraction point 38 if the component perpendicular to the stator current is used , or the subtraction point 39 if the component parallel thereto is used , or the subtraction point 23a if the magnitude ψ &# 39 ; is tapped at the vector analyzer 35 and compared directly with the flux ψ &# 34 ; determined in the arithmetic model circuit . also in this circuit variant , the arithmetic circuit 30 must calculate by coordinate transformation the component of the stator current vector parallel to the flux vector , as magnetization current . since the vector analyzer 35 already furnishes angle functions of the angle difference ε - φ &# 39 ;, the magnetization current can be formed by multiplication ( multiplier 40 ) of the current magnitude i determined at the vector analyzer 35 by the angle quantity cos ( ε - φ &# 39 ;) determined at the vector analyzer 35 . in this variant , therefore , the elements 13a , 14a can be economized . if also the quantity i &# 39 ; φ2 is used for switching the control sense , this can likewise be done by multiplication of the stator current magnitude i by the angle function sin ( ε - φ &# 39 ;)= sin ( φ &# 39 ;- ε ). fig8 shows an arithmetic circuit constructed according to the first variant with the vector analyzer 13a and the vector rotator 14a . by the integration stage 31a it is indicated that in arithmetic circuit 45 the flux vector ψ &# 39 ; in the stator reference system ( index α ) is produced by componentwise integration of the stator - related emf components ( index α ) of the vector e &# 39 ; associated with the parameter setting of the emf forming circuit . in the stationary case , a counterclockwise rotation of the vector e &# 39 ; by 90 ° and if desired a division by the stator frequency can be used instead of the integration . the stator current vector is now transformed into a coordinate system revolving with the vector ψ &# 39 ;, in that the vector analyzer determines , in addition to the vector magnitude ψ &# 39 ;, angle quantities determining the angle of rotation with which the coordinate system for the stator current vector is aligned with the flux vector ψ &# 39 ; in the vector rotator 14a . at the comparison point 23a there is calculated in the manner already described the control deviation ψ &# 39 ;-- ψ &# 34 ;, if the flux magnitude is used as determinant . if , however , it is desired to use as determinant the component ( index j1 ) parallel to the flux vector or the component perpendicular thereto ( index j2 ) of the flux vectors ψ &# 39 ; and ψ &# 34 ;, respectively , this can also be done in that , reversing the operation performed in fig7 by means of the elements 32 , 40 and 41 , there is calculated by means of a vector analyzer 46 the cosine and sine of the angle φ &# 39 ;- ε and there is formed by multiplication by the magnitudes ψ &# 39 ; and ψ &# 34 ; the corresponding control deviation ψ &# 39 ;- ψ &# 34 ;= ψ &# 39 ; cos ( φ &# 39 ;- ε )- ψ &# 34 ; cos ( φ &# 39 ;- ε ) or respectively ψ &# 39 ; j2 - ψ &# 34 ; j2 = ψ &# 39 ; sin ( φ &# 39 ;- ε )- ψ &# 34 ; sin ( φ &# 39 ;- ε ). fig9 shows a circuit corresponding to fig7 but where instead of the flux vector ψ &# 39 ; the emf vector e &# 39 ; is entered as the vector associated with the emf forming circuit . the same structural parts are here provided with the same reference symbols . in the variant which uses the vector rotator 14a , the stator current is transformed in this case into a coordinate system revolving with the emf vector . but since the emf vector e &# 39 ; and the respective flux vector ψ &# 39 ; are perpendicular to each other , this means essentially only that at the outputs of the vector rotator 14a the correlation of the components i &# 39 ;. sub . φ1 and i &# 39 ;. sub . φ2 is reversed . also in the circuit according to fig9 the use of the elements 13a and 14a can be dispensed with when using the structural parts 33 , 34 , 35 , 40 and 41 . in contrast to fig7 only the component inputs of the vector analyzer 35 are preceded by filters designed as smoothing members 42 , to reduce the harmonics . as the output quantities of the vector rotator 34 are d - c voltages in the stationary case , these filters do not influence the phase or the magnitude of the fundamental oscillation that the input quantities have . since in this case the determinants for the emf vectors are used , the emf magnitude e &# 34 ;, too , is derived from the flux ψ &# 34 ; calculated in the computation model circuit , for which purpose the multiplier 17 explained in connection with fig6 is provided . fig1 illustrates the arithmetic model circuit , arithmetic control circuit , and control stage for the case shown in fig9 where the point of departure is the emf vector e &# 39 ; as the first vector correlated with the emf forming circuit . there is used here that variant of the arithmetic model circuit according to fig9 which manages without the vector analyzer 13a and vector rotator 14 . the emf vector is transformed by the stator - related coordinate system at the vector rotator 34 into a coordinate system revolving with the stator current , and the stator current - oriented components e &# 39 ; j1 , e &# 39 ; j2 of the transformed vector are supplied each to its own subtraction point 38 , 39 . to these subtraction points are supplied the respective stator current - oriented components e &# 34 ; j1 , e &# 34 ; j2 of the second vector , namely of the emf vector e &# 34 ; correlated with the arithmetic model circuit 3 . the components thereof can be tapped at the multiplier members 36 , 37 . further , there is added to the subtraction point 23a the magnitude of vector e &# 39 ; formed at the vector analyzer 35 and the emf magnitude e &# 34 ; belonging to the ψ &# 34 ;. each of the three control deviations formed at points 23a , 38 , 39 is sent to its own integrating regulators 50 , 51 , 52 . the output of regulator 50 is here coupled to an input 53 for the setting of the main inductance parameter x h &# 39 ; at the arithmetic model circuit 3 . at minimum control deviation at regulator 50 , the corresponding machine parameter can be tapped at input 53 . correspondingly , regulator 51 is switched in on an input 54 , at which the parameter value for the stator resistance r s &# 39 ; can be set in the forming circuit . regulator 52 serves to set the parameter x . sup . σ &# 39 ; at the setting input 55 of the eme forming circuit . as the determination of the various parameter values is to take place not at the same time , switches 56 , 57 , 58 are provided , by which the controllers 50 , 51 and 52 can be switched off . but advantageously the regulators are not switched off completely by the switches ; rather , only the regulator inputs are cut off , while the setting of a regulator remains stored until this controller is released again . since , as has been mentioned , for the determination of the parameters x . sup . σ and r s the control sense may have to be switched , the regulators 51 and 52 are preceded by corresponding switching devices 56a and 57a , by which the regulator input polarity can be reversed as a function of the quantities i &# 39 ;. sub . φ1 and i &# 39 ;. sub . φ2 &# 39 ;. a corresponding circuit is illustrated in fig1 . as integrating regulator is used a digital forward - backward counter 60 , in which can be entered by a setting input 61 an initial value as basic setting for the control operation . this basic setting corresponds to a first estimated value , from which the adjustment of the parameter to be determined is effected . to the counter input of counter 60 a pulse train , for example of a frequency of 10 hz , is supplied via a clock line 62 and an and gate 63 . further , for the frequency limitation of the operational states intended for the parameter determination , the stator frequency omega is added to two circuit value switches 64 , 65 , at which the maximum and the minimum stator frequency can be set . hence the and gate 63 is released only in the range ω min & lt ; ω & lt ; ω max . in corresponding manner the operational states intended for the parameter determination can be limited also to the permitted values for the quotient i &# 39 ;. sub . φ2 / i &# 39 ;. sub . φ1 = m . if , for example , the determination of the stator resistance parameter value r s is to be carried out only for m & gt ; m min of respectively m & lt ;- m min , the value for m determined at a quotient former 66 can be added to corresponding limit indicators 67 and 68 , the output signals of which are supplied via an or member 69 to a further input of the and gate 63 . since further , e . g . for the determination of the stator resistance parameter value considered in fig2 a positive control deviation ( e . g . e &# 39 ;- e &# 34 ;& gt ; 0 ) indicates for the case m & gt ; 0 too small a set parameter value ( r s - r s &# 39 ; & gt ; 0 ) and upon change of sign of i &# 39 ;. sub . φ2 or of m a reversal of the control sense is required the sign of the control deviation as well as the sign of the quotient m tapped at the limit indicator 67 can be added via an exclusive or gate 71 at a limit indicator 70 ( to which the control deviation e &# 39 ;- e &# 34 ; is added ) to the switching input of the digital counter 60 , by which the counter is fixed . at the output 72 of the digital counter 60 the respective parameter value determined for the actual machine parameter is then available . fig1 can thus be summarized by the statement that the initial ( starting ) value for the control integration can be entered in the regulator 60 via line 61 and that the controller can be released by a corresponding release signal ( e . g . by addition of the clock signal by means of switch 73 ), the controller output signal being able to be stored if the input is not released . advantageously , further , a switching device is provided for reversing the polarity at the controller input as a function of i &# 39 ;. sub . φ2 or i &# 39 ;. sub . φ2 / i &# 39 ;. sub . φ1 . the circuit according to fig1 , where for the adjustment of the stator resistance a current - oriented component of the emf vector e &# 39 ; is used , differs from the circuit according to fig6 by greater cost of instrumentation . but this circuit is nevertheless advantageous if at unknown values for x h and x . sup . σ the stator resistance is to be determined . if , in fact , the drive is operated in idling ( m = 0 ), the current vector will , at correctly set stator resistance parameter , coincide at least in the lower frequency range with the direction of the flux vector , so that the component of vector e &# 39 ; parallel to the stator current disappears . this is true independently of the set values for x . sup . σ &# 39 ; and x h &# 39 ; , so that for a presetting of the stator resistance merely the parameter value r s &# 39 ; must be changed until e &# 39 ; j1 = 0 . to this end , an output 29b is provided , at which the component e &# 39 ; j1 is brought out of the emf forming circuit or the arithmetic control circuit . analogously , of course , φ &# 39 ; j2 may be used instead of e &# 39 ; j1 . further it is advantageous to use in the circuit according to fig1 the adjustment of the stray inductance x . sup . σ by adjustment of the component of the vectors e &# 39 ; and e &# 34 ; perpendicular to the current . this makes it possible to determine the parameter value x . sup . σ independently of the value for r s in a short - circuit test before the start of the normal operation of the asynchronous machine . to this end , the rotor is blocked while the stator current revolves at high frequency ( preferably more than 50 % of the nominal frequency ). thereby the load angle becomes almost 90 °, while the magnetization current component i &# 39 ;. sub . φ1 is almost zero . hence the emf vector e lies practically parallel to the stator current vector i , and it suffices to shift the parameter value x . sup . σ &# 39 ; so that the component e &# 39 ; j2 perpendicular to the current , which in fig1 is brought out at output 29a , of the estimated emf vector e &# 39 ; becomes zero . the parameter value r s &# 39 ; enters only into the component e &# 39 ; j1 through the ohmic stator resistance parallel to the current and therefore does not influence this determination of x σ . as a physical equivalent to this , in the arrangement according to fig6 the parameter value x . sup . α &# 39 ; can be changed until the two components e &# 39 ;. sub . α1 , e &# 39 ;. sub . α2 -- available at the outputs 29a , 29b -- of the emf vector e &# 39 ; determined by the emf former in the stator reference system are both minimum , since a reactive current component of e &# 39 ; occurring at imprecise adjustment of x . sup . σ &# 39 ; always means an enlargement of the vector e &# 39 ; as compared with an emf vector which has only an active current component . likewise , of course , also the fact that that in the short circuit test the magnetization current component is minimum can be utilized for the x . sup . σ &# 39 ; determination , in that x . sup . σ &# 39 ; is varied until a minimum value of i &# 39 ;. sub . φ1 is present at output 27 . in the general case , the preadjustment of the stator resistance r s can be effected by measuring with a measuring device the ohmic resistance at the machine terminals , entering it as basic adjustment in the emf forming circuit and the associated regulator ( e . g . 20 in fig6 or 51 in fig1 ). alternatively , at constant stator frequency , a stator current can be impressed and the parameter r s shifted so that e &# 39 ;= 0 . likewise , of any desired estimated values for x . sup . σ and x h at low stator frequency one can let the stator resistance be determined by the apparatus itself and store it in the regulator , the mis - setting of the parameters x . sup . σ and x h being of little influence . if a starting value for the stray inductance parameter value x . sup . σ is not determined according to the above - mentioned shortcircuit test , one can place in memory as starting value for the determination of this parameter an estimated value and determine the true parameter value in the course of normal operation with the device , provided a preadjustment has been made for the parameter values r s and x h . the preadjustment of x h is effected advantageously at higher speeds of rotation and in idling . if , possibly after repeating the preadjustments several times , under normal operation of the asynchronous machine , the individual parameter values are now determined in the ranges indicated in fig5 with the device according to the invention , and if the value last determined is stored , there is available in the memories a set of parameter values by which the parameters of the asynchronous machine are expressed with good accuracy . if as first vector in the emf forming circuit 1 the correlated flux vector ψ &# 39 ; of the rotor flux is determined , then , as has been mentioned before , by componentwise integration of the stator emf . sub . μ - r s &# 39 ; i the stator flux vector can be formed and subsequently by componentwise subtraction of x . sup . σ i the correlated rotor flux vector ψ &# 39 ; can be formed . if , however , the correlated emf vector e &# 39 ; is to be formed , when a differentiation is necessary , and the vector to be differentiated must now show too sudden a time variation and therefore must , as a rule , be subjected to a prior slight smoothing . a smoothing , however , causes an error in phase and magnitude . this error is practically insignificant when all quantities entering in the equation to be solved by the integration are subjected to the same smoothing . the output quantities are then means which are related with the unsmoothed output quantities of a mathematical integration through the same smoothing - time curve . this , however , requires per se separate , carefully matched smoothing members for each input quantity . in the circuit according to fig1 and 13 , the cost of smoothing is low . the circuit according to fig1 is suitable generally for solving an equation where the output quantity c is obtained as smoothed quantity c with a smoothing - time curve c = 1 / 1 + st , t being the smoothing time constant and s the operatior of the laplace transformation . the smoothed equation , in fact , can be transformed to : accordingly , at a sum point 80 there is added to the input quantity σa i the inverted signal -- c of the output 86 via a feedback line 85 . the sum signal is supplied with the proportionally factor 1 / t ( proportional member 81 ) to an integrator 82 and added to the input quantities b 1 -- likewise multiplified by 1 / t -- at a second sum point 84 . the output signal of the sum point is the desired smoothed output quantity c . fig1 shows a realization of this circuit which as an emf detector calculates the emf component e &# 39 ;. sub . α = μ . sub . α - r s &# 39 ; i . sub . α - x . sup . σ &# 39 ; d / dt i α as smoothed component ## equ1 ## i . sub . α , x . sup . σ &# 39 ; being scaled to the nominal frequency for reasons of dimension . an identical circuit is provided also for e &# 39 ;. sub . β . the sumpoints 80 , 84 as well as the integrator 82 are realized by operational amplifiers 90 , 91 , 92 , the proportionalities being given by the resistance wiring of the operational amplifiers .	7
illustrated in fig1 to 3 is an example of a microarray hybridization device 11 embodying various features of the present invention . shown are the components of a cover and gasket subassembly 13 which bind to a glass slide 15 or the like to create a sealed hybridization chamber ; the subassembly includes a flat cover 17 and a peripheral gasket 19 . the glass slide 15 provides a flat substrate upon which a microarray can be attached . although the substrate 15 may be a standard glass laboratory slide , any other flat surface - providing object could be used that would be suitable for carrying biological samples . for example , they could be made of polymeric material instead of glass or any other suitable impervious material to which probe - carrying microdots might be applied . a standard laboratory slide 15 may be rectangular in shape having dimensions of 1 × 3 in . of course other sizes and / or shapes could be used , but standardization is desirable for microassay hybridization reactions . generally , thickness of the substrate is immaterial so long as the surface is impervious . the cover 17 of the subassembly may be a rectangular sheet of liquid - impermeable material that provides a flat upper surface for the hybridization chamber , to which surface there is fixed the perimeter or peripheral gasket 19 . the gasket that may have the same exterior dimensions as the cover so that its edges are essentially coplanar . although the cover - gasket subassembly might be a single piece , for the economies of manufacture , it is preferably made in separate pieces which are then suitably joined together by any suitable means , as by adhesive , solvent bonding , heat sealing or the like . for example , both the cover 17 and the gasket 19 may be made of polymeric material and suitable joined as by high strength adhesive . for example , covers might be simply cut from a sheet of polycarbonate or polypropylene or polyethylene or some other polymeric material that is preferably hydrophobic , so as not to attract an aqueous hybridization target solution injected into the chamber which is formed once the subassembly has been mated with the glass slide or other substrate . the cover may be transparent , and for some applications preferably is optically clear . however , for other applications , for instance those which are light - sensitive , the cover may preferably be opaque . the gasket 19 can be simply die - cut from suitable sheet material or molded in quantity as by injection molding . it may also be made from polymeric material , and it may be formed of the same polymer as the cover or a compatible polymer , so long as the material is liquid impervious as to provide a liquid - tight type chamber in which the hybridization incubation reaction can take place . it is preferably also formed by hydrophobic material . for example , the gasket 19 may be die - cut from a closed cell polymeric foam material having a high strength pressure - sensitive adhesive on one surface so that it can be easily laminated or otherwise affixed to the undersurface of the cover 17 . the subassembly is designed to be subsequently preferably adhesively adjoined to the flat substrate that carries the microarray , and to facilitate such , it is preferred that the undersurface of the gasket 19 be provided with a layer of pressure - sensitive adhesive and covered by a release liner 21 . the release liner 21 might only cover the adhesive surface of the gasket 19 , or it may be rectangular in shape , essentially the same dimensions as the cover , so that it seals the entire surface of the chamber and assures cleanliness . in the former arrangement , it would be die cut at the same time the gasket 19 is die cut from stock material . the cover 17 may be stiff or have flexibility , and the gasket 19 material may be of a like character . because following most hybridizations it will be desirable to remove the gasketed cover so as to wash and then treat or analyze the microarrays , the cover 17 is preferably flexible to facilitate its peeling from the substrate . in operation , once a microarray 23 has been applied to the upper surface of the glass slide 15 , it is ready for the attachment of the subassembly 13 to create the hybridization incubation device . accordingly , the release liner 21 is simply carefully stripped from the undersurface of the adhesive - bearing gasket 19 , and the gasketed cover is carefully mated with the slide by generally aligning three edges surfaces to create the device shown in fig2 where a reaction chamber 25 is formed that is bounded by the upper surface 16 of the glass slide , the undersurface of the cover 17 and the interior surfaces of the walls of the gasket 19 , with the gasket now being sealed to the facing flat substrate 16 and cover 17 . the liquid - tight chamber 25 wherein the microarray 23 is located is then filled with a liquid target solution . examining the gasket 19 more closely , it can be seen that it serves as a peripheral barrier in the form of two parallel long walls 31 and two short walls 33 which are perpendicular thereto that form a rectangular reaction chamber after the subassembly 13 has been laminated onto the glass slide 19 . the cover 17 contains a pair of apertures or openings 35 , preferably located near opposite ends of the chamber , that facilitate the filling of the chamber through one aperture 35 and the escape of air through the other aperture 35 at the opposite end . the cover 17 preferably carries a tab 39 that facilitates its being peeled from the slide after the incubation period has ended . although the tab may be an integral part of the cover 17 , as by being an extension of one edge that extends past the gasket 19 or a die - cut projection that extends outward from the rest of the edge of the cover , it is preferably affixed to the undersurface of the cover , as illustrated in fig2 , and extends along the end of the glass slide where the microarray is not located . it may be made of stiff or flexible material and firmly attached by adhesive , heat - or solvent - bonding or the like . the cover 17 and tab 39 are preferably both flexible to facilitate peeling following incubation . the device is designed to be used by incompletely filling the chamber with the hybridization target solution so as to leave an air bubble , the purpose of which is to promote mixing during the movement of the device while the hybridization reactions are taking place . once the filling is completed , the apertures 35 are closed in any suitable manner , as by applying plugs or adhesive seals 37 that simply fit over the apertures and prevent any leakage . as earlier indicated , the movement of a large bubble within the reaction chamber while somewhat promoting mixing is not considered to be truly effective , and the gasket or the peripheral barrier 19 is constructed with a plurality of bubble - fracturing elements 41 that extend into the reaction chamber 25 from the surfaces of the shorter pair of walls 33 . these bubble - fracturing elements 41 are preferably hydrophobic and are formed as triangular fingers with sharp edges 43 at their tips which , upon engagement with a bubble in the aqueous solution , cause the splitting of the bubble into two separate bubbles of smaller volume . as a result , as the continuous manipulation of the target solution - filled device continues , likely over several hours time , the initial bubble and its progeny are split time and time again , creating a multitude of microbubbles in the aqueous solution that are spread essentially uniformly across the width of the interior of the reaction chamber as they move end to end as the device is being manipulated as described hereinafter . the sharp edges 43 extend between the two facing , flat surfaces of the glass slide 15 and the cover 17 , and they are aligned essentially perpendicular thereto . pocket regions 45 are located between the bubble - fracturing elements 41 , and they accommodate and promote the formation of the microbubbles . depending upon how the filled devices are to be rotated , it may be desirable to construct or aim the bubble - facturing elements 41 so that they point toward the general direction from which the bubbles will be rising in the chamber as they approach the shorter wall 33 . if the manipulation would be such that the bubbles would be approaching the walls 33 in a direction essentially perpendicular thereto , the bubble - fracturing elements 41 might be pointed directly outward from the interior wall surface . in the illustrated arrangement , they are oriented or aligned at an angle of about 45 ° from the adjacent wall surface , pointing toward the lower interior wall surface of the longer wall 31 against which the bubbles may rise when rotating the device in the plane of the glass slide itself , which arrangement may be preferred . with such an orientation wherein the bubble - fracturing elements 41 are pointed toward the rising streams of bubbles , there is a greater propensity for the bubbles to split upon their engagement with the sharp edges 43 . illustrated in fig4 is an example of one type of apparatus that might be used to continuously rotate or manipulate the target solution - filled devices during incubation , which may extend for a period of , for example , 6 - 18 hours . depicted is a support wheel 51 supported on a generally horizontal axle 53 and driven from a support base 55 that contains an electric motor that causes the rotation of the axle and the wheel at a desired speed , preferably between about 2 - 20 rpms , e . g . about 8 rpms . one or both surfaces of the wheel contain a plurality of supports 57 that are designed to accept a cartridge 59 containing a plurality of the target solution - filled hybridization devices 11 , thus facilitating the incubation of multiple test samples at one time . of course , other supports on the same wheel , if desired , could be configured to accept individual devices not supported in a cartridge 59 . the arrangement is preferably such that the devices 11 are slowly rotated in the plane thereof so the bubbles tend to generally rise along the one long wall 31 on the high side of the chamber . although the invention has been described with regard to certain preferred embodiments which constitutes the best mode presently known for carrying out the invention , it should be understood that various modifications and changes as would be obvious to one having the ordinary skill in this art may be made without departing from the scope of the invention that is defined in the claims appended hereto . the disclosures of all u . s . patents mentioned herein are expressly incorporated herein by reference . particular features of the invention are emphasized in the claims that follow .	1
the following description with reference to the drawings provides illustrative examples of devices and methods according to embodiments of the invention . such description is for illustrative purposes only and not for purposes of limiting the same . in the context of the current application , the terms “ semiconductor substrate ,” or “ semiconductive substrate ,” or “ semiconductive wafer fragment ,” or “ wafer fragment ,” or “ wafer ,” will be understood to mean any construction comprising semiconductor material including , but not limited to , bulk semiconductive materials such as a semiconductor wafer ( either alone or in assemblies comprising other materials thereon ), and semiconductive material layers ( either alone or in assemblies comprising other materials ). the term “ substrate ” refers to any supporting structure including , but not limited to , the semiconductive substrates , wafer fragments or wafers described above . “ l o ” as used herein is the inherent periodicity or pitch value ( bulk period or repeat unit ) of structures that self - assemble upon annealing from a self - assembling ( sa ) block copolymer . “ l b ” as used herein is the periodicity or pitch value of a blend of a block copolymer with one or more of its constituent homopolymers . “ l ” is used herein to indicate the center - to - center cylinder pitch or spacing of cylinders of the block copolymer or blend , and is equivalent to “ l o ” for a pure block copolymer and “ l b ” for a copolymer blend . in embodiments of the invention , a polymer material ( e . g ., film , layer ) is prepared by guided self - assembly of block copolymers , with both polymer domains at the air interface . the block copolymer material spontaneously assembles into periodic structures by microphase separation of the constituent polymer blocks after annealing , forming ordered domains of perpendicular - oriented cylinders at nanometer - scale dimensions within a trench . a method for fabricating a self - assembled block copolymer material that defines a one - dimensional ( 1d ) array of nanometer - scale , perpendicular - oriented cylinders according to an embodiment of the invention is illustrated with reference to fig1 - 8 . the described embodiment involves a thermal anneal of a cylindrical - phase block copolymer under a solvent atmosphere . the anneal is conducted in combination with a graphoepitaxy technique that utilizes a lithographically defined trench as a guide with a floor composed of a material that is neutral wetting to both polymer blocks , and sidewalls and ends that are preferential wetting to one polymer block and function as constraints to induce the block copolymer to self - assemble into an ordered 1d array of a single row of cylinders in a polymer matrix oriented perpendicular to the trench floor and registered to the trench sidewalls . in some embodiments , two or more rows of perpendicular - oriented cylinders can be formed in each trench . as depicted in fig1 - 1b , a substrate 10 is provided , which can be silicon , silicon oxide , silicon nitride , silicon oxynitride , silicon oxycarbide , among other materials . as further depicted , conductive lines 12 ( or other active area , e . g ., semiconducting regions ) are situated within the substrate 10 . in any of the described embodiments , a single trench or multiple trenches can be formed in the substrate , and can span the entire width of an array of lines ( or other active area ). in embodiments of the invention , the substrate 10 is provided with an array of conductive lines 12 ( or other active areas ) at a pitch of l . the trench or trenches are formed over the active areas 12 ( e . g ., lines ) such that when the block copolymer material is annealed , each cylinder will be situated above a single active area 12 ( e . g ., a conductive line ). in some embodiments , multiple trenches 18 are formed with the ends 24 of each adjacent trench 18 aligned or slightly offset from each other at less than 5 % of l such that cylinders in adjacent trenches 18 are aligned and situated above the same conductive line 12 . in the illustrated embodiment , a neutral wetting material 14 ( e . g ., random copolymer ) has been formed over the substrate 10 . a material layer 16 ( or one or more material layers ) can then be formed over the neutral wetting material 14 and etched to form trenches 18 that are oriented perpendicular to the array of conductive lines 12 , as shown in fig2 - 2b . portions of the material layer 16 form a spacer 20 outside and between the trenches . the trenches 18 are structured with opposing sidewalls 22 , opposing ends 24 , a floor 26 , a width ( w t ), a length ( l t ) and a depth ( d t ). in another embodiment , the material layer 16 ′ can be formed on the substrate 10 ′, etched to form the trenches 18 ′ as depicted in fig3 , and a neutral wetting material 14 ′ can then be formed on the trench floors 26 ′ as shown in fig4 . for example , a random copolymer material can be deposited into the trenches 18 ′ and crosslinked to form a neutral wetting material layer . material on surfaces outside the trenches 18 ′ such as on the spacers 20 ′ ( e . g ., non - crosslinked random copolymer ) can be subsequently removed . single or multiple trenches 18 ( as shown ) can be formed using a lithographic tool having an exposure system capable of patterning at the scale of l ( 10 - 100 nm ). such exposure systems include , for example , extreme ultraviolet ( euv ) lithography , proximity x - rays and electron beam ( e - beam ) lithography , as known and used in the art . conventional photolithography can attain ( at smallest ) about 58 nm features . a method called “ pitch doubling ” or “ pitch multiplication ” can also be used for extending the capabilities of photolithographic techniques beyond their minimum pitch , as described , for example , in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 328 , 810 ( lowrey et al . ), u . s . pat . no . 7 , 115 , 525 ( abatchev , et al . ), u . s . patent publication 2006 / 0281266 ( u . s . pat . no . 7 , 396 , 781 , issued jul . 8 , 2008 , to wells ) and u . s . patent publication 2007 / 0023805 ( u . s . pat . no . 7 , 776 , 715 , issued aug . 17 , 2010 , to wells ). briefly , a pattern of lines is photolithographically formed in a photoresist material overlying a layer of an expendable material , which in turn overlies a substrate , the expendable material layer is etched to form placeholders or mandrels , the photoresist is stripped , spacers are formed on the sides of the mandrels , and the mandrels are then removed , leaving behind the spacers as a mask for patterning the substrate . thus , where the initial photolithography formed a pattern defining one feature and one space , the same width now defines two features and two spaces , with the spaces defined by the spacers . as a result , the smallest feature size possible with a photolithographic technique is effectively decreased down to about 30 nm or less . factors in forming a single 1d array or layer of perpendicular - oriented nanocylinders within the trenches include the width ( w t ) and depth ( d t ) of the trench , the formulation of the block copolymer or blend to achieve the desired pitch ( l ), and the thickness ( t ) of the block copolymer material within the trench . there is a shift from two rows to one row of the perpendicular cylinders within the center of the trench 18 as the width ( w t ) of the trench 18 is decreased and / or the periodicity ( l value ) of the block copolymer is increased , for example , by forming a ternary blend by the addition of both constituent homopolymers . the boundary conditions of the trench sidewalls 22 in both the x - and y - axis impose a structure wherein each trench 18 contains “ n ” number of features ( e . g ., cylinders ). for example , a block copolymer or blend having a pitch or l value of 35 - nm deposited into a 75 - nm wide trench 18 having a neutral wetting floor will , upon annealing , result in a zigzag pattern of 17 . 5 - nm diameter (≅ 0 . 5 * l ) perpendicular cylinders that are offset by about one - half the pitch distance ( about 0 . 5 * l ) for the length ( l t ) of the trench 18 , rather than a single line row of perpendicular cylinders aligned with the sidewalls 22 down the center of the trench 18 . in the illustrated embodiment , the trenches 18 are constructed with a width ( w t ) of about 1 . 5 - 2 * l ( or 1 . 5 - 2 × the pitch value ) of the block copolymer such that a cast block copolymer material ( or blend ) of about l will self - assemble upon annealing into a single row of perpendicular cylinders ( diameter ≈ 0 . 5 * l ) with a center - to - center pitch distance ( p ) of adjacent cylinders at or about l . for example , in using a cylindrical phase block copolymer with an about 50 nm pitch value or l , the width ( w t ) of the trenches 18 can be about 1 . 5 - 2 * 50 nm or about 75 - 100 nm . the length ( l t ) of the trenches 18 is at or about n * l or an integer multiple of l , typically within a range of about n * 10 to about n * 100 nm ( with n being the number of features or structures , e . g ., cylinders ). the depth ( d t ) of the trenches 18 is greater than or equal to l ( d t & gt ; l ). the width of the spacers 20 between adjacent trenches can vary and is generally about l to about n * l . in some embodiments , the trench dimension is about 20 - 100 nm wide ( w t ) and about 100 - 25 , 000 nm in length ( l t ), with a depth ( d t ) of about 10 - 100 nm . a self - assembling , cylindrical - phase block copolymer material 28 having an inherent pitch at or about l o ( or a ternary blend of block copolymer and homopolymers blended to have a pitch at or about l b ) is deposited into the trenches 18 , typically as a film ( as in fig5 - 5b ). the block copolymer ( or blend ) is constructed such that all of the polymer blocks will have equal preference for a neutral wetting material on the trench floor . the block copolymer material can be constructed to provide desired properties such as defect tolerance and ease of development and / or removal of one of the blocks . in some embodiments of the invention , the block copolymer or blend is constructed such that the minor domain can be selectively removed . examples of diblock copolymers include , for example , poly ( styrene )- b - poly ( vinylpyridine ) ( ps - b - pvp ), poly ( styrene )- b - poly ( methyl methacrylate ) ( ps - b - pmma ) or other ps - b - poly ( acrylate ) or ps - b - poly ( methacrylate ), poly ( styrene )- b - poly ( lactide ) ( ps - b - pla ), poly ( styrene )- b - poly ( tert - butyl acrylate ) ( ps - b - ptba ), and poly ( styrene )- b - poly ( ethylene - co - butylene ( ps - b -( ps - co - pb )), poly ( styrene )- b - poly ( ethylene oxide ) ( ps - b - peo ), poly ( isoprene )- b - poly ( ethyleneoxide ) ( pi - b - peo ), poly ( isoprene )- b - poly ( methyl methacrylate ) ( pi - b - pmma ), poly ( butadiene )- b - poly ( ethyleneoxide ) ( pbd - b - peo ), a ps - b - peo block copolymer having a cleavable junction such as a triphenylmethyl ( trityl ) ether linkage between ps and peo blocks ( optionally complexed with a dilute concentration ( e . g ., about 1 wt %) of a salt such as kcl , ki , licl , lii , cscl or csi ( zhang et al ., adv . mater . 2007 , 19 , 1571 - 1576 ), a ps - b - pmma block copolymer doped with peo - coated gold nanoparticles of a size less than the diameter of the self - assembled cylinders ( park et al ., macromolecules , 2007 , 40 ( 11 ), 8119 - 8124 ), and a poly ( styrene )- b - poly ( 2 - vinylpyridine ) ( ps - b - p2vp ) block copolymer having a cleavable junction such as a dithiol group , among others , with ps - b - pvp used in the illustrated embodiment . other types of block copolymers ( i . e ., triblock or multiblock copolymers ) can be used . examples of triblock copolymers include abc copolymers such as poly ( styrene - b - methyl methacrylate - b - ethylene oxide ) ( ps - b - pmma - b - peo ), and aba copolymers , such as ps - pmma - ps , pmma - ps - pmma , and ps - b - pi - b - ps , among others . the film morphology , including the domain sizes and periods ( l o ) of the microphase - separated domains , can be controlled by chain length of a block copolymer ( molecular weight , mw ) and volume fraction of the ab blocks of a diblock copolymer to produce cylindrical morphologies ( among others ). for example , for volume fractions at ratios of the two blocks generally between about 60 : 40 and 80 : 20 ( a : b ), the diblock copolymer will microphase separate and self - assemble into periodic cylindrical domains of polymer b within a matrix of polymer a . an example of a cylinder - forming ps - b - pvp copolymer material ( l o ˜ 28 nm ) to form about 14 nm diameter cylindrical pvp domains in a matrix of ps is composed of about 70 wt % ps and 30 wt % pvp with a total molecular weight ( m n ) of 44 . 5 kg / mol . an example of a cylinder - forming ps - b - pmma copolymer material ( l o = 35 nm ) to form about 20 nm diameter cylindrical pmma domains in a matrix of ps is composed of about 70 wt % ps and 30 wt % pmma with a total molecular weight ( m n ) of 67 kg / mol . as another example , a ps - b - pla copolymer material ( l = 49 nm ) can be composed of about 71 wt % ps and 29 wt % pla with a total molecular weight ( m n ) of about 60 . 5 kg / mol to form about 27 nm diameter cylindrical pla domains in a matrix of ps . the l value of the block copolymer can be modified , for example , by adjusting the molecular weight of the block copolymer . the block copolymer material can also be formulated as a binary or ternary blend comprising a block copolymer and one or more homopolymers ( hps ) of the same type of polymers as the polymer blocks in the block copolymer , to produce a blend that will swell the size of the polymer domains and increase the l value . the concentration of homopolymers in the blend can range from 0 to about 60 wt %. an example of a ternary diblock copolymer blend is a ps - b - p2vp / ps / p2vp blend , for example , 60 wt % of 32 . 5 k / 12 k ps - b - p2vp , 20 wt % of 10 k ps , and 20 wt % of 10 k p2vp . another example of a ternary diblock copolymer blend is a ps - b - pmma / ps / pmma blend , for example , 60 wt % of 46k / 21k ps - b - pmma , 20 wt % of 20k polystyrene and 20 wt % of 20k poly ( methyl methacrylate ). yet another example is a blend of 60 : 20 : 20 ( wt %) of ps - b - peo / ps / peo , or a blend of about 85 - 90 wt % ps - b - peo and up to 10 - 15 wt % peo ; it is believed that the added peo homopolymer may function , at least in part , to lower the surface energy of the peo domains to that of ps . in the present embodiment , the trench floors 26 are structured to be neutral wetting ( equal affinity for both blocks of the copolymer ) to induce formation of cylindrical polymer domains that are oriented perpendicular to the trench floors 26 , and the trench sidewalls 22 and ends 24 are structured to be preferential wetting by one block of the block copolymer to induce registration of the cylinders to the sidewalls 22 as the polymer blocks self - assemble . in response to the wetting properties of the trench surfaces , upon annealing , the preferred or minority block of the cylindrical - phase block copolymer will self - assemble to form a single row of cylindrical domains in the center of a polymer matrix for the length of the trench and segregate to the sidewalls and edges of the trench to form a thin interface brush or wetting layer ( e . g ., as in fig6 - 6b ). entropic forces drive the wetting of a neutral wetting surface by both blocks , and enthalpic forces drive the wetting of a preferential - wetting surface by the preferred block ( e . g ., the minority block ). to provide preferential wetting surfaces , for example , in the use of a ps - b - pvp ( or ps - b - pmma , etc .) block copolymer , the material layer 16 can be composed of silicon ( with native oxide ), oxide ( e . g ., silicon oxide , sio x ), silicon nitride , silicon oxycarbide , indium tin oxide ( ito ), silicon oxynitride , and resist materials such as methacrylate - based resists and polydimethylglutarimide resists , among other materials , which exhibit preferential wetting toward the pvp ( or pmma , etc .) block . in the use of a ps - b - pvp cylinder - phase block copolymer material , for example , the block copolymer material will self - assemble to form a thin interface layer and cylinders of pvp in a ps matrix . in other embodiments , a preferential wetting material such as a polymethyl methacrylate ( pmma ) polymer modified with an — oh containing moiety ( e . g ., hydroxyethylmethacrylate ) can be applied onto the surfaces of the trenches , for example , by spin - coating and then heating ( e . g ., to about 170 ° c .) to allow the terminal oh groups to end - graft to oxide sidewalls 22 and ends 24 of the trenches 18 . non - grafted material can be removed by rinsing with an appropriate solvent ( e . g ., toluene ). see , for example , mansky et al ., science , 1997 , 275 , 1458 - 1460 , and in et al ., langmuir , 2006 , 22 , 7855 - 7860 . a neutral wetting trench floor 26 allows both blocks of the copolymer material to wet the floor 26 of the trench 18 . a neutral wetting material 14 can be provided by applying a neutral wetting polymer ( e . g ., a neutral wetting random copolymer ) onto the substrate 10 , forming the material layer 16 and then etching the trenches 18 to expose the underlying neutral wetting material , as illustrated in fig2 - 2b . in another embodiment illustrated in fig3 and 4 , a neutral wetting random copolymer material can be applied after forming the trenches 18 ′, for example , as a blanket coat by casting or spin - coating into the trenches 18 ′, as depicted in fig4 . the random copolymer material can then be thermally processed to flow the material into the bottom of the trenches 18 ′ by capillary action , which results in a layer ( mat ) 14 ′ composed of the crosslinked , neutral wetting random copolymer . in another embodiment , the random copolymer material within the trenches 18 ′ can be photo - exposed ( e . g ., through a mask or reticle ) to crosslink the random copolymer within the trenches 18 ′ to form the neutral wetting material 14 ′. non - crosslinked random copolymer material outside the trenches ( e . g ., on the spacers 20 ′) can be subsequently removed . neutral wetting surfaces can be specifically prepared by the application of random copolymers composed of monomers identical to those in the block copolymer and tailored such that the mole fraction of each monomer is appropriate to form a neutral wetting surface . for example , in the use of a ps - b - pvp block copolymer , a neutral wetting material 14 can be formed from a thin film of a photo - crosslinkable random ps - r - pvp that exhibits non - preferential or neutral wetting toward ps and pvp , which can be cast onto the substrate 10 ( e . g ., by spin - coating ). the random copolymer material can be fixed in place by chemical grafting ( on an oxide substrate ) or by thermally or photolytically crosslinking ( any surface ) to form a mat that is neutral wetting to ps and pvp and insoluble when the block copolymer material is cast onto it , due to the crosslinking . in another example , in the use of ps - b - pmma , a photo - crosslinkable ps - r - pmma random copolymer ( e . g ., containing an about 0 . 6 mole fraction of styrene ) can be used . in embodiments in which the substrate 10 is silicon ( with native oxide ), another neutral wetting surface for ps - b - pmma can be provided by hydrogen - terminated silicon . the floors 26 of the trenches 18 can be etched , for example , with a hydrogen plasma , to remove the oxide material and form hydrogen - terminated silicon , which is neutral wetting with equal affinity for both blocks of a block copolymer material . h - terminated silicon can be prepared by a conventional process , for example , by a fluoride ion etch of a silicon substrate ( with native oxide present , about 12 - 15 å ) by exposure to an aqueous solution of hydrogen fluoride ( hf ) and buffered hf or ammonium fluoride ( nh 4 f ), by hf vapor treatment , or by a hydrogen plasma treatment ( e . g ., atomic hydrogen ). an h - terminated silicon substrate can be further processed by grafting a random copolymer such as ps - r - pvp , ps - r - pmma , etc . selectively onto the substrate resulting in a neutral wetting surface for the corresponding block copolymer ( e . g ., ps - b - pvp , ps - b - pmma , etc .). for example , a neutral wetting layer of a ps - r - pmma random copolymer can be provided by an in situ free radical polymerization of styrene and methyl methacrylate using a di - olefinic linker such as divinyl benzene , which links the polymer to the surface to produce about a 10 - 15 nm thick film . referring again to fig3 and 4 , in another embodiment , a neutral wetting random copolymer material 14 ′ can be applied after formation of the material layer 16 ′ and trenches 18 ′, which reacts selectively with the trench floor 26 ′ ( composed of the substrate 10 ′ material ) and not the trench sidewalls 22 ′ or ends 24 ′ ( composed of the material layer 16 ′). for example , a random copolymer ( or appropriate blend of homopolymers with block copolymer surfactant ) containing epoxide groups will react selectively to terminal amine functional groups ( e . g . — nh — and — nh 2 ) on silicon nitride and silicon oxynitride surfaces relative to silicon oxide or silicon . in another example in which the trench floor 26 ′ is silicon or polysilicon and the sidewalls 22 ′ are a material such as an oxide ( e . g ., sio x ), the trench floor 26 ′ can be treated to form h - terminated silicon and a random copolymer material 14 ′ ( e . g ., ps - r - pvp , ps - r - pmma , etc .) can be formed in situ only at the floor surface . in another embodiment , a neutral wetting surface ( e . g ., for ps - b - pmma and ps - b - peo ) can be provided by grafting a self - assembled monolayer ( sam ) of a trichlorosilane - base sam such as 3 -( para - methoxyphenyl ) propyltrichorosilane grafted to oxide ( e . g ., sio 2 ) as described , for example , by d . h . park , nanotechnology 18 ( 2007 ), p . 355304 . in a further embodiment , a neutral wetting random copolymer of polystyrene ( ps ), polymethacrylate ( pmma ) with hydroxyl group ( s ) ( e . g ., 2 - hydroxyethyl methacrylate ( p ( s - r - mma - r - hema )) ( e . g ., about 58 wt % ps ) can be can be selectively grafted to a substrate 10 ( e . g ., an oxide ) as a neutral wetting layer 14 about 5 - 10 nm thick by heating at about 160 ° c . for about 48 hours . see , for example , in et al ., langmuir , 2006 , 22 , 7855 - 7860 . in yet another embodiment , a blend of hydroxyl - terminated homopolymers and a corresponding low molecular weight block copolymer can be grafted ( covalently bonded ) to the substrate to form a neutral wetting interface layer ( e . g ., about 4 - 5 nm ) for ps - b - pmma and ps - b - p2vp , among other block copolymers . the block copolymer can function to emulsify the homopolymer blend before grafting . for example , an about 1 wt % solution ( e . g ., in toluene ) of a blend of about 20 - 50 wt % ( or about 30 - 40 wt %) oh - terminated homopolymers ( e . g ., m n = 6k ) and about 80 - 50 wt % ( or about 70 - 60 wt %) of a low molecular weight block copolymer ( e . g ., 5k - 5k ) can be spin - coated onto a substrate 10 ( e . g ., sio 2 ), heated ( baked ) ( e . g ., at 160 ° c . ), and non - grafted ( unbonded ) polymer material removed , for example , by a solvent rinse ( e . g ., toluene ). for example , the neutral wetting material can be prepared from a blend of about 30 wt % ps - oh ( m n = 6k ) and pmma - oh ( m n = 6k ) ( weight ratio of 4 : 6 ) and about 70 wt % ps - b - pmma ( 5k - 5k ), or a ternary blend of ps - oh ( 6k ), p2vp - oh ( 6k ) and ps - b - 2pvp ( 8k - 8k ), etc . a surface that is neutral wetting to ps - b - pmma can also be prepared by spin - coating a blanket layer of a photo - or thermally cross - linkable random copolymer such as a benzocyclobutene - or azidomethylstyrene - functionalized random copolymer of styrene and methyl methacrylate ( e . g ., poly ( styrene - r - benzocyclobutene - r - methyl methacrylate ( ps - r - pmma - r - bcb )). for example , such a random copolymer can comprise about 42 wt % pmma , about ( 58 − x ) wt % ps and x wt % ( e . g ., about 2 - 3 wt %) of either polybenzocyclobutene or poly ( para - azidomethylstyrene )). an azidomethylstyrene - functionalized random copolymer can be uv photo - crosslinked ( e . g ., 1 - 5 mw / cm 2 exposure for about 15 seconds to about 30 minutes ) or thermally crosslinked ( e . g ., at about 170 ° c . for about 4 hours ) to form a crosslinked polymer mat as a neutral wetting layer 14 . a benzocyclobutene - functionalized random copolymer can be thermally crosslinked ( e . g ., at about 200 ° c . for about 4 hours or at about 250 ° c . for about 10 minutes ). as illustrated in fig5 - 5b , a self - assembling , cylindrical - phase block copolymer material 28 having an inherent pitch at or about l o ( or a ternary blend of block copolymer and homopolymers blended to have a pitch at or about l b ) can be cast or deposited into the trenches 18 to a thickness ( t 1 ) at or about the l value of the block copolymer material 28 ( e . g ., about ± 20 % of l ) such that after annealing ( e . g ., fig6 a ), the thickness ( t 2 ) will be at or about the l value and the block copolymer material 28 will self - assemble to form a single layer of cylinders having a diameter of about 0 . 5 * l ( e . g ., 5 - 50 nm , or about 20 nm , for example ) within a polymer matrix in a single row within each trench 18 . the thickness of the block copolymer material 28 can be measured , for example , by ellipsometry techniques . the block copolymer material 28 can be deposited by spin - casting ( spin - coating ) from a dilute solution ( e . g ., about 0 . 25 - 2 wt % solution ) of the copolymer in an organic solvent such as dichloroethane ( ch 2 cl 2 ) or toluene , for example . capillary forces pull excess block copolymer material 28 ( e . g ., greater than a monolayer ) into the trenches 18 . as shown , a thin layer or film 28 a of the block copolymer material 28 can be deposited onto the material layer 16 outside the trenches 18 , e . g ., on the spacers 20 . upon annealing , the thin film 28 a will flow into the trenches 18 leaving a structureless brush layer on the material layer 16 from a top - down perspective . the block copolymer ( bcp ) material 28 is then heated above its glass transition temperature under a vapor phase containing a partly saturated concentration of an organic solvent to cause the polymer blocks to phase separate and self - assemble according to the preferential and neutral wetting of the trench surfaces to form a self - assembled polymer material 30 , as illustrated in fig6 - 6b . the appropriate partial pressure of solvent vapor to achieve a neutral wetting vapor interface at a particular temperature depends , at least in part , on the block copolymer that is used and can be determined empirically . the block copolymer is heated at a thermal anneal temperature that is above its glass transition temperature ( t g ) but below the decomposition or degradation temperature ( t d ) of the block copolymer material . for example , a ps - b - pvp block copolymer material can be annealed at a temperature of about 150 ° c .- 275 ° c . in a solvent vapor atmosphere for about 1 - 24 hours to achieve a self - assembled morphology . a ps - b - pmma block copolymer material can be annealed at a temperature of about 150 ° c .- 275 ° c . in a solvent vapor atmosphere for about 1 - 24 hours to achieve a self - assembled morphology . in most applications of a thermal anneal in a vacuum , an air interface is preferentially wetting to one of the polymer domains and the bcp material does not orient into perpendicular structures . in embodiments of the invention , during heating , the bcp material 28 is exposed to solvent vapors of a “ good ” solvent for both blocks , that is , a neutral organic solvent that solvates both the constituent blocks well . in general , solvent annealing consists of two phases . in a first phase , the bcp material is exposed to a solvent vapor that acts to plasticize the film and increase chain mobility causing the domains to intermingle and the loss of order inherent from casting the polymer material . the organic solvent that is utilized is based at least in part on its solubility in the block copolymer material such that sufficient solvent molecules enter the block copolymer material to promote the order - disorder transition of the polymer domains and enable the required molecular rearrangement . examples of solvents include aromatic solvents such as benzene , toluene , xylene , dimethoxyethane , ethyl acetate , cyclohexanone , etc ., and chlorinated solvents such as chloroform , methylene chloride , a chloroform / octane mixture , etc ., among others . in a second phase , the substrate is removed from the solvent vapor and the solvent and solvent vapors are allowed to diffuse out of the polymer material and evaporate . the block copolymer material begins to “ dry ” as the solvent evaporates from the material . the evaporation of the solvent is highly directional and forms a solvent gradient from the “ top ” ( surface ) of the bcp material to the “ bottom ” of the bcp material at the trench floor that induces orientation and self - assembly of structures starting at the air - surface interface , which is neutral wetting due to the partial pressure of solvent at the interface , and driven downward to the floor of the trench , with formation of perpendicular - oriented cylindrical domains 34 guided by the trench sidewalls and extending completely from the air interface to the substrate surface ( trench floor ). in embodiments of the invention , the substrate 10 and bcp material 28 are heated above the boiling point of the solvent such that swelling of the bcp material 28 by the solvent is disallowed . the use of a partly - saturated solvent vapor phase above the block copolymer material 28 provides a neutral wetting interface , similar to the second phase of solvent annealing . the concentration of solvent in the air immediate at the vapor interface with the bcp material 28 is maintained at or under saturation to maintain a neutral wetting interface such that both ( or all ) polymer blocks will equally wet the vapor interface . as both the air and trench floor 26 are neutral wetting , the domains will orient perpendicular throughout the film layer , with the preferential wetting sidewalls inducing lateral order . the resulting morphology of the annealed copolymer material 30 ( e . g ., perpendicular orientation of cylinders 34 ) can be examined , for example , using atomic force microscopy ( afm ), transmission electron microscopy ( tem ), scanning electron microscopy ( sem ), among others . in embodiments of the invention , the anneal is performed by globally heating the block copolymer within the trenches in a solvent atmosphere . in other embodiments , a zone annealing is conducted to anneal portions or sections of the block copolymer material 28 in trenches on the substrate 10 by a localized application of thermal energy ( e . g ., heat ). zone annealing can provide rapid self - assembly of the block copolymer material ( e . g ., on the order of minutes ). for example , as depicted sequentially in fig6 - 8 , the substrate 10 ( in a vapor atmosphere ) and a thermal or heat source 32 ( or combined heating and cooling source ) can be moved relative to each other ( e . g ., arrow ←) such that heat is applied above ( or underneath ) the substrate 10 . only a portion of the bcp material 28 is initially heated above the glass transition temperature and the heated zone is then “ pulled ” across the substrate 10 ( or vice versa ). for example , the thermal or heat source 32 can be moved across the substrate 10 at a translational set speed ( e . g ., about 0 . 05 - 10 μm / second using a mechanism such as a motorized translation stage ( not shown ). pulling the heated zone across the substrate 10 ( or vice versa ) can result in faster processing and better ordered structures relative to a global thermal anneal . in some embodiments , a hot - to - cold temperature gradient can be provided over ( or under ) the substrate such that a certain portion of the substrate is heated and then cooled , which can be at a controlled rate . in other embodiments , the substrate can be exposed to a cold - to - hot temperature gradient to anneal the bcp material , followed by cooling . in other embodiments , the bcp material can be heated above and then cooled below the order - disorder temperature ( but above the glass transition temperature ), for example , to remove ( melt out ) defects and allow the material to recrystallize provided that the order - disorder temperature ( t o - d ) is less than the decomposition temperature ( t d ) of the block copolymer material . the order - disorder temperature is defined by the temperature dependence of the block copolymer , chi value , the total number of monomers per chain , and the monomer composition . only those portions of the block copolymer material that are heated above the glass transition temperature ( t g ) of the component polymer blocks will self - assemble , and areas of the material that were not sufficiently heated remain disordered and unassembled . for example , as illustrated in fig6 - 6b , initially , the block copolymer material 28 within trench 18 a can be heated and annealed to form a self - assembled material 30 while the unannealed block copolymer material 28 within trenches 18 b , 18 c remains disordered . only those portions of the block copolymer material 28 that are heated above the glass transition temperature ( t g ) will self - assemble . a next portion of the substrate 10 can then be selectively heated , as shown in fig7 and 7a , resulting in the self - assembly of the block copolymer material within trench 18 b . a subsequent heating of the remaining areas of the substrate 10 can then be conducted , e . g ., as depicted in fig8 and 8a . upon annealing , the cylindrical - phase block copolymer material 28 will self - assemble into a polymer material 30 ( e . g ., film ) in response to the character of the block copolymer composition ( e . g ., ps - b - pvp having an inherent pitch at or about l ) and the boundary conditions , including the constraints provided by the width ( w t ) of the trench 18 and the wetting properties of the trench surfaces including a trench floor 26 that exhibits neutral or non - preferential wetting toward both polymer blocks ( e . g ., a random graft copolymer ), sidewalls 22 that are preferential wetting by the minority ( preferred ) block of the block copolymer ( e . g ., the pvp block ), and the presence of a neutral or non - preferential solvent ( or in some embodiments , a film or material that is neutral or non - preferential wetting ) in contact with the surface of the block copolymer material 28 in the trenches 18 . the anneal results in a row ( or rows ) of perpendicularly oriented cylinders 34 of the minority polymer ( preferred ) block ( e . g ., pvp ) within a matrix 36 of the majority polymer block ( e . g ., ps ), with the cylinders 34 registered and parallel to the sidewalls 22 of the trenches 18 . the diameter of the cylinders 34 will generally be at or about 0 . 5 * l ( e . g ., about one - half of the center - to - center distance between cylinders ). in addition , the minority ( preferred ) block ( e . g ., pvp ) will segregate to and wet the preferential wetting sidewalls 22 and ends 24 of the trenches 18 to form a thin interface or wetting brush layer 34 a having a thickness generally about one - fourth of the center - to - center distance between adjacent cylinders 34 . for example , a layer of the pvp block will wet oxide interfaces with attached ps domains directed outward from the oxide material . in some embodiments , the self - assembled block copolymer material 30 is defined by a single layer of an array of cylindrical domains ( cylinders ) 34 , each with a diameter at or about 0 . 5 * l ( e . g ., about one - half of the center - to - center distance between cylinders ), with the number ( n ) of cylinders in the row according to the length ( l t ) of the trench , and the center - to - center distance ( pitch distance , p ) between each cylinder at or about l . optionally , after the block copolymer material is annealed and ordered , the copolymer material can be treated to crosslink the polymer segments ( e . g ., the ps segments ) to fix and enhance the strength of the self - assembled polymer blocks . the polymers can be structured to inherently crosslink ( e . g ., upon exposure to ultraviolet ( uv ) radiation , including deep ultraviolet ( duv ) radiation ), or one of the polymer blocks of the copolymer material can be formulated to contain a crosslinking agent . generally , the film 28 a outside the trenches 18 a , 18 b , 18 c ( e . g ., on spacers 20 ) will not be thick enough to result in self - assembly . optionally , the unstructured thin film 28 a can be removed , as illustrated in fig8 and 8a , for example , by an etch technique or a planarization process to provide an about uniformly flat surface . for example , the trench regions can be selectively exposed through a reticle ( not shown ) to crosslink only the annealed and self - assembled polymer material 30 within the trenches 18 a , 18 b , 18 c , and a wash can then be applied with an appropriate solvent ( e . g ., toluene ) to remove the non - crosslinked portions of the block copolymer material 28 ( e . g ., on the spacers 20 ), leaving the registered self - assembled polymer material 30 within the trenches 18 a , 18 b , 18 c and exposing the surface of the material layer 16 above / outside the trenches 18 a , 18 b , and 18 c . in another embodiment , the annealed polymer material 30 can be crosslinked globally , a photoresist material can be applied to pattern and expose the areas of the polymer material 28 a outside the trench regions , and the exposed portions of the polymer material 28 a can be removed , for example , by an oxygen ( o 2 ) plasma treatment . referring to fig9 , in another embodiment of a method of the invention , a thermal anneal is conducted while applying a non - preferentially wetting material 37 ′ to the surface of the block copolymer ( bcp ) material 28 ′ in the trenches . in some embodiments , the non - preferentially wetting material 37 ′ is composed of a solid material , which can be physically placed onto the bcp material 28 ′, for example , a soft , flexible or rubbery solid material such as a cross - linked , poly ( dimethylsiloxane ) ( pdms ) elastomer ( e . g ., sylgard ® 184 by dow - corning ) or other elastomeric polymer material ( e . g ., silicones , polyurethanes , etc . ), which provides an external surface that is neutral wetting . the solid material can be derivatized ( e . g ., by grafting a random copolymer ) such that it presents a neutral wetting surface . with the non - preferentially wetting material 37 ′ in contact with the surface of the block copolymer material 28 ′, a thermal annealing process is conducted ( arrows 1 , fig9 a and 9b ) to cause the polymer blocks to phase separate in response to the preferential and neutral wetting of the trench surfaces and the non - preferential ( neutral ) wetting of the overlying material 37 ′, and form a self - assembled polymer material 30 ′ as illustrated in fig1 a and 10b . after annealing , the non - preferentially wetting material 37 ′ can be removed from contact with the annealed polymer material 30 ′ ( arrow 1 ′) as depicted in fig1 a . a pdms or other elastomeric material layer 37 ′ can be removed , for example , by lifting or peeling the material from the surface of the annealed copolymer material 30 ′. additionally , a solvent such as water , alcohols , and the like , which is compatible with and does not dissolve the block copolymer material 30 ′, can be applied ( e . g ., by soaking ) to permeate and swell the elastomeric material ( e . g ., pdms ) to enhance physical removal . a dilute fluoride solution ( e . g ., nh 4 f , hf , naf , etc .) can also be applied to etch and dissolve a pdms material to remove it from the annealed polymer material . following self - assembly , the pattern of perpendicular - oriented cylinders 34 ′ that is formed on the substrate 10 ′ can then be further processed as desired , for example , to form an etch mask for patterning nanosized features into the underlying substrate 10 ′ through selective removal of one block of the self - assembled block copolymer . since the domain sizes and periods ( l ) involved in this method are determined by the chain length of a block copolymer ( mw ), resolution can exceed other techniques such as conventional photolithography . processing costs using the technique is significantly less than extreme ultraviolet ( euv ) photolithography , which has comparable resolution . for example , as illustrated in fig1 - 11b , in one embodiment , an etch mask 38 can be formed by selectively removing the cylindrical polymer domains 34 of the self - assembled polymer material 30 to produce openings 40 in the polymer matrix 36 ( e . g ., ps ) to expose the underlying substrate 10 at the trench floors 26 . for example , the cylindrical domains 34 can be removed by a selective wet etch ( e . g ., pmma and pla by uv exposure / acetic acid development , pla by aqueous methanol mixture containing sodium hydroxide , peo by aqueous hydroiodic acid or water , etc .) or by a selective reactive ion etch ( rie ) process . in embodiments in which the block copolymer includes a cleavable linker group , the film can be exposed to a solvent selective to the minor domain , for example , an alcohol for pvp , water for peo or pla , and acetic acid for pmma , that contains a cleaving agent to remove ( e . g ., wash out ) the minor domain . as depicted in fig1 - 12b , the remaining porous polymer ( e . g ., ps ) matrix 36 can then be used as a lithographic template or mask to etch ( arrows ↓↓) a series of cylindrical - shaped openings or contact holes 42 in the nanometer size range ( e . g ., about 10 - 100 nm ) to the conductive lines 12 or other active area ( e . g ., semiconducting region , etc .) in the underlying substrate 10 ( or an underlayer ). the openings 42 can be formed , for example , using a selective reactive ion etching ( rie ) process . further processing can then be performed as desired . for example , as depicted in fig1 - 13b , the residual polymer matrix 36 can be removed ( e . g ., ps by an oxidation process such as a plasma o 2 etch ) and the openings 42 of substrate 10 can be filled with a material 44 such as a metal or metal alloy such as cu , al , w , si , and ti 3 n 4 , among others , to form arrays of cylindrical contacts to the conductive lines 12 . the cylindrical openings 42 in the substrate 10 can also be filled with a metal - insulator - metal stack to form capacitors with an insulating material such as sio 2 , al 2 o 3 , hfo 2 , zro 2 , srtio 3 , and the like . embodiments of the invention utilize a thermal anneal process in combination with solvent annealing , which can provide faster processing than with a solvent anneal alone and expands the types of block copolymers ( bcps ) that can be processed to substantially all bcps . in embodiments using a zone annealing in combination with an organic solvent atmosphere , a wide range of block copolymers can be processed to form perpendicular - oriented nanostructures ( e . g ., cylinders ) and at a rapid rate . in addition , methods of the disclosure provide a means of generating self - assembled diblock copolymer films composed of perpendicular - oriented cylinders in a polymer matrix . the methods provide ordered and registered elements on a nanometer scale that can be prepared more inexpensively than by electron beam lithography , euv photolithography or conventional photolithography . the feature sizes produced and accessible by this invention cannot be easily prepared by conventional photolithography . the described methods and systems can be readily employed and incorporated into existing semiconductor manufacturing process flows and provide a low cost , high - throughput technique for fabricating small structures . although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein , it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any arrangement that is calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown . this application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations that operate according to the principles of the invention as described . therefore , it is intended that this invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof . the disclosures of patents , references and publications cited in the application are incorporated by reference herein .	7
preferred embodiments of a brushless motor according to the invention will now be described , with reference to the accompanying drawings . in the drawings , constituent parts which correspond to constituent parts of the conventional examples shown in fig6 and fig7 . have been given the same reference numerals as the parts in fig6 and fig7 to which they correspond . a first preferred embodiment is shown in fig1 and fig2 . referring to fig1 and fig2 a hole is formed in the central portion of a steel base plate 10 which also serves as a stator yoke , and the base portion 21 of a bearing holder 20 is fitted into this hole . a flange portion 22 formed on the bearing holder 20 lies on the portion of the base plate 10 around the hole . a spacer 12 is mounted on the steel base plate 10 ; this spacer 12 is fitted around the outer peripheral surface of the bearing holder 20 and by way of the bearing holder 20 a stator core 48 is thereby positioned with respect to a spindle 26 constituting the rotational center of the brushless motor . the spacer 12 has a certain thickness in the axial direction and preserves a predetermined relationship between drive coils 50 wound on the stator core 48 and the base plate 10 . the stator core 48 comprises a number of core plates stacked one on top of another , and this stator core 48 is superposed on the spacer 12 as shown in fig1 and fixed integrally to the spacer 12 by caulking . one core plate 14 of the stator core 48 functions as a fixing plate . that is , this core plate 14 has some elasticity and is provided with engaging portions 16 extending toward the center from 3 locations ( roughly uniformly disposed ) on its inner periphery ; the engaging portions 16 comprise bent portions 17 which slope diagonally upward and then curve to the horizontal , and these engaging portions 16 , as shown in fig1 engage with the top of the flange portion 22 of the bearing holder 20 . screws 18 serving as fastening members pass through the base plate 10 and the spacer 12 from below and are screwed into the core plate 14 , whereby the flange portion 22 of the bearing holder 20 is clamped between the steel base plate 10 and the engaging portions 16 of the core plate 14 serving as a fixing plate and the bearing holder 20 is thereby fixed to the steel base plate 10 and the stator core 48 is also fixed to the steel base plate 10 . because the engaging portions 16 of the core plate 14 are elastic , when the fixing plate ( the core plate 14 ) is fastened by the screws 18 , the bent portions 17 of the engaging portions 16 are deformed by the flange portion 22 of the bearing holder 20 . as a result of this deformation , reaction forces tending to restore the bent portions 17 to their original shape act on the bearing holder 20 and the bearing holder 20 is fixed to the steel base plate 10 by these forces . at this time , because elastic force is being used , machining errors of the various parts can be absorbed and also the reaction forces prevent the bearing holder 20 from rotating . as shown in fig2 the stator core 48 has 18 radially disposed salient poles , a drive coil 50 is wound around each of the salient poles , and the outer end portion of each salient pole is a salient pole bevel portion 49 which is wide in the circumferential direction . as shown in fig1 the bearing holder 20 has a cylindrical portion 24 and the outer ring 32 of a ball bearing 30 is fitted inside this cylindrical portion 24 . a spindle 26 is fitted in the inner ring 31 of the ball bearing 30 and rotatably supported by the ball bearing 30 . the bearing holder 20 is provided with a bearing portion 20a formed below the ball bearing 30 , and the face of the bearing portion 20a makes contact with the spindle 26 and functions as a bearing . a hub plate 28 is integrally mounted on the upper end portion of the spindle 26 , and a flat cuplike rotor 42 is mounted on the underside of the hub plate 28 . a platelike chucking magnet 40 running all the way around the hub plate 28 is mounted on top of the rotor 42 . a plate spring 36 is fitted to the underside of the rotor 42 , and a drive pin 38 supported by the plate spring 36 passes through a hole 34 in the rotor 42 and projects upward of the upper surface of the hub plate 28 . a drive magnet 44 is fixed to the inner surface of the peripheral wall of the rotor 42 and rotates integrally with the rotor 42 . the inner surface of the drive magnet 44 faces the salient pole bevel portions 49 of the stator core 48 across a suitable gap . the drive coils 50 comprise a suitable number of phases , for example three phases ; based on a magnet 44 magnetic pole detection signal from a magnetic sensor , electrical currents through the drive coils 50 of each phase are switched , the drive magnets 44 are urged and the rotor 42 is thereby continuously rotationally driven . according to the first preferred embodiment described above , because the spacer 12 constituting part of the stator core 48 is clamped between the steel base plate 10 and a core plate 14 serving as a fixing plate and the core plate 14 is fastened to the steel base plate 10 by screws 18 serving as fastening members with the engaging portions 16 ( the bent portions 17 ) of the core plate 14 serving as a fixing plate engaged with the flange portion 22 of the bearing holder 20 , the bearing holder 20 and the stator core 48 can be fixed to the steel base plate 10 just by placing the steel base plate 10 , the bearing holder 20 and the stator core 48 having the spacer 12 integral with it in position and screwing in the screws 18 ; assembly can be simplified and the assembly time reduced , and because there is no need to fix the bearing holder 20 or the stator core 48 by caulking or press fitting or the like , it is possible to prevent variation in the inner diameter and height dimensions and inclination of the bearing holder . also , when a bearing holder is to be fixed to a steel base plate by caulking , as has been done conventionally , to prevent variation in the inner diameter and height dimensions and inclination of the bearing holder , spin caulking is sometimes used in order to minimize the deformation of the bearing holder caused by the caulking ; however , there has been the problem that because in spin caulking the caulking pressure is increased more gradually than in ordinary caulking the work time is lengthened and the workability is poor . according to the first preferred embodiment above , spin caulking is not necessary and reduced workability can be avoided . also , because fixing of the bearing holder and the fixing of the stator core can be carried out simultaneously by using the fixing plate , the workability can be improved , and because assembly can be carried out by superposing the parts in one direction there is the merit that the assembly workability is good and automatic assembly can be applied . next , modified preferred embodiments of a brushless motor according to the invention will be described . whereas in the preferred embodiment shown in fig1 and fig2 one of the core plates constituting the stator core , the core plate 14 , was made to serve as a fixing plate , the second preferred embodiment described below has an independent fixing plate . referring to fig3 and fig4 which show the second preferred embodiment , the base portion 21 of a bearing holder 20 is fitted into a hole in the central portion of a steel base plate 10 and a flange portion 22 of a bearing holder 20 lies on the portion of the steel base plate 10 around the hole . a spacer 12 is mounted on the steel base plate 10 ; this spacer 12 is fitted around the outer peripheral surface of the bearing holder 20 and by way of the bearing holder 20 a stator core 48 is thereby positioned with respect to a spindle 26 constituting the rotational center of the brushless motor . the spacer 12 has a certain thickness in the axial direction and preserves a predetermined relationship between drive coils 50 wound on the stator core 48 and the base plate 10 . the stator core 48 comprises a number of core plates stacked one on top of another ; the stator core 48 is superposed on the spacer 12 as shown in fig3 and the stator core 48 and the spacer 12 are fixed integrally together by caulking . a fixing plate 55 is mounted on the spacer 12 , radially inward of the stator core 48 . the fixing plate 55 has some elasticity and as shown in fig4 has the shape of a ring with a portion cut out of it and is provided with engaging portions 56 extending toward the center from 3 locations ( roughly uniformly disposed ) on its inner periphery ; a boss hole 58 is formed adjacent to each of the engaging portions 56 and the inner peripheries of the boss holes 58 are threaded . the engaging portions 56 comprise bent portions 56a which slope diagonally upward and then curve to the horizontal , and these engaging portions 56 , as shown in fig3 engage with the top of the flange portion 22 of the bearing holder 20 . the outer peripheries of the boss holes 55 are fitted into holes in the spacer 12 , and the fixing plate 55 is thereby positioned relative to the spacer 12 . screws 18 serving as fastening members pass through the base plate 10 from below and are screwed into the boss holes 58 in the fixing plate 55 , whereby the flange portion 22 of the bearing holder 20 is clamped between the steel base plate 10 and the engaging portions 56 of the fixing plate 55 and thereby the bearing holder 20 is fixed to the steel base plate 10 and the spacer 12 integral with the stator core 48 is clamped between the steel base plate 10 and the fixing plate 55 and the stator core 48 is fixed to the steel base plate 10 . because the engaging portions 56 of the fixing plate 55 are elastic , when the fixing plate 55 is fastened by the screws 18 , the bent portions 56a of the engaging portions 56 are deformed by the flange portion 22 of the bearing holder 20 . as a result of this deformation , reaction forces tending to restore the bent portions 56a to their original shape act on the bearing holder 20 and the bearing holder 20 is fixed to the steel base plate 10 by these forces . at this time , because elastic force is being used , machining errors of the various parts can be absorbed and also the reaction forces prevent the bearing holder 20 from rotating . the shape of the fixing plate 55 is not limited to the shape shown in fig4 and for example may be a complete ring with no cutout . the second preferred embodiment shown in fig3 and fig4 provides the same benefits as the first preferred embodiment shown in fig1 and fig2 . also , both in the case of the first preferred embodiment shown in fig1 and fig2 and in the case of the second preferred embodiment shown in fig3 and fig4 the inner periphery of the spacer 12 integral with the stator core 48 fits with a suitable clearance around the outer surface of the bearing holder 20 and positions the center of the stator core 48 with respect 14 to the center axis of the ball bearing 30 . in the second preferred embodiment of fig3 and fig4 the engaging portions 56 of the fixing plate 55 were made to engage with the flange portion 22 of the bearing holder 20 ; however , as in a third preferred embodiment shown in fig5 the bearing holder 20 can have no flange portion and elastic engaging portions 57 which rise far up from suitable places on the inner periphery of a fixing plate 55 and then curve to the horizontal can be made to engage with the upper end of the bearing holder 20 , as shown in fig5 . in other respects the construction of this third preferred embodiment is the same as that of the first and second preferred embodiments and therefore a detailed explanation thereof will be omitted . this third preferred embodiment provides similar benefits to those of the first and second preferred embodiments described above . although in the first , second and third preferred embodiments shown in the drawings screws were used as the fastening members for fastening the fixing plate to the steel base plate , rivets may be used instead of screws . also , although the first , second and third preferred embodiments shown in the drawings were all constructed as motors for use in floppy disc drives , the invention is not limited to this application and can be applied to motors used for any of various purposes . according to the invention , because the fixing plate is fastened to the base plate with fastening members with the stator core clamped between the base plate and the fixing plate and the fixing plate engaged with the bearing holder , the bearing holder and the stator core can be fixed to the base plate just by putting the bearing holder , the stator core and the fixing plate in position and fastening the fixing plate to the base plate with the fastening members , and the assembly process can be simplified and assembly time can be reduced . furthermore , because it is not necessary to fix the bearing holder or the stator core by caulking or press fitting or the like it is possible to prevent variation of the inner diameter and height dimensions and inclination of the bearing holder . while the foregoing description and drawings represent the preferred embodiments of the present invention , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention .	7
referring to fig1 , a measuring device and distractor 10 is shown in fig1 inserted within the space between adjacent vertebrae v 1 , v 2 after a pain - generating or diseased intervertebral disc is removed . although the measuring device and distractor 10 is described herein as an intervertebral measuring device for selecting an optimal size arthroplasty for a patient undergoing a tdr or spinal fusion procedure , it is understood that the device 10 is not limited to use with this type of procedure and may be used in connection with a variety of other medical procedures , including , but not limited to , hip , knee and shoulder arthroplasty procedures . the measuring device and distractor 10 preferably includes a housing 12 . the housing 12 is preferably hollow and has a proximal end 12 a and a distal end 12 b . the housing 12 is preferably made from titanium , stainless steel or any other biologically suitable material that is safe for use within the body of a patient . two elongated rods — a posterior rod 20 and an anterior rod 30 - are mounted within the housing 12 so that each rod may be rotated relative to and slide longitudinally within the housing . each rod 20 , 30 may , for example , be supported by one or more bearings or sleeves ( not shown ) mounted on the housing 12 . one end of each rod 20 , 30 preferably extends outwardly from the proximal end 12 a of the housing 12 and terminates in a handle or knob 22 , 32 , which the surgeon may use to turn the rod or slide the rod longitudinally . the rods 20 , 30 are preferably made from titanium , stainless steel or any other biologically suitable material that is safe for use within the body of a patient . the opposing or distal end of the posterior rod 20 is coupled to and engages a pair of opposing posterior distracting members or pulls 28 a , 28 b . the posterior distracting members 28 a , 28 b project outwardly from the housing 12 , preferably in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the rod 20 . the first posterior distracting member 28 a preferably extends upwardly through the top 12 c of the housing 12 in a direction toward the superior vertebrae v 1 as illustrated in fig1 . the second posterior distracting member 28 b preferably extends downwardly through the bottom 12 d of the housing 12 in a direction toward the inferior vertebrae v 2 as illustrated in fig1 . the top 12 c and bottom 12 d of the housing 12 are at least partially relieved to permit the distracting members 28 a , 28 b to extend outwardly therethrough and slide longitudinally with the posterior rod 20 as the rod is moved longitudinally relative to the housing 12 . the distracting members 28 a , 28 b are coupled to the distal end of the posterior rod 20 in a conventional manner that permits rod 20 to rotate relative to the distracting members 28 a , 28 b , while also permitting the distracting members 28 a , 28 b to move longitudinally with the posterior rod 20 as the rod is moved longitudinally relative to the housing 12 . the posterior rod 20 preferably includes a plurality of teeth about its circumference to form a gear ( e . g ., a circular pinion ) at least in proximity to the location where the rod engages the distracting members 28 a , 28 b . the distracting members 28 a , 28 b also include a plurality of teeth on at least one surface to form a gear ( e . g ., a rack ) for meshing engagement with the teeth ( circular pinion ) on the posterior rod 20 to convert rotational movement of the rod 20 into linear movement of the distracting members 28 a , 28 b toward or away from the adjacent vertebrae . in other words , rotation of the posterior rod 20 in one direction will cause the first posterior distracting member 28 a to extend or move upwardly through the top 12 c of the housing 12 and simultaneously cause the second posterior distracting member 28 b to extend or move downwardly through the bottom 12 d of the housing . in contrast , rotation of the posterior rod 20 in the opposite direction will cause the first posterior distracting member 28 a to retract or move downwardly into the top 12 c of the housing 12 and simultaneously cause the second posterior distracting member 28 b to retract or move upwardly into the bottom 12 d of the housing . similarly , the opposing or distal end of the anterior rod 30 is coupled to and engages a pair of opposing anterior distracting members or pulls 38 a , 38 b . like the posterior distracting members 28 a , 28 b , the anterior distracting members 38 a , 38 b also project outwardly from the housing 12 , preferably in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the rod 30 . like the first posterior distracting member 28 a , the first anterior distracting member 38 a preferably extends upwardly through the top 12 c of the housing 12 in a direction toward the superior vertebrae v 1 as illustrated in fig1 . like the second posterior distracting member 28 b , the second anterior distracting member 38 b preferably extends downwardly through the bottom 12 d of the housing 12 in a direction toward the inferior vertebrae v 2 as illustrated in fig1 . the top 12 c and bottom 12 d of the housing 12 are at least partially relieved to permit the distracting members 38 a , 38 b to extend outwardly therethrough and slide longitudinally with the anterior rod 30 as the rod is moved longitudinally relative to the housing 12 . the anterior distracting members 38 a , 38 b are coupled to the distal end of the anterior rod 30 in a conventional manner that permits rod 30 to rotate relative to the distracting members 38 a , 38 b , while also permitting the distracting members 38 a , 38 b to move longitudinally with the anterior rod 30 as the rod is moved longitudinally relative to the housing 12 . like the posterior rod 20 , the anterior rod 30 preferably includes a plurality of teeth about its circumference to form a gear ( e . g ., a circular pinion ) at least in proximity to the location where the rod engages the anterior distracting members 38 a , 38 b . the distracting members 38 a , 38 b also include a plurality of teeth on at least one surface to form a gear ( e . g ., a rack ) for meshing engagement with the teeth ( circular pinion ) on the anterior rod 30 to convert rotational movement of the rod 30 into linear movement of the distracting members 38 a , 38 b toward or away from the adjacent vertebrae . in other words , rotation of the anterior rod 30 in one direction will cause the first anterior distracting member 38 a to extend or move upwardly through the top 12 c of the housing 12 and simultaneously cause the second anterior distracting member 38 b to extend or move downwardly through the bottom 12 d of the housing . in contrast , rotation of the anterior rod 30 in the opposite direction will cause the first anterior distracting member 38 a to retract or move downwardly into the top 12 c of the housing 12 and simultaneously cause the second anterior distracting member 38 b to retract or move upwardly into the bottom 12 d of the housing . a plurality of spaced apart graduations ( not shown ) are preferably provided near the proximal end of each rod 20 , 30 to provide a visual indication of and correspond to the distance that the distracting members 28 a , 28 b , 38 a , 38 b are displaced as the rod is rotated in use . in this manner , the device 10 may be used to measure the anterior and posterior disc heights before and after intervertebral distraction to aid the surgeon in selecting the correct sized arthroplasty or fusion device for the spine of the patient undergoing the procedure . like the rods 20 , 30 , the distracting members 28 a , 28 b , 38 a , 38 b are preferably made from titanium , stainless steel or any other biologically suitable material that is safe for use within the body of a patient . a ruler or linear scale 36 having a plurality of spaced apart graduations or markings is preferably mounted on or otherwise connected to the anterior rod 30 in proximity to the handle 32 . a position indicator 26 is preferably mounted on or otherwise connected to the posterior rod in proximity to the handle 22 . as the rods 20 , 30 are moved longitudinally relative to one another , the distance between the distal end of the posterior rod 20 and the distal end of the anterior rod 30 is indicated by particular graduation on the ruler 36 that is aligned with the position of the position indicator 26 . in this manner , the device 10 may be utilized to measure the depth of the vertebral endplate to select the correct sized arthroplasty or fusion device that will cover the maximum amount of the outer rim of the vertebral endplate . the end of the first posterior and anterior distracting members 28 a , 38 a that extends out of the top 12 c of the housing 12 engages a superior side load sensor plate 40 a , which is shown adjacent to the superior vertebrae v 1 in fig1 . the end of the distracting members may include a rounded head as is shown at the end of distracting member 28 a . the proximal end of the superior side load sensor plate 40 a is pivotally connected via a hinge or pin 46 a to the distal end of a first scissor member , lever or link 42 a , which terminates at its proximal end with a handle 48 a . similarly , the end of the second posterior and anterior distracting members 28 b , 38 b that extends out of the bottom 12 d of the housing 12 engages an inferior side load sensor plate 40 b , which is shown adjacent to the inferior vertebrae v 2 in fig1 . the end of the distracting members may include a rounded head as is shown at the end of distracting member 28 b . the proximal end of the inferior side load sensor plate 40 b is pivotally connected via a hinge or pin 46 b to the distal end of a second scissor member , lever or link 42 b , which terminates at its proximal end with a handle 48 b . the two scissor members 42 a , 42 b and pivot pins 44 , 46 a , 46 b may be made from aluminum , stainless steel , titanium or any other suitable material that is biologically safe for use in medical procedures . the two scissor members 42 a , 42 b intersect and are pivotally connected to one another via pin or hinge 44 to form a scissor - like configuration . when the handles 48 a , 48 b are squeezed or otherwise moved toward one another by the surgeon , the scissor members 42 a , 42 b pivot about pin 44 causing the distal ends of the scissor members ( and the pivotally connected load sensor plates 40 a , 40 b ) to spread or otherwise move away from each other . a semi - circular protractor 49 having a plurality of spaced apart graduations or markings is positioned on the housing 12 proximate to the pivot pin 44 to measure the angular orientation of the two scissor members 42 a , 42 b . this angular orientation corresponds to the angular orientation or intervertebral angle of affected vertebral endplates when the handles 48 a , 48 b are squeezed together to pivot the load sensor plates 40 a , 40 b against the endplates of the superior and inferior vertebrae v 1 , v 2 . in this manner , the device 10 may be used to determine the intervertebral angle , which will provide for the correct spinal segment alignment in the case of fusion devices or for the maximum range of motion in the case of tdr . a transducer 50 a , 50 b that converts force into a measurable electrical output , such as a conventional low - profile load sensor or load cell , is preferably mounted on each load sensor plate 40 a , 40 b to measure ligament tension when the surgeon is distracting ( spreading ) the affected intervertebral segment v 1 , v 2 using the device 10 . the transducer may be constructed from stainless steel or other biologically safe material . the transducer 50 a , 50 b may be bonded or otherwise attached to the load sensor plate 40 a , 40 b in a conventional manner . each transducer 50 a , 50 b is preferably coated or covered with a thin layer of sterile plastic or other biologically safe material to protect the sensor and maintain sterility . wiring 51 a , 51 b , such as conventional shielded cabling , provides an electrical connection between the transducer 50 a , 50 b and a display ( not shown ) that provides signal processing and a visual indication of the force ( preferably in newtons ) being applied by the device 10 during distraction of the affected vertebral segment v 1 , v 2 . the wiring 51 a , 51 b preferably extends from the sensor 50 a , 50 b through the housing 12 and out the proximal end 12 a of the housing , where the wiring may be connected to the display . in this manner , the device 10 may be used to measure ligament tension and aid the surgeon in determining whether the appropriate amount of tension is being applied during distraction ( spreading ) of the intervertebral segment . the measuring device and distractor 10 may be used by a surgeon as follows to selecting an optimal size arthroplasty for a patient undergoing a tdr or spinal fusion procedure . first , the patient may be positioned in a supine , neutral position on an operating table . using an anterior approach , the surgeon exposes and removes the degenerative or diseased intervertebral disc , leaving a hollow intervertebral disc space between the adjacent vertebrae v 1 , v 2 . referring to fig2 , in step 100 , the measuring device and distractor 10 is then inserted intraoperatively within the body of the patient until the distal end 12 b of the housing 12 is positioned within the intervertebral disc space at the affected vertebral segment . the distracting pulls 28 a , 28 b , 38 a , 38 b should be sufficiently retracted to avoid interference with the vertebral endplates . in step 110 , the vertebral endplate distance or depth is then measured by sliding the posterior rod 20 longitudinally until the distracting member 28 a is positioned at the posterior edge or margin of the vertebral endplate . the anterior rod 30 is then moved longitudinally until the distracting member 38 b is positioned at the anterior edge or margin of the vertebral endplate . the endplate depth corresponds to the particular graduation on the ruler 36 on the anterior rod 30 that is aligned with the position indicator 26 on the posterior bar 20 . knowing the vertebral endplate depth will allow the surgeon to select the optimal sized arthroplasty or fusion device that will cover the maximum amount of the outer rim of the vertebral endplate . the posterior and anterior rods 20 , 30 may optionally be locked in place within the housing 12 to restrict longitudinal movement of the bars , while permitting rotational movement . next , the surgeon will measure the pre - distraction anterior and posterior disc heights using the device 10 in step 120 . to measure the posterior disc height , the surgeon will grasp the handle 22 and turn the posterior rod 20 , causing the first and second posterior distracting members 28 a , 28 b to move outwardly until the respective load sensor plates 40 a , 40 b contact the posterior edge of the vertebral endplates . the posterior disc height corresponds to the particular graduation on the circumference of the posterior rod 20 indicating the amount of rotation of the rod . similarly , to measure the anterior disc height , the surgeon will grasp the handle 32 and turn the anterior rod 30 , causing the first and second anterior distracting members 38 a , 38 b to move outwardly until the respective load sensor plates 40 a , 40 b contact the anterior edge of the vertebral endplates . the anterior disc height corresponds to the particular graduation on the circumference of the anterior rod 20 indicating the amount of rotation of the rod . the surgeon may also measure the intervertebral angle in step 130 by squeezing the handles 48 a , 48 b on the proximal end of scissor members 42 a , 42 b . this causes the scissor members 42 a , 42 b to pivot about pivot pin 44 until the respective load sensor plates 40 a , 40 b contact the vertebral endplates . the angular orientation of the two scissor members 42 a , 42 b is then measured using the graduations on the protractor 49 , which corresponds to the angular orientation or intervertebral angle of affected vertebral endplates . in this manner , the device 10 may be used to determine the intervertebral angle , which will provide for the correct spinal segment alignment in the case of fusion devices or for the maximum range of motion in the case of tdr . after the pre - distraction measurements are taken , the surgeon may distract ( spread ) the intervertebral segment in step 150 by turning the posterior and anterior rods 20 , 30 , which causes the distracting members 28 a , 28 b , 38 a , 38 b to move outwardly . the transducers 50 a , 50 b located on the load sensor plates 40 a , 40 b measure the amount of force or tension being applied to the ligaments during distraction in step 140 , which the surgeon can monitor on a display electrically connected to the transducers via wires 51 a , 51 b . in step 150 , the surgeon stops distracting the intervertebral segment when the desired tension is indicated on the display . this will minimize or eliminate circumstances where insufficient or excessive tension is applied to the ligaments during distraction , resulting in improper sizing of the arthroplasty or fusion device for the particular patient . when the desired ligament tension is attained and distraction discontinued , the surgeon then uses the device 10 to measure the post - distraction posterior and anterior disc heights ( step 160 ) and intervertebral angle ( step 170 ) in the manner indicated above . the device 10 is then removed from the patient and , in step 180 , the surgeon may use the measured endplate depth or distance , the pre - and post - distraction posterior and anterior disc heights , and the pre - and post - distraction intervertebral angle to select the optimal sized arthroplasty or fusion device for the particular patient undergoing the tdr or spinal fusion procedure . having described and illustrated the principles of this application by reference to one or more preferred embodiments , it should be apparent that the preferred embodiment ( s ) may be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from the principles disclosed herein and that it is intended that the application be construed as including all such modifications and variations insofar as they come within the spirit and scope of the subject matter disclosed herein .	0
referring to fig1 a typical fluid power converter such as a vane - type air motor is shown generally by 10 . the motor includes a cylindrical rotor 12 eccentrically mounted for rotation in an enclosed cylinder 14 . the rotor includes a circumferential surface 16 and a plurality of radial vane slots 18 . each slot contains a slidable vane 20 . the vanes are biased in the slots so that the outer edge of the vane remains in contact with the inner surface 22 of the cylinder during rotation . when motive fluid enters the cylinder it strikes the cantilevered vanes and causes the rotor to rotate in the conventional manner . a biasing mechanism such as a vane spring 30 is typically used at the inner radial position of the vane slot to bias the vane 20 radially outward into sealing contact with the inner surface of the cylinder . a conventional double torsion spring used for this purpose is shown in fig2 and 3 . the spring includes two torsion coils 40 connected by a straight base member 42 which abuts the base edge of the vane 20 . the vane rubs against base member 42 , subjecting it to eventual failure . a straight arm member 44 extends from each coil . the tips 46 of the arm members are rounded and constantly slide along the bottom 48 of the rotor slots 18 as the motor rotates . the sliding contact of the spring is limited to the very small area of the rounded tips , and therefore is subject to extreme wear and failure . fig2 shows the conventional spring fully extended and the vane at maximum vane extension beyond the rotor surface represented by line 16 . when the spring is fully extended , the portion of the vane 20 that projects from the slot 18 and is exposed to the pressure of the motive fluid is a maximum . the portion of the vane that remains in the slot to support the projecting portion is a minimum . thus the support for the cantilevered vane is at a minimum in this condition . the vane is subject to misalignment and increased wear at its sealing edge due to the minimal support provided the vane . to provide more support for the vane , it is desirable to make the vane radially taller . the straight base member 42 of the conventional spring prevents a taller vane . referring now to fig4 and 5 , an improved vane spring of the present invention is shown which reduces spring wear and failure and allows more vane support at maximum vane extension . the spring includes two torsion coils 50 . the base member 52 connecting the two coils is offset radially away from the base of the vane . this allows the center section 54 of the vane base to be extended in height . a curved arm member 56 having an arc or bow shape as shown in fig4 and 5 extends from each coil . the curvature of the arms is approximately equal to the offset 52 of the base member . the tips 58 of the arm members are rounded . the offset 52 in the base member connecting the two coils reduces the bending moments in the spring during operation . the offset also eliminates the rubbing contact with the vane . both of these results in few spring failures . the offset also allows the vane to be taller in radial height . this allows the extended section 54 of the vane to remain in the slot ( i . e . above line 16 ) at maximum vane extension as shown in fig4 . the portion of the vane that projects from the slot remains the same . thus a larger portion of the vane is providing support . a taller vane is desirable since it provides a greater support for the cantilevered portion of the vane that is exposed to the motive fluid during maximum vane extention . more support for the projecting portion of the vane reduces the wear on the vane sealing edge . the curved arms 56 also provide better wear distribution . as best shown in fig5 the curved arms increases and changes the contact point of the spring arm with the bottom of the vane slot . as the spring deflects , the contact point may extend from a position on the rounded tip 58 to a position on the arm 56 itself as shown in fig5 . this allows better wear distribution and reduces spring failure . changes and modifications in the specifically described embodiments can be carried out without departing from the scope of the invention which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims .	5
hamming distance is defined as the number of occurrences of bit differences between two variables . for a modulo - 2 case , the hamming distance is defined as the number of bit positions in which the corresponding bits of two binary words of the same length are different . this can be calculated by xoring the individual bits and counting the number of occurrences of differences . as an example , the hamming distance between 1011101 and 1001001 is two . [ 0047 ] fig2 shows the hardware realization of a function herein titled weight ( ). the weight ( ) function calculates the hamming distance between two variables input to the circuit . the circuit includes a first accumulator 58 , a second accumulator 60 , an xor gate 62 and a cascade of adders 64 . the result of the calculation is stored back into the first accumulator 58 . additionally , a carry flag 66 is provided . the carry flag stores the parity of the result , and is set to ‘ 0 ’ if even , or ‘ 1 ’ if odd . the circuit of fig2 has another use . when one of the accumulators stores a zero value , the output written back to the first accumulator is equal to the number of ‘ 1 ’ s in the other accumulator . this function is sometimes referred to as a ‘ majority vote ’. the circuit 100 shown in fig3 is used to compute the crc for a message sequence provided as an input . the message sequence 102 is shifted bit - by - bit serially into the msb of the shifter 121 and concatenated with the crc register 120 . the contents of the crc register are shifted right by one position and the crc register is updated after each shift operation . if the lsb of the shifter 121 is a ‘ 1 ’, then the output of the shifter 121 is xored by xor gate 123 with the generator polynomial 124 , else no xor operation is performed . the 2 - 1 mux 122 controls whether an xor operation is performed or not , under the control of the lsb of the shifter 121 . this process is repeated for all the message data bits , after which a number of ‘ 0 ’ s equal to the length of the generator polynomial are shifted into the crc register . after the message sequence and sequence of ‘ 0 ’ s have been shifted in , the result contained in the crc register is the remainder of the division . the remainder is read from the crc register in reverse bit order . the generator polynomial is also programmed in reverse bit order , and the msb of the generator polynomial is not included . implementing a crc function in software in the prior art requires several steps to perform the necessary shift , compare and xor functions . moreover , the task is repeated as many times as there are incoming data bits , making the process slow for large data words . embodiments of the present invention provide hardwired instructions which allow software calls to be made to specialized hardware which results in the process being performed significantly more speedily , thus freeing up the processor to perform other tasks . the specialized hardware is provided as part of an mcu or dsp , which is thus able to offer specialized commands for performing crc calculations . such commands may be implemented more speedily in such a specialized processor than in a general purpose processor as the specialized hardware can perform the required calculations in fewer instruction cycles . for the crc function , the hardware is implemented in such a way that cascading may be used to calculate the crc for data words having a greater width than the accumulator of the mcu . for instance , if the mcu has a 16 - bit accumulator , cascading may be used to allow the crc to be calculated for a data word wider than 16 - bits . the hardware function is implemented as shown in fig4 . four inputs are required for circuit 34 . the auxiliary input 150 , the generator 156 , the crc register 154 and the carry flag 152 . they are shown as feeding into the circuit of fig4 . the crc parity check , crc register and generator are 16 bits wide in this particular embodiment . the carry bit is 1 - bit wide . circuit 50 extracts the lsb of the crc register by calculating the parity of the auxiliary input . the auxiliary input is a copy of the crc register that has been processed by software in the mcu by masking the crc lsb position . the hardware is implemented in this way , rather than simply extracting the lsb from the crc register , so that a crc may be calculated that is not aligned to the word length of the crc register , where the lsb of the crc register may be in the middle of the word . this implementation also allows hardware to be easily used in other coding applications outlined below . if the parity output from circuit 50 is determined to be odd , the new value of the crc register becomes { carry flag , crc register [ m : 1 ]}, and this is xored with generator [ m : 0 ]. if the parity output from circuit 50 is even , then the new value of crc register is { carry flag , crc register [ m : 1 ]}, and no xor operation occurs . for either odd or even parity , the new value of carry flag is simply crc register [ 0 ]. a typical implementation of the circuit shown in fig4 uses an m - bit wide dual input multiplexer 54 , an m - bit input xor gate as the parity checker circuit 50 to perform the parity check , and m dual input xor gates 52 for performing the xor operation . circuit 44 shifts the bits of the crc register 154 by one position and shifts in the carry flag 152 as the msb of the crc register . the outputs of fig4 are a new carry flag 158 and a new value of the crc register 160 . the hardwired instruction may be called from software using a suitably defined command , such as crc (& amp ; a , & amp ; tn , & amp ; c , # value ), where & amp ; a represents the lsb of the crc register , & amp ; tn represents all bits of the crc register , & amp ; c represents the carry flag and # value represents the generator polynomial . if the generator polynomial , g ( d ), is d 16 + d 12 + d 3 + d 1 + d 0 , this is coded into # value as [ 1101 0000 0000 1000 ]. it is coded in reverse order from d 0 to d , the value of d 16 is assumed by the hardware . the following code describes how such a command may be used to calculate the crc for a 16 - bit input word , where the accumulator of the mcu is also 16 - bit step 1 tn = 0 // initialize crc register 2 c = incoming message bit 3 a = tn & amp ; 1 // set a = lsb of crc register by masking // lsb using and operator 4 crc (& amp ; a , & amp ; tn , & amp ; c , # value ) // call the hardwired crc instruction steps 2 to 4 are then repeated for all sixteen message data bits . after these steps , sixteen ‘ 0 ’ s are shifted into the crc register , and the value remaining in the crc register after this operation is the required crc . in the case where the crc is to be calculated for a word wider than the width of the accumulator , the hardwired crc instruction is called twice . this scenario is illustrated in the code set out below for a 21 - bit data word . an arbitrary generator polynomial , g ( d ), may be defined as d 21 + d 20 + d 19 + d 17 + d 12 + d 11 + d 7 + d 6 + d 3 + d 1 + d 0 . this polynomial is coded onto # value1 and # value2 as : value1 : [ 1101 0011 0001 1000 ] value2 : [ 0101 1000 0000 0000 ] as before , this is coded in reverse order from d 0 to d 20 , with d 21 being assumed by the hardware embodiment . step 1 tn1 = 0 // initialize upper word of crc register 2 tn2 = 0 // initialize lower word of crc register 3 c = incoming data bit 4 a = tn2 & amp ; 0x0800 // set a = lsb of crc register using and // function . note that lsb is located at bit // 11 of tn2 5 crc (& amp ; a , & amp ; tn1 , & amp ; c , # value1 ) // call the hardwired crc instruction 6 crc (& amp ; a , & amp ; tn2 , & amp ; c , # value2 ) // call the hardwired crc instruction as previously , the steps 3 to 6 are repeated for all bits of the input data word . the above technique can be adapted for any length of input word , by mapping the word onto as many 16 - bit registers as are required to hold the entire word . of course , if the accumulator is wider than 16 - bits , it will be capable of processing input words of greater width . it is possible to define two versions of the crc instruction to deal with different situations where data may need to bit - shifted to the left or the right . this may be useful in calculating crc according to different standards which require different data structures . the only difference between their implementations is in the configuration of the bit - shifters which either shift to the left or to the right , and swap the msb with the lsb and vice - versa . the remaining details are identical . each implementation may be called from software using a unique command , such as crcr ( ) for the right shifting version , and crcl ( ) for the left shifting version . aside from being used to calculate crc , the basic circuit according to embodiments of the invention may be used in other applications including pseudo noise ( pn ) generators , turbo coding and convolutional coding . the generation of a pn sequence may be achieved by use of the hardwired crc and weight instructions preciously defined . to generate a pn sequence , the following steps are performed : ( i ) xor &# 39 ; ing the pn register with an output generator polynomial to produce an output ; ( ii ) calculating a feedback bit by xor &# 39 ; ing the pn register with . a feedback generator polynomial ; ( iii ) shifting the contents of the pn register right by one position ; and ( iv ) shifting the feedback bit into the msb position of the pn register . [ 0080 ] fig5 shows how step ( ii ) above is performed . fig5 shows a string of sequentially connected register 160 . a feedback signal 170 is created by combining selected register outputs to feedback to the msb register . the output 172 is created by xoring selected register outputs . the register outputs used to create the feedback and output signals are selected on the basis of a defined generator polynomial . the code below demonstrates how the hardwired instructions crc ( ) and weight ( ) are used in the production of a pn sequence . t 0 is used for the pn shift register . the msb of the register is aligned to t 0 [ 15 ] and the lsb is aligned to t 0 [ 6 ]. y temporary pn register used for computing the output and feedback values . t 1 generator polynomial taps for the pn generator output . the msb of the taps is aligned to t 1 [ 15 ] and the lsb is aligned to t 1 [ 6 ]. t 2 generator polynomial taps for the feedback . the msb of the taps is aligned to t 2 [ 15 ] and the lsb is aligned to t 2 [ 6 ]. x n pointer to pn generator output array . c carry or parity bit output of weight function . # value is always set to 0x8000 as only the incoming bit has to be xor &# 39 ; ed . z is used as input to crc ( ) function and is always set to 0 . the following code is written in terms of the variables defined above : step 1 t 0 = 0 // initialize pn register 2 z = 0 // initialize input for crc ( ), always set to zero as no xor required 3 # value = 0x8000 // initialize input for crc ( ) 4 t 1 = 0x3100 // initialize taps for output as shown in fig5 t 2 = 0x0240 // initialize taps for feedback as shown in fig5 y = t 0 // to calculate the output - step # 1 7 y & amp ;= 0xffco // masking unused bits of register 8 weight ( y , t 1 ) // store parity in y for pn output 9 * x n ++ = c // output is equal to the carry or parity bit of weight function 10 y = t 0 ; // for shifting new value into t 0 [ 15 ] - step # 2 11 y & amp ;= 0xffc0 // masking unused bits of register 12 weight ( y , t 2 ) // store parity of feedback bits in c 13 crcr ( z , t 0 , c , # value ) // shift a 1 or 0 into msb of t 0 depending value of c steps 6 to 13 are repeated for the required pn sequence length . in examples of the invention where the pn register length ( n ) is greater than 16 , two or more 16 - bit registers are used to represent the pn register and two or more 16 - bit registers are used represent the generator polynomial , in a similar way as described previously for calculating the crc for a data word of greater width than the accumulator . in such a case the weight ( ) and crcr ( ) instructions are called more than once as required . the weight ( ) and crc ( ) commands can be used to implement a turbo encoder . the hardware implementation of such an encoder is shown in fig6 . the circuit 180 is arranged to receive successive input bits 182 , and to produce a stream of output bits 184 . the input is fed into the first of a string of sequentially connected registers 190 , and the output is derived from the last in the same string of registers . various feedback signals are combined using xor gates to encode the input data stream . the principle behind turbo encoding is to receive an input bit 182 , calculate a feedback bit 186 , shift the contents of the turbo register and then calculate the output bit 184 . this process is repeated as new data input bits are shifted into the circuit . the code below demonstrates how such a function may be realized using the crc ( ) and weight ( ) commands described previously : t 0 is used for the turbo shift register . the msb of the register is aligned to t 0 [ 15 ] and the lsb is aligned to t 0 [ 12 ]. y temporary turbo register used for computing the output and feedback parity values . z is used to store the parity of feedback bits . t1 generator polynomial taps for the feedback . the msb of the taps is aligned to t 1 [ 15 ] and the lsb is aligned to t 1 [ 12 ]. t2 generator polynomial taps for the turbo encoder output . the msb of the taps is aligned to t 2 [ 15 ] and the lsb is aligned to t 2 [ 12 ]. x n pointer to turbo encoder output array . c carry or parity bit output of weight function . # value is always set to 0x8000 as only the incoming bit has to be xored . step 1 t 0 = 0 // initialize turbo register 2 t 1 = 0x3000 // initialize taps for feedback as shown in fig6 t 2 = 0xd000 // initialize taps for output as shown in fig6 # value = 0x8000 // initialize # value for crc ( ) function 5 y = t 0 // to calculate the output - step # 1 6 y & amp ;= 0xf000 // mask the unused bits of the register 7 weight ( y , t 1 ) // store parity of feedback bits in c 8 z = c // z equals to c and becomes input for crc ( ) function 9 c = incoming bit // get next input bit 10 crcr ( z , t 0 , c , # value ) // shift t 0 right by one position and shift in new msb 11 y = t0 // to calculate the output bit - step # 2 12 y & amp ;= 0xf000 // mask the unused bits of the register 13 weight ( y , t 2 ) // store parity in c 14 * x n ++ = c // c is the output of the turbo encoder steps 5 to 14 are repeated for all the data bits to be encoded . a convolutional encoder can also be implemented using the crc ( ) and weight ( ) commands . fig7 shows a representation of a convolutional encoder ( half - rate , constraint length nine ) 200 . it includes a series of sequentially connected registers 210 . the first register in the string , is arranged to receive the input data bits 202 . the two output data streams 204 , 206 are created by xoring certain register outputs as defined by the generator polynomial . new data bits 182 are fed into the series of registers 210 such that each new bit forms the msb of the word defined by the registers . in the embodiment presented here , the weight ( ) command is used to calculate the output bits and the crc ( ) command is used to shift the register bits right by one position . t 0 is used for the convolutional shift register . the msb of the register is aligned to t 0 [ 15 ] and the lsb is aligned to t 0 [ 8 ]. a is set to zero as the xor operation is not required because the crc ( ) instruction is used only for right shift for implementing the convolutional encoder . # value is of no consequence since a is set to zero and no xor function is to be performed . y temporary convolutional register used for computing the output values . t 1 generator polynomial taps for the first encoder output . the msb of the taps is aligned to t 1 [ 15 ] and t 1 is set to 0x3880 . t 2 generator polynomial taps for the second encoder output . the msb of the taps is aligned to t 2 [ 15 ] and t 2 is set to 0x7580 . c carry or parity bit output of weight function . x n pointer to convolutional encoder output array . step 1 t 0 = 0 // initialize convolutional register 2 c = incoming message bit 3 a = 0 // xor function not required 4 crcr ( a , t 0 , c , # value ) // shift c into msb position of t 0 . no xor to be performed . 5 y = t 0 6 y & amp ;= 0xff80 // constraint length 9 , masking not required bits 7 weight ( y , t 1 ) // store hamming distance in y for first output 8 * x n ++ = c // output is equal to the carry or parity bit of weight ( ) function 9 y = t 0 10 y & amp ;= 0xff80 // constraint length 9 , masking not required bits 11 weight ( y , t 2 ) // store hamming distance in y for second output 12 * x n ++ = c // output is equal to the carry or parity bit of weight function steps 2 to 12 are repeated for all the data bits to be encoded . thus , it can be seen that by the provision of specialized hardwired ructions in an mcu , simple software routines may be developed which allow calculations to be easily and quickly performed . the basic hardware required to perform crc calculations , which be called in software , may further be used as a building block to perform the other forms of complex coding described above . indeed , other coding schemes herein described may be produced using the same techniques . shown in fig8 is a block diagram of a microprocessor unit 300 that implements an embodiment of the present invention . the microprocessor unit 300 includes an instruction storage unit 305 that stores software instructions to be executed . the software instruction may include both basic instructions and parameters acted on by the instructions . for example , the crc instruction discussed above may include the & amp ; a , & amp ; tn , & amp ; c , and # value parameters . the instruction storage unit 305 may be a buffer or other memory that stores all or part of the instructions of a computer program . the microprocessor unit 300 also includes a decoder 310 , a crc hardwired circuit 315 , a weight hardwired circuit 320 , and an execution unit 325 interconnected by a bus 330 . the decoder 310 receives an instruction from the instruction storage unit 305 , determines whether the instruction is a standard instruction or one of the crc and weight instructions discussed above . if the received instruction is a standard instruction , the decoder 310 passes the instruction on the bus 330 to the execution unit 325 which executes the instruction normally . if the received instruction is the crc instruction , the decoder 310 passes the instruction to the crc hardwired circuit 315 , which implements the crc instruction in hardware as discussed above with respect to fig3 . if the received instruction is the weight instruction , the decoder 310 passes the instruction to the weight hardwired circuit 320 , which implements the weight instruction in hardware as discussed above with respect to fig2 . all of the above u . s . patents , u . s . patent application publications , u . s . patent applications , foreign patents , foreign patent applications and non - patent publications referred to in this specification and / or listed in the application data sheet are incorporated herein by reference , in their entirety . the present invention includes any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein either explicitly or any generalization thereof irrespective of whether or not it relates to the claimed invention or mitigates any or all of the problems addressed .	7
referring more particularly to the drawings , fig2 is a schematic illustration showing a composition of a ribbon feeding control device for a printer in accordance with the teachings of the present invention . a pair of reels 10 and 12 for winding up an ink ribbon 14 are selectively driven and rotated by each of motors 16 and 18 so that the ink ribbon 14 can be fed in either the right or left direction . in order to detect the ribbon ends of the ink ribbon 14 mentioned above ribbon end sensors 20 and 22 are arranged in the vicinity of those two reels 10 and 12 , and the outputs of these two sensors 20 and 22 are supplied to a ribbon end detector 24 . the detecting signal output from the ribbon end detector 24 is led through an interruption control circuit 26 to an internal data bus 28 of the printer to indicate a required interruptive routine to the imprinting action of the printer , and the ribbon feeding method is carried out in accordance with the teachings of the present invention . naturally , connected to the internal data bus 28 are a microprocessor 30 , a rom 32 and a ram 34 , and the desired printing control is activated by the computer process , as has been well - known . on the other hand , a motor control circuit 38 is connected to the internal data bus 28 through an i / o port 36 in order to control those two motors 16 and 18 mentioned above , and the ink ribbon 14 is controlled to be run and to be reversed . fig3 ( a ) and 3 ( b ) show the first embodiment of the present invention . fig3 ( a ) shows the interruptive routine at the time when either one of the ribbon ends of the ink ribbon 14 is detected by the sensor 20 or 22 . the ribbon end detector 24 indicates an execution of the routine shown in fig2 through the interruption control circuit 26 . the ribbon end detector 24 detects the current ribbon feeding direction based on the outputs from those two sensors 20 and 22 and memorizes the ribbon direction flag as a . furthermore , when the ribbon end signal is detected from either one of the sensors 20 or 22 at the time of reverse motion of the ink ribbon 14 , the interruptive routine mentioned above is not only started but also the reverse signal &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; is added to the ribbon direction flag a also mentioned above . the new ribbon direction flag or the reverse signal is thus established , and the data are processed by the microprocessor 30 . at the same time when the direction reversing motion is detected as is mentioned above , the microprocessor 30 outputs a direction reversing command to the i / o port 36 through the internal data bus 28 . the motor control circuit 38 , therefore , switches the motors 16 and 18 with the basis of such direction reversing command to have the ink ribbon 14 start the predetermined reverse feeding motion . moreover , the interruptive routine establishes an imprint inhibition flag as &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, which is memorized in the ram 34 or a register of the microprocessor 30 . the present invention is characterized in that the interruptive routine further includes start of a timer p which starts counting a fixed time after the reverse motion of the ink ribbon 14 is detected . the timer p itself is part of the interruption control circuit 26 shown in fig2 . as mentioned hereinabove , at the same time when the ribbon feeding action is controlled , as shown in fig3 ( b ), the imprinting action is suppressed during such reverse motion of the ribbon 14 , which is characterized in the present invention . in the first embodiment , the suppression is accomplished by an inhibition of the imprinting action during the counting time of the timer p mentioned above . in other words , in the printing action the imprint inhibition flag is continuously supervised . the imprinting action is performed on the basis of a well - known host computer command other than during ribbon feed reversal , the imprint inhibition flag is &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; in other words , but during ribbon feed reversal the counting state of the timer p is controlled as shown in fig3 ( a ) and 3 ( b ), and the imprinting action of the printer is inhibited until completion of predetermined timer counting , while the imprint inhibition flag is &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. upon completion of counting by the timer p the imprint inhibition flag is switched to &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; and returns to the normal imprinting state . therefore , according to the first embodiment , as shown in fig4 the ink ribbon 14 is moved to x 1 , as shown in fig4 during a time from a reverse motion timing x &# 39 ; until the timer p sets a predetermined time period . in this embodiment , at this place x 1 the ink ribbon 14 is already put in the stabilized state of ribbon feeding without having a temporary stop and looseness in the ribbon feeding which occur in the prior art method , and the imprinting action is performed to the ink ribbon 14 as uniformly as is seen in the other portion so that the sectional excessive use occurring in the prior art device can be easily avoided and the uniform use of the ribbon 14 can remarkably extend its life . accordingly , it becomes possible to firmly prevent from such an uneconomical conduct that the ribbon 14 must be abandoned due to the sectional damage as is seen in the prior art method despite the fact that other areas can be still useable . in this embodiment , the counting time of the timer p is fixed to 500 milliseconds , and experiment shows that the ribbon 14 can veer to the fully stabilized feeding state during such fixed idle feeding time , and the loss of the imprinting time can be almost ignored . in fig5 shown therein is the second embodiment of the present invention and only illustrated is the interruptive routine by the interruption control circuit 26 . the description is omitted on the imprinting action which is in the same manner as the first embodiment shown in fig3 ( b ). in the first embodiment since the idle feeding time is limited to a fixed value by the timer p , the imprinting action can be started with the fully stabilized feeding state of the ribbon 14 at the time of reverse motion . however , as shown in fig4 the imprint action is always started with the same fixed position x 1 , and a border is sharply made between the area of the ribbon 14 used for imprints and the ends of the ribbon 14 not utilized for the imprinting action . when the degree of wear in the ribbon 14 extremely differs in the adjacent position in such a way mentioned above , there will be the case that the ribbon 14 gets torn or damaged at this adjacent position x 1 . although the ribbon 14 is used more efficiently in the first embodiment than the one in the prior art method , there exists a problem of ribbon tear at this position . in order to avoid this problem , in the second embodiment , the counting time of the timer p is controlled to be switched into various times at every ribbon feed reversal so that the border between the used and the non - used areas of the ink ribbon 14 is not distinct . thus , the ribbon 14 can be prevented from being cut at this position x 1 . in other words , as evident from fig5 the interruptive routine at the time of reverse motion of the ribbon 14 includes counting up a reverse motion counter c , which is preferable to the preparation for a plurality of counting times in the timer p and counts up &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; each at every reverse motion of the ink ribbon 14 . the reverse motion counter is contained within the interruption control circuit 26 shown in fig2 . its count value is limited to the maximum m and returns to &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; when it counts up to m . the count is repeated between o and m . furthermore , the establishment of this maximum value m into an odd number can alternatively switch the count value of the timer p at the time of reverse motion on the right and the left sides , and can effectively make the border previously described to be less distinct . moreover , the contents of the reverse motion counter c is used as a multiplication value to be multiplied by a constant when the count value of the timer p is set . therefore , according to this embodiment , the ink ribbon 14 is fed during ribbon feed reversal different times multiplied as mentioned above . shown in fig6 is an example wherein established are four kinds of feeding times . the ribbon 14 is fed different feeding times x &# 39 ; 1 through x &# 39 ; 4 at every ribbon feed reversal so that the ribbon 14 can be fed and used with different using frequencies in steps or at analog change ratios . accordingly , the border between the used and the non - used areas of the ribbon 14 becomes less distinct , and can be firmly prevented from being cut at this position . fig7 ( a ) and 7 ( b ) show the third embodiment of the present invention . in this embodiment , the suppression of imprints at the time of the ink ribbon reverse motion , which is characterized in the present invention , is not composed of the imprint inhibition as is described in the previous embodiments but consists of the decrease of imprinting speed at the ribbon ends . in other words , the third embodiment applies to a printer having a dot impact printing system capable of one - way and two - way imprints . normally , a two direction imprint system is performed but in a special case a one direction imprint system is utilized despite the slow imprinting speed . in the third embodiment , the system is forced to be suppressed only in the one direction imprinting action at the time of reverse motion at the ribbon 14 ends . accordingly , wear on the ribbon 14 can be decreased at the ribbon ends . as shown in fig7 ( a ), the interruptive routine includes a process to select the one direction imprint flag as &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; at the time of the reverse motion . in the imprint routine corresponding to the above mentioned , the one direction imprint mode is selected till the end of counting by the timer p when the one direction imprint flag stays at &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;, as shown in fig7 ( b ). accordingly , in the third embodiment , as shown in fig8 the using frequency of the ink ribbon 14 is remarkably decreased at the time of ink ribbon 14 reverse motion until a fixed time elapses ( x 1 &# 39 ;) and in substance the total ribbon 14 can be uniformly used . in the third embodiment , the one direction imprint flag returns to &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; which enables the normal imprinting control of the two direction imprint system after the counting time by the timer p elapses . as described heretofore , according to the present invention , the imprinting action of the printer is temporarily suppressed at the time of the ink ribbon reverse action , while the ink ribbon 14 is fed , and the imprinting action of the printer is put back in the normal printing condition after the ink ribbon 14 obtains its normal stabilized ribbon feeding state . therefore , the ink ribbon 14 can be uniformly used all the way through to make it possible to use the ink ribbon 14 for a long life , which is extremely effective for a high speed printer .	1
referring now to the drawings , which are intended to illustrate only a presently preferred exemplary embodiment and not to in any way limit the scope of this invention , a one - bit ( 180 °) phase shifter is implemented as a switched feed to a single antenna element 10 such as a microstrip patch antenna element as shown in cross section at fig1 . those in the art will appreciate that the patch effectively defines a 3d volume underlying a 2d conductive patch ( i . e ., the patch 10 has a resonant half - wavelength width w and also has a length dimension extending orthogonal to the plane of fig1 ). the response of a patch antenna can be viewed as a half - wavelength resonator with an equivalent circuit model as shown in fig1 . in response to an impinging plane wave of the proper wavelength , the voltage from the patch to the ground plane as a function of distance in the e - plane across the patch as shown in fig1 . fig2 a and 2 b show a pair of patch radiator elements 20 , 21 being fed via offset probes 20 ′ and 21 ′ where the offset from center of the patches is the same distance , but in opposite directions ( in the e - plane ). although depicted with internal bottom feed points , those in the art will also understand that microstrip radiators may be edge fed ( e . g ., using microstrip feed lines in the plane of the patch ). note that the two feed points 20 ′ and 21 ′ are located symmetrically about the center of the respective patches 20 , 21 . the impedance of the patch antenna as seen at each of the feed points is the same in both cases , but the voltage distribution phase response is changed by 180 °. selection of a particular feed ( e . g ., to one of two such feeds 22 , 23 on a single patch 24 as depicted in fig2 c ) may be accomplished via a switch 25 controlled by array controller 26 . as previously noted , additional auxiliary phase shifters ( e . g ., of conventional switched transmission line types ) may be combined with this simple 180 ° one - bit phase shifter at each element to achieve arbitrary phase shifting resolution as desired . a variety of switching methods may be used , depending on frequency , to route the rf signal to the desired one of plural feeds . therefore , the general technique is not frequency limited . the switching methods include , but are not limited to , varactor diodes , pin diodes , and mems in different circuit configurations . fig3 a - 3 d show some of these switch control configurations . in order to minimize rf insertion loss and digital phase shifter circuit complexity , the present exemplary embodiment may incorporate dual feed points connected via varactor diodes . controlling the capacitance of these two varactors modifies the resonant response of the antenna resulting in the desired 180 ° phase shift . the required capacitance swing can be as low as 3 : 1 so that the varactors are not real switches in the usual sense ( i . e ., to effectively physically connect or disconnect electrical conductors ), rather they act to modify the resonant behavior of the antenna . an exemplary switching circuit is shown in fig4 . this switch architecture utilizes a pair of varactor diodes whose capacitance , capacitance swing , and bias circuitry are adjusted so that both of the diodes act as an on / off switch at the designed radio frequency of the antenna . the control bit voltage v n for this stage of the array is applied in such a way that only one of the diode switches is in the high capacitance state at any time . while the probe - fed patch antenna element discussed thus far is presently a preferred mode of practice , the present exemplary embodiments also contemplate use of other feed techniques such as aperture coupling , co - planar microstrip feeds , and strip line feeds . similarly , other antenna elements can be substituted for the patch example described above . these other antenna elements include dipoles , flared notches , slots , and any other antenna that supports balanced 0 °/ 180 ° modes . such exemplary embodiments may be aptly described as employing a switched resonance , one - bit ( 180 degree ) antenna phase shifter . it will be appreciated that this invention may be combined with other switched antenna element control features . for example , both polarization and one - bit phase shift control can be achieved by using a pair of properly situated feed points for each 0 °, 180 ° relative phase control thus providing two different possible polarizations for each phase shift value . this invention has been described in connection with one or more exemplary embodiments . however , those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications and variations may be made to these exemplary embodiments while yet retaining novel features and advantages . accordingly , all such modifications and variations are intended to be covered by the following claims .	7
with initial reference to fig1 and 2 , a dishwasher constructed in accordance with the present invention , is generally indicated at 2 . dishwasher 2 includes an outer support body 4 which is positioned below a kitchen countertop 6 along side a plurality of cabinets 8 . as shown , cabinets 8 include drawers 9 - 12 and a door 13 . as further shown , dishwasher 2 includes an upper washing unit or drawer 16 , as well as a lower washing unit or drawer 18 . as each washing unit 16 , 18 is similarly constructed , a detailed description will be made with respect to upper washing unit 16 with an understanding that lower washing unit 18 includes corresponding structure . upper washing unit 16 includes a front wall 20 , a rear wall 21 , a bottom wall 22 and opposing side walls 23 and 24 that collectively define an upper washing chamber 28 . a dishrack 30 is positioned within upper washing chamber 28 to support kitchenware , indicated generally at 31 , which may include plates , cups or the like . upper washing unit 16 is slidably supported within outer support body 4 through a pair of extensible drawer glides , one of which is indicated at 33 . finally , dishwasher 2 is shown to include a lid 37 that is selectively shiftable relative to washing chamber 28 as drawer 16 is moved into and out of outer support body 4 . dishwasher 2 selectively performs a washing operation in washing chamber 28 during which sprays or jets of washing fluid are directed onto kitchenware 31 by a lower wash arm 47 , as well as an upper washing mechanism 50 . in the embodiment shown , upper washing mechanism 50 is positioned at an upper portion of rear wall 21 . as best shown in fig2 and 3 , upper washing mechanism 50 includes a water delivery portion 56 having an inlet conduit 58 which directs a flow of washing fluid towards a spray bar 60 . in accordance with the invention , inlet conduit 58 includes a first end section 63 that extends to a second end section 64 through an intermediate section 65 . first end section 63 is preferably domed - shaped so as to receive an inlet nozzle 69 therein ( see fig4 ) as will be discussed more fully below . as further shown in fig3 , spray bar 60 includes a first end portion 90 that extends to a second end portion 91 through an intermediate portion 92 that defines a central trough 97 . first and second end portions 90 and 91 actually define support members in a manner that will be detailed more fully below . in any event , spray bar 60 is actually fluidly connected to second end section 64 of inlet conduit 58 so as to receive a flow of washing fluid from inlet nozzle 69 . the flow of washing fluid is directed outward from central trough 97 through a plurality of nozzles 104 - 111 . actually , trough 97 is divided into first and second lateral sections or zones 114 and 115 by a central support member 112 , with nozzles 104 - 107 being positioned in first lateral zone 114 and nozzles 108 - 111 being positioned in second lateral zone 115 . upper washing mechanism 50 also includes a paddlewheel member 119 rotatably supported within trough 97 of spray bar 60 . paddlewheel member 119 actually includes a first paddle support 121 having a first end section 122 that extends to a second end section 123 through an intermediate section 124 . first paddle support 121 is arranged within first lateral zone 114 of trough 97 . arranged alongside first paddle support 121 , in second lateral zone 115 , is a second paddle support 129 . in a manner similar to that described above , second paddle support 129 includes a first end section 130 , a second end section 131 and an intermediate section 132 . first and second paddle supports 121 and 129 are rotatably supported upon a central rod 135 that extends substantially the entire length of trough 97 . towards that end , central rod 135 includes first and second outer bearing elements 137 and 138 that are rotatably supported upon first and second end sections 90 and 91 of spray bar 60 , as well as a central bearing / support portion 139 that rests upon central support member 112 . in any case , as each paddle support 121 , 129 is substantially , identically constructed , a detailed description will be made with respect to first paddle support 121 with an understanding that second paddle support 129 is correspondingly constructed . first paddle support 121 includes a plurality of disk - shaped deflector members 145 - 147 positioned adjacent nozzles 104 , 106 and 107 respectively , as well as a paddle - shaped deflector member 150 positioned adjacent to nozzle 105 . with this arrangement , a jet of washing fluid exiting nozzle 105 impacts paddle - shaped deflector member 150 causing first paddle support 121 to rotate about an axis defined by central rod 135 . as first paddle support 121 rotates , additional jets of washing fluid emanating from nozzles 104 , 106 and 107 impact disk - shaped deflector members 145 - 147 respectively , causing the jets of washing fluid to diverge into streams of washing fluid which are directed onto kitchenware supported upon dishrack 30 . as discussed above , washing fluid is introduced into upper washing mechanism 50 through inlet nozzle 69 illustrated in fig4 . in accordance with the invention , inlet nozzle 69 includes a main body portion 160 having a base section 162 , provided with a circular flange 163 , which extends through an intermediate section 164 to a tapered or nozzle section 165 . nozzle section 165 is provided with a plurality of openings , one of which is indicated at 167 , as well as a diffuser 169 . diffuser 169 includes an aperture 171 that receives a mechanical fastener 174 ( see fig3 ) which secures upper washing mechanism 50 to washing chamber 28 . in addition to mechanical fastener 174 , upper washing mechanism 50 is also retained against rear wall 21 by a mounting bracket 184 . in further accordance with the invention , mounting bracket 184 includes a main body 186 having a ring portion 188 from which extends an intermediate or planar portion 189 before terminating in a support portion 190 . support portion 190 includes first and second ear elements 192 and 193 , each provided with a corresponding tab element 196 , 197 that snap - fittingly engages inlet conduit 58 . as will be discussed more fully below , mounting bracket 184 is secured against rear wall 21 of washing chamber 28 through circular flange 163 of inlet nozzle 69 . as best shown in fig5 and 6 , inlet nozzle 69 is connected to and receives a flow of washing fluid through an inlet feed member 206 extending through rear wall 21 of washing chamber 28 . inlet feed member 206 includes a conduit portion 208 and a base portion 210 . conduit portion 208 includes a main body section 214 having a base section 215 from which extend an inlet nipple 216 and an outlet nipple 217 . main body section 214 also includes a flange 222 having a pair of mounting ears , one of which is indicated at 225 . as will be discussed more fully below , flange 222 acts as an interface between conduit portion 208 and base portion 210 . outlet nipple 217 includes a hollow interior portion 228 that leads into base section 215 and fluidly connects to inlet nipple 216 . outlet nipple 217 also includes a plurality of external threads 231 which , as best shown in fig6 , engage with inlet nozzle 69 . more specifically , outlet nipple 217 extends through rear wall 21 of washing chamber 28 and ring portion 188 of mounting bracket 184 . once in place , inlet nozzle 69 is secured to inlet feed member 206 through threads 231 , with circular flange 163 trapping mounting bracket 184 against rear wall 21 . finally , inlet nipple 217 is shown to include a pair of outer rings 235 and 236 which provide a positive engagement for a hose 238 that is secured through a clamp 239 ( see fig7 ). with this arrangement , inlet feed member 206 receives a flow of washing fluid from a pump ( not shown ) through inlet nipple 216 . the flow of washing fluid is thereafter redirected outward through outlet nipple 217 into inlet nozzle 69 and into spray bar 60 . as stated above , conduit portion 208 is supported upon a base portion 210 through flange 222 . towards that end , base member 210 is provided with a main housing 245 that includes a mounting member 247 and a cover 248 . mounting member 247 is provided with a pair of supports 260 and 261 that align with mounting ears 225 . supports 260 and 261 are adapted to receive mechanical fasteners , one of which is shown at 265 , to secure conduit portion 208 to base portion 210 . mounting member 247 further includes a central opening 267 that leads into main housing 245 . a seal 269 extends about central opening 267 and engages with flange 222 of conduit portion 208 . in addition , cover 248 is pivotally connected to mounting member 247 through a hinge 270 and secured through a tab member 273 . actually , main housing 245 serves as an enclosure for electronic circuitry 280 ( see fig7 ) associated with a flow sensor 283 , such as a diaphragm positioned across central opening 267 . sensor 283 senses the flow of washing fluid through conduit portion 208 during an overall washing operation . reference will now be made to fig8 in describing an alternative embodiment of the present invention . as shown , an upper wash mechanism 350 includes a water delivery portion 356 having an inlet conduit 358 that is connected to a spray bar 360 . spray bar 360 includes a first end section 390 that extends to a second end section 391 through an intermediate section 392 . actually , arranged at intermediate section 392 is a “ t ” member 394 that directs a flow of washing fluid into a first lateral zone 360 and a second lateral zone 361 . each lateral zone 360 , 361 includes a plurality of nozzles 404 - 406 and 407 - 409 respectively . jets of washing fluid emanating from nozzles 404 - 409 impact upon a paddlewheel member 419 that is rotatably mounted to a pair of laterally spaced first and second support members 421 and 429 . actually , paddlewheel member 419 is provided with a pair of bearings , one of which is indicated at 438 , that provide smooth rotation as paddlewheel 419 is impacted and rotated by jets of washing fluid emanating from nozzles 404 - 409 . in addition , paddlewheel member 419 is provided with a slight twist or spiral which ensures continued exposure to the jets of washing fluid . thus , in accordance with the embodiment shown , paddlewheel member 419 constitutes an overall deflector member 445 that causes the jets of washing fluid to diverge into a plurality of streams which subsequently impact upon kitchenware supported upon dishrack 30 during an overall washing operation . at this point , it should be readily understood that the present invention provides for an efficient upper washing mechanism for directing water to an upper portion of a washing chamber in a drawer - type dishwasher . more particularly , mounting the upper washing mechanism to a wall of the wash chamber advantageously provides protection to various wash system components arranged within outer housing 4 . more specifically , the particular positioning of the upper washing mechanism ensures that any residual water remaining within the wash system drops directly into the washing chamber and not onto various components carried within outer housing 4 as would be the case with a wash arm mounted to , for example , lid 37 . in addition , the paddlewheel configuration establishes an extremely efficient and effective washing fluid distribution arrangement that creates streams of washing fluid sprayed randomly about the washing chamber . in any case , although described with reference to preferred embodiments of the invention , it should be readily understood that various changes and / or modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof . for instance , the overall shape , angular orientation , number and spacing of the deflector members can vary in accordance with the present invention . in general , the invention is only intended to be limited by the scope of the following claims .	0
referring to the drawings and especially to fig1 through 3 , a light fixture 10 has a fixture housing 11 and a lamp housing 12 and is shown with a wiring j - box 13 . the lamp housing 12 is shown in the closed position in the main fixture housing 11 in fig1 and in an open position in fig2 and 3 . the fixture housing 11 has an open space 14 therein . the lamp housing while housing 12 is shown open to a higher position in fig3 so that you can see the lamp housing lens 15 having a lamp 16 mounted therein . the fixture 10 is ideally suited for placing on the side of a wall or , in the embodiment illustrated , built into a wall in which the sides of the housing 11 will fit between the spacing of the studs in a building wall . the lamp fixture can also fit into the soffit of the eave of a building . the lamp housing 12 is readily adjustable to open to any angle desired , such as that shown in fig2 and again in fig3 . the opening and closing of the lamp housing 12 is better illustrated in connection with fig2 , 3 and 4 in which a gas spring 17 has a gas cylinder 18 and an extending rod 20 . extending rod 20 has a coupling 21 for attaching to the main fixture housing 11 while the gas cylinder 18 is connected to a spring coupling 22 which is attached to a gear motor shaft 23 extending from the gear box 24 and electric motor 25 . the gas spring coupling 22 can have its position on the shaft 23 adjusted by loosening a set screw 26 and rotating it to two different positions relative to the shaft 23 . the cylinder 18 is connected to the spring coupling by a flexible connections so that the rotation of the coupling 22 rotates and pulls the gas spring 17 to different positions , depending upon where the coupling 22 is locked to the shaft 23 . gear box 24 shaft 23 has a cam 27 attached thereto and a microswitch 28 is attached to the side of a gear box 24 . microswitch 28 has a switch arm 30 extending therefrom leaning against the shaft 23 . as the motor 25 is powered to turn the gear box 24 shaft 23 , it rotates to a position where the cam 27 hits the microswitch arm 30 to activate the microswitch . the gear motor armature 31 is seen protruding from the ac electric motor 25 . in operation , the ac electric motor 25 is actuated by turning on the electric power with a switch or by a timer clock or a photocell or motion detector as desired which starts the shaft 23 rotating until the cam 27 actuates the microswitch arm 30 and actuates the microswitch 28 which cuts off the power to the electric motor 25 with the shaft 23 in the position determined by of the cam 27 . this opens the lamp housing 12 from a closed position , as seen in fig1 , to an open position , as seen in fig2 or 3 , against the gas spring biasing means 17 . when the electric power to the fixture is cut , the gas spring 17 pulls the spring coupling 22 and shaft 23 to pull against the lamp housing 12 to close the lamp housing . the lamp fixture of the present invention includes an electromagnetic brake , as hereinafter described , which locks the shaft 23 against movement to prevent the lamp housing from closing once it reaches its open position and the lamp is turned on . turning to fig5 , a block diagram of the circuit of the present light fixture is illustrated in which a source of ac electric power 33 is connected through a line 32 to a microswitch 28 . the microswitch 28 is normally in a normally closed position , as illustrated , and directs the hot line 32 of the ac power through the line 34 to the gear motor 25 . the hot line 35 is also connected to the lamp 16 to activate the lamp . common line 36 is connected to the lamp and to the gear motor 25 . an ac motor 25 rotates the shaft 23 until the cam 27 of fig4 hits the microswitch 28 switching the microswitch 28 to the normally open position thereby cutting off the ac power from the line 34 to the gear motor 25 . then the ac power in line 32 is switched from the ac electric motor 25 through a line 37 to a dc power supply 38 which immediately puts a dc power source through the line 40 directly to the gear motor 25 . gear motor 25 is an ac motor in which ac power has been disconnected and a dc voltage applied thereto . the ac motor is locked up by the dc voltage and forms an electromagnetic brake . the shaft 23 is locked in position which has the lamp housing in an open position . the dc power supply 38 stays on as long as there is ac power and the power source 31 is connected through the microswitch 28 which also maintains the lamp 16 turned on . the power supply from 33 is switched with a manual switch or a photocell or a timer or the like to turn the power off and disconnect the lamp 16 and the dc power source 38 which releases the gear motor 25 armature 31 from the shaft 23 allowing the gear springs 17 to return the lamp housing 12 back to its closed position until the ac power is again switched on . thus , the sequence of events would be where there is no power through the ac power switch 33 and the lamp housing is closed , as in fig1 . when the switch 33 is turned on , the gear motor and lamp power are turned on and the gear motor turns until the microswitch 28 is activated . the microswitch turns off the ac power to the gear motor 25 and turns on the power to the dc power supply 38 , which applies a dc power to the gear motor 25 and freezes the gear motor armature into an open position for the lamp fixture . when the switch 33 is turned off to disconnect the ac power , the unit closes under the gas spring and the lamp is turned off . it should be clear that a lamp fixture has been provided which is merely switched on or off to open the lamp fixture , turn on the lamp , and to hold it in an open position until it is closed by a biasing means . a biasing means can be a gas spring , as illustrated , or a torsion spring or by the gravity of the lamp housing . however , the use of a gas spring , or the like , with an easily adjustable coupling to a gear box output shaft allows for a quick adjustment to different positions of the lamp housing opening . however , it should be clear that other forms and embodiments are considered within the scope of the present invention and the forms shown are to be considered illustrative rather than restrictive .	5
the detailed descriptions for content and technology of this invention associate with figures are as follows . please refer to fig3 , which is the cross - sectional diagram for the structure of a tft in the normal tft process . first , the first metal layer forms the gate electrode 51 of the tft structure and the scan line of a pixel on the surface of the substrate 50 . the first metal layer forming for the materials is done by sputtering equipments . the materials are the group of mo , ta , cr , w , al , and aluminum alloy or arbitrary combinations of them . they can also be used to produce the multilayer as required . second , the first insulating layer forms the gate insulating layer 52 and the semiconductor layer where the filming method for the semiconductor layer is done by pecvd equipments continuously on the gate insulating layer 52 ( ex : sinx ), the a - si : h intrinsic layer 53 , and the n + si ohmic contact film 54 . the filming method for the a - si : h intrinsic layer 53 and the sinx gate insulating layer 52 are continuous . hence this method can get a better interface of the sinx and the a - si : h semiconductor film . the next step is to form the pattern of the active layer of tft by way of the photolithography and the etching module . then , the second metal layer is formed by the sputtering process and the pattern 55 is formed the drain and source electrodes of the tft structure by photolithography . after that , using the dry etching method etches the n + si . ohmic contact film 54 at the back channel of tft . next , using the thin - film manufacturing process deposits the second insulating layer 56 by the cvd so as to form the passivation . the photolithography then follows to dig holes at connections between the source electrode of tft and pixel electrode layers . then , the pixel electrode 57 is formed by the transparent metal layer by sputtering , such as indium tin oxide ( ito ). after describing the normal structure of the tft , please refer to fig4 a and 4b , which show the first embodiment of the pixel structure of this invention . this invention includes the substrate 100 ; the first metal layer that covers the substrate 100 , and the first metal layer is the scan line 110 of the lcd panel ; the first insulating layer 101 that covers the first metal layer ; the second metal layer that covers the semiconductor layers , and the second metal layer is the data line 150 and the common electrode 151 of the tft lcd panel ; the second insulating layer 102 that covers the second metal layer ; the pixel electrode 170 formed by the transparent metal layer that covers the second insulating layer 102 , and a portion of the pixel electrode 170 is corresponding to the common electrode 151 of the second metal layer such that the pixel electrode and the common electrode 151 with the second insulating layer 102 between them form the corresponding overlap area 200 ; and the overlap area 200 is the storage capacitor of tft pixel structure . the storage capacitor structure in this invention is constructed by using the corresponding overlap area 200 between the common electrode 151 formed by the second metal layer and the pixel electrode 170 formed by the transparent metal layer . the first embodiment includes the tft 300 ; the scan line 110 formed by the first metal layer and patterned on the surface of the substrate 100 , wherein the scan line 110 of the pixel presents a horizontal line that is formed by the first metal layer , the data line 150 formed by the second metal layer presents a vertical line , and the common electrode 151 constructed cross the scan line 110 of the pixel is formed by the second metal . and then deposit the second insulating layer 102 so as to form the passivation , the contact pad 152 , and the pixel electrode 170 formed by the transparent metal layer ( wherein the contact pad 152 is used to connect the source electrode of the tft 300 and the pixel electrode 170 ). the overlap area 200 of the common electrode 151 and the pixel electrode 170 with second insulating layer 102 between them formed storage capacitor of tft pixel to hold charge . please refer to fig5 , which shows the second embodiment of the pixel structure in this invention . similarly , the second embodiment is based on the same spirit of this invention , and the structure of the storage capacitor is constructed by using the corresponding overlap area 200 between the common electrode 151 formed by the second metal layer and the pixel electrode 170 formed by the transparent metal layer . the differences between the first and second embodiments are that the scan line 110 formed by the first conductive - metal layer is changed to the vertical line , and the data line 150 formed by the second metal layer is changed to the horizontal line . the second embodiment includes the tft 300 ; the scan lines 110 that are patterned on the surface of the substrate 100 in which the scan lines 110 presented as the vertical line are formed by the first metal layer ; the data line 150 formed by the second metal layer and presenting a horizontal line ; and the common electrode 151 constructed cross the scan line 110 of the pixel . and then deposit the second insulating layer 102 so as to form the passivation , the contact pad 152 , and the pixel electrode 170 formed by the transparent metal layer ( wherein the contact pad 152 is used to connect the source electrode of the tft 300 and the pixel electrode 170 ). the overlap area 200 of the common electrode 151 and the pixel electrode 170 with second insulating layer 102 between them formed storage capacitor of tft pixel to hold charge . besides , at the same time when the storage capacitor structure is constructed by using the corresponding overlap area 200 between the common electrode 151 formed by the second metal layer and a portion of the pixel electrode 170 can be the light shielding bar for the pixel to shield unnecessary lights of the backlight module and raise the contrast ratio . the current invention is unlike the traditional method , so it is not necessary to design the masking layer to increase the aperture ratio . however , the above description is only a better practice example for the current invention , which is not used to limit the practice scope of the invention . all equivalent changes and modifications based on the claimed items of this invention are in the scope of the present invention .	6
a converting machine for sheet - like printing material has , for example , several printing units 1 and at least one coating unit 2 . referring to fig1 , a known printing unit 1 is shown which includes a rubber blanket cylinder 8 , a plate cylinder 6 , and also an inking unit 7 assigned to the plate cylinder 6 . if necessary , a dampening unit ( not shown ) can be assigned to the plate cylinder 6 . a coating unit 2 , which includes a form cylinder 10 and a metering device 11 , 12 , is arranged downstream of the printing unit 1 in the transport direction 5 of the printing material . in the illustrated example , the metering system 11 , 12 is formed by a latched form roller 11 and an ink chamber blade system 12 . a sheet delivery unit 3 that includes an endless , rotating transport system 4 for the transport and arrangement of the sheet - like printing material on a stack is arranged after or downstream of the coating unit 2 in the transport direction 5 . the rubber blanket cylinder in the printing unit 1 , the form cylinder 10 in the coating unit 2 , and also transport cylinders 9 between the printing / coating units 1 , 2 are provided for transporting the printing material . in the illustrated embodiment , the transport cylinders 9 are formed as sheet - guiding cylinders and are connected on the drive side to a continuous gear train ( i . e ., a closed gear train ), which is coupled to and can be driven with a main drive . in the first embodiment discussed below , the rubber blanket cylinder 8 of each printing unit 1 is coupled mechanically with the gear train for the transport cylinder 9 . in the second embodiment , it is decoupled from this gear train , i . e ., it has a separate direct drive ( individual drive ). each plate cylinder 6 and each form cylinder 10 has a separate direct drive ( individual drive ), which is mechanically decoupled from the gear train of the transport cylinder 9 and which can be driven in a defined manner relative to these transport cylinders 9 and , if necessary , relative to each rubber blanket cylinder 8 . because each direct drive of the plate cylinder 6 and form cylinder 10 in each printing / coating unit 1 , 2 is identical , only one drive on a plate cylinder 6 or a form cylinder 10 will be explained with respect to the first embodiment of the invention shown in fig2 . the direct drive is detachably mounted to an end of the plate / form cylinder 6 , 10 . the direct drive comprises a rotor 14 , which is detachably mounted to the plate / form cylinder 6 , 10 , and a stator 15 . the stator 15 is concentrically arranged relative to the rotor and is detachably fixed to the side frame 13 . a register motor 16 is fixed to the frame and is coupled with a gear drive 17 , 18 . the gear drive 17 , 18 is coupled in the direction of the plate / form cylinder 6 , 10 with a screw drive . the screw drive is , in turn , coupled with the plate or form cylinder 6 , 10 by an axial / rotating coupling 23 , 24 . in a preferred embodiment , the rotor 14 has an annular construction and the register motor 16 is arranged in the interior of the rotor 14 . the register motor 16 is preferably coupled ( i . e ., through circuitry ) to a machine controller of the converting machine . the gear drive 17 , 18 includes a pinion gear 17 on the register motor 16 and a second gear 18 , for example , an internally - toothed gear 18 that engages the pinion gear 17 . the second gear 18 is coupled to the screw drive in that the second gear 18 is fixed to an end of a register shaft 19 , which forms part of the screw drive . in the direction of the plate or form cylinder 6 , 10 , the register shaft 19 has a threaded spindle 21 that forms a screw link in a mounting structure 20 fixed to the frame , which also forms part of the screw drive . one end of the register shaft 19 is mounted in the mounting structure 20 via an axial guide 22 , preferably a bushing , which further forms part of the screw drive . the coupling 23 , 24 is on the other end of the register shaft 19 . the coupling includes a two - sided axial bearing 23 on the register shaft 19 and a preferably annular disk 24 that is coupled with the rotor 14 and which rotatively engages the two - sided axial bearing 23 . the annular disk 24 engages the two - sided axial bearing 23 in such a manner that the disk rotates freely . the disk 24 is connected in a detachable manner to the form / plate cylinder 6 , 10 . the rotor 14 is preferably connected in a detachable manner to the plate / form cylinder 6 , 10 by a flange 25 and the disk 24 is fixed on the flange 25 in a detachable manner . as in the first embodiment , the direct drives for individually driving the plate / form cylinders 6 , 10 are identical in the second embodiment illustrated in fig3 . accordingly , only one such drive will be explained in detail . the direct drive has a rotor 14 detachably arranged at the ends to the plate / form cylinder 6 , 10 and a stator 15 . the stator 15 is concentric to the rotor and which is detachably fixed on the side frame 13 . the rotor 14 is coupled a flange 25 with the plate / form cylinder 6 , 10 . a bearing 29 , which carries an intermediate gear 26 that can rotate freely , is arranged circumferentially ( concentrically ) on the flange 25 . the intermediate gear 26 is decoupled from the direct drive for the plate / form cylinder 6 , 10 . an input drive 27 can be fed onto the intermediate gear 26 by the gear train of the transport cylinder 9 for printing material transport , and an output drive 28 onto another assembly can be accomplished through this intermediate gear 26 . preferably , the output drive acts on an inking unit 7 . alternatively , the output drive acts on a dampening unit of a printing unit 1 or on the form roller 11 of a metering device 11 , 12 of a coating unit 2 . preferably , a register motor 16 is arranged in the interior of the annular rotor 14 that is fixed to the frame and is coupled with a gear drive 17 , 18 . the gear drive 17 , 18 is coupled with a screw drive , which in turn is coupled with the cylinder 6 , 10 by an axial / rotating coupling 23 , 24 . the register motor 16 preferably communicates via appropriate circuitry with a machine controller . the gear drive 17 , 18 is formed by a pinion gear 17 on the register motor 16 and a second gear 18 engaging with the pinion gear 17 . the second gear 18 is coupled with the screw drive , in that the second gear 18 is fixed at the ends on a register shaft 19 . the register shaft 19 includes a threaded spindle 21 in the direction of the platform cylinder 6 , 10 , which forms a screw link in a mounting 20 fixed to the frame . the register shaft 19 is supported in the mounting 20 by an axial guide 22 , for example , a bushing . the coupling is at the other end of the register shaft 19 . the coupling includes a two - sided axial bearing 23 on the register shaft 19 and a preferably annular disk 24 . the disk 24 is coupled with the rotor 14 and rotatively engages in the axial bearing 23 . the annular disk 24 engages in the two - sided axial bearing 23 so that it rotates freely . the disk 24 is detachably connected to the plate or form cylinder 6 , 10 . preferably , in both embodiments , the register motor 16 , along with the mounting 20 and the stator 15 , are detachably mounted on the side frame 13 . the operation of an exemplary drive according to the invention is as follows . the direct drive ( rotor 14 , stator 15 ) is driven in the specified way as an individual drive for the plate cylinder 6 or form cylinder 10 . for lateral correction of the plate / form cylinder 6 , 10 , the register motor 16 is activated , preferably by the machine controller , and drives the pinion gear 16 ( according to the specified rotational direction ) and the engaged gear 18 . the gear 18 drives the register shaft 19 that produces a rotational movement about the register shaft 19 axis combined with a displacement movement in the axial direction ( towards or away from the plate / form cylinder 6 , 10 ) by means of the screw link ( threaded spindle 21 , mounting 20 ). the displacement movement ( in the axial direction ) of the register shaft 19 is performed according to a specified stroke 30 in the guide 21 fixed to the frame , and acts on the disk 24 via the two - sided axial bearing 23 . because the disk 24 is connected to the plate / form cylinder 6 , 10 , an axial displacement ( represented by a double arrow ) of the plate or form cylinder 6 , 10 is effected in the side frame 13 in connection with the rotor 14 .	1
a first embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to fig1 . reference numeral 19 designates the engine being controlled , and reference numeral 18 designates the brake system being controlled which is equipped with an abs control system . reference numeral 10 designates a device which produces nominal values for the engine and the brake from various quantities . the device 10 produces the nominal values under the assumption that the vehicle has a proper adherence to the road surface , i . e ., that the wheels neither lock nor spin . the device 10 can be an icc longitudinal dynamics control or a cruise control system ( cc ) ( icc =‘ intelligent cruise control ’). reference numeral 17 designates the engine control which controls the engine in accordance with nominal engine values . reference numeral 16 designates the brake control which controls the brake system 18 in accordance with nominal brake values . according to the present invention , various devices produce further appropriate nominal values for the engine or brake control , and from these nominal values , established functionally in parallel , the nominal values for the brake 18 and / or the engine 19 or its controllers 16 and 17 are determined in a suitable manner in a coordination device 15 . initially , the production of a nominal brake value is described more precisely . the nominal value generated for the brake is the brake nominal pressure p soll . various devices produce functionally in parallel intermediate nominal values or intermediate nominal pressures . a first intermediate nominal pressure p bremse is generated by the device 10 . another intermediate nominal pressure p asms is generated by the driving stability control system . another intermediate brake pressure p ba is generated by a brake assistant . further intermediate nominal pressures can be determined in a suitable manner by other components . these intermediate nominal values or intermediate nominal pressures , which are determined functionally in parallel , are picked up by a coordination device 14 , and the brake nominal value or brake nominal pressure p soll is determined from them in a suitable manner . one criterion for the coordination device 14 can be to select the maximum value from the intermediate nominal values or intermediate nominal pressures it picks up , and to send it as a brake nominal value or brake nominal pressure p soll to the brake system . the generation of nominal engine values will be described in the following . it must be taken into consideration that modern motor control systems in which the so - called ‘ e - gas ’(= electronically controlled acceleration ) concept ( electronic accelerator pedal ) is implemented , pick up two nominal engine torques , i . e . m msr and m asr , preferably from the abs control system . the nominal engine torque m msr reflects results of the engine stall torque control , and the nominal engine torque m asr reflects results from the engine traction slip control . these nominal engine values are determined from intermediate nominal values . an intermediate nominal value m motor is generated by the device 10 . another intermediate nominal value can be generated by the traction slip control 12 , for example , in the form of an intermediate nominal torque . another intermediate nominal value can be generated by the engine stall torque control 11 in the form of an intermediate nominal torque . these intermediate nominal values or intermediate nominal torques are introduced into a coordination device 15 which determines from them nominal engine values in a suitable fashion . the course of action in this case , too , is that different intermediate nominal values are determined functionally in parallel under different aspects , and nominal engine value ( s ) is / are determined from the parallel prevailing intermediate nominal values . when the engine 19 picks up only one single nominal engine value or one signal nominal engine torque , the intermediate nominal values or intermediate nominal torques can be produced , for example , by a selection of maximum values . fig1 shows an embodiment which includes an intermediate nominal torque that is determined according to a nominal acceleration and each one intermediate nominal torque determined from the engine stall torque control 11 or the traction slip control 12 . also , an engine equipped with electronically controlled acceleration management is assumed . in this case , the maximum value is selected from the intermediate nominal torque m motor which is established according to the nominal acceleration in the device 10 and the intermediate nominal torque generated by the engine stall torque control 11 , and is issued as a nominal engine torque m msr to the engine . the intermediate nominal torque determined by the traction slip control 12 is issued as nominal engine torque m asr to the engine . the torque requirements requested by the driver of the vehicle can be processed in various ways : one possibility is to consider these torque requirements by the driver as another intermediate nominal torque or another intermediate nominal value and to introduce it into the coordination device 15 where it is processed in an appropriate manner . fig1 however , shows an embodiment where the processing of the direct driver &# 39 ; s wish does not take place in the coordinator 15 but in the engine electronic unit 17 . initially , the maximum value is determined therein from the driver &# 39 ; s torque requirements m fahrer and the engine nominal torque m msr . further , the minimum value is selected from this maximum value and the engine nominal torque m asr , and the so produced nominal torque m mot is used to control the engine . the fact that the intermediate nominal values are determined in parallel when the nominal values for the brake and / or the engine are determined , they may be tested simultaneously and checked for defined relations between them . according to these checking operations , the nominal engine value may influence the nominal brake value and vice - versa , or reactions to the nominal acceleration being adjusted may be performed . for example , if the intermediate nominal torque m motor which originates from the icc control or device 10 is smaller than the intermediate nominal torque generated by the engine stall control , a reaction to the nominal acceleration generated by the acceleration controller may be effected by an appropriate device . in the embodiment shown , the coordination device 14 picks up , beside the intermediate nominal pressure p bremse from the icc control 10 , the intermediate nominal pressure p asms from the driving stability control system 13 , an intermediate nominal pressure p ba from a brake assistant , and the intermediate nominal pressure according to the driver &# 39 ; s wish p fahrer for determining the nominal brake value . when any one of the values p asms , p ba or p fahrer prevails in the maximum value generation , shown as an example , this may e . g . cause deactivation of the icc function or the icc controller 10 . fig1 shows a coordination device 14 for the nominal brake pressure and a coordination device 15 for the nominal engine torque ( s ). these coordination devices 14 and 15 can be provided individually or in combination . at reference numeral 25 , fig2 shows a variation of the coordination device 15 of fig1 . exactly as the coordination device 15 of fig1 device 25 picks up intermediate nominal torques from icc control 10 , traction slip control 12 , and engine stall torque control 11 . the coordination device 25 cooperates , however , with an engine management in which the inputs of the nominal values are processed as is shown in fig2 . the maximum value is then determined in the coordination device 25 from the intermediate nominal torque of the icc control 10 and the intermediate nominal torque of the engine stall torque control 11 . the minimum is determined from the so established value and the intermediate nominal torque of the traction slip control , and the so determined value is sent to the engine management as nominal engine torque m msr . the nominal engine torques m msr and m asr are processed in the engine electronic unit 27 so that , initially , the minimum value is selected in the engine electronic unit 27 from the nominal engine torque m asr and the driver &# 39 ; s requirements m fahrer , and the maximum value is selected from this minimum value and the nominal engine torque m msr , and this maximum value is then used as an engine torque m mot to control the motor . fig3 to 5 show individual functional assignments of the icc control 10 , the coordinators 14 and 15 and the control electronic units 16 and 17 for the brake and the engine . in the embodiment of fig3 the icc control 10 , the coordination device 34 for the brake and the coordination device 35 for the motor are separate functional blocks . this separation can be effected , for example , so that the individual objects are carried out by different processors , if necessary , different printed circuit boards , and also , if necessary , at different locations in the vehicle . in the embodiment of fig4 the two coordination devices 44 and 45 are integrated in one function or a functional block . this integration can be effected in the way that the function is performed , for example , by the same processor or at least on the same printed circuit board . when the coordination objectives are executed by the same processor , the advantage is that fewer serial interfaces have to be drafted and operated . fig5 shows an embodiment in which parts of the icc control 10 form a function group , and the actual acceleration controller in conjunction with the coordinators form another function group . these function groups can be configured in the way that they are designed or realized by processors of their own , possibly on own printed circuit boards and , further , at different locations in the vehicle . parts of the icc control are integrated in a functional block so that the latter furnishes a nominal acceleration as an output which is picked up and further processed by the other functional block . the advantage of this embodiment is that the reactive effect to the required nominal acceleration can be performed in certain operating conditions in a simple fashion . further advantages are achieved with respect to the number and the configuration of serial interfaces . the fact that the number of serial interfaces is reduced permits linking different signals more easily , for example , for plausibility checks , for reactions and transverse effects , and further polls .	1
the drive roller arrangement for moving a banknote through the validator as shown in fig2 and 3 , can , on occasion , lead to a jammed banknote during ejection of a refused banknote . this drive arrangement includes an initial drive roller located near the mouth of the inlet and two rearward drive rollers which engage the banknote and continue to move the banknote after the initial roller has caused the banknote to engage the rearward drive rollers . the single forward drive roller helps to correct for misalignment of the banknote as a banknote engages the channel forming a drag force causing a clockwise pivotting of the banknote . this ability to pivot continues until the banknote is engaged by the secondary drive rollers . this desirable characteristic with respect to the feeding of a banknote through the validator , contributes to problems with respect to jamming of the banknote during ejection of the banknote . as described above , there can be misalignment of the banknote within the validator and some angling of the banknote as shown in fig3 during ejection of the banknote , can cause jamming of the banknote at the inlet . the validator 2 of fig1 includes an inlet 4 for receiving a banknote and guiding a banknote to the banknote evaluation channel 20 . a banknote 21 ( shown in fig2 through 5 ) passes through the inlet 4 with the leading edge of the banknote 21 exiting the validating head at position 23 . a banknote drive system 3 is defined by leading drive rollers 6 and trailing drive rollers 12 . each of these drive rollers have an associated passive roller . in the case of leading outside drive wheels 6 , each drive wheel 6 has a passive one way notched roller 8 whereas drive rollers 12 each have a passive cylindrical roller 14 . the passive roller 8 has a particular shape and has an associated one way lock which will be described in subsequent figures . the validator 2 conducts a number of tests by means of sensors placed either side of the banknote channel 20 and either accepts or rejects the banknote . an accepted banknote passes out of the validating head at position 23 and is received by a banknote cassette or possibly by a banknote accumulator . if the banknote is rejected , the drive system 3 is reversed and the banknote is returned to the user through the inlet 4 . unfortunately , in prior art systems , this ejection of the banknote through the inlet 4 can result in a jammed banknote ( fig3 ) which often cannot be retrieved by the user and renders the validator inoperative until it is appropriately serviced by a technician . typically the front face of the validator includes an injection molded bezel 5 which defines the inlet 4 and also provides a smooth transition banknote channel 20 of the validator . the mating of the bezel with the entrance to the banknote channel can result in an interruption 7 or edge which can jam a banknote during the rejection of the banknote from the validator . jamming can also occur due to misalignment alone . [ 0021 ] fig2 shows a prior art drive arrangement comprising three drive rollers , namely ; a lead drive roller 6 a and two secondary drive rollers 12 . each of these drive rollers includes a passive cylindrical roller 14 which forms a pinch engagement such that a banknote can pass between the drive roller 6 a or 12 and its associated passive roller , and urge the banknote through the validator . typically the passive rollers are spring biased to accommodate the thickness of the banknote . in other cases , the rollers are deformable to accommodate the thickness of the banknote as it is driven between the rollers . the triangular layout of the drive and passive rollers shown in fig2 is desirable in that the lead roller 6 a allows some pivotting of the banknote 3 to allow straightening of the banknote as it moves down the evaluation channel 20 . it can be seen that the inlet 4 provides an inwardly tapering or guiding of the banknote to the banknote channel 20 . this arrangement works extremely well for feeding of a banknote into the evaluation channel 20 and straightening of the banknote as it moves forward and prior to the banknote striking the secondary drive rollers 12 . some problems can occur as illustrated in fig3 during ejection of the banknote . in this case , the leading edge of the banknote has passed the junction 7 between the bezel 5 and the leading edge of the banknote evaluation channel 20 and upon return of the banknote to eject the banknote , some misalignment of the banknote can occur . this can result in one corner of the banknote becoming jammed within the validator . unfortunately , the banknote is still within the validator and the banknote is not exposed in the inlet to allow the user to pull the banknote from the validator . the jammed banknote renders the validator inoperative until authorized personnel can correct the situation . correction typically requires opening of the validator and removing of the jammed banknote . it can be appreciated that the desirable features of the drive arrangement for feeding of the banknote into a validator has caused difficulties during ejection of the banknote from the validator . [ 0026 ] fig4 shows banknote 21 being driven into the validator 2 . in this case the centre leading drive wheel 6 a is actively driving the banknote 21 due to the gripping of the banknote between the roller 6 a and a passive cylindrical roller 8 a associated therewith . in contrast , the two outside leading rollers 6 are each driven in a manner similar to roller 6 a , however , the passive roller 8 associated therewith as shown in fig6 is not cylindrical and is being held against a clockwise rotation . there is a gap provided between the roller 6 and its associated passive roller 8 and the banknote can slide therebetween . this gap , preferrably about 1 mm , allows pivotting of the banknote during the feed of the banknote into the validator to allow alignment of the banknote as some sliding of the banknote between the rollers 6 and 8 is allowed as a banknote is normally about 0 . 1 to 0 . 2 mm thick . as the banknote reaches the secondary drive rollers 12 it is then pulled through the banknote channel as alignment of the banknote with the channel has occurred . thus the notched roller 8 is held against rotation in one direction and provides a gap such that pivotting of the banknote to provide better alignment continues during infeed of the banknote . [ 0027 ] fig5 shows a banknote 21 being ejected out of the validator . in this case , both the secondary drive rollers 12 , the center lead drive roller 6 a and the two outside lead rollers 6 are all active and drive the banknote 21 through the inlet 4 . the banknote does not become jammed as all drive wheels are active and the banknote is positively forced out of the validator . passive rollers 8 a are also rotating . it has been found that the passive rollers 8 rotate during ejection of the banknote even though there is some theoretical clearance between the banknote and the passive roller . it is believed the banknote drags on the passive roller and displaces the notched region and the clearance is then eliminated . any initial jamming of the banknote at the passive roller 8 would also eliminate the gap and cause a rotation of the passive roller . [ 0029 ] fig6 shows a sectional view through one of the outside lead drive rollers 6 and its associated passive roller 8 . as can be seen , the passive roller 8 is not circular in cross section and has a flattened or notched portion 26 which defines a gap between drive roller 6 and this flattened portion 26 . as can be seen , the banknote 21 can pass through this gap . typically , there is a light gripping of the banknote and there is a slight frictional drag as the banknote passes the passive roller 8 . the roller 8 rotates about axis 28 and has associated therewith the spiral cam surface 30 . this cam surface has a thin leading edge 32 and a stop face 34 . a stop spring 36 is associated with the cam surface 30 . rotation of the drive wheel 6 in the counterclockwise direction as shown in fig6 moves the banknote 21 through the gap and past a stationary passive one way roller 8 . the roller 8 is held in this position as stop face 34 is in engagement with the end of the spring latch 36 . therefore although the roller 8 would like to rotate in clockwise direction it is stopped against rotation due to engagement of surface 34 with the end of the spring lever 36 . this arrangement is duplicated either side of the center lead roller 6 a . during movement of the banknote into the validator drive rollers 6 a rotate in the same manner as the center drive roller 6 a , however , the passive one way rollers 8 are locked in the position shown in fig6 and the banknote slides past the stationary rollers 8 . preferrably drive rollers 6 and 6 a have a common drive shaft . thus rollers 6 act to move a banknote through the gap with the associated passive roller 8 held in a stationary position during infeed of the banknote . this gap allows centering during infeed of the banknote to continue . [ 0031 ] fig7 shows the position of the roller 6 and the one way passive roller 8 as the drive initially starts to rotate to eject the banknote 21 from the banknote channel 20 . roller 6 is rotated in a clockwise direction and the banknote 21 provides a drag force on passive roller 8 encouraging the passive roller 8 to rotate in a counter clockwise direction . this will cause the notched flattened portion 26 to be displaced and passive roller 8 positively engages the banknote and the drive roller 6 . this action is shown in fig8 and the cam 30 is rotating with the roller 8 and has caused a slight upward movement of the spring arm 36 . as can be appreciated the passive roller 8 can continue to rotate and will continue to rotate as the banknote is ejected from the validator . this requires several rotations of the passive roller 8 and this action continues even when the flattened portion 26 aligns with the drive roller 6 . the passive roller 8 is biased by the spring member 40 towards the drive roller 6 and typically there is frictional engagement of the banknote between roller 6 and roller 8 in essentially all positions . note that initial movement of roller 8 does not require any displacement of the spring arm as the cam has not yet engaged the spring arm . as shown the cam occupies about 180 ° of the shaft of the roller 8 and the cam strikes the spring arm when the roller is positively driven by the banknote and drive roller 6 . it is also possible although less desirable to increase the gap between the drive rollers 6 and the passive rollers 8 such that rotation of rollers 8 occurs if a banknote starts to jam immediately in front of rollers 8 . the jamming of the banknote will cause the gap to fill and rollers 6 and 8 will rotate and clear the jam . once roller 8 starts to rotate it typically continues to rotate until the banknote is fully ejected . with the present arrangement the desirable infeed drive characteristics are achieved as shifting of a banknote to allow alignment is accomplished and a banknote does not jam as the drive wheels of the specialized outside inlet drive rollers continue to rotate and move the banknote past the locked passive rollers 8 . during ejection of the banknote all drive rollers function and positively move the banknote out the inlet . this drive arrangement has proven to be extremely effective in reducing the occurrence of jammed banknotes during ejection of the banknote from the validator . although various preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described herein in detail , it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art , that variations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims .	6
a carton for use in connection with the present invention may be seen in blank form by reference to fig1 . the carton includes a top wall panel 12 connected to a side wall panel 14 along fold line 16 . a bottom wall panel 18 is connected to side wall panel 14 along fold line 20 , and at its opposite side is connected to side wall panel 22 along fold line 24 . top wall panel 12 includes a pair of hand apertures 26 for forming a handle structure for the carton . additionally , reinforcing fold lines 28 extend from apertures 26 toward the corners of top wall panel 12 , in accordance with the handle structure disclosed in u . s . pat . application ser . no . 08 / 065 , 277 . a major end flap 30 is connected at one end edge of top wall panel 12 along fold line 32 , while a second major end panel 34 is connected at the opposite end of top wall panel 12 along fold line 36 . a glue flap 38 is connected to top wall panel 12 along fold line 40 . a handle reinforcing structure is connected to each of major end flaps 30 and 34 , and comprises end portion 42 connected to major end flap 30 along fold line 44 , and end portion 46 connected to major end flap 34 along fold line 48 . a central portion 50 interconnects end portions 42 and 46 . an auxiliary handle reinforcing strip 52 is connected to central portion 50 along a fold line 54 . side wall panel 14 includes a removable access panel 56 defined by a perforated tear line 58 . connected at one end edge of side wall panel 14 along fold line 62 is a minor end flap 60 , and connected by a fold line 64 at an opposite end edge is minor end flap 66 . bottom wall panel 18 has a major end flap 68 connected along fold line 70 at one end edge thereof , while a second major end flap 72 is connected at an opposite end edge along fold line 74 . finally , side wall panel 22 includes a minor end flap 76 connected at one end edge along fold line 78 , and a minor end flap 80 connected along fold line 82 at the opposite end edge . in accordance with the present invention , and as will be described in greater detail herein , a dispenser means 84 has its major portion formed within major end flap 30 . a similar dispenser means 86 has its major portion formed in major end flap 68 . referring now to fig2 a portion of the blank for carton 10 can be seen , showing the beginning of the assembly process for the carton . auxiliary reinforcing strip 52 is folded about fold line 54 and glued to the central portion of handle reinforcing structure , extending between end portions 42 and 46 . next , as shown in fig3 the handle reinforcing structure is folded about fold lines 44 and 48 , and end portions 42 and 46 are glued to major end panels 30 and 34 , respectively . central portion 50 , and the auxiliary reinforcing flap 52 adhered thereto , are glued to top wall panel 12 , so as to extend along the region between the hand apertures 26 . thus , a triple - ply reinforced structure between the apertures 26 is formed . thereafter , as is conventional and is not shown in the drawings , side wall panel 22 is glued to glue flap 38 , in order to form a collapsed tubular structure which can be subsequently erected for loading . in addition to carton 10 , the package for cans in accordance with the present invention may include a dividing insert 90 , shown in blank form in fig4 . insert 90 includes a main panel 92 , having an end flap 94 attached at one end along a fold line 96 , and an end flap 98 attached at the opposite end along fold line 100 . main panel 92 may preferably be formed with embossments 102 , which are approximately the diameter of the ends of the cans to be packaged , and are used for purposes of locating and seating the cans when packaged within the carton . in addition , a tear line 104 may be provided across main panel 92 , enabling the insert 90 to be torn when in place within carton 10 by the consumer for removal of cans from the lower tier . an erected and loaded carton may be seen by reference to fig5 . the carton 10 is shown with its end closure structure , comprising major end flaps 30 and 68 and minor end flaps 60 and 76 , open prior to the application of glue for sealing . cans c1 of the upper tier are positioned on the main panel 92 of insert 90 . main panel 92 in turn rests upon the tops of the cans c2 of the lower tier . cans c2 are in turn positioned on the bottom wall panel 18 of the carton 10 . closure and sealing of the end closure structure is effected in the following manner ( not shown ). minor end flaps 60 and 76 are folded to a closed position against the packaged cans . glue is applied to minor end flaps 60 and 76 and , preferably , to the end flap 94 of insert 90 . major end flap 30 is then folded downwardly and secured to the flaps 60 , 76 and 94 . additional glue is applied to the outer end of the inner surface of major end flap 68 , which is folded upwardly and sealed to major end flap 30 . an identical operation is carried out to close and seal end closure structure located at the opposite end of the carton . the loaded carton may be seen in a cutaway view by reference to fig6 . the carton is positioned on its side wall panel 14 , whereby it can be seen that bottom wall 18 and divider main panel 92 define a lane for the cans c2 of the lower tier , while divider main panel 92 and the top wall panel 12 define a lane for the cans c1 of the upper tier . the dispenser means in accordance with the present invention can be seen by reference to fig7 . referring , for example , to dispenser means 86 , a dispenser cover 110 is defined by a generally horizontal perforated tear line 112 formed in major end flap 68 , an arcuate corner cut line 114 formed in major end flap 68 , and a substantially vertical perforated tear line 116 formed in major end flap 68 and minor end flap 60 . in addition , a perforated arcuate tear line 118 is formed in bottom wall panel 18 , extending from the lower corner of bottom wall panel 18 to a point on the edge of bottom wall panel 18 adjacent perforated tear line 112 . additionally , a fold line 120 is formed in major end flap 68 , connecting the ends of cut line 114 . cut line 114 and fold line 120 thus define a pull tab 122 to facilitate opening of the dispenser means by the consumer . dispenser means 84 is constructed similarly , although in mirror image form , and will not be described in detail . however , it should be noted by reference to fig1 that arcuate perforated tear line 124 formed in top wall panel 12 is configured slightly differently from perforated tear line 118 formed in bottom wall panel 18 . as can be seen , it may be necessary to slightly alter the configuration of this portion of the dispenser means as a result of handle reinforcement structure , or other portions of the carton located in the top wall panel ( or even bottom wall panel ). as can be seen , a portion of the end closure structure extends between the two dispenser means 84 and 86 and is connected to the adjacent side wall panel . this connecting portion comprises part of major end flaps 30 and 68 and minor end flap 60 . also , by reference back to fig6 it can be seen in the preferred embodiment that flap 94 of insert 90 is glued to such connecting portion of the end closure structure . this prevents flap 94 from interfering with the operation of the dispenser means . further in fig7 it should be noted that the length l of the aperture defined in the carton end closure structure for each dispenser means is of a distance less than the axial height of the packaged cans . in addition , at least some portion of the width w of the dispenser aperture is somewhat less than the diameter of the packaged cans . this is necessary in order to prevent the packaged cans from spontaneously falling from the carton through the dispenser apertures . referring now to fig8 removal of the cans using the dispensing means can be seen . the user presses inwardly on tab 122 , which is easily separated from major end flap 68 as a result of cut line 114 . cover panel 110 may then be gripped and pulled outwardly and downwardly as shown by arrow 126 . this causes perforated tear lines 112 , 116 and 118 to separate , thereby exposing the can c2 disposed inside the carton . however , as explained above , as a result of the length and width of the dispenser aperture , can c2 will not spontaneously roll out of the carton through the dispenser aperture . removal of a can c1 can be seen by referring to dispensing means 84 . as a result of arcuate perforated tear line 124 , a portion of the end of can c1 is exposed . the user may place a finger on the can end , and move the can c1 outwardly of the carton , using a generally pivoting motion as illustrated by arrow 128 . this pivoting force flexes the paperboard in the region of the dispenser aperture , thereby permitting the can to be pulled outwardly from the carton . once the can is removed , cans positioned above the removed can will drop downwardly , thereby presenting another can for removal from the dispenser . it can be seen , for example from fig1 that tear line 112 , while generally parallel to the axes of the cans in the loaded carton , is slightly arcuate . as a result , in the preferred embodiment a minimum width for the dispenser aperture is provided adjacent the carton corner . thus , the necessary flexing of the carton paperboard is limited to a relatively small portion of the aperture , thereby reducing the likelihood of tearing of the paperboard during can removal . indeed , at the opposite end of the dispenser opening , the width may be approximately equal to the can diameter . also , it will be recognized that arcuate tear lines 118 and 124 must be of an arrangement that when the dispenser means is opened , less than the entire can is exposed . otherwise , the can could slip laterally from the carton . preferably , tear lines 118 and 124 are arranged so that cover flap 110 extends into the respective top or bottom wall panel at its greatest distance to an extent less than the can diameter . it should be recognized that while flap 110 is shown as hingedly connected to side wall panel 14 , it would be possible to replace the connecting fold line by a perforated tear line . in such a case , opening of the dispenser means could be accomplished by complete removal of the closure flap 110 . it should be recognized that while in the preferred embodiment , the dispenser of the present invention is used with a carton for packaging two tiers of cans , the dispenser means may also be used with a carton for packaging only a single tier . in such a case , the carton is provided with a single dispenser aperture , constructed to have the length and width characteristics as described herein .	1
ocular hypotensive agents are useful in the treatment of a number of various ocular hypertensive conditions , such as post - surgical and post - laser trabeculectomy ocular hypertensive episodes , glaucoma , and as presurgical adjuncts . glaucoma is a disease of the eye characterized by increased intraocular pressure . on the basis of its etiology , glaucoma has been classified as primary or secondary . for example , primary glaucoma in adults ( congenital glaucoma ) may be either open - angle or acute or chronic angle - closure . secondary glaucoma results from pre - existing ocular diseases such as uveitis , intraocular tumor or an enlarged cataract . glaucoma occurs in about 2 % of all persons over the age of 40 and may be asymptotic for years before progressing to rapid loss of vision . the underlying causes of primary glaucoma are not yet known . the increased intraocular tension is due to the obstruction of aqueous humor outflow . in chronic open - angle glaucoma , the anterior chamber and its anatomic structures appear normal , but drainage of the aqueous humor is impeded . in acute or chronic angle - closure glaucoma , the anterior chamber is shallow , the filtration angle is narrowed , and the iris may obstruct the trabecular meshwork at the entrance of the canal of schlemm . dilation of the pupil may push the root of the iris forward against the angle , and may produce pupilary block and thus precipitate an acute attack . eyes with narrow anterior chamber angles are predisposed to acute angle - closure glaucoma attacks of various degrees of severity . secondary glaucoma is caused by any interference with the flow of aqueous humor from the posterior chamber into the anterior chamber and subsequently , into the canal of schlemm . inflammatory disease of the anterior segment may prevent aqueous escape by causing complete posterior synechia in iris bombe , and may plug the drainage channel with exudates . other common causes are intraocular tumors , enlarged cataracts , central retinal vein occlusion , trauma to the eye , operative procedures and intraocular hemorrhage . in cases where surgery is not indicated , prostaglandins and prostamides have recently become the first line treatments of glaucoma . certain eicosanoids and their derivatives are currently commercially available for use in glaucoma management . eicosanoids and derivatives include numerous biologically important compounds such as prostaglandins and their derivatives . prostaglandins can be described as derivatives of prostanoic acid which have the following structural formula : various types of prostaglandins are known , depending on the structure and substituents carried on the alicyclic ring of the prostanoic acid skeleton . further classification is based on the number of unsaturated bonds in the side chain indicated by numerical subscripts after the generic type of prostaglandin [ e . g . prostaglandin e 1 ( pge 1 ), prostaglandin e 2 ( pge 2 )], and on the configuration of the substituents on the alicyclic ring indicated by α or β [ e . g . prostaglandin f 2α ( pgf 2β )]. wherein a dashed line represents the presence or absence of a bond ; y has from 0 to 14 carbon atoms and is : an organic acid functional group , or an amide or ester thereof ; hydroxymethyl or an ether thereof ; or a tetrazolyl functional group ; a is aryl or heteroaryl having a formula c 0 - 8 h 0 - 19 n 0 - 2 o 0 - 2 s 0 - 2 f 0 - 3 cl 0 - 2 br 0 - 2 i 0 - 2 ; e is —( ch 2 ) 3 —, cis — ch 2 — ch ═ ch —, — o —( ch 2 ) 2 , — ch 2 och 2 , —( ch 2 ) 2 o —, — s —( ch 2 ) 2 , — ch 2 sch 2 , or —( ch 2 ) 2 s —; x is h , f , cl , br , i , o , or cn ; b is hydroxyalkyl having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms ; d is alkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , arylalkyl , or heteroarylalkyl having a formula c 0 - 8 m - 0 - 19 n 0 - 2 o 0 - 2 s 0 - 2 f 0 - 3 cl 0 - 2 br 0 - 2 i 0 - 2 . these compounds are useful for reducing intraocular pressure . reduction of intraocular pressure has been shown to delay or prevent the onset of primary open angle glaucoma , and to delay or prevent further vision loss in patients with primary open angle glaucoma . thus , these compounds are also useful for treating glaucoma . these compounds are also useful for growing hair , including one or more of : increasing the number of individual hairs , increasing the length of individual hairs , and increasing the diameter or thickness of individual hairs . these compounds are also useful for improving the appearance of hair , including increasing its gloss , shine , or other properties related to the reflection or dispersion of light , as well as changing the color of hair , including changing hair from grey or white to the color the hair was before it turned grey or white , such as red , brown , or black . one embodiment is a method of reducing intraocular pressure comprising administering a compound disclosed herein to mammal in need thereof . another embodiment is use of a compound disclosed herein in the manufacture of a medicament for the reduction of intraocular pressure in a mammal . another embodiment is a method of treating glaucoma comprising administering a compound disclosed herein to a mammal in need thereof . another embodiment is an ophthalmically acceptable liquid comprising a compound disclosed herein and an ophthalmically acceptable vehicle . another embodiment is a method of growing hair or improving the appearance of hair comprising administering a compound disclosed herein to a mammal in need thereof . another embodiment is use of a compound disclosed herein in the manufacture of medicament for growing hair or improving the appearance of hair of a mammal . different types of suitable dosage forms and medicaments are well known in the art , and can be readily adapted for delivery of the compounds disclosed herein . for example , the compound could be dissolved or suspended in an aqueous solution or emulsion that is buffered to an appropriate ph , and administered topically to an eye of a mammal ( see u . s . pat . no . 7 , 091 , 231 ). for the purposes of this disclosure , “ treat ,” “ treating ,” or “ treatment ” refer to the use of a compound , composition , therapeutically active agent , or drug in the diagnosis , cure , mitigation , treatment , or prevention of disease or other undesirable condition . unless otherwise indicated , reference to a compound should be construed broadly to include compounds , pharmaceutically acceptable salts , prodrugs , tautomers , alternate solid forms , non - covalent complexes , and combinations thereof , of a chemical entity of a depicted structure or chemical name . a pharmaceutically acceptable salt is any salt of the parent compound that is suitable for administration to an animal or human . a pharmaceutically acceptable salt also refers to any salt which may form in vivo as a result of administration of an acid , another salt , or a prodrug which is converted into an acid or salt . a salt comprises one or more ionic forms of the compound , such as a conjugate acid or base , associated with one or more corresponding counter - ions . salts can form from or incorporate one or more deprotonated acidic groups ( e . g . carboxylic acids ), one or more protonated basic groups ( e . g . amines ), or both ( e . g . zwitterions ). a prodrug is a compound which is converted to a therapeutically active compound after administration . for example , conversion may occur by hydrolysis of an ester group or some other biologically labile group . prodrug preparation is well known in the art . for example , “ prodrugs and drug delivery systems ,” which is a chapter in richard b . silverman , organic chemistry of drug design and drug action , 2d ed ., elsevier academic press . amsterdam , 2004 , pp . 496 - 557 , provides further detail on the subject . in particular , alkyl esters having such as methyl , ethyl , isopropyl , and the like are contemplated . also contemplated are prodrugs containing a polar group such as hydroxyl or morpholine . examples of such prodrugs include compounds containing the moieties — co 2 ( ch 2 ) 2 oh , tautomers are isomers that are in rapid equilibrium with one another . for example , tautomers may be related by transfer of a proton , hydrogen atom , or hydride ion . unless stereochemistry is explicitly and unambiguously depicted , a structure is intended to include every possible stereoisomer , both pure or in any possible mixture . alternate solid forms are different solid forms than those that may result from practicing the procedures described herein . for example , alternate solid forms may be polymorphs , different kinds of amorphous solid forms , glasses , and the like . non - covalent complexes are complexes that may form between the compound and one or more additional chemical species that do not involve a covalent bonding interaction between the compound and the additional chemical species . they may or may not have a specific ratio between the compound and the additional chemical species . examples might include solvates , hydrates , charge transfer complexes , and the lie . a dashed line indicates the presence or absence of a bond . therefore , compounds according to the structures below are possible . y has from 0 to 14 carbon atoms and is : an organic acid functional group , or an amide or ester thereof ; hydroxymethyl or an ether thereof ; or a tetrazolyl functional group . for the purposes of this disclosure , y is limited to from 0 to 14 carbon atoms , from 0 to 5 oxygen atoms , from 0 to 2 nitrogen atoms , from 0 to 2 sulfur atoms , from 0 to 1 phosphorous , and any necessary hydrogen atoms . an organic acid functional group is an acidic functional group on an organic molecule . for example , organic acid functional groups may comprise an oxide of carbon , sulfur , or phosphorous . thus , while not intending to limit the scope of the invention in any way , in certain compounds y is a carboxylic acid , sulfonic acid , or phosphonic acid functional group . esters of organic acid functional groups have an oxygen atom directly attached to the acidic core atom , where the oxygen atom is not part of an — oh moiety . amides of organic acid functional groups have a nitrogen directly attached to the acidic core atom . the acidic core atom is the atom that is bonded to — oh or — sh in the organic acid functional group . for example , the carbonyl carbon is the acidic core atom of a carboxylic acid , the sulfonyl sulfur is the acidic core atom of a sulfonic acid , and the phosphonyl phosphorous is the acidic core atom of a phosphonic acid . to further exemplify this principle , esters of amides of carboxylic acids , sulfonic acid , and phosphonic acid functional groups are depicted below . r , r 1 , r 2 , and r 3 are hydrocarbyl subject to the constraint that y may not have more than 14 carbon atoms . an amide may also have an — so 2 — moiety . for example the amide — conhso 2 r 3 , wherein r 3 is a hydrocarbyl of from 1 to 14 carbon atoms , is contemplated . hydrocarbyl is a moiety consisting of carbon and hydrogen , including , but not limited to : a . alkyl , which is hydrocarbyl that contains no double or triple bonds , such as : linear alkyl , e . g . methyl , ethyl , n - propyl , n - butyl , n - pentyl , n - hexyl , etc ., branched alkyl , e . g . iso - propyl , t - butyl and other branched butyl isomers , branched pentyl isomers , etc ., cycloalkyl , e . g . cyclopropyl , cyclobutyl , cyclopentyl , cyclohexyl , etc ., combinations of linear , branched , and / or cycloalkyl ; b . alkenyl , which is hydrocarbyl having 1 or more double bonds , including linear , branched , or cycloalkenyl ; c . alkynyl , which is hydrocarbyl having 1 or more triple bonds , including linear , branched , or cycloalkynyl ; d . unsubstituted or hydrocarbyl substituted phenyl ; and e . combinations of alkyl , alkenyl , akynyl , and / or phenyl . c 1 - 6 hydrocarbyl is hydrocarbyl having 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , or 6 carbon atoms . c 1 - 6 alkyl is alkyl having 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , or 6 , carbon atoms such as methyl , ethyl , propyl isomers , butyl isomers , pentyl isomer , and hexyl isomers , etc . an unsubstituted tetrazolyl functional group has two tautomeric forms , which can rapidly interconvert in aqueous or biological media , and are thus equivalent to one another . these tautomers are shown below . additionally , if r 2 is c 1 - c 6 alkyl , phenyl , or biphenyl , other isomeric forms of the tetrazolyl functional group such as the one shown below are also possible , unsubstituted and hydrocarbyl substituted tetrazolyl up to c 14 are considered to be within the scope of the term “ tetrazolyl .” in one embodiment , y is — co 2 r 4 , — conr 5 r 6 , — con ( ch 2 ch 2 oh ) 2 , — conh ( ch 2 ch 2 oh ), — ch 2 oh , — p ( o )( oh ) 2 , — conhso 2 r 4 , — so 2 nr 5 r 6 , wherein r 4 , r 5 and r 6 are independently h , c 1 - c 6 alkyl , c 1 - 6 hydroxyalkyl , unsubstituted phenyl , or unsubstituted biphenyl , provided that y has no more than 14 carbon atoms . a is aryl or heteroaryl having a formula c 0 - 8 h 0 - 19 n 0 - 2 o 0 - 2 s 0 - 2 f 0 - 3 cl 0 - 2 br 0 - 2 i 0 - 2 . as used anywhere herein , the phrase “ having a formula ” followed by an empirical formula such as c 0 - 8 h 0 - 19 n 0 - 2 o 0 - 2 s 0 - 2 f 0 - 3 cl 0 - 2 br 0 - 2 i 0 - 2 means that the moiety described by that follows the following rules : all carbon atoms in the moiety described by that formula have 4 covalent bonds . every hydrogen , fluorine , chlorine , bromine , and iodine atom of a compound disclosed herein has 1 covalent bond . every oxygen atom of a compound disclosed herein has 2 covalent bonds unless the oxygen atom is anionic , in which case the oxygen atom has 1 covalent bond . every sulfur atom of a compound disclosed herein has 2 covalent bonds , except in the case of sulfonyl (— so 2 —) or sulfoxide (— so —) functional groups . every nitrogen atom of a compound disclosed herein has 3 covalent bonds unless the nitrogen atom is cationic , in which case it has 4 covalent bonds , such as in a quaternary ammonium salt ( e . g . n ( ch 3 ) 4 + ) or a nitro (— no 2 ) functional group . no more than 2 heteroatoms ( heteroatoms are anything other than c and h ) are consecutively bonded to one another . for example , — o — o — o —, — n — o — o —, — s — s — s —, and — o — s — cl are excluded . a double bond counts as 2 covalent bonds and a triple bond counts as 3 covalent bonds . c 0 - 8 h 0 - 19 n 0 - 2 o 0 - 2 s 0 - 2 f 0 - 3 cl 0 - 2 br 0 - 2 i 0 - 2 means that the moiety contains from 0 - 8 carbon atoms , from 0 - 19 hydrogen atoms , from 0 - 2 nitrogen atoms , from 0 - 2 oxygen atoms , from 0 - 2 sulfur atoms , from 0 - 3 fluorine atoms , from 0 - 2 chlorine atoms , from 0 - 2 bromine atoms , and from 0 - 2 iodine atoms . in one embodiment , if cl , br , or i are present , they are present only as a substituent on an aromatic ring . in other words , the substituent is cl , br , or i . in another embodiment , if f is present , it is present only as a substituent on an aromatic ring or as part of cf 3 . aryl is a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic ring or ring system such as phenyl . heteroaryl is a substituted or unsubstited aromatic ring or ring system containing one or more n , o , and / or s atoms in the ring . examples of heteroaryl include thienyl , furyl , pyridinyl , oxazolyl , thiazolyl , imidazolyl , etc . both aryl and heteroaryl can be substituted , meaning that they may have one or more substituents , up to as many as the ring or ring system will bear . in one embodiment , aryl or heteroaryl has from 0 to 4 substituents . in another embodiment , aryl or heteroaryl has from 0 to 3 substituents . in another embodiment , aryl or heteroaryl has from 0 to 2 substituents . in another embodiment , aryl or heteroaryl has from 0 to 1 substituent . alkyl , such as methyl , ethyl , propyl , isopropyl , butyl isomers , etc . ; hydroxyalkyl , meaning - alkyl - oh , such as hydroxymethyl , — ch 2 ch 2 oh , — chchohch 3 , etc . ; halogens , such as fluoro , chloro , bromo , and iodo ; amines , such as — nh 2 , methylamine , dimethylamine , etc . ; ethers such as — o - alkyl ; thioethers such as — s - alkyl ; acyl , i . e . other substituents such as oh , sh , co 2 h , no 2 , cn , cf 3 , etc . e is —( ch 2 ) 3 —, cis — ch 2 — ch ═ ch —, — o —( ch 2 ) 2 , — ch 2 och 2 , —( ch 2 ) 2 o —, — s —( ch 2 ) 2 , — ch 2 sch 2 , or —( ch 2 ) 2 s —; thus , compounds according to any of the structures below are possible . in one embodiment b , is linear hydroxyalkyl having from 1 to 5 atoms . linear hydroxyalkyl means that b is a linear alkyl chain with a hydroxyl group as a pendant substituent group , such as one of the examples shown below . d is alkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , arylalkyl , or heteroarylalkyl having a formula c 0 - 8 h 0 - 19 n 0 - 2 o 0 - 2 s 0 - 2 f 0 - 3 cl 0 - 2 br 0 - 2 i 0 - 2 . c 0 - 8 h 0 - 19 n 0 - 20 o 0 - 2 s 0 - 2 f 0 - 3 cl 0 - 2 br 0 - 2 i 0 - 2 means that the moiety contains from 0 - 8 carbon atoms , from 0 - 19 hydrogen atoms , from 0 - 2 nitrogen atoms , from 0 - 2 oxygen atoms , from 0 - 2 sulfur atoms , from 0 - 3 fluorine atoms , from 0 - 2 chlorine atoms , from 0 - 2 bromine atoms , and from 0 - 2 iodine atoms . arylalkyl is - alkyl - aryl , where aryl is described above . for example , — ch 2 - aryl such as — ch 2 - phenyl , and — ch 2 ch 2 - aryl such as — ch 2 ch 2 - phenyl , are contemplated wherein aryl and phenyl are substituted or unsubstituted . heteroarylalkyl is - alkyl - heteraryl , where heteroaryl is described above . for example , — ch 2 - aryl such as — ch 2 - furyl , — ch 2 - thienyl , — ch 2 - pyridinyl ; and — ch 2 ch 2 - aryl such as — ch 2 ch 2 - furyl , — ch 2 ch 2 - thienyl , — ch 2 ch 2 - pyridinyl , are contemplated wherein heteroaryl , furyl , thienyl , and pyridinyl are substituted or unsubstituted . the substituents for d are the same as those described above , both in the kind of substituents and the number of substituents that may be present on the ring . in one embodiment , d is —( ch 2 ) n - q , wherein n is 0 , 1 or 2 and q is substituted or unsubstituted and is one of : methyl , phenyl , furyl , thienyl , and pyridinyl . in another embodiment , q is phenyl , furyl , thienyl or pyridinyl having from 0 to 2 substituents , said substituents being selected from f , cl , br , i , cf 3 , ch 3 , oh , and och 3 . in one embodiment , y is a carboxylic acid or an amide or ester thereof having from 0 to 14 carbon atoms . in another embodiment , e is —( ch 2 ) 3 —, —( ch 2 ) 2 o —, or —( ch 2 ) 2 s —. in another embodiment , d is —( ch 2 ) n - q , wherein n is 0 , 1 or 2 and q is substituted or unsubstituted and is one of : methyl , phenyl , furyl , thienyl , and pyridinyl . in another embodiment , q is phenyl , furyl , thienyl or pyridinyl having from 0 to 2 substituents , said substituents being selected from f , cl , br , i , cf 3 , ch 3 , ethyl , isopropyl , oh , and och 3 . in another embodiment , a is thienyl , furyl , pyridinyl , oxazolyl , thiazolyl , or imidazolyl having 1 or 2 substituents , said substituents being selected from f , cl , br , i , cf 3 , ch 3 , ethyl , isopropyl , oh , and och 3 . in another embodiment , a is thienyl , furyl , pyridinyl , oxazolyl , thiazolyl , or imidazolyl having 1 or 2 substituents , said substituents being selected from f , cl , br , i , cf 3 , ch 3 , ethyl , isopropyl , oh , and och 3 . wherein y is a carboxylic acid or an amide or ester thereof having from 0 to 14 carbon atoms . the examples herein illustrate methods that may be used to synthesize these compounds , but others may be used . in this example , a compound such as 1 in scheme 1 is obtained by adapting methods described in kousuke , t . et al . bioorg . med . chem . 2002 , 10 , 1093 and u . s . provisional patent application no . 60 / 869 , 468 , filed on dec . 11 , 2006 . compound 2 . tbac ( 839 mg , 3 . 0 mmol ) was added a solution of mesylate 1 ( 473 mg , 0 . 6 mmol ) in 20 ml toluene . the mixture was then stirred at 45 ° c . for 6 hours , at which time another portion of tbac ( 3 equivalents ) was added . after stirring another 14 hours at 45 ° c ., the mixture was cooled to room temperature and water was added . the toluene layer was separated and the aqueous layer was extracted 3x with etoac . the combined organics were washed with brine , dried ( na 2 so 4 ) and concentrated . flash chromatography ( fcc ) provided chloride 2 ( 320 mg ). compound 3 . tbaf ( 0 . 44 ml , 0 . 44 mmol ; 1m in thf ) was added to a solution of 2 ( 300 mg , 0 . 44 mmol ) in thf ( 5 ml ) and the mixture was stirred at rt . after 30 min , additional tbaf ( 0 . 1 ml , 0 . 1 mmol ) was added , followed by the addition of more tbaf ( 0 . 1 ml , 0 . 1 mmol ) 20 minutes later . after no further change was observed by tlc , water and brine was added and the aqueous phase was extracted with etoac ( 3x ). the combined organics were dried ( na 2 so 4 ) and concentrated . fcc provided 220 mg of alcohol 3 . compound 4 . dmso ( 0 . 15 ml , 2 . 11 mmol ) was added to a solution of oxalyl chloride ( 0 . 528 ml , 1 . 0 mmol ) in ch 2 cl 2 ( 20 ml ), at − 78 ° c . after 15 min , a solution of alcohol 3 ( 300 mg , 0 . 528 mmol ) in ch 2 cl 2 ( 5 ml ) was added , and the mixture stirred for 1 hour at − 78 ° c . et 3 n ( 0 . 588 ml , 4 . 22 mmol ) was added and the reaction was allowed to warm to rt . after 5 hours , the mixture was poured into nahco 3 ( sat ), and the mixture was extracted with ch 2 cl 2 ( 3x ). the combined organics were washed with hcl ( dil ), nahco 3 ( sat ), brine , and dried ( na 2 so 4 ), and concentrated . fcc afforded 244 mg of enone 4 . compound 5 . stryker &# 39 ; s reagent ( 675 mg , 0 . 34 mmol ) was added to a solution of enone 4 ( 244 mg , 0 . 459 mmol ) in toluene ( 10 ml ) at − 40 ° c . after stirring 2 hours , the reaction was warmed to room temperature and stirred an additional 16 hours . the mixture was then quenched with a 5 : 1 mixture of nh 4 cl ( sat )/ nh 4 oh and stirring continued another 30 min . the mixture was then extracted with etoac and ch 2 cl 2 . the combined organics were dried ( na 2 so 4 ), concentrated , and fcc gave 130 mg of ketone 5 . compound 6 . l - selectride ( 0 . 188 ml , 0 . 188 mmol ) was added to a solution of ketone 5 ( 50 mg , 0 . 094 mmol ) in thf ( 2 ml ) at − 78 ° c . after 30 minutes of stirring , 3 % h 2 o 2 ( 4 . 4 ml ) was added and the reaction was warmed to rt . after 1 hour of stirring at rt , nh 4 cl ( sat ) was added and the mixture was extracted with etoac ( 3x ). the combined organics were washed with brine , dried ( na 2 so 4 ), concentrated , and fcc gave 30 mg of the desired alcohol 6 . compound 7 . mesyl chloride ( 0 . 01 ml ) was added to a solution of alcohol 6 ( 30 mg , 0 . 056 mmol ) and et 3 n ( 0 . 022 ml , 0 . 159 mmol ) in ch 2 cl ) ( 1 ml ). after stirring 2 hours at rt , the mixture was concentrated and fcc provided 28 mg of mesylate 7 . compound 8 . tbac ( 63 mg , 0 . 228 mmol ) was added to a solution of mesylate 7 ( 28 mg , 0 . 046 mmol ) in toluene ( 5 ml ). the mixture was stirred at 40 ° c . for 16 hours , and tlc revealed the presence of starting material . an additional portion of tbac ( 63 mg , 0 . 228 mmol ) was added and stirring at 40 ° c . was continued for an additional 20 hours . the reaction was cooled to rt , quenched with water , and extracted with etoac ( 3x ). the combined organics were washed with brine , dried ( na 2 so 4 ) and fcc followed by hplc provided 5 mg of the elimination product alkene 14 , and 10 mg of chloride 8 . compound 9 . hf - pyr ( 0 . 2 ml ) was added to a solution of chloride 8 ( 10 mg 0 . 018 mmol ) in mecn ( 2 ml ) in a plastic vial . after stirring 4 hours , the mixture was quenched with nahco 3 ( sat ), and extracted with etoac ( 3x ). the combined organics were washed with copper sulfate ( sat ), brine , and dried ( na 2 so 4 ). fcc afforded alcohol 9 . compound 10 . lioh ( 3 mg , 0 . 071 mmol ) was added to a solution of ester 9 ( 3 mg , 0 . 068 mmol ) in a 1 : 1 tif / water solution ( 2 ml ). after having stirred 48 h , fcc provided 2 . 3 mg of acid 10 . compound 15 . the procedure of example 9 was employed with alkene 14 ( 5 mg , 0 . 0096 mmol ) to afford 2 mg of alcohol 15 . compound 16 . the procedure of example 10 was employed with alcohol 15 ( 2 mg , 0 . 0049 mmol ) to afford 2 mg of acid 16 . compound 11 . the procedure of example 9 was employed with ketone 5 ( 30 mg , 0 . 056 mmol ) to afford 15 mg of alcohol 11 . compound 12 . to a solution of ester 11 ( 5 mg , 0 . 012 mmol ), mecn ( 0 . 2 ml ), and ph 7 . 2 phosphate buffer ( 2 ml ) was added rabbit liver esterase ( 1k units , 1 mmol ). the mixture stirred at room temperature for 3 days and fcc then provided 2 mg of acid 12 . compound 13 . to a stirred mixture of alkene 12 and meoh ( 2 ml ), was added 5 % pd / c ( 1 mg ). the flask was then placed under an atmosphere of h 2 ( g ) and the reaction was stirred for 16 hours . the mixture was then concentrated and fcc provided 0 . 8 mg of acid 13 . compound 17 . the procedure of example 13 was employed with enone 4 ( 1 . 2 mg , 2 . 9 □ mol ) to afford 0 . 6 mg of ketone 17 . compound 18 . the procedure of example 6 was employed with ketone 17 ( 65 mg , 0 . 122 mmol ) to afford 51 mg of alcohol 18 . compound 19 . the procedure of example 7 was employed with alcohol 18 ( 51 mg , 0 . 096 mmol ) to afford 43 mg of mesylate 19 . compound 20 . kcn ( 8 mg , 0 . 13 mmol ) was added to a solution of mesylate 19 ( 8 mg , 0 . 013 mmol ) in dmso ( 2 ml ), and the mixture was then brought to 70 ° c . and stirred for 20 hours . the mixture was then cooled to rt , diluted with water / brine , and extracted with etoac ( 3x ). the combined organics were washed with brine , dried ( na 2 so 4 ) and combiflash to provide 3 mg of nitrile 20 . compound 21 . the procedure of example 9 was employed with nitrile 20 ( 3 mg , 0 . 0055 mmol ) to afford 1 . 5 mg of alcohol 21 . compound 22 . the procedure of example 10 was employed with alcohol 21 ( 1 . 5 mg , 0 . 0035 mmol ) to afford 0 . 8 mg of acid 22 . compound 23 . dast ( 19 □ l , 0 . 15 mmol ) was added to a solution of alcohol 6 ( 40 mg , 0 . 075 mmol ) in ch 2 cl 2 ( 2 ml ) at − 78 ° c . after stirring for 30 minutes , the mixture was diluted with water , extracted with ch 2 cl 2 ( 3x ), hexanes ( 1x ), and the combined organics were washed with brine and dried na 2 so 4 . combiflash provided 10 mg of fluoride 23 and 14 mg of diene 28 . compound 24 . the procedure of example 9 was employed with fluoride 23 ( 10 mg , 0 . 0186 mmol ) to afford 7 mg of alcohol 24 . compound 25 . the procedure of example 10 was employed with alcohol 24 ( 7 mg , 0 . 017 mmol ) to afford 6 mg of acid 25 . compound 26 . the procedure of example 13 was employed with alkene 24 ( 2 mg , 0 . 005 mmol ) to afford 2 mg of fluoride 26 . compound 27 . the procedure of example 10 was employed with alcohol 26 ( 2 mg , 0 . 005 mmol ) to afford 0 . 5 mg of acid 27 . compound 30 . methyl oxalyl chloride was added slowly to a mixture of alcohol 29 ( 1 . 3 g , 1 . 95 mmol ), pyridine ( 1 . 6 ml ), 4 - dmap ( 714 mg ), and ch 2 cl 2 ( 3 ml ). after 1 hour , the mixture was quenched with water , diluted with brine , and extracted with etoac / hexanes ( 5 : 1 ). the organic phase was washed again with a water / brine mixture ( 2 : 1 ), brine , and dried ( na 2 so 4 ). combiflash afforded 1 . 32g of ester 30 . compound 31 . a mixture of oxalyl ester 30 ( 1 . 32 g , 1 . 76 mmol ), aibn ( 285 mg ) and toluene ( 25 ml ) was bubbled with nitrogen ( g ) for 20 min . seperately , a solution of bu 3 snh ( 4 . 1 g , 14 mmol ) in toluene ( 100 ml ) was bubbled with nitrogen ( g ) for 20 min , and then brought to 120 ° c . the aibn containing mixture was quickly added dropwise . after 20 min , tlc indicated no starting material and the reaction was concentrated . combiflash provided ester 31 . compound 32 . the procedure of example 3 was employed with ester 31 ( 420 mg , 3 . 9 mmol ) to afford 260 mg of alcohol 32 . compound 33 . the procedure of example 23 was employed with ester 32 ( 20 mg , 0 . 037 mmol ) to afford 13 mg of fluoride 33 . compound 34 . the procedure of example 9 was employed with fluoride 33 ( 13 mg , 0 . 024 mmol ) to afford 3 . 8 mg of alcohol 34 . compound 35 . the procedure of example 10 was employed with alcohol 34 ( 3 . 8 mg , 0 . 0049 mmol ) to afford 1 mg of acid 35 . compound 36 . the procedure of example 13 was employed with alkene 34 ( 2 mg , 0 . 005 mol ) to afford 1 . 5 mg of fluoride 36 . compound 37 . the procedure of example 10 was employed with fluoride 36 ( 1 . 5 mg , 0 . 004 mmol ) to afford 0 . 9 mg of acid 37 . compound 38 . the procedure of example 7 was employed with alcohol 32 ( 45 mg , 0 . 084 mmol ) to afford 41 mg of mesylate 38 . compound 39 . the procedure of example 20 was employed with mesylate 38 ( 20 mg , 0 . 033 mmol ) to afford 6 mg of nitrile 39 . compound 40 . the procedure of example 9 was employed with nitrile 39 ( 6 mg , 0 . 01 mmol ) to afford 4 . 2 mg of alcohol 40 . compound 41 . the procedure of example 10 was employed with alcohol 40 ( 2 . 2 mg , 0 . 005 mmol ) to afford 1 . 6 mg of acid 41 . compound 42 . the procedure of example 13 was employed withh alkene 40 ( 2 mg , 0 . 005 mol ) to afford 1 . 8 mg of nitrile 42 . compound 43 . the procedure of example 10 was employed with ester 42 ( 1 . 8 mg , 0 . 0041 mmol ) to afford 1 . 7 mg of acid 43 . compound 28 . kcn ( 13 mg , 0 . 21 mmol ) was added to a solution of mesylate 7 ( 43 mg , 0 . 14 mmol ) and 18 - crown - 6 ( 37 mg , 0 . 14 mmol ) in dmso ( 5 ml ), and the mixture was then brought to 65 ° c . and stirred for 16 hours . the mixture was then cooled to rt , diluted with water / brine , and extracted with chcl 3 ( x4 ) etoac ( 3x ). the combined organics were dried ( na 2 so 4 ) and fcc provided 14 mg of diene 28 . compound 44 . the procedure of example 20 was employed with mesylate 7 ( 120 mg , 0 . 195 mmol ) to afford 77 mg of nitrile 44 . the procedure of example 9 was employed with alkene 44 ( 77 mg , 0 . 141 mmol ) to afford 5 . 7 mg of alcohol 45 . compound 46 . the procedure of example 10 was employed with alcohol 45 ( 5 mg , 0 . 017 mmol ) to afford 2 . 5 mg of acid 46 . compound 47 . the procedure of example 2 was employed with mesylate 38 ( 19 mg , 0 . 031 mmol ) to afford 12 . 5 mg of chloride 47 . compound 48 . the procedure of example 9 was employed with alkene 47 ( 12 . 5 mg , 0 . 141 mmol ) to afford 9 mg of alcohol 48 . compound 49 . the procedure of example 13 was employed with alcohol 48 ( 5 mg , 0 . 017 mmol ) to afford 3 . 4 mg of acid 49 . compound 50 . the procedure of example 10 was employed with alkene 48 ( 4 mg , 0 . 01 mmol ) to afford 2 . 4 mg of chloride 50 . compound 51 . the procedure of example 10 was employed with alcohol 49 ( 2 . 4 mg , 0 . 0049 mmol ) to afford 1 . 2 mg of acid 51 . compound 52 . trifluoromethyl trimethylsilane ( 0 . 94 ml , 1 . 8 mmol ) was added to a solution of ketone 5 ( 50 mg , 0 . 094 mmol ) in thf ( 2 ml ) at n , followed by the addition of 2 drops of tbaf ( 1m in thf ); the reaction turned light yellow . several minutes later , the reaction turned brown and tlc indicated total consumption of starting material . the reaction was quenched slowly with nh 4 cl ( sat ), and extracted with etoac ( 3x ). the combined organics were washed with brine , dried ( na 2 so 4 ) and concentrated . the crude silane 52 was dried under high vacuum for 4 hours prior to the following reaction . compound 53 . solid k 2 co 3 ( 39 mg , 0 . 283 mmol ) was added to crude silane 52 in meoh ( 2 ml ) and the mixture was stirred for four hours . the reaction was then diluted with nh 4 cl ( sat ), extracted with etoac , and the organic phase was washed with brine , dried ( na 2 so 4 ) and concentrated . combiflash 56 mg of alcohol 53 . compound 54 . methyl oxalyl chloride ( 57 mg , 0 . 465 mmol ) was added slowly to a mixture of alcohol 53 ( 56 mg , 0 . 093 mmol ), pyridine ( 0 . 225 ml ), 4 - dmap ( 68 mg ), and ch 2 cl 2 ( 2 ml ). after 1 hour , the mixture was quenched with water , diluted with brine , and extracted with etoac / hexanes ( 5 : 1 ). the organic phase was washed again with a water / brine mixture ( 2 : 1 ), brine , and dried ( na 2 so 4 ). combiflash afforded 34 g of ester 54 . compound 55 . a mixture of oxalyl ester 54 ( 34 mg , 0 . 049 mmol ), aibn ( 8 mg ) and toluene ( 3 ml ) was bubbled with nitrogen ( g ) for 20 min . seperately , a solution of bu 3 snh ( 4 . 1 g , 14 mmol ) in toluene ( 4 ml ) was bubbled with nitrogen ( g ) for 20 min , and then brought to 120 ° c . the aibn containing mixture was quickly added dropwise . after 20 min , tlc indicated no starting material and the reaction was concentrated . combiflash provided 1 lmg ester 55 . compound 56 . the procedure of example 9 was employed with alkene 55 ( 11 mg , 0 . 019 mmol ) to afford 2 . 6 mg of alcohol 56 , 2 . 5 mg of alcohol 57 , and 1 . 9 mg of alcohol 58 . compound 59 . the procedure of example 10 was employed with alcohol 56 ( 2 . 6 mg , 0 . 0054 mmol ) to afford 1 . 2 mg of acid 59 . compound 60 . the procedure of example 10 was employed with alcohol 57 ( 2 . 5 mg , 0 . 0053 mmol ) to afford 1 . 6 mg of acid 60 . compound 61 . the procedure of example 10 was employed with alcohol 58 ( 1 . 9 mg , 0 . 004 mmol ) to afford 1 mg of acid 61 . compound 62 . the procedure of example 13 was employed with alkene 56 ( 1 mg , 0 . 0021 mmol ) to afford lmg of fluoride 62 . compound 63 . the procedure of example 10 was employed with alcohol 62 ( 2 mg , 0 . 005 mmol ) to afford 2 mg of acid 63 . compound 64 . the procedure of example 13 was employed with alkene 57 ( 1 mg , 0 . 0021 mmol ) to afford lmg of fluoride 64 . compound 65 . the procedure of example 10 was employed with alcohol 64 ( 2 mg , 0 . 005 mmol ) to afford 1 . 2 mg of acid 65 . compound 66 . the procedure of example 13 was employed with alkene 9 ( 5 mg , 0 . 011 mmol ) to afford 3 mg of fluoride 66 . compound 67 . the procedure of example 10 was employed with alcohol 66 ( 3 mg , 0 . 005 mmol ) to afford 0 . 9 mg of acid 67 . united states patent application publication no . 20070129552 , describes the methods used to obtain the in vitro data in table 1 below . the part of that reference which describes the method is incorporated by reference herein . the foregoing description details specific methods and compositions that can be employed to practice the present invention , and represents the best mode contemplated . however , it is apparent for one of ordinary skill in the art that further compounds with the desired pharmacological properties can be prepared in an analogous manner , and that the disclosed compounds can also be obtained from different starting compounds via different chemical reactions . similarly , different pharmaceutical compositions may be prepared and used with substantially the same result . thus , however detailed the foregoing may appear in text , it should not be construed as limiting the overall scope hereof ; rather , the ambit of the present invention is to be governed only by the lawful construction of the appended claims .	2
the present invention is directed to preparing the surface of a cyanate ester resin composite for plating with metal . more specifically , the method of the present invention involves first applying a layer consisting essentially of a cyanate ester resin to the surface of the composite then etching the surface to promote adhesion between the composite and a subsequently - plated metal . while the method of the invention may serve to adequately prepare the surface of various resin composites , it is specifically designed to treat the surface of cyanate ester resin composites comprising a cyanate ester resin and a fiber such as graphite or fiberglass . examples of commercially - available cyanate ester resins that form part of composites benefited in the practice of the invention include , but are not limited to , cyanate ester resin rs12 available from yla , cyanate ester resins btcy - 1 and ex - 1515 available from bryte , and cyanate ester resin 954 - 2a available from fiberite . examples of commercially - available graphite fibers that form part of cyanate ester resin composites benefited in the practice of the invention include , but are not limited to , xn - 80 carbon fibers available from nippon granoc , k13b from mitsubishi , and m55j from toray . further , rather than graphite or fiberglass , the composite may comprise kevlar ™ fibers , which are aromatic polyamide fibers that are commercially available from dupont . the purity of the components employed in the practice of the invention is that employed in normal commercial practice in the formulation of cyanate ester resin components . in the practice of the invention , the surface of a cyanate ester resin composite to be plated with a metal is coated with a layer consisting essentially of a cyanate ester resin , thereby providing a homogenous cyanate ester resin layer across the composite surface . more specifically , a layer of uncured cyanate ester resin is placed on the surface of an uncured cyanate ester resin composite in the form of a thin film or casting . once a layer of uncured cyanate ester is in place , the composite and its resin layer are simultaneously subjected to a curing process , which securely fuses the composite and its resin layer together . preferably , a cyanate ester resin film having a thickness of about 0 . 001 inch ( about 25 μm ) is applied to the composite surface to achieve a film of resin having a thickness of about 1 to 2 μm on the surface , since much of the cyanate ester resin from the film diffuses into the laminate during curing . it is crucial that the cyanate ester resin composite have a sufficient thickness of cyanate ester resin at the surface to provide uniformity of adhesion to the underlying cyanate ester resin composite . in general , the thicker the surface resin , the better the adhesion . fig1 - 4 illustrate this basic premise for four different cyanate ester resin composites , as will be discussed in greater detail in the examples . a cursory review of these figures , wherein plating adhesion is plotted against total average thickness of the surface resin , clearly indicates that a thicker surface resin layer typically achieves greater plating adhesion . an insufficient thickness of cyanate ester resin at the surface will provide neither the level of adhesion nor the uniformity of adhesion desired . the precise minimum thickness value varies according to the specific strength of adhesion required in an application as well as the specific composite and resins employed . however , in general , a film of cyanate ester resin should have a sufficient thickness such that when applied to the cyanate ester resin composite surface , the surface has a total cyanate ester resin thickness of at least about 3 . 5 μm , which is required to achieve strong , uniform adhesion between a cyanate ester resin composite and a subsequently - plated metal . the thickness of the cyanate ester resin at the surface is defined herein to be the average depth of resin that may be etched away without the fibers detaching from the surface . the thickness of the surface resin layer , which is herein desired to be least about 3 . 5 μm , may be determined experimentally be examining a cross - section of the surface . particularly , the thickness of the surface layer may be determined by first calculating the total cross sectional area of a particular width of surface layer and then subtracting out the cross sectional area occupied by fibers ( determined from micrographs ), which results in the cross - sectional amount of resin contained within the surface layer . the average effective thickness of the surface resin layer is then calculated by averaging this procedure across the width x of the surface . it is noted that the fibers in continuous fiber composites may be bounded from below more effectively than ground fibers , such that the cross sectional area occupied by continuous fibers is contemplated to be more substantial in the calculation of the effective thickness of the surface resin layer than that occupied by ground fibers . typically , a cyanate ester resin film having a thickness of about 1 to 2 μm bolsters the cyanate ester resin at the surface of the composite to the desired thickness of at least about 3 . 5 μm . notably , several other methods were examined to achieve a relatively thick surface layer of cyanate ester resin , but only the direct application of a cyanate ester resin layer on the surface of a cyanate ester resin composite provided a sufficiently homogenous surface for uniformity of adhesion . some of the non - working methods include ( 1 ) staging the uncured cyanate ester resin at room temperature before curing ; ( 2 ) staging the uncured cyanate ester resin at a temperature ranging from about 120 ° f . to 180 ° f , in an autoclave before curing ; ( 3 ) rapid ramping to the cure temperature in the autoclave ( about 10 ° f ./ min ); ( 4 ) staging combined with rapid ramping to the cure temperature in the autoclave ; ( 5 ) curing the parts ( microwave filter housings ) by resistance heating of the mold to either augment or replace the radiation heating of the autoclave ; ( 6 ) employing a cyanate ester resin composite having a very large resin content by mass ( i . e ., 38 %); and ( 7 ) combining high resin contents with the curing modifications of methods ( 1 ) through ( 5 ) above . none of these methods satisfactorily provided a resin - rich , essentially homogenous layer atop the composite . the manner in which a cure of the layered cyanate ester composite is achieved forms no part of this invention , with a typical curing process being conducted in an autoclave at a temperature ranging from about 250 ° to 350 ° f . the length of time required to achieve a cure depends entirely upon the specific cyanate ester being cured , while the length of time required to ramp to the cure temperature depends upon the thermal mass and emissivity of the part . the cyanate ester resin employed as a layer in the practice of the invention is not limited to any particular group of cyanate ester resins . therefore , examples of cyanate ester resins that may be suitably employed as a surface layer include , but are not limited to , the following commercially - available cyanate ester resins : rs12 available from yla , cyanate ester resins btcy - 1 and ex - 1515 available from bryte , and cyanate ester resin 954 - 2a available from fiberite . moreover , the cyanate ester resin of the layer need not be the resin contained in the underlying cyanate ester resin composite . for example , a cyanate ester resin composite comprising ex - 1515 and graphite fibers is benefited in the practice of the invention by the application of a cyanate ester resin layer consisting essentially of a modified version of ex - 1515 resin that does not contain the &# 34 ; tougheners &# 34 ; used in bryte &# 39 ; s custom formula for ex - 1515 . notably , the cyanate ester resin composite ex - 1515 is normally considered to be an unsuitable candidate for chemical etchings and metal plating . however , by coating ex - 1515 with a carefully chosen resin layer in the practice of the invention , ex - 1515 may be successfully etched and plated , as is shown in the examples below with regard to ex - 1515 . thus , the method of the present invention expands the field of cyanate ester resin composites considered to be viable metal - plating candidates . once the layer of cyanate ester resin is secured to the cyanate ester resin composite , the surface of the resin layer may then be etched in preparation for a subsequent metal plating . the surface may be etched in accordance with the method disclosed in the application entitled &# 34 ; preparation of cyanate ester polymers and composites for metal plating &# 34 ; ( ser . no . 08 / 339 , 380 ), which recites treating the surface of cyanate ester polymer composites with a preheated solution comprising a quaternary ammonium hydroxide or a primary amine . in general , the method disclosed in this related application , discussed below in greater detail , involves immersing the surface of the cured cyanate ester resin composite to be metal - plated into the solution , which may or may not be preheated , and rinsing the surface with water and / or alcohol upon removal from the solution . accordingly , the first step in pretreating the cyanate ester resin composite involves immersing the cyanate ester resin composite surface in an etching solution comprising a quaternary ammonium hydroxide or a primary amine . in the event that a quaternary ammonium hydroxide is chosen to etch the composite , the surface of the cured resin composite is placed in contact with a solution comprising a quaternary ammonium hydroxide ( r 4 -- noh ) where r may be represented by an alkyl group , aryl - alkyl group , a hydroxy - alkyl group , or an alkoxy - alkyl group . more specifically , the quaternary ammonium hydroxide may be represented by such compounds as tetrabutylammonium hydroxide , benzyltrimethyl - ammonium hydroxide , tetramethylammonium hydroxide , tetraethylammonium hydroxide , tetrapropylammonium hydroxide , tetrapentylammonium hydroxide , tetrahexylammonium hydroxide , and ( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) trimethyl ammonium hydroxide , which is also known as choline . preferably , the alkyl groups employed have chain lengths ranging from one to six carbon atoms . each of these quaternary ammonium hydroxide compounds is commercially available . a quaternary ammonium hydroxide solution is effective at a concentration ranging from as little as 4 wt % but may be employed without dilution . in the event that a primary amine is used to etch the cyanate ester resin composite layer , the surface of the cured resin is placed in contact with an etching solution comprising a primary amine ( r -- nh 2 ) where r may be represented by an alkyl group , an aryl - alkyl group , a hydroxy - alkyl group , or an alkoxy - alkyl group . more specifically , suitably - employed primary amines must have a boiling point (&# 34 ; bp &# 34 ;) significantly higher than the operating temperature of the solution , which is maintained at a temperature between room temperature and 125 ° c . and preferably maintained at a temperature between 45 ° c . and 65 ° c . examples of suitable primary amines include triethylenetetraamine ( bp ≅ 266 ° c . ), hexanediamine ( bp ≅ 204 ° c . ), octylamine ( bp ≅ 175 ° c . ), and ethylenediamine ( bp ≅ 118 ° c .). other primary amines believed suitable include diethylenetriamine , tetraethylenepentaamine , 1 , 7 - diaminoheptane , 2 - methyl - 1 , 5 - pentanediamine , 1 , 5 - pentanediamine , 1 , 3 - propanediamine , 1 , 2 - propanediamine , 1 , 4 - butanediamine , pentylamine , hexyl - amine , heptylamine , octylamine , nonylamine , and decylamine . each of these primary amines is commercially available . secondary and tertiary amines are not suitable because they either react extremely slowly or not at all . notably , triethylenetetraamine has both primary and secondary amine groups , but the secondary amine groups are not believed to contribute significantly to texturizing the cyanate ester resin composite surface . a two - step etching process may be employed using solutions comprising primary amines . more particularly , the cyanate ester resin composite is first immersed in a relatively aggressive primary amine and then immersed in a relatively less aggressive primary amine . examples of relatively aggressive primary amines are those primary amines within the class of short - chain primary diamines . regardless of whether the etching solution comprises a quaternary ammonium hydroxide or a primary amine , the solution may also optionally comprise an additional solvent , such as ethoxyethanol , propanediol , and pyrrolidone , among others . such solvents serve various purposes , including to dissolve decomposition products ; to dilute the etching solution ; to swell the undecomposed portion of the resin ; and to smooth the surface of the resin . the temperature of the etching solution is maintained at a temperature within the range of about room temperature to 125 ° c ., and preferably about 45 ° to 65 ° c ., with the most preferable temperature depending upon the particular cured cyanate ester resin composite being treated . if the temperature is too low , the adhesion achieved may be less than optimal . on the other hand , if the temperature is too high , the chemical reaction rate is greatly accelerated so that the process may be uncontrollable . in reality , the upper temperature limit is often determined by the refluxing temperature of the solution . it is preferable that the process temperature be well below the boiling point of the solution . to perform the chemically etching treatment , the cyanate ester resin composite surface , as layered with a cyanate ester resin , is immersed in the etching solution for at least 10 seconds . preferably , the composite remains immersed for a period of time ranging from 10 seconds to 20 minutes . an immersion of less than 10 seconds does not adequately prepare the surface for metal plating , while an immersion lasting more than 20 minutes dissolves an excessive amount of resin , resulting in loss of adhesion . at the conclusion of the immersion step , the cyanate ester resin composite surface is removed from the etching solution , rinsed , and dried . the composite surface may be rinsed with water ( preferably deionized ), an organic solvent , or a combination thereof , with the purpose of rinsing being to smooth the surface and to partially redissolve decomposition products . solvents that may be employed as rinsing agents include , but are not limited to , those common organic solvents listed above for use in the solution . the composite surface may be rinsed with room - temperature water and / or organic solvent from a beaker for 5 minutes or more , but typically 30 seconds of rinsing is sufficient . the etched composite surface is then dried , which is preferably accomplished either by allowing the resin surface to air - dry at room temperature or by blowing the surface dry with a stream of nitrogen . once dry , the cyanate ester resin composite surface is fully prepared for metal plating and may be plated at any time for up to one week . the method used to perform the metal plating to the cyanate ester resin composite , having been coated with a cyanate ester resin layer and chemically etched , does not form part of the invention and may be accomplished by any of the conventional processes known in the art , such as electroplating , electroless chemistry , and sputtering . one traditional method entails four basic sequential steps and utilizes both electroless chemistry and electroplating . first , the composite surface is treated with an acidic solution of palladium chloride and stannous chloride . this acidic solution is available commercially ; for example , it is sold under the trade name cataposit 44 by shipley . second , the composite surface is treated with a hydrochloric acid accelerator , such as commercially - available accelerator no . 19 from shipley . third , the composite surface is treated with either a nickel or copper electroless plating solution . an electroless nickel plating solution is prepared by combining 150 ml of solution a with 100 ml of solution b , both of which are commercially available from allied kelite , and then diluting the 250 ml of solution to 1 l with water . alternatively , an electroless copper solution can be prepared by mixing enplate cu - 700a ( 6 % by volume ), enplate cu - 700b ( 6 % by volume ), enplate cu - 700c ( 2 . 25 % by volume ), and water . fourth , and finally , the composite surface is electroplated with a metal aside from nickel or copper , such as silver . optionally , the metal plated composite surface may then be baked to further harden the metal coating . at the conclusion of the metal plating process , a metal coating will have been applied to the cyanate ester resin composite surface , thereby providing the composite with a highly conductive surface . the method of the invention provides for more uniform adhesion between cured cyanate ester resin composites and metal deposited by plating , thereby enabling the formation of a highly conductive surface on cured cyanate ester resin composites . the adhesion attained in the practice of the invention is generally very good according to astm method d3359b performance standards , as discussed in detail in the examples below . to demonstrate the benefits achieved in the practice of the invention , four series of cyanate ester resin composites comprising a cyanate ester resin and graphite fibers were formulated , with the graphite fibers representing about 50 to 55 vol % of the composite . the cyanate ester resins employed in the composites were btcy - 1 from bryte , 954 - 2a from fiberite , rs - 12 from yla , and ex - 1515 from bryte . for each composite series , graphite composite unidirectional tapes were stacked on top of each other at various angles to each other to provide a conventional composite formation . each composite formation was provided with a cyanate ester resin layer having a thickness of about 0 . 001 inch , with the cyanate ester resin being the same as that in the underlying composite . specifically , the cyanate ester resin layer was applied by casting of films of the resin that were laid on top of the stack of unidirectional tapes . the resulting formation was wrapped on a mandrel with the ply of pure cyanate ester resin facing the surface to be plated . each assembly was then cured in an autoclave using conventional cure cycles as specified by the vendor of the particular unidirectional tape . the assembly was then etched using a two - step process wherein the composite surface was first immersed in a relatively aggressive primary amine followed by immersion in a relatively nonaggressive primary amine . in this manner , the assemblies of unidirectional tapes were cured into panels , cut into plating coupons measuring about 1 inch × 2 inches , and then etched . the etched plating coupons were plated with a first layer of copper followed by a second layer of silver in accordance with the process described above . more particularly , the composite coupon surfaces were first cleaned with acidic solutions then plated with copper by immersion in an electroless plating solution and finally electroplated with silver . thereafter , the adhesion between the plating coupons and the metal plating was determined in accordance with astm method d3359 &# 34 ; test method b -- cross - cut tape test &# 34 ; ( hereinafter &# 34 ; astm method d3359b &# 34 ;) which is specifically used to assess the adhesion of coating films to metallic substrates by applying and removing pressure - sensitive tape over cuts made in the film . in substantial accordance with this standard test , the films were first cut in a cross - hatch fashion using an exacto knife , with six 3 / 4 - inch long cuts in one direction spaced 1 . 5 mm apart and with another six similarly - spaced 3 / 4 - inch cuts perpendicular over the first six . a pressure - sensitive tape was placed over the crosshatching , with the applied tape being rubbed with a pencil eraser to set it . after waiting from one to two minutes , the tape was removed by seizing the free end and pulling the tape back upon itself at approximately a 180 ° angle . to quantify the adhesion of the plating coupons , a range of pressure - sensitive tapes were employed that had been calibrated to various levels of plating adhesion . more particularly , pressure - sensitive tapes were calibrated to 30 -, 40 -, 70 -, 90 -, 135 -, and 150 - oz ./ inch - width plating adhesions . each plating coupon was first tested with a tape having a relatively low adhesion rating and then was tested with tapes having incrementally higher levels of adhesion until the removal of metal was observed . the plating adhesion of that particular tape was then recorded for the particular plating coupon . fig1 - 4 are each plots of plating adhesion ( ounces / inch - width ) versus the total thickness of the surface cyanate ester resin on rectangular coordinates for the btcy - 1 , 954 - 2a , rs - 12 , and ex - 1515 plating coupons , respectively . typically , each point in fig1 - 4 represents 50 - 150 coupons which were plated and tested for adhesion . the value of the adhesion in the figures is the average of the sample coupons from each batch . in general , each resin series as depicted in fig1 - 3 indicates that a total surface cyanate ester resin thickness of at least about 3 . 5 μm is necessary to consistently achieve an optimum plating adhesion of at least about 150 ounces / inch - width , although the rs - 12 composite of fig3 might only require a surface resin layer of about 3 . 0 μm . since the thickness of the cyanate ester resin in the plating coupons averaged about 2 . 0 to 2 . 5 μm when cured without any added layer of resin , it is demonstrated that a cyanate ester layer of only about 1 μm was enough to significantly and reliably bolster adhesion . referring to fig4 the ex - 1515 coupons did not plate reliably from batch to batch regardless of the total thickness of the surface cyanate ester resin . thus , applying a film of ex - 1515 to the ex - 1515 composite did not markedly improve its adhesion to metal . to illustrate that the particular cyanate ester resin used in the layer does not have to be the same as the resin in the underlying composite , an ex - 1515 composite assembly was formulated having a modified ex - 1515 film ( available from bryte ) that did not contain the proprietary &# 34 ; tougheners &# 34 ; used in bryte &# 39 ; s custom formulation of ex - 1515 . tables 1 and 2 below represent two separate batches of ex - 1515 plating coupons prepared in this manner for adhesion testing . table 1 represents a single batch of 40 coupons that were fabricated from a particular batch of unidirectional tape and modified ex - 1515 film in the manner described above , while table 2 represents a distinct single batch of 32 coupons that were similarly fabricated . the coupons were cured in conventional curing processes specified by the vendor of the tapes and were then etched in a two - step process . a primary etch was conducted on the cured coupons using an etching solution comprising an aggressive amine followed by a secondary etch using an etching solution of a weaker amine . columns c and g of tables 1 and 2 indicate the immersion time and the temperature of the etching solution used in the primary and secondary etchings , respectively . the etched coupons were then electroplated with copper and silver to the thicknesses indicated in column i of tables 1 and 2 . the adhesion of the samples was tested according to astm method d3359 . however , only a 150 - oz . tape was used to test for adhesiveness rather than the 40 - oz . tape specified by astm method d3359 , in anticipation of superior plating adhesion . upon removal of the tape per astm method d3359 , the cross - hatched film was then visually compared to illustrations for grading the adhesion on a scale of 0 to 5 . each of the 72 samples in the two batches exhibited an adhesion rating of &# 34 ; 5 &# 34 ; using the modified astm tape test method , which translates to the strongest adhesion . in comparison , an ex - 1515 composite having even a thick unmodified ex - 1515 resin layer performed inconsistently ( see fig4 ). accordingly , it has been demonstrated that the use of a cyanate ester resin other than that in the underlying cyanate ester resin composite can result in reliably superior adhesion . table 1__________________________________________________________________________surface films on ex - 1515 a b c f g h i k l m n o p q1 plating of ex - 1515 with a modified surface film ( first batch ) 2 origination date 3 / 10 / 953 primary secondary astm d3359 tape test 6 etch ag plated etch ag plated tape test , ag plated & amp ; baked overnight , 90 ° c . 7 s / nmtrl time /° c . size time /° c . notes finish 20 oz 45 oz 70 oz 80 oz 90 oz 135 oz 150 oz__________________________________________________________________________9 1 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 10 2 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 11 3 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 12 4 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 13 5 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 14 6 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 15 7 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 16 8 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 17 9 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 18 10 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 19 11 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 20 12 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 21 13 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 22 14 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 23 15 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 24 16 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 25 17 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 26 18 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 27 19 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 28 20 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 29 21 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 30 22 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 31 23 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 32 24 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 33 25 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 34 26 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 35 27 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 36 28 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 37 29 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 38 30 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 39 31 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 40 32 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 41 33 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 42 34 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 43 35 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 44 36 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 45 37 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 46 38 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 47 39 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 48 40 54 - 14 2 . 4 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 2 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested__________________________________________________________________________ table 2__________________________________________________________________________surface films on ex - 1515 a b c f g h i k l m n o p q1 plating of ex - 1515 with a modified surface film ( first batch ) 2 origination date 3 / 10 / 953 primary secondary astm d3359 tape test 6 etch ag plated etch ag plated tape test , ag plated & amp ; baked overnight , 90 ° c . 7 s / nmtrl time /° c . size time /° c . notes finish 20 oz 45 oz 70 oz 80 oz 90 oz 135 oz 150 oz__________________________________________________________________________17 1 54 - 15 2 . 0 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 0 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 18 2 54 - 15 2 . 0 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 0 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 19 3 54 - 15 2 . 0 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 0 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 20 4 54 - 15 2 . 0 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 0 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 21 5 54 - 15 2 . 0 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 0 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 22 6 54 - 15 2 . 0 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 0 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 23 7 54 - 15 2 . 0 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 0 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 24 8 54 - 15 2 . 0 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 0 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 25 9 54 - 15 2 . 5 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 25 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 26 10 54 - 15 2 . 5 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 25 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 27 11 54 - 15 2 . 5 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 25 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 28 12 54 - 15 2 . 5 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 25 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 29 13 54 - 15 2 . 5 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 25 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 30 14 54 - 15 2 . 5 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 25 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 31 15 54 - 15 2 . 5 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 25 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 32 16 54 - 15 2 . 5 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 25 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 33 17 54 - 15 3 . 0 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 5 / 45 1000 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 34 18 54 - 15 3 . 0 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 5 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 35 19 54 - 15 3 . 0 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 5 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 36 20 54 - 15 3 . 0 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 5 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 37 21 54 - 15 3 . 0 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 5 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 38 22 54 - 15 3 . 0 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 5 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 39 23 54 - 15 3 . 0 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 5 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 40 24 54 - 15 3 . 0 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 5 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 41 25 54 - 15 3 . 5 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 0 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 42 26 54 - 15 3 . 5 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 0 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 43 27 54 - 15 3 . 5 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 0 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 44 28 54 - 15 3 . 5 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 0 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 45 29 54 - 15 3 . 5 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 0 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 46 30 54 - 15 3 . 5 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 0 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 47 31 54 - 15 3 . 5 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 0 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested 48 32 54 - 15 3 . 5 / 65 1 &# 34 ; × 2 &# 34 ; 1 . 0 / 45 100 / 300 μin not 5 cu / ag tested__________________________________________________________________________ thus , there has been disclosed a method for improving the adherence of plated metal to cured cyanate ester resin composite surfaces . it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in this art that various changes and modifications of an obvious nature may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention , and all such changes and modifications are considered to fall within the scope of the invention , as defined by the appended claims .	8
the invention as described will find particular use in device fabrication , such as photonics , optical communication , electronics , and microfluidics . examples of the plastic stamp masters with grooved features , which are provided as exemplary and are not limiting on the scope of the method , include : trenches , vias , square pixels , round pixels , elliptical pixels , mesa structures , and antenna lines . examples of the polycarbonate stamp masters , which is provided as exemplary and is not limiting on the scope of the method , include all engineering polymers with good injection - molding properties can be found in j . brandrup , e . h . immergut , and e . a . grulke , polymer handbook , 4th ed ., wiley , ( 1999 ). the preferred means of printing stamp fabrication is through the use of plastic stamp masters manufactured by injection - molding . this technique involves the molding of plastics by pressing a hot polymer melt through and into a die or mold . the mold incorporates the desired pattern of features . upon solidification , the polymer permanently takes on the dimension and surface characteristics of the pattern of the die or mold . in this manner , stamp masters for the soft lithography printing stamps can be manufactured in large quantities relatively inexpensively . in contrast , the preparation of stamps using photolithography is notoriously expensive . the stamp master is then used for the fabrication of elastomeric stamps by casting an elastomeric material against the stamp masters using any suitable method known in the art for such purposes . see , e . g ., u . s . pat . no . 6 , 048 , 623 , which is herein incorporated by reference . the elastomeric stamps of the present invention are flexible to accommodate different substrate forms such as planar , cylindrical , spherical or parabolic surfaces . in a preferred embodiment , the elastomeric stamps of the present invention are prepared from silicone elastomer (“ sylgard ® 184 ”, available from dow corning corp ., midland , mich .). in a preferred embodiment , the elastomer is cured after it is cast . the curing conditions of the elastomeric stamps are a factor in the quality of the finished elastomeric printing stamps . in a preferred embodiment of the present invention , the elastomeric printing stamps are cured for 12 hours at 60 ° c . in this embodiment , the stamps produced have been found to provide the optimal chemical and physical properties for soft lithography , such as release and compliance behavior . in an example , shown in fig1 the stamp master is fabricated with polycarbonate using commonly known injection - molding techniques . the mold used for the injection molding process of the present invention is made in the following way . the original patterns are fabricated onto a glass or sapphire substrate by single - point diamond turning . these patterns are then converted to metal by electroless nickel plating of the patterned substrates . the final metal mold , or stamper , is made by bonding the patterned nickel to a metal backing . the injection molding process is carried out with the stamper held stationary and a matching moving press sandwiching the polymer melts . in this example , the polymer is polycarbonate . the polycarbonate is initially heated and dried at 120 ° c . next the polycarbonate is further heated to 320 ° c . at this temperature , the polymer is in a molten state . the polycarbonate melt is driven by an extrusion screw into the space inside the mold . the filled mold is then cooled . after cooling , the molded part is punched out of the mold and inspected . the resulting surface of the plastic stamp master has a series of densely packed grooves which are less than 1 μm in width and several centimeters in length . using the mold prepared above , a silicone printing stamp was cast from the plastic stamp master . the pdms printing stamp was formed using the following process . the injection - molded stamp master was placed in a plastic dish , and a 10 : 1 ratio mixture of sylgard ® 184 silicone elastomer and a curing agent ( available from dow corning corp ., midland , mich .) was poured over the stamp master surface . the elastomer and curing agent was allowed to cure for at least 12 hours in an oven at 60 ° c . the resulting pdms film , which was about 1 - 3 mm in thickness , was peeled off the plastic stamp master for use as soft lithography stamps . the edges of the stamps are trimmed to match the surface geometry to be printed . harder and tougher films can result by increasing the amount of curing agent used . prior to use as a printing stamp , the pdms stamp was washed several times with ethanol and dried with a stream of dry nitrogen . the silicone stamp cast from the injection - molded plastic stamp master , is shown in fig2 . in fig2 ( b ), the densely packed grooves can be seen to have transferred from the stamp master to the silicone stamp with high fidelity . inking and printing with the silicone stamps produce structures on the substrate . these structures are shown in fig3 and fig4 . as these images indicate , features of less than 1 μm in width can clearly be printed onto the surfaces of the substrate . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims .	1
referring to the drawings in detail , the closure device according to the invention is interposed between the rear part 1 and the front part 2 of the leg portion of a rear opening ski boot . it comprises a pair of traction elements such as straps 3 , 3 &# 39 ; each connected at one end to the front part 2 of the leg portion and at the other end to the traction device , which is applied to the rear part 1 of the leg portion and is indicated generally by reference numeral 4 . in the embodiment shown in fig1 to 7 , the traction device 4 comprises a box - like element or case 5 , transversely divided ( see fig4 and 5 ) into a lower zone , in which the winding of the straps 3 , 3 &# 39 ; around a shaft 6 occurs , and an upper zone , in which a ratchet mechanism is disposed , which , when actuated by a lever 7 , causes the shaft 6 to rotate and to disengage itself from the care 5 . more particularly , inside the upper portion of the case 5 two face - to - face internally toothed half - shells 8 and 9 are placed . the upper half - shell 8 is cylindrical and can rotate with respect to the case 5 . furthermore , it pivotally supports the lever 7 by means of a horizontal pin 10 . on the other hand , the lower half - shell 9 is rigidly connected to the case 5 , through two ribs 11 ( fig7 ), complementary to corresponding grooves provided in the case 5 . in the cylindrical cavity formed by the two face - to - face half - shells , the inside diameter of which has teeth as already said , a cylindrical body 12 is housed , having therethrough an axial hole with an upper square cross section ( fig6 ) and a lower circular cross section ( fig7 ). the cylindrical body 12 has two pairs of horizontal guideways , one pair at the level of the half - shell 8 , and one pair at the level of the half - shell 9 , these guideways housing counterposed ratchets 14 , 14 &# 39 ;. each ratchet substantially consists of a small metal block slidable along the corresponding guideway and biased by a spring 15 urging its front toothed end toward the surface , correspondingly toothed , of the half - shells 8 and 9 respectively . the diametral position of the guides and of the ratchets 14 , 14 &# 39 ; is such that clockwise rotation of the cylindrical body 12 with respect to the half - shells 8 and 9 is prevented by said ratchets , while counterclockwise rotation is allowed . as said , in the cylindrical body 12 an axial cavity is defined housing a shaft 16 which provided at its lower end with frontal toothing 17 , complementary to frontal toothing 18 on the shaft 6 . the upper portion of the shaft 16 has a square cross section , corresponding to the cross section of the axial cavity of the cylindrical body 12 , while the lower portion has a circular cross section , corresponding to the circular section of the lower portion of said axial cavity . the shaft 6 protrudes beyond the toothing 18 with a portion 19 , in which the lower end of a helical spring 20 is engaged , housed in the axial cavity of the shaft 16 and keeping its top end resiliently adherent to the articulation head of the lever 7 to the upper half - shell 8 . this articulation head is eccentrically shaped so as to cause axial movements of the shaft 16 when the position of the lever around the articulation pin 10 is varied . the shaft 6 is also provided at its lower end with a spiralform spring 21 , acting so as to cause the resilient winding of the straps 3 , 3 &# 39 ; around the same shaft 6 . the operation of the closure device according to the invention is as follows : when the ski boot is unlaced , the rear part 1 of the leg position is distant from the front part 2 , the straps 3 , 3 &# 39 ; are unwound from the shaft 6 , and the spiralform spring 21 is in the utmost condition of stress but it is not able to cause rotation of the shaft 6 ( and thus the winding up of the straps 3 , 3 &# 39 ;) because of the passive resistances of the system . in such a configuration the lever 7 is lowered and adheres to the case 5 . thanks to the eccentricity of the head of the lever 7 , the shaft 16 is kept coupled by its toothing 17 to the shaft 6 , and the spring 20 is compressed and resiliently biases the lever 7 toward the case 5 . to close the ski boot , after the skier has inserted his foot therein , firstly the rear part 1 of the leg portion is drawn manually toward the front part 2 , and in this phase the spring 21 causes the winding up of the straps 3 , 3 &# 39 ; around the shaft 6 . it is to be noted that the counterclockwise rotation ( seen from above ) of the shaft 6 is transmitted to the shaft 16 and thus , through the direct rotational coupling with the cylindrical body 12 , to the latter . owing to the shape and the position of the ratchets 14 , 14 &# 39 ;, the rotation of the cylindrical body 12 is not transmitted to the two half - shells 8 and 9 , which therefore remain stationary . having reached the position of utmost manual opposition , to effectuate the grip , the skier lifts the lever 7 and moves it to the horizontal position ( dashed lines in fig4 ), without causing any axial displacement of the shaft 16 , thanks to the shape of the lever 7 . after the lever 7 has reached the horizontal position , which is stably maintained by the spring 20 , the skier gives it a series of clockwise and counterclockwise rotations : in the phase of counterclockwise rotation the movement is transmitted to the upper half - shell 8 and , by means of the upper ratchet 14 , working during this phase , to the cylindrical body 12 . through the direct rotational coupling between the cylindrical body 12 and the shaft 16 , the clockwise rotation is transmitted to the latter , which in this mode of rotation is uncoupled from the lower half - shell 9 , which is integral to the case 5 . the counterclockwise rotation of the shaft 16 is transmitted , through the coupling 17 and 18 , to the shaft 5 and causes the partial forced winding of the straps 3 , 3 &# 39 ; around it . in the following phase of clockwise rotation , such a movement is transmitted to the upper half - shell 8 but not to the cylindrical body 12 , because of the inactivity of the ratchets 14 . on the other hand , in this phase the elastic reaction of the system does not permit any loosening of the straps 3 , 3 &# 39 ;, inasmuch as the rotation of the shaft 6 , and so that of the shaft 16 , is opposed by the ratchets 14 &# 39 ;, which couple that body 12 to the fixed lower half - shell 9 . on reaching the desired strap tension , the lever 7 is put back in its initial lowered position and the ski boot is ready for use . when it is required to reopen the ski boot , the lever 7 is turned 180 ° around the pin 10 ( fig5 ). the particular eccentricity of the head of the lever 7 and the v - shape of the teeth 17 , 18 make easier the decoupling of the shaft 16 from the shaft 6 by the spring 20 , and furthermore cause such a decoupling also in the case of accidental breakage of said spring . when the shaft 6 is not bound to the case 5 , rapid unwinding of the straps 3 , 3 &# 39 ; and displacement of the rear part 1 from the front part 2 of the leg portion take place . the device according to the invention requires , to lock the boot , a succession of oscillations of the lever 7 alternately in clockwise and counterclockwise directions . in one direction ( in the counterclockwise direction in the illustrated embodiment ), partial rotation of the shaft 6 is caused with respect to the case 5 and therefore winding of the straps 3 , 3 &# 39 ; occurs ; in the other direction , the lever 7 is put back in its original position , while keeping the shaft 6 locked with respect to the case 5 . to open the boot , the shaft 6 is disengaged from the case 5 , so that the resilient reaction of the system , no longer restrained , causes the rapid unwinding of the straps 3 , 3 &# 39 ; from the shaft 6 without using the lever 7 . from what has been said the closure device according to the invention allows one to obtain many advantages , and in particular : it allows one to open and close a ski boot in a very easy , quick and efficient manner , through a simple movement of a lever ; it allows one to carry out such movements without having to engage and to disengage the various components , which are always engaged with each other ; it allows one to carry out the locking of the ski boot substantially without any limit in the intensity of the grip and never losing , after each phase of tightening , the grip previously attained . in the embodiment illustrated in fig8 and 9 , while retaining the same general principle of the closure through the oscillatory movement of the lever 7 &# 39 ;, the system of coupling and uncoupling between shaft 6 &# 39 ; and cylindrical body 12 &# 39 ; is different . in particular the cylindrical body 12 &# 39 ;, ( which in this embodiment occupies the lower part of the case 5 and for simplicity reasons has been represented without ratchets 14 , 14 &# 39 ;) is provided , on the side facing the shaft 6 &# 39 ;, with a cylindrical protrusion 21 , having , as well as a part of said body 12 &# 39 ;, a diametral groove 22 with a depth remarkably superior to its width . on the bottom of said groove 22 a hole 23 is defined , housing a helical spring 24 . the shaft 6 &# 39 ;, which is axially hollow , in its turn is provided with a cylindrical portion 25 facing the cylindrical body 12 &# 39 ; and having an annular protrusion 26 , which houses on its inside the cylindrical protrusion 21 of the body 12 &# 39 ;. also this annular protrusion 26 has a diametral groove 27 with walls diverging towards the outside ; the height of this annular protrusion 26 and also of its diametrical groove 27 is substantially equal to the height of the cylindrical protrusion 21 , while its minimum width is substantially equal to the width of the diametrical groove 22 . on the inside of the shaft 6 &# 39 ; a rod 28 is housed , axially slidable and provided at its internal end with a cylindrical transverse pin 29 , having a length substantially equal to the external diameter of the annular protrusion 26 and a diameter substantially equal to the width of the diametrical groove 22 . at the other end of the rod 28 , which protrudes from the top said of the case 5 , a plate 30 is pivotally connected , movable between a horizontal position , in which the pin 29 is in its inferior limit and is wholly housed on inside of the groove 22 , below the protrusions 21 and 26 , and a vertical position , in which the pin 29 , also forced by the spring 24 , is in its superior limit and is simultaneously housed in the grooves 22 and 27 of the two protrusions 21 and 26 respectively , thus coupling them together . a small spring 31 , interposed between rod 28 and plate 30 , tends to keep the latter , in the absence of other external forces , in the vertical position , which is stable , since its lower edge lies on the top surface of the case 5 . also in this case a spiralform spring can be provided , similar as to shape and function to the spiralform spring 21 of the previous embodiment ; this spring has not been illustrated in the drawings for representative simplicity . in operation of the second embodiment described above , the closure maneuver is carried out , as in the previous case , by moving the lever 7 &# 39 ; back and forth in both rotative directions . in this phase , as already said , the vertical position of the plate 30 keeps the pin 29 stably in its upper limit position , coupling the cylindrical body 12 &# 39 ; to the shaft 6 &# 39 ; so that the movements of said body 12 &# 39 ;, due to the lever 7 &# 39 ;, are transmitted to the shaft 6 &# 39 ; and cause the winding thereon of the straps 3 , 3 &# 39 ;. to carry out the quick unlocking of the ski boot , it is sufficient to turn the plate 30 90 ° and put it in a horizontal position , in this way the stresses of the system and the v - shape of the walls of the grooves 27 cause a downward slip of the pin 29 , which can eventually be helped in its descent by pressure on the little plate 30 applied by the skier . as soon as the pin 29 is out of the groove 27 , the shaft 6 &# 39 ; is uncoupled from the cylindrical body 12 &# 39 ; and the quick unwinding of the straps 3 , 3 &# 39 ; from this is allowed . obviously , at the end of this unlocking phase , the spring 24 tends resiliently to push the pin 29 towards its upper limit position . if the two grooves 22 and 27 are aligned with each other , the pin 29 engages them directly , lifts itself and allows the small spring 31 to cause the plate 39 to rotate to its vertical position , thus preparing the system for a subsequent closure . if the two grooves 22 and 37 are not aligned , the coupling between the cylindrical body 12 &# 39 ; and the shaft 6 &# 39 ; will occur automatically at the beginning of the next closure . in fig1 and 11 , a third embodiment of the device according to the invention is shown . it is quite similar to the embodiment of fig1 to 7 , but it is of easier manufacture and more reliable operation . in particular , the case 5 houses a shaft 6 &# 34 ;, provided on the lower portion with a slot 32 , in which the two straps 3 , 3 &# 39 ; to be wound are engaged . in the upper part of the case 5 a ratchet system is housed , essentially comprising a plate 9 &# 34 ;, rotationally bound to the case 5 but axially slidable along the shaft 6 &# 34 ;, a cylindrical body 12 &# 34 ; and a toothed element 8 &# 34 ;, to which the eccentric upper head of a lever 7 &# 34 ; is pivotally connected . the plate 9 &# 34 ; is of square shape , corresponding to the inner cross section of the case 5 and in its upper face an annular saw toothing is provided . between the plate 9 &# 34 ; and an underlying circumferential rib 33 , which is provided on the shaft 6 &# 34 ;, a helical spring 34 , resiliently compressible , is placed . the cylindrical body 12 &# 34 ; is provided with a lower annular saw toothed portion , which can be coupled to that of the plate 9 &# 34 ;, and it is also provided on the opposite top surface with a plurality of vertical ratchets 14 &# 34 ;, housed in corresponding holes and kept resiliently protruding upwards by small helical springs 15 &# 34 ;. in the axial hole containing the shaft 6 &# 34 ;, two small axial grooves 35 are provided in the cylindrical body 12 &# 34 ;, each of which partially houses a ball 36 . the protruding position ( from the shaft 6 &# 34 ;) of the ball 36 is determined by an element 37 , which is axially slidable within the shaft 6 &# 34 ; against the resilient reaction of a spring 38 . the element 37 is provided with a narrowed portion 39 , which , in absence of other external forces , is above the balls 36 , but can be placed at the same level , when the element 37 is pushed downwards . the element 8 &# 34 ; is saw toothed on its lower surface and therefore it can be engaged by the ratchets 14 &# 34 ;. the lever 7 &# 34 ; is pivotally connected to the element 8 &# 34 ; and bears with its eccentrical head on the head of the element 37 . on the element 8 &# 34 ;, a lower flange is provided , bearing on a plate 40 , which closes , together with a lower removable plate 41 , the case 5 . also in this embodiment , as in the preceding ones , a spring may be applied to the shaft 6 &# 34 ;, which causes the straps 3 , 3 &# 39 ; to be would around it , and which has not be illustrated in the drawings for representative simplicity . the operation of the closure device according to this third embodiment substantially parallels the operation of the device according to the first embodiment . in particular , the closure maneuver is carried out , after the lever 7 &# 34 ; has been turned to its horizontal position , the element 37 being kept in such a position that the balls 36 are allowed to protrude partially from the shaft 6 &# 34 ; and to engage the corresponding grooves 35 , thus connecting the cylindrical body 12 &# 34 ; to said shaft 6 &# 34 ;. the lever 7 &# 34 ; is then reciprocally actuated in both rotative directions in the horizontal plane . when the lever 7 &# 34 ; rotates clockwise ( seen from above ), such rotation is transmitted to the element 8 &# 34 ;; hence , through the ratchets 14 &# 34 ;, to the cylindrical body 12 &# 34 ;, and hence , through the balls 36 , to the shaft 6 &# 34 ;, which causes the straps 3 , 3 &# 39 ; to wind around it . in this phase , the clockwise rotations of the lever 7 &# 34 ;, the cylindrical body 12 &# 34 ; is rotatively standing with respect to the case 5 and at the same time it is coupled to the shaft 6 &# 34 ;, during any counterclockwise rotation the straps 3 , 3 &# 39 ; are kept in the taut condition attained in the previous clockwise rotation . after having reached the desired locking of the ski boot through several of clockwise and counterclockwise rotations , the lever 7 &# 34 ; is put in the rest position ( vertically lowered ). this maneuver has no effect on the element 37 , thanks to the shape of the eccentrical articulation head of the lever 7 &# 34 ; to the element 8 &# 34 ;. to carry out the quick unlocking of the ski boot , the lever 7 &# 34 ; is turned 180 upwards . because of the eccentricity of the articulation head of the lever 7 &# 34 ;, this rotation causes the axial downward displacement of the element 37 , so that the narrowed portion 39 faces the balls 36 . these are pushed away from the grooves 35 of the cylindrical body 12 &# 34 ;, and the shaft 6 &# 34 ; is disengaged from the cylindrical body 12 &# 34 ;, allowing the unwinding of the straps 3 , 3 &# 39 ;.	0
the preferred resin of this invention used as an affinity resin can have as a background any of igg immunoglobulin g materials , immunoglobulin m materials or fc fractions thereof . immunoglobulin g is known in the art as a normal constituent of mammalian blood . it is a four chain polypeptide consisting of two identical heavy ( h ) and two identical light ( l ) chains with molecular weights of approximately 50 , 000 and 25 , 000 , respectively . the properties of human igg are summarized in the following table : ______________________________________molecular formula λ . sub . 2 γ . sub . 2 or κ . sub . 2 γ . sub . 2subclasses igg . sub . 1 , igg . sub . 2 , igg . sub . 3 , igg . sub . 4subclass light chain λ or κsubclass heavy chain γ . sub . 1 , γ . sub . 2 , γ . sub . 3 , γ . sub . 4heavy chain allotypes g . sub . m ( about 20 different known ) molecular weight 150 , 000sedimentation constant ( s . sub . 20 ) 6 . 6scarbohydrate content 3 % serum level ( adult average ) 1250 ± 300 mg / 100 mlpercentage of total serum 75 - 85 % immunoglobulinstotal circulating pool 494 . 4 mg / kg of body weighthalf life ( in vivo ) 23 . 0 daysrate of synthesis 33 mg / kg body weight / daybiological properties antibody activity ; binding to complement component clq______________________________________ the light ( λ or κ ) chains are covalently linked to the heavy ( γ ) chains by an interchain disulfide bond . there are two additional intra chain disulfide bonds in the light chains and four in the heavy chains . the light chain consists of approximately 220 amino acid residues . in the amino terminus of light chain , consisting of 110 amino acids , the amino acid sequence and composition varies depending on the antigenic specificity of the antibody . for this reason it is called the variable region ( vl ). the carboxy terminus containing the other 110 amino acids is constant within a given subclass of light chain and is thus called the constant region ( cl ). all k chains have an identical constant region which is different from the constant region of λ light chains . the heavy chain consists of approximately 440 amino acids . the amino terminus also contains a 110 amino acid variable region but the carboxy terminus consists of three constant regions ( cγ 1 , cγ 2 and cγ 3 ). a given subclass and allotype of a heavy chain contains identical constant regions , but the variable region ( vh ) varies depending on the antigenic specificity of the antibody . the carbohydrate is attached to one of the constants ( cγ 2 ) regions . a schematic diagram of igg 1 is shown below : ## str2 ## igg 2 igg 3 and igg 4 have identical structures except the heavy ( h ) chain are γ 2 , γ 3 and γ 4 , respectively . there is one other class of immunoglobulin which binds the complement component clq . this is called immunoglobulin m ( igm ). it is a polymeric immunoglobulin with structural features similar to igg . igm is a distinct protein and is not a polymer of igg . immunoglobulin g ( igg ) isolated from normal plasma is a mixture of all subclasses of igg although there is not equal amounts of all subclasses in normal blood . on the average the relative distribution of the subclasses igg 77 %, igg 2 14 %, igg 3 6 % and igg 4 3 %. igg prepared from pooled normal human plasma collected at the american red cross is used in the following examples . any igg can be used and the source is not a unique feature . the polysaccharide which is linked to the immunoglobulin or fraction is preferably a polygalactose although other polysaccharides can be used . the polysaccharide must be a resin that has good flow properties such as ( 20 - 40 cm / hr ) at hydrostatic pressures two to three times the height of the bed of the column to be used . any polysaccharide which can be converted to a bead form would be suitable for use in preparing the resin of the present invention . agarose is particularly desirable and is available from several companies such as pharmacia fine chemicals of piscataway , n . j . under the trade names sepharose 4b , sepharose 6b , sepharose cl4b , sepharose cl6b and sephadex ; biorad of richmond , calif . under the names biogel a 0 . 5 , biogel a 1 . 5 , biogel a 5 ; and marine colloids of rockland , me . under the name seakem ac beads . in the preferred embodiment , from 5 to 10 mg of igg to resin is used . the procedure for bonding the polysaccharide resin to the immunoglobulin is preferably to couple a diallene to the polysaccharide such as sepharose . divinylsulfone is the preferred diallene but other diallenes as for example those noted below can be used : __________________________________________________________________________name formula advantage disadvantage__________________________________________________________________________diallylamine ( h . sub . 2 cchch . sub . 2 ). sub . 2 nh solubility severely toxic1 , 3 - diallyl - 6 - amino uracil ## str3 ## solid , soluble theoretically cleaved by nucleasesn , n &# 39 ; diallyl - [ ch ( oh ) conhch . sub . 2chch . sub . 2 ]. sub . 2 solid , soluble can be cleavedtartardiamide could be used by peptidases with polyacrylamide1 , 3 - diallylurea h . sub . 2 cchch . sub . 2 nhconhch . sub . 2 chch . sub . 2 solid , very will tend to soluble cycolize during synthesisdivinyl sulfone ch . sub . 2chso . sub . 2 chch . sub . 2 ether linkage toxic not readily cleaved by any plasma protease or enzyme__________________________________________________________________________ an excess of divinylsulfone is preferred and in the range of 10 to 30 % excess . the reaction proceeds for preferably twenty to thirty minutes starting at room temperature with stirring to dissipate the exothermic heat . the reaction preferably takes place in a solvent of 1 m sodium bicarbonate aqueous solution buffered to about ph 11 . the reactants are dissolved and the ph range preferably maintained between 10 and 12 . filtering is then carried out to remove the unreacted divinylsulfone . p - nitrobenzyl alcohol is then used . other aromatic nitro compounds which can be used instead of the p - nitrobenzyl alcohol include the following : in theory any compound of general formula as follows could be used : both groups will react with the allene . with the amine , the reaction would probably go well at ph 9 or 10 . because of the ease of using the no 2 function , it is the group of choice . use of an amino function that is blocked would require devising conditions to deblock . the reaction can take place in any non - reactive solvent up to the solubility of the p - nitrobenzyl alcohol . preferably up to 50 % dimethyl formamide at reaction conditions of room temperature for at least seven hours up to twenty - four or more hours are used . the reactants are then filtered and washed and an amino group formed by reducing the nitro groups with a reducing agent such as sodium dithionite . the concentration of the dithionite is preferably 0 . 2 m in solution with a time of about an hour being used at 40 ° c . the arm formed is activated by converting the amino group formed to a diazonium ion by the addition of nitrous acid preferably formed in situ at from 0 ° to 4 ° c . above 4 ° c . the diazonium ion can be destroyed . this is then coupled to the protein at a histidine residue by reacting at a ph of from 8 to 9 and preferably 8 . 5 to enhance coupling at the desired site . up to 80 % or better of the histidine sites are coupled by this step . preferably the purification of clq , clr and cls which are subcomponents of the first component of the complement is obtained from cohn fraction i . cohn fraction i is known in the art . it is the precipitate which is formed upon addition to plasma at 0 ° c ., 8 % ethanol at an ionic strength of 0 . 14 , temperature of - 3 ° c . and protein concentration of 5 . 1 %. cohn fraction i contains the following known proteins : a precise definition of cohn fraction i is found in the following reference : l . e . strong in encyclopedia of chemical technology , vol . 2 ( r . e . kirk and d . f . othmar , eds . ), interscience encyclopedia , new york , 1948 , pp . 1 - 29 . other fluids from which clq has been retrieved by the resin and method of this invention include plasma , serum , and tissue culture media harvested from cells which synthesize clq . in assaying for the material obtained by specific examples of this invention , assays for cl activity are carried out with eac4 prepared from guinea pig serum and ea as described mayer ( e . a . kabat and m . m . mayer , &# 34 ; experimental immunochemistry ,&# 34 ; 2nd edn ., charles c . thomas , springfield , ill ., 1961 ). functionally pure c2 and cedta were prepared as described by nelson et al ( r . a . nelson , j . jenson , i . ggigli and n . tamura , immunochemistry 3 , 111 - 135 [ 1966 ]). the assay for cl was as described by rapp and borsos ( h . j . rapp and t . borsos , &# 34 ; molecular basis of complement action ,&# 34 ; appleton - century - crofts , new york , 1970 ), except volumes were reduced by one - fifth to conserve reagents . to reconstitute cl , the following conditions were used : dilutions of clq , clr and cls were mixed in equal volumes in the presence of 0 . 15 mm cacl 2 - 1 . 0 mm mgcl 2 . after incubation for 10 minutes at 32 ° c ., these mixtures were assayed for cl activity as described above . clr and cls were assayed for esterase activity verses nztp in a gilford 240 spectrophotometer as described by bing ( d . h . bing , in &# 34 ; methods in enzymology . affinity methods part b ,&# 34 ; w . b . jakoby and m . wilchek , eds ., academic press , new york , 1974 , pp . 731 - 746 ). npgb was used to titrate clr in a cary 118c spectrophotometer as outlined by andrews and baillie ( j . m . andrews and r . d . baillie , j . immunol . 123 , 1403 - 1408 [ 1979 ]). where indicated , the biuret method described by lowry et al ( o . h . lowry , n . j . rosebrough , a . l . farr and r . j . randall , j . biol . chem . 193 , 265 - 275 [ 1951 ]) was used to determine protein concentration and bovine serum albumin was used to construct a standard curve . for purified proteins , the following extinction coefficients ( e 280 1 % ) were used : clq = 6 . 8 , ( g . gigli , r . r . porter and r . b . sim , biochem . j . 157 , 541 - 548 ( 1976 ), clr = 9 . 4 ( r . b . sim , r . r . porter , k . b . reid and i . gigli , biochem . j . 163 , 219 - 227 [ 1977 ]) buffers . veronal buffered saline ( vbs ) ph 7 . 4 , 0 . 15 ionic strength and vbs containing 0 . 15 mm cacl 2 - 1 mm mgcl 2 ( vbs + me ++ ) were prepared as described by chase ( m . w . chase , in &# 34 ; methods in immunology and immunochemistry ,&# 34 ; vol . ii , c . a . williams and m . w . chase , eds ., academic press , new york , 1968 , p . 388 ). sodium phosphate buffer , 47 mm , ph 7 . 4 , containing 1 mm edta was prepared as described by taylor et al ( p . taylor , s . fink , d . h . bing and r . h . painter , j . immunol . 118 , 1722 - 1727 [ 1977 ]). edta buffer , 100 mm , ph 7 . 4 ; 0 . 1 mole of na 2 h 2 edta . h 2 o was dissolved in distilled h 2 o per liter of buffer and adjusted to ph 7 . 4 with 4 m naoh prior to dilution to final volume . diamine buffer , ph 7 . 4 ; 1 mole of nacl , 0 . 2 mole of 1 , 3 - diaminopropane ( free base ) and 0 . 2 mole of h 3 bo 3 were added per liter of buffer , the ph was adjusted to 7 . 4 with 12 n hcl prior to dilution to final volume ( d . h . bing , j . m . andrews , f . l . suddath and r . spencer , in &# 34 ; protides of biological fluids ,&# 34 ; h . peeters , ed ., pergamon press , new york , 1975 , pp . 551 - 557 ). tris buffer , ph 8 . 1 , 0 . 1 ionic strength ; 20 . 86 grms tris ( hydroxymethyl ) aminomethane and 100 ml of 1 n hcl were mixed and diluted to 1 liter ( m . w . chase , in &# 34 ; methods in immunology and immunochemistry ,&# 34 ; vol . ii , c . a . williams and m . w . chase , eds ., academic press , new york , 1968 , p . 404 ). all chromatography was performed at 4 ° c . deae ion exchange chromatography was performed as described by taylor et al ( p . taylor , s . fink , d . h . bing and r . h . painter , j . immunol . 118 , 1722 - 1727 [ 1977 ]), except linear gradients consisting of increasing nacl concentrations were used to develop the chromatogram . approximately 1 gram of resin was used per mg of protein chromatographed and a flow rate of 50 to 60 ml / hour was maintained . the total volume of the gradient was 5 to 6 times the bed volume of the resin . aca - 22 ultragel was used for gel filtration . a column 2 . 5 × 100 cm was used for 50 to 60 mg of protein and 5 ml fractions collected at a rate of 5 ml / hour . the diamine buffer was the running buffer . affinity chromatography on ( igg )-( p - azo - benzyloxyethylsulfonoethoxy )-( sepharose cl - 4b ) ( azo - igg - sepharose ) was done as described by assimeh et al ( s . n . assimeh , d . h . bing and r . h . painter , j . immunol . 113 , 225 - 234 [ 1974 ]), except 100 mm edta , ph 7 . 4 , was used to elute the clr - cls pool and the diamine buffer was used to elute the clq pool . the flow rate was maintained at 50 to 60 ml / hour . affinity chromatography of clq on igg - sepharose was done as described by sledge and bing ( c . r . sledge and d . h . bing , j . immunol . 111 , 661 - 666 [ 1973 ]), except the diamine buffer was used to elute the clq . one ml of igg - sepharose resin was used per mg of protein in the clq pool obtained from the igg - azo - sepharose resin . immunoelectrophoresis was performed in 1 % agarose at ph 8 . 6 . the chamber buffers contained ph 8 . 6 veronal buffer with an applied voltage of 6 volts / cm ( c . a . williams , in &# 34 ; methods in immunology and immunochemistry ,&# 34 ; vol . iii , c . a . williams and m . w . chase , eds ., academic press , new york , 1971 , p . 237 ). electroimmunoassay was performed as described by laurell ( c . b . laurell , anal . biochem . 10 , 358 - 362 [ 1965 ]). in both cases , gels were washed overnight in 1 . 0 m nacl to remove unprecipitated protein , dried and stained with 1 % amido black in 7 . 5 % acetic acid and 5 % methanol in h 2 o . sds - polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was performed in 10 % slab gels as described by laemmli ( u . k . laemmli , nature 227 , 680 - 685 [ 1970 ]). protein bands were stained with 0 . 025 % coomassie brilliant blue r250 prepared in 10 % acetic acide 15 % methanol in h 2 o ( v / v / v ). proteins in 0 . 1 % sds were reduced in 20 mm dithiothreitol at 37 ° for 60 minutes , followed by alkylation in 40 mm iodoacetamide for 30 minutes at 37 °, and 1 minute in a boiling water bath prior to electrophoresis . unreduced samples were alkylated with 40 mm iodoacetamide . standards for sds - page were as follows : spectrin ( mw = 240 , 000 and 220 , 000 ), phosphorylase a ( mw = 94 , 000 ), human serum albumin ( mw = 68 , 000 ), glutamic dehydrogenase ( mw = 56 , 000 ), creatine kinase ( mw = 40 , 000 ), horse myoglobin ( mw = 29 , 000 ). all proteins were obtained from sigma and treated identically to the clq , clr and cls samples . igg - p - azo - benzyloxyethylsulfonoethoxy - sepharose cl - 4b [ igg --( p )-- n ═ n -- c 6 h 4 -- ch 2 ch 2 -- so 2 -- ch 2 ch 2 -- o -- sepharose cl - 4b ] of the preferred embodiment was prepared as follows : one liter of sepharose was filtered and washed with 2 liter of distilled h 2 o . the resin was added to 1000 ml of 1 m sodium carboate , ph 11 . 0 , and diluted to 1800 ml in the ph 11 , 1 m na 2 co 3 . 200 gm of divinylsulfone ( dvs , aldrich ) was added and allowed to react for 20 minutes with stirring . the resin was filtered and washed quickly with 1 liter of 1 m sodium carbonate , ph 11 . 0 . to this was added immediately 40 grams p - nitrobenzylalcohol dissolved in 100 ml acetone plus 500 ml of 50 % aqueous dimethylformamide . the mixture was allowed to react 8 hours with stirring at room temperature , and then filtered and washed with 2 liters of 50 % aqueous dimethylformamide followed by 2 liters of methanol and then 1 liter 0 . 5 m nahco 3 , ph 8 . 5 . the resin was suspended in 300 ml of 0 . 5 m nahco 3 , ph 8 . 5 , and reduced at 40 ° c . for 1 hour with stirring by adding dry sodium dithionite to a final concentration of 0 . 2 m . it was then filtered and washed with 1 liter each ph 8 . 5 , 0 . 5 m nahco 3 , distilled h 2 o , and finally 0 . 5 n hcl . it was then suspended in 500 ml ice cold 0 . 5 n hcl , 500 ml of ice cold 0 . 1 m nano 2 added and stirred 7 minutes on ice . the diazo resin was then filtered and washed on a cold funnel with 1000 ml ice cold 0 . 5 n hcl , 1000 ml ice cold distilled h 2 o and suspended in 400 ml of ice cold ph 8 . 5 0 . 1 m nahco 3 . next , 5 grams of igg , in 400 ml of ice cold ph 8 . 5 , 0 . 1 m nahco 3 was added and the ph adjusted to 8 . 5 with ice cold 4 n naoh . the mixture was allowed to react overnight at 4 ° c . with stirring . non - bound protein was removed by filtering and washing with 2 liters each of 0 . 15 m nacl , 3 m nacl , 0 . 2 m na 2 h 2 edta , ph 7 . 4 , and diamine buffer . all reactions except the overnight coupling at 4 ° c . were done in a fume hood . based on protein determinations by the biuret reaction ( o . h . lowry , n . j . rosebrough , a . l . farr and r . j . randall , j . biol . chem . 193 , 265 - 275 [ 1951 ]), 3 . 16 grams of igg were bound to 550 ml of settled resin . anti cls and anti - clr sepharose resins were prepared by coupling the 23 % na 2 so 4 fraction of goat anti - clr or anti - cls antiserum to cnbr activated sepharose . the cnbr activation was performed as described by march et al (( s . c . march , i . parikh and p . cuatrecasas , anal . biochem . 60 , 149 - 152 [ 1974 ]). amino acid analysis was performed on 100 to 200 μg samples hydrolyzed at 110 ° for 24 , 48 and 72 hours in 6 n hcl in vacuo . for clr and cls , the samples were previously reduced in the presence of 0 . 1 m mercaptoethanol ( redistilled ) for 6 hours at 37 ° under nitrogen in the presence of 500 mm tris - hcl - 100 mm edta buffer - 6 m guanidine hydrochloride , ph 8 . 7 . the samples were adjusted to ph 9 . 0 and alkylated overnight with a 12 - fold molar excess of recrystallized iodoacetic acid . they were then dialyzed exhaustively against water and the protein concentration determined by the lowry biuret reaction ( o . h . lowry , n . j . rosebrough , a . l . farr and r . j . randall , j . biol . chem . 193 , 265 - 275 [ 1951 ]). there was no detectable cysteine in any of the samples . clq samples were dialyzed against water , an equal volume of 12 n hcl added , and hydrolyzed 24 hours at 110 ° in vacuo . cysteine was measured as half cysteine . total carbohydrate was determined by the procedure which uses anthrone reagent , as described by spiro ( r . g . spiro , in &# 34 ; methods in enzymology ,&# 34 ; vol . iii , e . f . neufeld and u . ginsburg , eds ., academic press , new york 1966 , pp . 4 - 5 ). in each case all samples were dialyzed into water and protein concentration determined by the lowry biuret procedure ( o . h . lowry , n . j . rosebrough , a . l . farr and r . j . randall , j . biol . chem . 193 , 265 - 275 [ 1951 ]). a beckman 121c amino acid analyzer was used . tryptophan was determined spectrophotometrically , ( t . w . goodwin and r . a . morton , biochem . j . 40 , 628 - 635 [ 1946 ], h . edelboch , biochemistry 6 , 1948 - 1954 [ 1967 ]). initial immunochemical analysis of the various cohn fractions prepared by the biologic laboratories of the massachusetts state laboratory institute revealed that the clq was roughly 8 times normal plasma levels in cohn fraction i and 6 times normal plasma levels in fraction ii and iii . analysis of cohn i for cl hemolytic activity confirmed that functional cl was present in fraction i at 8 to 10 times normal plasma levels , and about normal plasma levels in fractions ii and iii . cohn i and cohn ii and iii were prepared as described ( l . e . strong , in &# 34 ; encyclopedia of chemical technology ,&# 34 ; vol . 2 , r . e . kirk and d . f . othmar , eds ., interscience encyclopedia , new york , 1948 , pp . 1 - 29 ). they were obtained as dry powders , resolubilized in 0 . 15 m nacl and insoluble material removed by centrifugation . the clear supernatants were assayed . as the purification procedure is based on the ability to bind the cl complex to igg bound to a resin , the cohn fraction i was chosen as starting material , where the clq and cl activity coincided . a further consideration which led to choosing fraction i was the lower plasminogen and cl inhibitor content in this fraction ( 58 % and 25 % of normal plasma levels , respectively ). the former leads to activation and proteolysis of clr and cls , whereas the latter binds irreversibly to and inhibit clr and cls ( j . m . andres and r . d . baillie , j . immunol . 123 , 1403 - 1408 [ 1979 ], g . b . naff and o . d . ratnoff , j . exp . med . 12 , 571 - 593 [ 1968 ], n . r . cooper , thromb . haemost . 42 , 262 [ 1979 ], p . c . harpel and n . r . cooper , in &# 34 ; proteases and biological control ,&# 34 ; e . reich , d . rifkin and e . shaw , eds ., cold spring harbor , n . y ., 1973 , pp . 387 - 405 , k . b . m . reid , r . m . lowe and r . r . porter , biochem . j . 130 , 749 - 763 [ 1972 ]). thus , the presence of these proteins could lead to lower yields and / or inactive products during the course of purification . turning now to the purification steps using the resin of this invention , the figure is a flow sheet of the isolation of clq , clr and cls . the objective in the design of the flow scheme was to minimize the chances for non - specific proteolysis and denaturation by removing , as quickly as possible , the unwanted proteins . the purification process is described as follows : fresh ( less than 24 hours after sharples centrifugation ) cohn fraction i paste ( 8 to 10 kg ) was cut into approximately 4 cm cubes and extracted for 18 hours with 8 to 10 liters of 0 . 5 m nacl . this was accomplished by stirring at 4 ° c . in 14 liter nalgene plastic carboys with overhead stirrers and stainless steel paddles ( caframo ; fisher scientific ). the solid material was removed by filtration through five layers of cheese cloth . the yield of filtrate was about one - half the initial volume of the 0 . 5 nacl . the filtrate was dialyzed against 10 volumes of veronal buffered saline ( vbs ) containing 10 mm cacl 2 for 18 hours at 4 ° c . this resulted in formation of a solid clot which was broken up by brief ( 5 seconds at low speed ) homogenization in a commercial waring blender with a capacity of 4 liters . the solid material was removed by filtration through cheese cloth and discarded . the volume at this point was about two - thirds of that which it was in the previous step . cacl 2 was added to a final concentration of 10 mm and the filtrate stirred 1 to 2 hours at 4 ° c . insoluble material and any additional clot was removed by centrifugation ( 9 , 000 × g ) for 30 minutes at 4 ° c . the clear supernatant was immediately added to igg - azo - sepharose at a ratio approximately 2 : 1 ( v / v ) and the mixture stirred 12 to 18 hours at 4 ° c . in a 14 liter nalgene plastic carboy with a magnetic stirrer . ten kg of cohn i paste yielded about 3 liters of extract at this point , which required 1 . 5 liters of resin . the igg - azo - sepharose had been previously equilibrated with ph 7 . 4 vbs - 1 mm cacl 2 . after incubation at 4 ° c ., the unbound protein was removed from the resin by filtering it on a buchner funnel ( s & amp ; s # 526 filter paper , schleicher & amp ; schuell , keene , new hampshire ) and washing with ph 7 . 4 vbs - 1 mm cacl 2 until the a 280 of the filtrate was 0 . 2 to 0 . 1 . the resin was then suspended in a minimum volume of buffer and poured into a 5 × 100 cm column , washed in the column until a 280 = 0 . 1 . the crude clr - cls pool was eluted with 100 mm edta , ph 7 . 4 , followed by elution of the crude clq pool with the ph 7 . 4 diamine buffer . both pools were concentrated in amicon cells containing pm30 membranes . the clr and cls were resolved by chromatography on deae cellulose . the clq was purified by affinity chromatography on igg - sepharose as described by sledge and bing ( c . r . sledge and d . h . bing , j . immunol . 111 , 661 - 666 [ 1973 ]), modified as described above . analysis by sds - page , immunoelectrophoresis and the electroimmunoassay always showed that the clq , clr and cls obtained in step 7 were contaminated with other proteins to the extent of 5 to 10 %. in the case of clq , the main contaminant was igg or igm ; for clr it was cls , and for cls it was clr . to achieve final purification , each fraction was subjected to a final step . clq was purified by gel filtration on aca - 22 ultragel , a product of lkb inc ., new jersey . clr was purified by rechromatography on deae and then adsorption with an anticls antibody resin . in most cases , final purification of cls was accomplished by rechromatography on deae , although on occasion it was necessary to remove the residual clr with anti - clr sepharose . the conditions for rechromatography on deae were identical to those used in the initial separation of clr and cls , except the size of the column and total volume of the gradient was reduced to accommodate the smaller amount of protein . for adsorption on anti - clr and anti - cls resin , 0 . 2 mg of protein was applied per ml of resin and the non - adsorbed protein applied to the column was washed through in ph 7 . 4 , 47 mm napo 4 - 1 . 0 mm nacl - 1 mm edta . this chromatography was done at 25 ° and 30 ml plastic syringes used to hold the resins . the degree of purification of clq , clr and cls was estimated by immunochemical determination of the clq , clr and cls concentrations in relationship to total protein content . these data are summarized in table i . it can be seen that the greatest purification step is the affinity chromatography step . table i__________________________________________________________________________yields and cl activity of clq , clr and cls purified from cohn fraction i nztp . sup . c protein , mg . sup . d units / cl titer . sup . afraction mg clq clr cls mg no additions reconstituted . sup . b__________________________________________________________________________ cohn paste , -- -- -- 6 . 2 kg 0 . 5 m nacl 250 , 000 550 650 513 nd 5 . 9 × 10 . sup . 6 -- extract non - adsorbed 200 , 000 20 315 234 nd 0 . 009 × 10 . sup . 6 -- 0 . 1 m edta 2 , 450 10 310 250 650 0 . 016 × 10 . sup . 6 -- eluent diamine eluent 370 350 10 10 150 0 -- 5 . + 6 . nd nd nd nd nd -- 0 . 16 × 10 . sup . 6 clq 215 215 0 0 0 9 . 4 1 . 3 × 10 . sup . 6 clr 167 0 167 0 530 63 9 . 0 × 10 . sup . 4 cls 191 0 0 191 1932 176 8 . 3 × 10 . sup . 4__________________________________________________________________________ . sup . a titer = z × dilution as measured with eac4 , c2 and cedta . . sup . b the titer of each component is determined in the presence of exces of the other two . clq -- 2 . 15 mg / ml , clr -- 1 . 0 mg / ml , cls -- 2 . 63 mg / ml . . sup . c between 1 and 10 μg of protein was assayed . one unit is defined as 1 nmole of paranitrophenol released per ml in 5 minutes from 30 μm nztp at 23 ° at ph 8 . 1 . . sup . d determinde by electroimmunoassay . the results of the present study verify that large quantities of highly purified clq , clr and cls can be isolated from cohn fraction i . several precautions are taken using the material . first the extraction of a cohn fraction i takes place within 24 hours of its collection in the fractionation process and the temperature is maintained as close to 4 ° c . as reasonable . preferably plasma from which the cohn fraction i is derived is tested to be sure that it is free of hepatitis b antigen . the work is done as quickly as possible to remove the desired fractions early to avoid the possibility of inactivation due to proteolysis or other unknown inactivating material . the affinity chromatographic steps are important to this purification scheme . as the data in table i show , all of the cl activity is removed in the first affinity step . the chemical nature of this resin is important . if the igg is not present , no adsorption and no fractionation occurs . the chemical &# 34 ; arm &# 34 ; is equally important , as similar fractionation on igg - sepharose results in no such resolution of clr - cls from clq . the azo - igg resin of this invention is very stable . there seems to be little loss of the bound igg , and these resins maintain their ability to fractionate cl over a period of several months . usually within six months , however , the matrix does break down , presumably due to loss of the bead structure as a result of the constant stirring and filtering . this is in contrast to the igg - p - azo - benzamido ethylaminoethyl - sepharose orginally described , ( s . n . assimeh , d . h . bing and r . h . painter , j . immunol . 113 , 225 - 234 [ 1974 ]), which could be used only for 3 to 4 runs before it lost its ability to fractionate cohn fraction i . the second affinity step in the purification scheme described in this report does use the igg - sepharose resin preparated by direct cnbr activation ( c . r . sledge and d . h . bing , j . immunol . 111 , 661 - 666 [ 1973 ]). although the igg - p - azo - benzyloxyethylsulfonoethoxy - sepharose can be used in this step , the resolution of clq on igg - sepharose is sharper , with less contaminating igg . it is found that inclusion of diamine in the buffer is desirable for quantitative elution of the clq from either resin , in contrast to the results of kolb et al ( w . p . kolb , l . m . kolb and e . r . podack , j . immunol . 122 , 2103 - 2111 [ 1979 ]) who used 1 m nacl to elute clq from igg - sepharose . this could be due to the different methodology they used to activate the sepharose with cnbr or perhaps due to the different nature of the starting material ( clotted plasma , as opposed to cohn fraction i ). the usefulness of the technique of this invention is demonstrated by the quality and yields of purified protein . based on the concentrations of clq , clr and cls in the 0 . 5 m nacl extract , estimated overall yield of clq , clr and cls is 39 %, 25 % and 37 %, respectively . the degree of purification of each from the 0 . 5 m nacl extract can also be estimated from the immunochemical determinations . for clq , clr and cls , this was 454 , 384 and 487 , respectively . estimates of degree of purification based on activity are difficult , as there is a great deal of nztp esterase activity in the cohn fraction i which is not clr and cls . evaluation of clq activity in terms of effective molecules per μg indicates that the activity of this material ( 7 . 1 × 10 9 effective molecules / μg ) is comparable with clq purified by other methods , see review by kolb et al ( w . p . kolb , l . m . kolb and e . r . podack , j . immunol . 122 , 2103 - 2111 [ 1979 ]). the biochemical purity of clr and cls is demonstrated by the activity with respect to synthetic substrates . the cls has 85 % of the theoretical enzymatic activity based on the v max of this enzyme for nztp . the clr was 75 % active by active site titration with npgb . in fact , this is a low estimate , as purified clr aggregates , which results in an underestimate in activity ( j . m . andrews and r . d . baillie , j . immunol . 123 , 1403 - 1408 [ 1979 ]). finally , based on the amino acid analysis and molecular weight analysis by sds - page , the purified clq , clr and cls obtained from cohn fraction i are similar to the same proteins isolated from clotted plasma or serum . there is no evidence for any degradation as a result of the extraction process or proteolysis . as shown here and in other studies ( j . m . andrews and r . d . baillie , j . immunol . 123 , 1403 - 1408 [ 1979 ]) immunoadsorption of residual clr or cls from cls and clr , respectively , removes the 5 % contaminating proteins detected in the functional assay . based on these results , these proteins appear suitable for structural studies , as well as use in such tests as immune complex assays or investigations of the biochemical activities of the complement proteins .	8
the present invention will now be described in detail with the aid of several specific embodiments utilizing fig1 through 4 . the embodiment represented in fig1 of a polymerization device 10 comprises a bottom part 12 and a top part 14 . the top part 14 is detachably connected to the bottom part 12 for which purpose a bayonet closure 16 is provided . the top part 14 comprises a radiation source 18 with two lights 20 and 22 that emit radiation within the spectrum of visible light , optionally with a minimal uv light portion . it is understood that instead of the lights 20 and 22 other radiation devices suitable for light curing can be used . the lights 20 and 22 are arranged so as to be slightly slanted so that they focus on an area slightly below the end of the top part 14 . they are cooled with a non - represented blower and are supported just above a first chamber ( compression chamber ) 24 of the top part 14 . the compression chamber 24 comprises a cover 26 that is radioparent for the radiation emitted by the radiation source 18 . an annular wall 28 extends in a circular fashion about the compression chamber 24 . between the radiation source 18 and the cover 26 an infrared filter 27 is provided in order to reduce the heat loading of the polymerization apparatus 10 . the compression chamber 24 is closed off in the downward direction by a diaphragm 30 that is flexible and expandable . it is clamped at its outer circumference with beads 32 in the annular wall 28 . the top part 14 comprises furthermore a protective cover 34 which covers the entire height of the top part 14 . the annular wall 28 has a pressure connector ( air supply ), not represented in fig1 with which the compression chamber 24 can be pressurized . for this purpose a non - represented compressor is provided . the bottom part 12 comprises a second chamber ( model chamber ) 36 that is surrounded by pressure - tight model chamber walls 38 . within the model chamber 36 a support device 40 is provided that serves for supporting a model 42 . the model 42 can include a number of tooth stumps 44 , 46 whereby in the shown embodiment two toothed stumps are shown . a foil 48 , 50 is positioned thereon . the support device 40 provides a pedestal 52 for the tooth stumps 44 and 46 . the pedestal 52 is resting on a support plate 54 whereby the space between the model chamber wall 38 and the pedestal 52 is preferably filled with ball - shaped filling bodies 56 . the filling bodies 56 serve to reduce the free air space within the model chamber 36 as well as to support the diaphragm 30 during the molding process . the support device 40 , respectively , its pedestal may also be part of the model , or its height can be adjusted , for example , by placing spacer plates underneath . the inventive adjusting device 58 comprises in the represented embodiment an exchangeable spacer ring 60 which is supported on the bottom 62 of the bottom part 12 . its height determines the level of the support plate 54 and thus the distance between the foil 48 and the diaphragm 30 . it is inventively suggested , depending on the size of the tooth stumps , respectively , of the model , to employ spacer rings 60 of different heights so that the model is always positioned as close as possible to the diaphragm 30 . the filling bodies 56 are preferably provided with a reflective surface so that the polymerization - inducing radiation is reflected thereat and can reach the foils 48 , 50 . the inner surfaces of the annular wall 28 and of the model chamber 36 are also preferably reflective which also increases the light output or luminous power . the model chamber 36 is provided with a non - represented vacuum connector that is connected to a vacuum source ( vacuum pump ) also not shown in the drawing . the vacuum connector allows to evacuate the model chamber 36 and provides for a deep drawing of the foils 48 and 50 . the deep drawing and polymerization process is carried out as follows . in a first step , while the apparatus is open , a suitable spacer ring for the model to be treated is selected . it is inserted and the support plate 54 is placed onto the spacer ring . the model 42 is then centrally arranged on the support plate 54 and the surrounding area is filled with reflective plastic balls 56 such that the filling is approximately flush with the upper side of the pedestal 52 . subsequently , foils 48 , 50 are placed onto the tooth stumps 44 , 46 . the foils are comprised of a light - polymerizable plastic material having imbedded therein fiberglass . with the aid of the bayonet closure 16 the top part 14 and the bottom part 12 are connected to one another so that the polymerization apparatus 10 forms a pressure - tight unit . the first chamber 24 as well as the second chamber 36 are supplied with vacuum whereby the top part 14 and the bottom part 12 are forced onto one another . the beads 32 that serve as an annular seal are simultaneously compressed and the bayonet closure 16 can be snapped into place . subsequently , the vacuum in the first chamber 24 is replaced with pressure of approximately 2 bar . at this point the lights 20 , 22 can be switched on with low output in order to be able to monitor visually the model 42 through a view port in the wall . the pressure of 2 bar within the compression chamber 24 forces the highly flexible and radioparent diaphragm 30 onto the foils 48 and 50 . the foils 48 , 50 are thus pressed onto the respective tooth stump 40 and 46 in order to be molded thereto . in this state the output of the radiation source 18 is increased to maximum output and the polymerization or light curing of the foil is carried out while full pressure is present within the compression chamber 24 . after completion of polymerization , the pressure is released from the compression chamber 24 and the compression chamber 24 is maintained at normal pressure ( atmospheric pressure ) or is optionally under slight vacuum . in this state the bayonet closure can be opened , and the vacuum within the model chamber 36 is released . a modified embodiment of the inventive polymerization device 10 can be seen in fig2 . this apparatus is more compact than the polymerization apparatus according to fig1 . it can be supplied faster with pressure or vacuum and with less energy expenditure . the height of the compression chamber 24 is reduced to about half in comparison to fig1 . in order to connect the air supply 64 , a securing ring 66 of the bayonet closure 16 is embodied somewhat lower at the location of air supply connection 64 . furthermore , the model chamber is reduced to the possible minimum size and the model 42 extends to a position in close vicinity below the diaphragm 30 . the diaphragm 30 in this embodiment thus must be flexible only to a minimal extend in comparison to the embodiment according to fig1 . this is beneficial in regard to increasing its service life . instead of the spacer ring 60 a spacer body 68 is positioned below the support plate 54 . the spacer body 68 fills the entire space below the support plate 54 . the spacer body 68 comprises vacuum channels 70 , 72 which extend over its entire height . the vacuum channels 70 , 72 open into annular channels 74 , 76 which extend annularly about the distance body 68 at its upper side , respectively , underside . with corresponding bores in the support plate 54 the introduction of vacuum via a vacuum source 78 into the upper area of the model chamber 36 is possible . the air supply connector 64 as well as the vacuum source connector 78 are connected to non - represented pump which , with respective switching valves , can provide vacuum to the first and second chamber as well as pressure to the first chamber . a modified embodiment of the adjusting device 58 is shown in fig3 and 4 . in this embodiment the adjusting device 58 includes a lever 80 which is supported in a bearing bushing 82 at the model chamber wall 38 . the lever 80 comprises a grip 84 with which the position of the support plate 54 can be adjusted from the exterior of the apparatus . the lever 80 penetrates the model chamber wall 38 approximately tangentially to the support plate 54 and extends as a curved portion 86 following the model chamber wall 38 . it is of a small height in the horizontal direction . the lever 80 comprises at the end of the curved portion 86 a pivot joint 88 for the support plate 54 . the pivot axis of the pivot joint 88 extends parallel to the axis of the bearing bushing 82 . the support plate 54 can be height - adjusted with this adjusting device 58 . however , it is also desirable that it maintains its horizontal orientation . for this purpose , the parallelogram guiding mechanism ( pantograph ) 90 shown in fig4 is provided which comprises two guide rods 94 . as can be seen in fig4 the guide rods 92 and 94 which in their projection onto their pivot axis extend parallel to one another have the same length . however , they are curved in order to extend exterior to the support plate 54 . the guide rod 92 , as can be seen in fig3 guides the support plate 54 only at one side while the guide rod 94 comprises two legs 96 , 98 which surround the support plate 94 in a curved fashion . the lever 80 is supported in a slotted hole of the support plate for compensating the pivot movement of the parallelogram guiding mechanism , as is shown in fig4 . the bearing locations 100 and 102 of the guide rods 94 , 92 , viewed in the vertical direction , are positioned approximately at the same level and approximately at the level of the center of the model chamber 36 . the bearing bushing 82 is also arranged at this level . with this embodiment it is possible to transfer the support plate 54 from the position shown in fig4 into the lowermost position in which it is adjacent to the bottom 62 of the bottom part 12 . this embodiment allows for a fast height adjustment with the inventive adjusting device , but requires that the model chamber 36 is substantially free of filling bodies . according to a further embodiment , it is suggested to embody the bottom 62 of the bottom part 12 as a pressure - tight piston that can be displaced by actuation from the exterior . the bottom 62 thus provides an adjusting device and it is possible to actuate this adjusting device 58 , 62 from the exterior while ensuring a minimum free air space within the model chamber 36 . in a further alternative of this embodiment , the bottom 62 is fixedly connected to the support surface and the entire polymerization apparatus , exclusive of the bottom and the model placed thereon , is height - adjustable . the inventive adjusting device can also be realized by this embodiment . the present invention is , of course , in no way restricted to the specific disclosure of the specification and drawings , but also encompasses any modifications within the scope of the appended claims .	0
reference throughout this specification to “ one embodiment ,” “ an embodiment ,” or similar language means that a particular feature , structure , or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention . thus , appearances of the phrases “ in one embodiment ,” “ in an embodiment ,” and similar language throughout this specification may , but do not necessarily , all refer to the same embodiment . furthermore , the described features , advantages , and characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments . one skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment . in other instances , additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the invention . referring to fig1 , an apparatus 100 for loading or unloading cargo may define translational directions 102 a - 102 c and rotational directions 104 a - 104 c defined with respect to a pallet 110 . transverse direction 102 a may be substantially normal to the upper surface 112 a of the pallet 110 . longitudinal direction 102 b may be defined as parallel to the upper surface 112 a of the pallet 110 and correspond to the direction of travel of cargo as the cargo is unloaded . a lateral direction 102 c may be defined as being perpendicular to both the transverse direction 102 a and longitudinal direction 102 b . rotational directions 104 a - 104 c are defined as rotation about axes parallel to the translational directions 102 a - 102 c , respectively . a pallet 110 may include an upper surface 112 a for supporting cargo and a lower surface 112 b spaced apart in transverse direction 102 a from the upper surface 112 a . the upper surface 112 a may define a loading edge 114 defined as the edge of the pallet 110 proximate to which a ramp will secure . in some embodiments , the pallet 110 may include one or more channels 116 extending in longitudinal direction 102 b . a channel 116 may secure portions of the cargo against movement in lateral direction 102 c during shipping and unloading . in certain embodiments , a shelf 120 , cut out 120 , or other formation 120 , may be formed at one end of the channel 116 to mate with a corresponding structure on a ramp . a ramp 122 , or ramps 122 may be attached to the pallet 110 prior to unloading cargo . in applications where a ramp is used to load cargo onto a pallet 110 , the ramp 122 may secure to the pallet 110 prior to loading of the cargo . a ramp 122 may have a channel 124 formed thereon and positioned to mate with the channel 116 of the pallet 110 to provide a continuous guide from the pallet to a supporting surface , such as the floor of a building . in typical embodiments , an upper edge 126 of the ramp 122 will be aligned in transverse direction 102 a with the channel 124 to prevent unloaded cargo from falling from the channel 116 to the channel 124 . the channel 124 will typically extend from the upper edge 126 to a lower edge 128 resting on or near a support surface when the ramp is fully secured to the pallet 110 . it will be noted that for embodiments of the apparatus 100 that do not include channels 116 or 124 , an upper surface of the ramp 122 may simply be aligned with the upper surface 112 a of the pallet 100 . a ramp 122 may include a portion 130 of the ramp 122 , cutout 130 , or like formation matable with the shelf 120 formed on the pallet 110 . the portion 130 may support the upper edge 126 and facilitate alignment of the channels 116 , 124 . a pallet mounting bracket 140 may be secured to the upper surface 112 a of the pallet 110 near the unloading edge 114 . the bracket 140 may engage a corresponding bracket ( discussed in more detail below ) secured to the ramp 122 . a pallet mounting bracket 140 may perform the functions of securing and aligning the ramp 122 to the pallet 110 . a benefit of the bracket 140 is that it is a separate member that is simply fastened to the pallet 110 by standard fasteners . the pallet 110 may still be made of wood cut to loose tolerances , and only the bracket 140 and its position require greater precision . the bracket 140 may be made of stamped sheet steel , or like material , having similar strength and manufacturability . alternatively , the bracket 140 may be integrally formed with the upper surface 112 a of the pallet 110 . referring to fig2 , a pallet mounting bracket 140 may include a registration receptacle 202 , a driving member 204 , and a locking receptacle 206 for engaging structures on the ramp 122 to secure and align the ramp 122 to the pallet 110 . in the illustrated embodiment , the registration receptacle 202 and locking receptacle 206 are embodied as a portion of an aperture 208 formed in an upper portion 210 of the bracket 140 . a locking receptacle 206 may be embodied as a narrow portion 212 of the aperture 208 having a width 214 . the registration receptacle 202 may be embodied as a wide portion 216 of the aperture 208 having a width 218 greater than the width 214 of the narrow portion 212 . the top portion 210 may be positioned a height 222 above the pallet 110 in order to permit insertion of a fastener and registration member through the aperture 208 . accordingly , in some embodiments , the top portion 210 may rest on two upwardly extending portions 224 a and 224 b . a driving member 204 may be embodied as a portion of the bracket 140 positioned to urge the ramp 122 toward alignment , securement , or both , with the pallet 110 upon some movement of the ramp 122 . for example , such movement may include pivoting or lowering the ramp 122 toward the bracket 140 . in the illustrated embodiment , the driving member 204 is an angled portion 226 of the bracket 140 . the angled portion 226 may begin angling upwardly in transverse direction 102 a a distance 228 from the upwardly extending portion 224 a . a securement portion 229 may extend between the upwardly extending portion 224 a and the angled portion 226 . the securement portion 229 may receive bolts , or like fasteners , for securing the bracket 140 to the pallet 110 . the angled portion 226 may form an angle 230 of about 135 degrees relative to the securement portion 229 . a bracket 140 may have a width 232 corresponding to the width of the ramp 122 selected for use therewith . accordingly , a bracket 140 may be wide for a wide ramp , and narrow for a narrower ramp . a bracket 140 may include a plurality of registration receptacles 202 and locking receptacles 204 likewise corresponding to the width of the ramp , with wider ramps having more receptacles 202 , 204 . preferably , the receptacles 202 are distributed along the bracket 140 in lateral direction 102 c and aligned with each other . it will be noted that in some embodiments the portions of the pallet mounting bracket 140 performing distinct functions may be formed as distinct members , rather than as monolithic portions of the pallet mounting bracket 140 . for example , the angled portion 226 and the top portion 210 having the aperture 208 formed therein may be separate members independently secured to the pallet 110 . referring to fig3 , ramp mounting bracket 300 may secure to the ramp 122 and engage the pallet mounting bracket 140 to secure and align the ramp 122 to the pallet 110 . a ramp mounting bracket 300 may include a registration member 302 for both inserting into the registration receptacle 202 and a fastener 304 engaging the locking receptacle 206 . a ramp mounting bracket 300 may likewise include an engagement portion 306 for engaging the driving member 204 of the pallet mounting bracket 140 . a fastener 304 may be automatically engaged with the locking receptacle 206 or may be manually inserted by a user . for example , a fastener 304 may be a bolt that is manually inserted through apertures formed in the pallet mounting bracket 140 and ramp mounting bracket 300 . in the illustrated embodiment , the registration member 302 and fastener 304 are embodied as portions of a tab 308 secured to the ramp mounting bracket 300 , or formed monolithically therewith . the tab 308 typically extends downwardly in transverse direction 102 a . the registration member 302 may be embodied as a wide portion 310 having a width 312 slightly smaller than the width 218 ( see fig2 ) of the wide portion 216 of the aperture 208 formed in the pallet mounting bracket 140 . a fastener 304 may be embodied as a cutout 314 , or shoulder 314 formed in the tab 308 , creating a narrow portion 316 on the tab 308 having a width 318 slightly smaller than the width 214 ( see fig2 ) of the narrow portion 212 of the aperture 208 formed in the pallet mounting bracket 140 . the engagement portion 306 may be embodied as an angled portion 320 connected or secured to the ramp mounting bracket 300 or formed monolithically therewith . the angled portion 320 may form an angle 324 of 45 degrees . the angled portion 320 and tab 308 may be secured to a securement portion 322 . the securement portion 322 may secure directly to the ramp 122 by means of bolts , screws , or like fastener . it will be noted that in some embodiments the portions of the ramp mounting bracket 300 performing distinct functions may be formed as distinct members , rather than as monolithic portions of the ramp mounting bracket 300 . for example , the angled portion 320 and tab 308 may be separate members independently secured to the ramp 122 . referring to fig4 , a method 400 for securing a ramp 122 to a pallet 110 may include registering 410 the ramp 122 , transitioning 420 the ramp 122 , engaging 430 a driving member 204 with an engagement portion 306 , and engaging 440 a fastener 304 with a locking receptacle 206 . it will be noted that a method for removing a ramp 122 is simply the reverse of the actions described as part of the method 400 . referring to fig5 a and 5b , while still referring to fig4 , registering 410 the ramp 122 may include aligning the ramp 122 in at least one dimension with respect to the pallet 110 in order to position the engagement portion 306 sufficiently close to the driving member 204 to engage the driving member 204 in the transitioning step 420 . registering 410 may also position the fastener 304 in sufficient proximity to the locking receptacle 206 such that the driving member 204 urges the locking receptacle 206 into engagement with the fastener 304 during engagement 440 of the driving member 204 with the engagement portion 306 . in the illustrated embodiment , registering 410 the ramp 122 includes positioning the ramp in the lateral direction 102 c and roughly positioning the ramp 122 in the longitudinal direction 102 b . a user may be aided in registering 410 the ramp 122 by engaging the registration member 302 with the registration receptacle 202 . in the illustrated embodiment of fig5 a , registering 410 therefore includes inserting the wide portion 310 of the tab 308 into the wide portion 216 of the aperture 208 . referring to fig5 c , while still referring to fig4 , transitioning 420 the ramp 122 may include translating and / or rotating the ramp 122 substantially along a line of action or substantially about axis of rotation fixed in the registering step 410 . in the illustrated embodiment , transitioning 420 the ramp 122 includes rotating the ramp 122 downwardly in rotational direction 104 c about the point of contact between the ramp mounting bracket 300 and the pallet mounting bracket 140 . in the illustrated embodiment , transitioning 420 the ramp 122 may also include translating the ramp 122 toward the pallet 110 in transverse direction 102 a . engaging 430 the driving member 204 with the engagement portion 306 includes urging the engagement portion 204 against the driving member 306 to translate a force exerted on the ramp 122 in one direction into a force acting in another direction . for example , a rotational or downward force exerted on the ramp 122 in the transitioning step 420 may be translated into a longitudinal force in the engaging step 430 . in the illustrated embodiment of fig5 c , engaging 430 the driving member 204 with the engagement portion 306 includes urging the angled portion 320 of the ramp mounting bracket 300 against the angled portion 226 of the pallet mounting bracket 140 , thereby causing a resulting force on the ramp mounting bracket 300 urging the ramp 122 in longitudinal direction 102 b . referring to fig5 d and 5e , while still referring to fig4 , engaging the fastener 304 with the locking receptacle 206 may include engaging the narrow portion 316 of the tab 308 with the narrow portion 212 of the aperture 208 . the shoulder 314 , of the tab 308 will therefore prevent removal of the tab 308 from the aperture 208 , unless the tab 308 is translated back in the longitudinal direction 102 b . engaging fastener 304 with the locking portion 206 may be caused by the longitudinal motion forced by engagement of the engagement portion 306 with the driving member 204 . it will be noted that the engagement of the driving member 204 with the engagement portion 306 prevents removal of the ramp 122 from the pallet 110 during unloading of cargo , inasmuch as the weight of the cargo will continuously press the engagement portion 306 against the driving member 204 , in turn forcing the fastener 305 to remain inserted in the locking receptacle 206 . the longitudinal force caused by urging the engagement portion 306 against the driving member 204 also urges the edge 126 of the ramp 122 into transverse alignment with the channel 116 formed in the pallet 110 . it will be noted that inasmuch as the pallet mounting bracket 140 is mounted on the upper surface 112 a of the pallet 110 in some embodiments , a ramp 122 engaging the bracket 140 will be alignable in most cases regardless of any crushing or distortion of the pallet 110 beneath the upper surface 112 a the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics . the described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive . the scope of the invention is , therefore , indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description . all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope .	8
fig1 is an exploded perspective view of an electronics assembly 10 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . in this example , assembly 10 comprises printed circuit board ( pcb ) layer 12 , nonconductive adhesive layer 14 , and a conductive support substrate or pallet 16 . pallet 16 is composed of a good electrical and thermal conductor , preferably a metal such as copper . printed circuit board layer 12 is attached to the conductive substrate 16 using the nonconductive adhesive 14 ( as shown in fig3 ). for example , a thermal set sheet epoxy 14 may be employed . the use of a thermal set nonconductive adhesive sheet ( or preform ) to attach a printed circuit board to a metal substrate is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 421 , 253 to daniel ash , jr ., issued jul . 16 , 2002 , the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . the pcb layer 12 includes various active and passive electronic components ( shown generally in fig4 ) and in one preferred embodiment may be a two sided pcb having electronic components and / or conductive traces on both sides ( as described in more detail in the &# 39 ; 253 patent ). some of these components will require electrical and / or thermal contact to the substrate . more particularly , in one preferred embodiment the assembly 10 is adapted for high power electronics applications , such as rf power amplifiers , and pcb layer 12 may further comprise a number of rf modules and discrete components . such power amplifier components may include output couplers , power resistors , active amplifier devices ( such as bipolar or ldmos power transistors ), emi shielding ( such as a ground plane in the circuit board , a shielding wall or lid ), and other components well known to those skilled in the art . the assembly 10 includes layer interconnect portions 20 which provide the desired electrical and / or thermal contact of the pcb layer 12 to the pallet 16 . these interconnect portions comprise via holes 22 for electrically and / or thermally interconnecting layers 12 and 16 and adjacent vent holes 32 ( interconnect portions 20 are illustrated in detail in fig2 and 3 ). the layers 12 and 14 are both illustrated in two sections providing respective spaces 30 , 38 which allow mounting of certain components such as power transistors , directly on the pallet 16 for better thermal dissipation . single piece layers 12 and 14 may also be employed , however , with the interconnect portions 20 providing the thermal coupling to pallet 16 or the layers 12 and 14 may have openings for mounting selected components directly on the pallet . the layers 12 , 14 , 16 may also have additional mounting holes 18 for structurally connecting the layers or coupling the pallet to a heat sink and / or to a lid . adhesive layer 14 further includes void spaces 24 aligned with the interconnect portions 20 . as shown in fig1 through 4 , void spaces 24 form a cavity in the electronics assembly 10 under both the via holes 22 and vent holes 32 through to pallet 16 . referring to fig2 and 3 the layer interconnect portions 20 will be described in more detail . fig2 is a top view of one of the layer interconnect portions 20 of electronics assembly 10 . cavity 24 is referenced by the dashed lines as physically beneath pcb layer 12 . fig3 is a cross sectional view of the interconnect portion 20 , taken along sectional line 3 - 3 . as shown in fig2 and 3 , the electrical and / or thermal contact to the substrate 16 is provided by metalized pad ( s ) 28 with plated via holes 22 and surface applied reflowed solder 26 . the metalized pads 28 are electrically coupled to traces on the pcb layer and / or are configured adjacent to and in electrical and / or thermal contact with selected electronic components on the pcb layer 12 ( as generally shown in fig4 ). as illustrated in fig3 , after assembly and curing the epoxy layer 14 has a first surface 34 coupled to the printed circuit board layer 12 and a second surface 36 coupled to the substrate 16 so that the epoxy layer is disposed between the printed circuit board 12 and the substrate . as shown , spaces 24 in the nonconductive adhesive sheet 14 are provided for making contact between the printed circuit board and the metal substrate with the reflowed solder 26 . the spaces 24 in the epoxy sheet 14 would normally create air tight voids 24 as may be seen from fig3 , which would prevent surface applied solder 26 from flowing into the hole 22 to make adequate contact with the substrate 16 due to increased pressure of air trapped in the void as the solder is heated . other gases and further backpressure may be created by the reflowed solder itself . to address this problem , vent hole 32 is provided in the pcb layer 12 adjacent to each via 22 and extending into void 24 . the via holes 22 and vent holes 32 may be provided in the pcb 12 through any of a variety of known techniques , including drilling , etching or during formation of the pcb material . the vent hole 32 may be provided either before or after assembly with the substrate 16 , prior to solder reflow processing , and may preferably be formed together with via hole 22 to facilitate alignment of the two holes in a closely spaced configuration . the vent hole 32 very effectively relieves gaseous backpressure in the void 24 , thereby allowing applied solder paste 26 to flow down through the vias 22 and connect the printed circuit board 12 to the substrate 16 as shown . alternatively , the metal plating 28 may be applied to vent hole 32 . in this approach the solder paste is applied to via hole 22 as before and upon heating flows down into void 24 and flows across the void to the vent hole to contact the plating 28 and electrically and thermally connect plating 28 and substrate 16 . in this embodiment the vent hole rather than the via hole acts as the electrical and / or thermal connection point . ( it will be readily appreciated that fig3 equally illustrates this alternate structure with reference numeral 22 now indicating the vent hole and reference numeral 32 the via hole , although in this embodiment the solder 26 may be localized mostly in the void 24 and not extend as far up toward the top surface of pcb layer 12 as is shown in fig3 ). in this embodiment the via hole 22 may be of larger diameter than the vent hole 32 to facilitate the solder flow and the two holes are preferably very closely spaced . also , the gas venting assists in the solder flow and this embodiment may enhance this effect making it a preferred approach for some applications . therefore , in either embodiment due to vent hole 32 , the desired good electrical and / or thermal contact to the substrate 16 is provided by the reflowed solder . in fig4 , an exemplary rf power amplifier circuit board assembly 40 of the present invention is illustrated . the illustrated assembly is highly schematic in nature as specific implementations will have a variety of layouts and components , as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art . the rf power amplifier circuit board assembly 40 comprises a printed circuit board 12 having interconnect portion ( s ) 20 ( as illustrated in fig2 and 3 ). further , rf power amplifier circuit board assembly 40 has one or more rf power transistors 44 and various other discrete components 42 , 43 mounted thereon . the rf power amplifier circuit board also includes conductive circuit traces 46 that interconnect discrete components and also provide a ground connection , as explained herein , to the pallet 16 through interconnect portions 20 . conductive traces 46 are shown on the top surface of pcb layer 12 in fig4 , for ease of illustration , but traces may also be configured on the bottom surface of pcb layer 12 as described in more detail in the &# 39 ; 253 patent . a ground plane layer may also be provided within layer 12 and this may also connect to ground traces 46 and the pallet 16 through interconnect portions 20 . also , interconnect portions 20 may be disposed adjacent selected electronic components to provide thermal coupling to the pallet 16 for “ hot spots ”, even where electrical connections are not needed ( as illustrated generally by component 43 and adjacent interconnect portion 20 ). the invention as illustrated herein additionally includes a method of assembling and interconnecting a pcb to a conductive substrate . the modifications to the method of assembly described in the above noted &# 39 ; 253 patent will be apparent from the above . a preferred embodiment of this method comprises assembling pcb 12 and substrate 16 using a nonconductive adhesive layer 14 , followed by reflowing solder through the via hole 22 in the pcb and the cavity 24 below the via hole 22 . more specifically the method comprises applying solder paste 26 to the via hole 22 from above using conventional techniques and heating the solder paste 26 to a temperature to provide reflow of the solder paste into the via hole . the vent holes 32 assist the reflow process by venting gases in the cavity 24 and relieving backpressure as described above . the solder paste thus flows from the upper surface of the printed circuit board 12 through the via hole 22 into cavity 24 to electrically connect to the conductive substrate 16 while substantially maintaining equalized pressure through the venting of the cavity 24 . other aspects and features of the method of the invention may incorporate additional teachings of the &# 39 ; 253 patent . for example , details on the provision of a suitable nonconductive adhesive layer 14 , such as a thermal set epoxy perform , and bonding of the layers using the adhesive , are disclosed in the &# 39 ; 253 patent and may be employed herein , as will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art . while various embodiments of the invention have been described , it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible that are within the scope of this invention . it is understood that such changes in the specific structure and method shown and described may be made within the scope of the claims , without departing from the spirit of the invention . also , nothing herein is intended to limit or waive the full scope of the meaning of the claims or limit in any way the scope of equivalents of the claims under the judicial doctrine of equivalents .	8
porous photo media , as opposed to traditional swellable polymer photo media , tends to allow for faster drying . as such , it is desired to develop dye - based inks that allow greater permanence with the porous photo media . however , as noted above , porous photo media are comprised of inorganic materials that , in conjunction with ozone gasses and light , interact with dyes such that the dyes fade and degrade . permanence , as used herein , refers in part to the ability of a dye to resist the interactions with light , ozone , temperature , and humidity that cause fading and degradation of the dye associated with the media . it has been found that a color inkjet ink comprised of a copper phthalocyanine dye having sulfonylamine groups , three co - solvents , a penetrant , and a wetting agent has an increased permanence when used with porous photo media . in exemplary embodiments , the inkjet ink may further be comprised of a biocide , such as , for example , proxel ® gxl ( available from arch chemicals , inc . of norwalk , conn .). in the various exemplary embodiments of the present invention , a copper phthalocyanine dye having sulfonylamine groups comprises about 3 . 0 % to about 6 . 0 % of the composition of the ink by weight . the sulfonylamine groups assist in enabling the cyan dye to be more stable to interactions with ozone . the a copper phthalocyanine dye having sulfonylamine groups may be selected from , for example , fuji projet ® cyan glf ( available from fujifilm imaging colorants limited ) or nippon cyan jpd lm - 1 liquid ( available from nippon kayaku co , ltd . of tokyo , japan ). the at least three co - solvents are selected from the group consisting of 1 , 3 - propanediol ; 1 , 2 - alkanediol ; 1 , 5 - pentanediol ; triethylene glycol ; and dipropylene glycol . in exemplary embodiments , at least two of the three co - solvents are alkanediols and the third co - solvent is a glycol . the penetrant is preferably about 1 . 0 % to about 3 . 5 % of the composition of the ink by weight . a exemplary penetrant is 1 , 2 - hexanediol . it is preferred that the wetting agent be of about 0 . 5 % to about 1 . 5 % by weight of the inkjet ink . in a more preferred embodiment , the non - ionic silicone surfactant is about 0 . 75 % by weight of the inkjet ink . exemplary wetting agents include polyoxyethylene dimethyl siloxanes , zonyl ® fluorosurfactants , and combinations thereof . a commercially available wetting agent is , for example , silwet ® l - 7600 ( polyalkylene oxide grafted polydimethylsiloxane from momentive performance ). the polymeric dispersant is preferably about 0 . 5 % to about 2 . 0 % by weight of the inkjet ink , and assists in stabilizing the carbon black pigment and buffering the ph of the inkjet ink . an optional polymeric dispersant can be added to assist in stabilizing the compatibility with a carbon black pigment ink in a cyan - magenta - yellow - black ( cmyk ) inset . when cmyk inks are printed in substantially close proximity to each other , each ink needs to be compatible and not destabilize adjacent inks . in the present exemplary embodiments , the cmy dye inks may be printed along with a black pigmented ink without destabilizing any of the cmy dye inks or the black pigmented ink due to the presence of the polymeric dispersant in the cmy dye inks . in exemplary embodiments of the present invention , the polymeric dispersant may be selected from dispersants set forth in , for example , any of u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 719 , 204 ; 5 , 994 , 427 ; 6 , 063 , 834 ; 6 , 267 , 807 ; 6 , 896 , 724 ; and 6 , 984 , 701 , all incorporated by reference . one or more buffers may also be included in the inkjet ink composition . exemplary embodiments of the one or more buffers include triethanolamine ( tea ), n , n - bis ( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) tuarine or n , n - bis ( 2 - hydroxyethyl )- 2 - aminoethane sulfonic acid ( bes ), or combinations thereof . several exemplary inkjet inks according to the present invention were formulated and evaluated using a standard printhead and porous photo paper in the form of perfectfinish glossy photo paper ( available from lexmark international , inc . of lexington , ky .). the same printing was conducted using a commercially available cyan dye - based inkjet ink . each ink was evaluated for its permanence against the effects of ozone and xenon light . in table 1 , the permanence of each dye - based ink on porous photo media is compared . the numbers shown represents the number of years of permanence according to the criteria of 40 % density loss and assuming the exposure level of 78 ppm - hr / yr for ozone and 1 . 1 mlux - hr / yr for light fade . as clearly illustrated above , the present cyan - dye based inkjet ink shows an improvement in permanence when exposed to ozone four times greater than that of commercially available cyan - dye inkjet inks undergoing the same exposure . when exposed to xenon light , the cyan inkjet ink of the present invention showed a permanence one and a half times greater than that of a commercially available cyan - dye inkjet ink . while this invention has been described with respect to at least one embodiment , the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure . this application is therefore intended to cover any variations , uses , or adaptations of the invention using its general principles . further , this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims .	2
example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings . with reference to fig1 - 5 a laryngoscope blade 10 according to the principles of the present disclosure will now be described . the laryngoscope blade 10 includes a blade body 12 . the blade body 12 can have a generally straight shape with a tip portion 14 having a curved shape , as best illustrated in the side view of fig3 . alternatively , it should be understood that the blade body 12 could be curved and the tip portion 14 can be generally straight . the side of blade body 12 can be contoured to have a recessed side surface 15 to facilitate insertion in the patient &# 39 ; s oral cavity and to provide greater clearance of the patient &# 39 ; s right lower molars . as shown in fig1 , the tip portion 14 of the blade 10 includes a movable tip extension 16 that is engaged by a flexible cable 18 . the flexible cable 18 is moved by a lever 20 pivotally attached to a proximal end of the blade body 12 . the movable tip extension 16 can be supported by a plurality of arcuate guide tracks 22 ( best shown in fig2 , 4 and 5 ) via guide pins 24 or another similar guide structure . the lever 20 serves as an actuating device for moving the flexible cable 18 and thereby driving the movable tip extension 16 simultaneously in both a forward and sideward direction along the arcuate guide tracks 22 during insertion in the patient &# 39 ; s throat . the tip portion 14 of the blade 10 can be brought adjacent to the patient &# 39 ; s epiglottis , and operation of the lever 20 causes the cable 18 to push the movable tip extension 16 in an arcuate path along the arcuate guide tracks 22 so that a finger portion 26 of the movable tip extension 16 gently engages the epiglottis and moves it to one side of the patient &# 39 ; s throat so as not to obstruct further insertion of the blade 10 and to allow unobstructed view of the trachea and insertion of an endotracheal tube . the finger portion 26 has a smooth arcuate side surface 28 that engages the epiglottis and gently pushes the epiglottis to one side as the movable tip extension is moved forward along the arcuate guide tracks 22 . the arcuate guide tracks 22 can have a t - shaped cross - section ( best shown in fig5 ). as shown in fig6 , the guide pins 24 of the movable tip extension 16 can have a shank portion 24 a and an enlarged head portion 24 b . the tip extension 16 has an attachment portion 29 for attachment to the cable 18 . the cable 18 is preferably flexible , yet rigid enough to allow the cable to push the tip extension 16 . the cable 18 can be made from plastic or metal or other materials , and can be received in guide members or channels 30 provided on the blade body 12 . the location of the flexible cable 18 , the lever 20 , and the connection of the flexible cable 18 with the tip extension 16 are all strategically placed to avoid contact with the patient &# 39 ; s soft tissue of the pharynx to provide a pinch - free design . in particular , the cable 18 and attachment of the cable 18 to the tip extension 16 are placed along an l - shaped channel between the blade body 12 and a reinforcing structure 31 on a back side of the blade body 12 . further , it should be understood that the guide tracks 22 can have a straight shape that is parallel to or angled relative to the axial length of the blade body 12 and that the side surface 28 of the movable tip extension can have various shapes to effect a sideward movement of the epiglottis when the movable tip extension is moved axially along the guide tracks . further , it should be understood that the guide tracks can be placed on the tip extension and the guide pins or other similar structure can be placed on the blade body . further alternative mechanisms such as linkages can be used for guiding the movable tip extension along a desired path for moving the epiglottis in a sideward direction . as shown in fig7 , a laryngoscope blade 110 can include a blade body 112 and a pivoting tip extension 116 attached to the blade body 112 by a pivot pin 118 . a pull cable 120 is attached to the tip extension 116 to cause pivoting movement of the tip extension 116 in the direction of arrow a . the pull cable 120 can be received in a guide channel 122 or guide loops . the pivoting movement of the tip extension 116 is in a laterally sideward direction relative to the generally planar tip 124 of the blade body . the tip extension 116 can include a protruding finger 126 that can engage the epiglottis and move it to a side when the tip extension 116 is pivoted . according to an alternative embodiment , as shown in fig8 , a laryngoscope 210 includes a blade body 212 having a tip portion 214 . a push / pull rod 216 is received in a retainer tube or guide loops 218 and can include a hinge point 220 and an extension portion 222 . the extension portion 222 is engaged by a guide loop 224 that is slidably engaged with a guide track 226 . accordingly , as the rod 216 is pushed , the extension portion 222 pivots about the hinge point 220 and moves in a sweeping sideward motion as the guide loop 224 moves along the guide track 226 in a forward diagonal direction . a stopper pin 228 can be attached to the rod 216 and when it engages the guide loop 224 initiates the guide loop 224 sliding along the guide track 226 to initiate the sideward motion . the use of an alternative driving mechanism other than the lever 20 , such as a push button or other actuating device such as a hydraulic , pneumatic , or electro - mechanical actuator , can also be utilized . the foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure . individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment , but , where applicable , are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment , even if not specifically shown or described . the same may also be varied in many ways . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure , and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure .	0
one aspect of the preset invention is drawn to a novel fluoro silicone acrylate conforming to the following structure : r 1 is —( ch 2 ) 2 —( cf 2 ) 8 — cf 3 r 2 is a is an integer ranging from 1 to 20 ; b is an integer ranging from 1 to 4 ; c is an integer ranging from 0 to 20 . the products of the present invention can be polymerized to make three distinct classes of products . the first conforming to the following structure : r 1 is —( ch 2 ) 2 —( cf 2 ) 8 — cf 3 r 2 is a is an integer ranging from 1 to 20 ; b is 1 ; c is 0 . this monomer features a high level of fluoro in the compound , has one functional group and therefore has no crosslinking and has no silicone units , that tend to dilute the fluoro concentration . compounds of this class are have a very low surface tension ( below 20 ), have fluoro polymer attributes and repel silicone oil and water . the most interesting products in this group are homo - polymers , that is products having no other monomers present . r 1 is —( ch 2 ) 2 —( cf 2 ) 8 — cf 3 r 2 is a is an integer ranging from 5 to 20 ; b is an integer ranging from 2 to 4 ; c is an integer ranging from 5 to 20 . this monomer features a high level of fluoro in the compound , has more than one functional group and therefore has crosslinking and also has silicone units , these monomers and polymers made there from tend to be used in hetero - polymers as modifiers to add a low surface energy coating to surfaces . they are fluoropiliic ( literally fluoro loving ) materials . r 1 is —( ch 2 ) 2 —( cf 2 ) 8 — cf 3 r 2 is a is an integer ranging from 1 to 5 ; b is an integer ranging from 1 ; c is an integer ranging from 10 to 20 . this monomer features a moderate level of fluoro in the compound , has one functional group and therefore has no crosslinking and has a high concentration of silicone units , that tend to dilute the fluoro concentration . compounds of this class have silicone like functionality , surface tension around 25 and have outstanding slip . these materials are siliphilic that is they have silicone like properties . another aspect of the compounds of the present invention are polymers conforming to the following structure : r 1 is —( ch 2 ) 2 — cf 2 ) 8 — cf 3 a is an integer ranging from 1 to 20 ; b is an integer ranging from 1 to 4 ; c is an integer ranging from 0 to 20 ; b is — c ( o ) or 3 r 3 is all having 4 to 20 carbon atoms ; x is an integer ranging from 1 to 100 ; y is an integer ranging from 0 to 100 ; z is an integer ranging from 50 to 50 , 000 . r 1 is —( ch 2 ) 2 —( cf 2 ) 8 — cf 3 r 2 is a is an integer ranging from 1 to 20 ; b is 1 ; c is an integer ranging from 0 . r 1 is —( ch 2 ) 2 —( cf 2 ) 8 — cf 3 r 2 is a is an integer ranging from 5 to 20 ; b is an integer ranging from 2 to 4 ; c is an integer ranging from 5 to 20 . in still another preferred embodiment the monomer conforms to the following structure : r 1 is —( ch 2 ) 2 —( cf 2 ) 8 — cf 3 r 2 is a is an integer ranging from 1 to 5 ; b is 1 c is an integer ranging from 10 to 20 . raw materials useful in the preparation of the compounds of the present invention are available from siltech llc and conform to the following structure : r 1 is —( ch 2 ) 2 —( cf 2 ) 8 — cf 3 r 3 is —( ch 2 ) 3 — oh a is an integer ranging from 1 to 20 ; b is an integer ranging from 1 to 4 ; c is an integer ranging from 0 to 20 . acrylic acid is an item of commerce and conforms to the following structure : to the specified number of grams of the specified hydroxy compounds ( examples 1 - 12 ) is added 186 grams of acrylic acid ( example 13 ). next is added 0 . 2 % by weight of dimethyltin dichloride / tetramethyldiacetoxydistannoxane , ( 2 : 1 ). the reaction mixture is then placed under vacuum and that vacuum relieved with nitrogen to remove traces of oxygen . the reaction mass is heated to 140 c and methanol distills off . there is a condenser placed in a vertical position above the reaction vessel . cooling water is used to control the temperature of the top of the column to insure methanol is distilled off . the heating is controlled keeping the temperature at the column head at 100 ° c . maximum . after about 8 hours the hydroxyl value is vanishingly low . the excess acrylic acid is removed by washing . the product is the oil phase . the polymers of the present invention are prepared by reacting acrylate monomers shown above , alone or in combination with other monomers , in a cosmetically acceptable solvent is used . by cosmetically acceptable is meant the solvent has no mal odor . finally a free radical initiator is added . free radical imitators are well known in the art . preferred initiators are selected from the group consisting of t - amyl peroctoate , benzoyl peroxide , azobisisobutrylnitrile and mixtures thereof . the contents were added to a reaction vessel , heated to 250 ° f . and reacted to greater than 99 . 8 % conversion . the contents were added to a reaction vessel , heated to 250 ° f . and reacted to greater than 99 . 8 % conversion . the contents were added to a reaction vessel , heated to 250 ° f . and reacted to greater than 99 . 8 % conversion . the contents were added to a reaction vessel , heated to 250 ° f . and reacted to greater than 99 . 8 % conversion . the contents were added to a reaction vessel , heated to 250 ° f . and reacted to greater than 99 . 8 % conversion . the contents were added to a reaction vessel , heated to 250 ° f . and reacted to greater than 99 . 8 % conversion . and reacted to greater than 99 . 8 % conversion . the contents were added to a reaction vessel , heated to 250 ° f . and reacted to greater than 99 . 8 % conversion . the contents were added to a reaction vessel , heated to 250 ° f . and reacted to greater than 99 . 8 % conversion . the contents were added to a reaction vessel , heated to 250 ° f . and reacted to greater than 99 . 8 % conversion . the contents were added to a reaction vessel , heated to 250 ° f . and reacted to greater than 99 . 8 % conversion . the contents were added to a reaction vessel , heated to 250 ° f . and reacted to greater than 99 . 8 % conversion . the contents were added to a reaction vessel , heated to 250 ° f . and reacted to greater than 99 . 8 % conversion . the contents were added to a reaction vessel , heated to 250 ° f . and reacted to greater than 99 . 8 % conversion . the contents were added to a reaction vessel , heated to 250 ° f . and reacted to greater than 99 . 8 % conversion . the contents were added to a reaction vessel , heated to 250 ° f . and reacted to greater than 99 . 8 % conversion . the contents were added to a reaction vessel , heated to 210 ° f . and reacted to greater than 99 . 8 % conversion . the contents were added to a reaction vessel , heated to 210 ° f . and reacted to greater than 99 . 8 % conversion . the contents were added to a reaction vessel , heated to 250 ° f . and reacted to greater than 99 . 8 % conversion . the contents were added to a reaction vessel , heated to 250 ° f . and reacted to greater than 99 . 8 % conversion . the contents were added to a reaction vessel , heated to 250 ° f . and reacted to greater than 99 . 8 % conversion . the contents were added to a reaction vessel , heated to 250 ° f . and reacted to greater than 99 . 8 % conversion . the contents were added to a reaction vessel , heated to 210 ° f . and reacted to greater than 99 . 8 % conversion . the contents were added to a reaction vessel , heated to 210 ° f . and reacted to greater than 99 . 8 % conversion . the residual monomers were determined by gas chromatography / mass spectroscopy . all polymers had residual monomer levels below 2000 ppm . the compounds of the present invention are silicone fluoro acrylates . they possess low surface tension ( below 25 dynes / cm2 ), they spread on surfaces to form oil resistant films . these properties make the compounds of the present invention useful in pigmented products like lipstick where they provide outstanding spread , uniformity of color and transfer resistance . prepare color grind in advance , by combining the oil and pigment with stirring . mill over a three roll mill until the agglomerates are reduced to under 10 μm . combine the waxes and oils in a closed kettle equipped with a high speed agitator and a side sweep mixer . heat to 95 - 100 ° c . with stirring until clear . add the biron lf - 2000 and the d ; 9051 / i . mill at high speed until dispersed . add the color grind . mill at high speed for one minute . stir batch , allowing it to cool to 70 ° c . drop the batch or proceed directly to fill into suitable hermetically sealed cases . additionally make up products benefit from the use of the compositions of the present invention . the incorporation of the compounds into make up products results in better dispersion of the pigment anf more stabe emulsions . heat ⅓ of water to 75 ° c . or higher . add polysurf with vigorous mixing and continue mixing until completely dispersed . add remaining water to mixture and allow to cool to 35 ° c . while continuing to mix . heat part c to 70 ° c . and mix until all solids are dissolved add part d to part c , maintain temperature of combined phase at 65 ° c . add part ab to part cd with high speed propeller mixer . while the illustrative embodiments of the invention have been described with particularity , it will be understood that various other modifications will be apparent to and can be readily made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , it is not intended that the scope of the claims appended hereto be limited to the examples and descriptions set forth hereinabove but rather that the claims be construed as encompassing all the features of patentable novelty which reside in the present invention , including all features which would be treated as equivalents thereof by those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains .	2
a preferred embodiment of this invention shown in fig1 and 3 comprises a main gear 2 rotated by a handle 1 , a base plate 4 and a cover 3 secured thereto . one end of a supporting shaft 5 is secured to the base plate 4 to rotatably support a hollow ratchet shaft 7 provided with an annular recess 8 on its inner surface . a compression spring 11 is interposed between a washer 9 rotatably mounted on the ratchet shaft 7 and a drag handle 10 threaded on the outer surface of the ratchet shaft 7 . thus , by rotating the drag handle 10 it is possible to adjust the friction between the washer 9 and the main gear 2 thereby controlling transmission , non - transmission of the torque or the amount thereof transmitted . in other words , these elements constitute a friction clutch . a reverse rotation is prevented by the pawl 13 which is pivotally mounted on the base plate 4 by a pin 12 which engages the periphery of the ratchet wheel . one end of a main rod 15 supporting a spool 14 is journalled in the cover 3 . a pinion 17 is mounted on the main rod 15 to be slidable in the axial direction . a coupling 16 is provided on one end of the main rod 15 so that when the pinion 17 is moved in the axial direction while engaging with the main gear 2 the coupling 16 couples the pinion 17 to the main rod 15 . a clutch for engaging and disengaging the coupling 16 comprises a clutch lever 18 having a semicircular portion 18a and arms 18b radially extending outwardly from the semicircular portion in opposite directions . the outer ends of the arms 18b are connected to the base plate 4 through connecting pins 19 and are normally urged towards the base plate by springs 20 . the semicircular portion 18a is received in an annular groove 17a provided for the pinion 17 . the clutch further comprises a clutch cam 21 including a cylindrical portion 21a having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the pinion 17 , a flange 21b on the outer end of the cylindrical portion 21a and radially projecting cams 21c formed on the flange 21b . the cylindrical portion 21a is fitted , through a bushing , into an opening 22 provided for the base plate 4 which is concentric with the main rod . the clutch cam 21 is connected by a pin 24 to one end 23 of an operating lever 23 and is rotatably pivoted to the cover 3 or the base plate 4 . the length of the cams 21c above the surface of flange 21b is slightly longer than that of the coupling 16 so that when the clutch cam 21 is rotated by the operating lever 23 so as to release the pinion 17 from the main rod 15 , the clutch lever 18 is moved against the force of the springs 20 . according to this invention , there is added a slider 25 connected to the pin 19 and a pin 26 secured to the base plate 4 through slots 25a to be movable in the vertical direction . a kick member 27 is rotatably mounted on the slider 25 through a pin 28 . a pawl 27b at one end of the kick member 27 is resiliently urged against the ratchet wheel 6 by a spring 31 provided between pin 29 affixed to the kick member 27 and the pin 30 projecting from the slider 25 . one end 32a of a fishing hook shaped kick lever 32 is pivotally connected to the clutch lever 18 through the pin 19 , while the other end 32b is provided with a slot 32b &# 39 ; to receive the pin 24 to which the clutch cam 21 and the operating lever 23 are pivotally connected . a slot 32c is provided for the kick lever 32 near the other end to slidably receive a guide pin 33 secured to the base plate 4 so as to perform a predetermined operation as will be described later . a receiving member 32d is provided for the base portion of the end 32a to be urged by an abutting member 27c projecting from the kick member 27 . this end 32a is also formed with a slot 32e to receive the pin 30 projecting from the slider 25 , the pin 30 anchors one end of the spring 31 . the operating lever 23 has an l shaped side surface and the bent portion thereof is pivotally connected to the base plate 4 through a pin 34 . the inner end of the operating member 23 is connected to the clutch cam 21 and the end 32b of the kick lever 35 to be snapped by a hair pin shaped spring 35 . it should be noted that the number of the teeth of the ratchet wheel is larger than that of the prior art . when the operating lever 23 is not depressed as shown in fig2 the cams 21c of the clutch cam 21 do not interfer with the clutch lever 18 so that the clutch lever 18 is urged towards the base plate 4 by the action of springs 20 . consequently , the pinion 17 is coupled to the main rod 15 through a coupler 16 , thus transmitting the torque to the spool 14 . thus , the spool 14 is rotated by the handle 1 to take up a fishing line . at this time , the kick lever 32 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction about pin 19 so that its lefthand end 32b is moved until pin 24 engages the upper end of the slot 32b &# 39 ;. consequently , pin 30 of slider 25 engaging the slot 32e is raised to shift upwardly the slider 25 together with the kick member 27 and the pawl 27b thereof is held at a position not interfering with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 6 . when the operating lever 23 is pushed down from the position shown in fig2 it is rotated in the counterclockwise direction about pin 34 against the force of the spring 35 . when the dead center of the spring is passed slightly the operating lever 23 is snapped to the position shown in fig3 . at this time , clutch cam 21 is rotated in a direction shown by an arrow a in fig3 to bring cams 21c to the rear side of the arms 18b of the clutch lever so as to move the clutch lever 18 together with the pinion towards right as viewed in fig1 against the force of the springs 20 by a distance corresponding to the height of the cam . as a consequence , the pinion 17 is disengaged from the coupling 16 thus releasing the main rod 15 and the pinion 17 . this is a state in which the torque of the handle is not transmitted to the spool 14 . at this time , the kick lever 32 is rotated in the clockwise direction about the pin 19 by the rotation of the operating lever 23 , the extent of rotation being limited by the length of the slot 32 c . consequently , the pin 30 is pushed down by slot 32e so that the slider 25 is slid downwardly together with the kick member 27 until the pawl 27b engages the ratchet wheel 6 . the kick member 27 is provided with a window 27a so that it can rotate without interferring with pin 26 carrying the slider 25 . accordingly , the kick member 27 can rotate under the force of the spring 31 . under the non - transmitting state described above , the spool 14 is free to rotate , thus when tension is applied to the fishing line by a hooked fish or weight the already taken up string can be freely paid out . when the handle 1 is rotated in the positive direction , the pawl 27b is pushed down by the rotation of the ratchet wheel 16 so that the kick member 27 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction about pin 28 against the tension of spring 31 . at this time , since the engaging member 27c raises the receiving member 32d , the kick lever 32 rotates in the counterclockwise direction about pin 11 thus moving the end 32b towards the left and rotating the operating lever 23 in the clockwise direction . consequently , the clutch cam 21 is rotated in a direction opposite to arrow a so that cams 21c are moved out from the rear side of the arms 18b of the clutch lever 18 . as a consequence , the clutch lever 18 is moved towards the base plate 4 together with the pinion 17 by the force of the spring 20 so that the pinion engages the coupler 16 to be coupled with the main rod 15 , thus rapidly establishing the torque transmitting state . as above described , with the clutch according to this invention , the transmitting and non - transmitting states of the torque from the handle to the spool can be quickly switched by pushing the operating lever and rotating the handle 1 in the position direction . more particularly , according to this invention , the kick member 27 is caused to engage the ratchet wheel for switching the state from non - transmitting to transmitting state by the positive rotation of the handle which is pivotally connected to the slider 25 which is mounted on the base plate 4 to be slidable in the vertical direction , and the kick member 27 and the slider 25 are operatively connected with the kick lever 32 interlocked with the operating lever 23 and the clutch cam 21 so that when the state is switched between torque transmission and non - transmission , the kick pawl 27 can move with the slider 25 in the vertical direction with respect to the ratchet wheel 6 . consequently , there is no fear of causing any tightening phenomenon between the teeth of the ratchet wheel and the pawl 27b , thus making smooth and accurate the switching between torque transmission and non - transmission states and avoiding damage of the ratchet wheel . consequently , the teeth of the ratchet wheel can engage the pawl 27b in any position . this enables an increase in the number of teeth of the ratchet wheel which not only makes the angle of positive rotation of the handle smaller at the time of switching but also makes the switching operation at the time of fishing quicker . the invention being thus described , it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention , and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims .	0
one skilled in the art can , based on the description herein , utilize the present invention to its fullest extent . the following specific embodiments are , therefore , to be construed as merely illustrations of the invention and are not meant to be construed as limiting the full scope of the invention . as is well known to those skilled in the art , the known and potential uses of somatostatin are varied and multitudinous . somatostatin and analogs thereof are known to be useful in the treatment of the diseases and / or conditions listed hereinbelow . the varied uses of somatostatin may be summarized as follows : cushings syndrome ( see clark , r . v . et al , clin . res . 38 , p . 943a , 1990 ); gonadotropinoma ( see ambrosi b ., et al ., acta endocr . ( copenh .) 122 , 569 - 576 , 1990 ); hyperparathyroidism ( see miller , d ., et al ., canad . med . ass . j ., vol . 145 , pp . 227 - 228 , 1991 ); paget &# 39 ; s disease ( see , palmieri , g . m . a ., et al ., j . of bone and mineral research , 7 , ( suppl . 1 ), p . s240 ( abs . 591 ), 1992 ); vipoma ( see koberstein , b ., et al ., z . gastroenterology , 28 , 295 - 301 , 1990 and christensen , c ., acta chir . scand . 155 , 541 - 543 , 1989 ); nesidioblastosis and hyperinsulinism ( see laron , z ., israel j . med . sci ., 26 , no . 1 , 1 - 2 , 1990 , wilson , d . c ., irish j . med . sci ., 158 , no . 1 , 31 - 32 , 1989 and micic , d ., et al ., digestion , 16 , suppl . 1 . 70 . abs . 193 , 1990 ); gastrinoma ( see bauer , f . e ., et al ., europ . j . pharmacol ., 183 , 55 1990 ); zollinger - ellison syndrome ( see mozell , e ., et al ., surg . gynec . obstet ., 170 , 476 - 484 , 1990 ); hypersecretory diarrhea related to aids and other conditions ( due to aids , see cello , j . p ., et al ., gastroenterology , 98 , no . 5 , part 2 , suppl ., a163 1990 ; due to elevated gastrin - releasing peptide , see alhindawi , r ., et al ., can . j . surg ., 33 , 139 - 142 , 1990 ; secondary to intestinal graft vs . host disease , see bianco j . a ., et al ., transplantation , 49 , 1194 - 1195 , 1990 ; diarrhea associated with chemotherapy , see petrelli , n ., et al ., proc . amer . soc . clin . oncol ., vol . 10 , p 138 , abstr . no . 417 1991 ); irritable bowel syndrome ( see o &# 39 ; donnell , l . j . d ., et al ., aliment . pharmacol . therap ., vol . 4 ., 177 - 181 , 1990 ); pancreatitis ( see tulassay , z ., et al ., gastroenterology , 98 , no . 5 , part 2 , suppl ., a238 , 1990 ); crohn &# 39 ; s disease ( see fedorak , r . n ., et al ., can . j . gastroenterology , 3 , no . 2 , 53 - 57 , 1989 ); systemic sclerosis ( see soudah , h ., et al ., gastroenterology , 98 , no . 5 , part 2 , suppl ., a129 , 1990 ); thyroid cancer ( see modigliani , e ., et al ., ann ., endocr . ( paris ), 50 , 483 - 488 , 1989 ); psoriasis ( see camisa , c ., et al ., cleveland clinic j . med ., 57 - no . 1 , 71 - 76 , 1990 ); hypotension ( see hoeldtke , r . d ., et al ., arch . phys . med . rehabil ., 69 , 895 - 898 , 1988 and kooner , j . s ., et al ., brit . j . clin . pharmacol ., 28 , 735p - 736p , 1989 ); panic attacks ( see abelson , j . l ., et al ., clin . psychopharmacol ., 10 , 128 - 132 , 1990 ); scierodoma ( see soudah , h ., et al ., clin . res ., vol . 39 , p . 303a , 1991 ); small bowel obstruction ( see nott , d . m ., et al ., brit . j . surg ., vol . 77 , p . a691 , 1990 ); gastroesophageal reflux ( see branch , m . s ., et al ., gastroenterology , vol . 100 , no . 5 , part 2 suppl ., p . a425 , 1991 ); duodenogastric reflux ( see hasler , w ., et al ., gastroenterology , vol . 100 , no . 5 , part 2 , suppl ., p . a448 , 1991 ); graves &# 39 ; disease ( see chang , t . c ., et al ., brit . med . j ., 304 , p . 158 , 1992 ); polycystic ovary disease ( see prelevic , g . m ., et al ., metabolism clinical and experimental , 41 , suppl . 2 , pp 76 - 79 , 1992 ); upper gastrointestinal bleeding ( see jenkins , s . a ., et al ., gut ., 33 , pp . 404 - 407 , 1992 and arrigoni , a ., et al ., american journal of gastroenterology , 87 , p . 1311 , ( abs . 275 ), 1992 ); pancreatic pseudocysts and ascites ( see hartley , j . e ., et al ., j . roy . soc . med ., 85 , pp . 107 - 108 , 1992 ); leukemia ( see santini , et al ., 78 , ( suppl . 1 ), p . 429a ( abs . 1708 ), 1991 ); meningioma ( see koper , j . w ., et al ., j . clin . endocr . metab ., 74 , pp . 543 - 547 , 1992 ); and cancer cachexia ( see bartlett , d . l ., et al ., surg . forum ., 42 , pp . 14 - 16 , 1991 ). the contents of the foregoing references are incorporated herein by reference . the peptides of the invention are useful as antagonists to the activity or activities of somatostatin . for example , the peptides of the invention can be used to promote the release of growth hormone or insulin in a subject ( e . g ., a mammal such as a human patient ). thus , the peptides are useful in the treatment of physiological conditions in which the promotion of the release of growth hormone or insulin is of benefit . the peptides of the invention can also be used in enhancing wound healing or promoting angiogenesis . further , peptides of the invention having a tyr ( 1 ) residue can be used to image cells containing somatostatin receptors . such peptides of the invention can be used either in vivo to detect cells having somatostatin receptors ( e . g ., cancer cells ) or in vitro as a radioligand in a somatostatin receptor binding assay . the peptide of the invention can also be used as vectors to target cells with radioactive isotopes . also contemplated within the scope of this invention is a peptide covered by the above generic formula for both use in treating diseases or disorders associated with the need to promote the release of growth hormone or insulin , and use in detecting somatostatin receptors , e . g ., radioimaging . a compound of formula ( i ) or a pharmaceutically - acceptable salt thereof can be administered by oral , parenteral ( e . g ., intramuscular , intraperitoneal , intravenous or subcutaneous injection , or implant ), nasal , vaginal , rectal , sublingual or topical routes of administration and can be formulated with pharmaceutically acceptable carriers to provide dosage forms appropriate for each route of administration . solid dosage forms for oral administration include capsules , tablets , pills , powders and granules . in such solid dosage forms , the active compound is admixed with at least one inert pharmaceutically acceptable carrier such as sucrose , lactose , or starch . such dosage forms can also comprise , as is normal practice , additional substances other than such inert diluents , e . g ., lubricating agents such as magnesium stearate . in the case of capsules , tablets and pills , the dosage forms may also comprise buffering agents . tablets and pills can additionally be prepared with enteric coatings . liquid dosage forms for oral administration include pharmaceutically acceptable emulsions , solutions , suspensions , syrups , the elixirs containing inert diluents commonly used in the art , such as water . besides such inert diluents , compositions can also include adjuvants , such as wetting agents , emulsifying and suspending agents , and sweetening , flavoring and perfuming agents . preparations according to this invention for parenteral administration include sterile aqueous or non - aqueous solutions , suspensions , or emulsions . examples of non - aqueous solvents or vehicles are propylene glycol , polyethylene glycol , vegetable oils , such as olive oil and corn oil , gelatin , and injectable organic esters such as ethyl oleate . such dosage forms may also contain adjuvants such as preserving , wetting , emulsifying , and dispersing agents . they may be sterilized by , for example , filtration through a bacteria - retaining filter , by incorporating sterilizing agents into the compositions , by irradiating the compositions , or by heating the compositions . they can also be manufactured in the form of sterile solid compositions which can be dissolved in sterile water , or some other sterile injectable medium immediately before use . compositions for rectal or vaginal administration are preferably suppositories which may contain , in addition to the active substance , excipients such as coca butter or a suppository wax . compositions for nasal or sublingual administration are also prepared with standard excipients well known in the art . the dosage of active ingredient in the compositions of this invention may be varied ; however , it is necessary that the amount of the active ingredient be such that a suitable dosage form is obtained . the selected dosage depends upon the desired therapeutic effect , on the route of administration , and on the duration of the treatment . generally , dosage levels of between 25 μg / kg / day to 100 mg / kg / day of body weight daily are administered as a single dose or divided into multiple doses to humans and other animals , e . g ., mammals , to obtain the desired therapeutic effect . a preferred general dosage range is 250 μg / kg / day to 5 . 0 mg / kg / day of body weight daily which can be administered as a single dose or divided into multiple doses . further , a compound of formula ( i ) can be administered in a sustained release composition such as those described in the following patents . among those formulations , 14 - day or 28 - day slow release formulations will be preferred . u . s . pat . no . 5 , 672 , 659 teaches sustained release compositions comprising a peptide and a polyester . u . s . pat . no . 5 , 595 , 760 teaches sustained release compositions comprising a peptide in a gelable form . u . s . pat . no . 5 , 821 , 221 teaches polymeric sustained release compositions comprising a peptide and chitosan . u . s . pat . no . 5 , 916 , 883 teaches sustained release compositions comprising a peptide and cyclodextrin . international patent application no . pct / us99 / 01180 , ( publication no . wo 99 / 38536 , aug . 5 , 1999 ), teaches absorbable sustained release compositions of a peptide . the contents of the foregoing patents and applications are incorporated herein by reference . the use of immediate or of sustained release compositions depends on the type of indications targeted . if the indication consists of an acute or over - acute disorder , a treatment with an immediate form will be preferred over the same with a prolonged release composition . on the contrary , for preventive or long - term treatments , a prolonged release composition will generally be preferred . the nomenclature for the somatostatin receptor subtypes is in accordance with the recommendations of iuphar , in which sstr 4 refers to the receptor originally cloned by bruno et al ., and sstr 5 refers to the receptor cloned by o &# 39 ; carroll et al . abbreviations of the common amino acids are in accordance with the recommendations of iupac - iub . further , as used herein the definitions for certain abbreviations are as follows : abu = α - aminobutyric acid ; aib = α - aminoisobutyric acid ; β - ala = β - alanine ; amp = 4 - amino - phenylalanine ; ava = 5 - aminovaleric acid ; cha = cyclohexylalanine ; cpa = 3 -( 4 - chlorophenyl ) alanine ; dab = 2 , 4 - diaminobutyric acid ; dap = 2 , 3 - diaminopropionic acid ; dip = 3 , 3 ′- diphenylalanine ; gaba = γ - aminobutyric acid ; hser = homoserine ; 1 - nal = 3 -( 1 - naphthyl ) alanine ; 2 - nal = 3 -( 2 - naphthyl ) alanine ; nle = norleucine ; nva = norvaline ; 2 - pal = 3 -( 2 - pyridyl ) alanine ; 3 - pal = 3 -( 3 - pyridyl ) alanine ; 4 - pal = 3 -( 4 - pyridyl ) alanine ; tfm = trifluoromethyl ; and tfma = 4 - trifluoromethylphenyl - alanine . tyr ( i )= an iodinated tyrosine residue ( e . g ., 3 - 1 - tyr , 5 - 1 - tyr , 3 , 5 - i - tyr ) wherein the iodine may be a radioactive isotope , e . g ., i 125 , i 127 , or i 131 . with the exception of the n - terminal amino acid , all abbreviations ( e . g ., cpa for a 1 ) of amino acids in this disclosure stand for the structure of — nh — ch ( r )— co —, wherein r is the side chain of an amino acid ( e . g ., ch 3 for ala ). for the n - terminal amino acid , the abbreviation stands for the structure of ( r 1 r 2 )— n — ch ( r )— co —, wherein r is a side chain of an amino acid and each of r 1 and r 2 is independently h or as otherwise defined herein . an aliphatic amino acid is an a - amino acid having one or two side chains which , independently , are hydrocarbons , e . g ., a straight or branched chain of 1 - 6 carbons . examples of aliphatic amino acids include ala , aib , val , leu , tle , ile , nle , nva , or abu . what is meant by “ aromatic α - amino acid ” is an amino acid residue of the formula where z 1 is a moiety containing an aromatic ring and z 2 is hydrogen or a moiety containing an aromatic ring . examples of such aromatic ring - containing moieties include , but are not limited to , a benzene or pyridine ring and the following structures with or without one or more substituent x on the aromatic ring ( where x is , independently for each occurrence , halogen , no 2 , ch 3 , och 3 , cf 3 , or oh ): other examples of an aromatic α - amino acid of the invention are substituted his , such as mehis , his ( τ - me ), or his ( π - me ). as used herein , “ alkyl ” is intended to include those alkyl groups of the designated length in either a straight or branched configuration . exemplary of such alkyl groups are methyl , ethyl , propyl , isopropyl , butyl , sec - butyl , tertiary butyl , pentyl , isopentyl , hexyl , isohexyl and the like . when the term c 0 - alkyl is included in a definition it is intended to denote a single covalent bond . the term “ lower alkyl ” is intended to include both branched and straight - chain alkyl groups having 1 - 6 carbon atoms . as used herein , “ aryl ”, is intended to include any stable monocyclic , bicyclic , or tricyclic carbon ring ( s ) of up to 7 members in each ring , wherein at least one ring is aromatic . examples of aryl groups include phenyl , naphthyl , anthracenyl , biphenyl , tetrahydronaphthyl , indanyl , phenanthrenyl , and the like . the term “ heterocyclyl ”, as used herein , represents a stable 5 - to 7 - membered monocyclic or stable 8 - to 11 - membered bicyclic or stable 11 - 15 membered tricyclic heterocyclic ring which is either saturated or unsaturated , and which consists of carbon atoms and from one to four heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of n , o , and s , and including any bicyclic group in which any of the above - defined heterocyclic rings is fuised to a benzene ring . the heterocyclic ring may be attached at any heteroatom or carbon atom which results in the creation of a stable structure . examples of such heterocyclic elements include , but are not limited to ,. azepinyl , benzimidazolyl , benzisoxazolyl , benzofurazanyl , benzopyranyl , benzothiopyranyl , benzofuryl , benzothiazolyl , benzothienyl , benzoxazolyl , chromanyl , cinnolinyl , dihydrobenzofuryl , dihydrobenzothienyl , dihydrobenzothiopyranyl , dihydrobenzothio - pyranyl sulfone , furyl , imidazolidinyl , imidazolinyl , imidazolyl , indolinyl , indolyl , isochromanyl , isoindolinyl , isoquinolinyl , isothiazolidinyl , isothiazolyl , isothiazolidinyl , morpholinyl , naphthyridinyl , oxadiazolyl , 2 - oxoazepinyl , 2 - oxopiperazinyl , 2 - oxopiperidinyl , 2 - oxopyrrolidinyl , piperidyl , piperazinyl , pyridyl , pyridyl n - oxide , quinoxalinyl , tetrahydrofuryl , tetrahydroisoquinolinyl , tetrahydroisoquinolinyl , tetrahydro - quinolinyl , thiamorpholinyl , thiamorpholinyl sulfoxide , thiazolyl , thiazolinyl , thienofuryl , thienothienyl , thienyl , and the like . the term “ substituted ” is meant to include the recited chemical group ( e . g ., lower alkyl , aryl , cycloalkyl , etc .) substituted with one or more of the recited substituents ( e . g ., halo , hydroxy , lower alkyl , etc .). the substituent may be attached to any atom in the chemical group . the abbreviation “ nme ” stands for “ n - methyl -”. as used herein nme indicates that the amide nitrogen of the associated amino acid is methylated . thus , “ nmecpa ” indicates — n ( ch 3 )— ch ( r )— co — where r is 4 - chlorophenyl , “ nme2 - nal ” indicates — n ( ch 3 )— ch ( r )— co — where r is 2 - naphthyl , and so forth . the term alkoxy is intended to include those alkoxy groups of the designated length in either a straight or branched configuration . exemplary of such alkoxy groups are methoxy , ethoxy , propoxy , isopropoxy , butoxy , isobutoxy , tertiary butoxy , pentoxy , isopentoxy , hexoxy , isohexoxy and the like . the term halogen or halo is intended to include the halogen atoms fluorine , chlorine , bromine and iodine . when the amino acid residue is optically active , it is the l - form that is intended unless the d - form is expressly designated . 4 - methylbenzhydrylamine hydrochloride resin ( 0 . 25 or 0 . 5 mequiv g − 1 ) was obtained from advanced chemtech inc ., louisville , ky . n α tert - butyloxycarbonyl ( boc ) protected amino acids were purchased from bachem inc ., torrance , calif ., advanced chemtech inc ., and synthetech inc ., albany , oreg . the reactive side - chains of the amino acids were masked with one of the following groups : cys , 4 - methylbenzyloxycarbonyl ; lys , 2 - chlorobenzyloxycarbonyl ; thr , o - benzyl ; tyr , o - 2 , 6 - dichlorobenzyl . all reagents and solvents were acs grade or better and used without further purification . the compounds of formula ( i ) can be and were synthesized on 4 - methylbenzhydrylamine functionalized , 1 % cross - linked polystyrene resin ( 0 . 25 or 0 . 5 mequiv g − 1 ), in 0 . 25 mmol scale on an advanced chemtech ( model 200 ) synthesizer , using the following protocol : deblocking , 40 % tfa ( 2 min , 20 min ); dcm wash cycle ( three washes ); neutralization , 10 % diea ( 1 min , 5 min ); dmf wash cycle ; dcm wash cycle ( two washes ); double coupling ; first with 1 , 3 - diisopropyl carbodiimide esters ( 3 equiv . ), 30 min in dcm ; dcm wash ( three washes ); second coupling with preformed tbtu esters ( 3 equiv . ), 90 min in dmf , with a catalytic amount of diea ; dmf wash ( one wash ); dcm wash ( three washes ). coupling reactions are monitored qualitatively . after deblocking the amino group at the desired methylation site , the resin was suspended in dcm ( 20 ml ). to this suspension , collidine ( 3 equiv .) and o - nitrobenzenesulfonyl chloride ( 3 equiv .) are added and the mixture was shaken using advanced chemtech ( model 200 ) synthesizer for 2 h . then the resin was subjected to dcm wash ( 2 washes ) and dmf wash ( 3 washes ). protection is monitored qualitatively by the ninhydrin test . the o - nitrobenzenesulfonamide protected resin was suspended in dmf ( 20 ml ), to which mtbd ( 3 equiv .) and methyl 4 - nitrobenzenesulfonate or dimethyl sulfate ( for cys 11 ) was added . the mixture was shaken using advanced chemtech ( model 200 ) synthesizer for 0 . 5 h and the resin was subjected to dmf wash ( 4 washes ). once the desired residue was methylated , the resin was again suspended in dmf ( 20 ml ). dbu ( 3 equiv .) and 2 - mercaptoethanol ( 3 equiv .) were added to the suspension and the mixture was agitated for 0 . 5 h in advanced chemtech ( model 200 ) synthesizer . the resin was then thoroughly washed with dmf ( 5 washes ). the foregoing methylation procedure worked well for all residues except for d - cys 6 , which resulted in dimethylated derivatives , ( see , e . g ., compounds 2 and 10 .) however replacement of d - cys 6 with cys 6 gave monomethylated peptides . the peptides were cleaved from the resin support with simultaneous side - chain deprotection by acidolysis using anhydrous hydrogen fluoride containing the scavenger anisole (˜ 30 % v / v ) for 45 min at 0 ° c . the peptides were cyclized in 90 % acetic acid (˜ 600 ml ) with a slight excess of 12 ( 15 min ). excess i 2 was then removed by the addition of ascorbic acid . the crude peptides were purified by preparative rp - hplc on c - 18 bonded silica gel using axial compression columns ( dynamax - 300 å , 5 or 8 μm , 21 . 4 × 250 mm ). a linear gradient elution system at a flow rate of 20 ml min − 1 was employed : a ; 0 . 1 % tfa , b ; 0 . 1 % tfa in 80 % mecn , 20 % b to 50 % b at 1 % min − 1 . the separations were monitored by analytical rp - hplc at 215 nm . the fractions containing the product were pooled , concentrated in vacuo and subjected to lyophilization . each peptide was obtained as a fluffy white powder of constant weight by lyophilization from aqueous acetic acid . the purity of the final peptides was assessed at 215 nm by analytical rp - hplc . analytical rp - hplcs were recorded using a vydac c - 18 support ( 4 . 6 × 250 mm , 5 μm , 300 å pore size , liquid separations group ). the - linear gradient system was used at a flow rate of 1 . 5 ml min − 1 : hplc - 1 , a , 0 . 1 % tfa ; b , 0 . 1 % tfa in 80 % mecn ; 20 % b to 50 % b at 1 % min − 1 ; hplc - 2 , c , 5 % mecn in teap ( 0 . 1 m , ph 3 ); d , 20 % c in mecn , 10 % d to 70 % d at 1 % min − 1 . column eluent was monitored at 215 nm . the retention time and purity of each peptide was assessed by the rainin dynamax hplc method manager . each peptide was found to have a purity of & gt ; 98 %. the hplc retention time results are given in table 1 . the peptides were hydrolyzed in vacuo ( 110 ° c . ; 20 h ) in 4 m methanesulfonic acid containing 0 . 2 % 3 -( 2 - aminoethyl ) indole . ( pierce ). amino acid analyses were performed on the hydrolyzates following derivatization with o - phthalidaldehyde reagent ( sigma chemical co .) using an automatic hplc system ( rainin instrument co .) fitted with a 100 × 4 . 6 mm , 3 μm c18 axial compression column with integral guard column ( microsorb aaanalysis ™, type o ; rainin instrument co .) the derivatized primary amino acids were eluted using a binary gradient of buffer a ; 0 . 10 m sodium acetate containing 4 . 5 % v / v methanol and 0 . 5 % v / v tetrahydrofuran at ph 7 . 2 and buffer b ; methanol . the gradient sequence ; 0 % a at 0 min ; 35 % a at 16 . 5 min ; 90 % a at 30 min and 90 % a at 33 min is used with a flow rate of 1 . 0 ml min − 1 at ambient temperature . eluent is monitored at 340 nm and integrated by the dynamax hplc method manager ( rainin ). standard retention times were as follows : asp , 6 . 6 min ; arg , 19 . 9 min ; trp , 25 . 4 min and lys , 29 . 5 min . each peptide of table i produced the expected analytical results for the primary amino acids . cysteine is not quantified . the peptides were analyzed by matrix - assisted laser desorption / ionization time - of - flight mass spectrometry using a lasermat 2000 mass spectrometer ( thermal bioanalysis , san jose , calif .) using α - cyano - 4 - hydroxycinnamic acid as the matrix with substance p ( 1348 . 7 da ) as an internal standard . in each case , the spectra consisted of a major m - h + ion peak for the internal standard , the expected analyte m - h + peak , and a few peaks associated with the matrix (& lt ; 500 da ). the results are given in table 1 . anterior pituitaries from adult male rats were collected and dispersed by a previously described trypsin / dnase method . ( murphy , w . a . ; taylor , j . ; moreau , j .- p . and coy , d . h ., peptide res . 1989 , 2 , 128 - 132 .) the dispersed cells were diluted with sterile - filtered dulbecco &# 39 ; s modified eagle medium ( mem , gibco laboratories , grand island , n . y . ), which was supplemented with 2 . 5 % fetal calf serum ( gibco ), 3 % horse serum ( gibco ), 10 % fresh rat serum ( stored on ice for no longer than 1 h ) from the pituitary donors , 1 % mem nonessential amino acids ( gibco ), gentamycin ( 10 ng ml − 1 ; sigma ) and nystatin ( 10 , 000 u ml − 1 ; gibco ). the cells were randomly plated at a density of approximately 200 , 000 cells / well ( costar cluster 24 ; rochester scientific co ., rochester , n . y .). the plated cells were maintained in the above dulbecco &# 39 ; s medium in a humidified atmosphere of 95 % air / 5 % co 2 at 37 ° c . for 4 - 6 days . in preparation for a hormone challenge , the cells were washed with medium 199 ( gibco , 3 × 1 ml ). each dose of a compound of this invention ( 6 doses / plate ) was tested in triplicate wells in the presence of 1 nm srif in a total volume of 1 nl medium 199 containing 1 % bsa ( fraction v ; sigma chemical co .). all wells contained ghrh ( 1 - 29 ) nh 2 ( 1 nm ). a ghrh ( 1 - 29 ) nh 2 ( 1 nm ) stimulated control group and an srif ( 1 nm ) with ghrh ( 1 - 29 ) nh 2 ( 1 nm ) inhibited control group were included on each cell culture plate . after 3 h incubation in an air / carbon dioxide atmosphere ( 95 / 5 %, 3 h at 37 ° c . ), the medium was removed and stored at − 20 ° c . until assayed for hormone content . growth hormone in media was measured by a standard double antibody ria using components generously supplied by dr . a . f . parlow at the national hormone and pituitary program ( nhhp ) torrance , calif . antagonist ic 50 &# 39 ; s versus srif ( 1 nm ) were calculated using sigmaplot ( jandel scientific , san rafael , calif .). values are expressed as the mean ic 50 ( nm )± sem and are given in table 2 . the genomic clones containing the human somatostatin receptors ( hsstr 1 - 5 ) ( yamada , y ., et al . al ., proc . natl . acad . sci . usa . 1992 , 89 , 251 - 255 ; yasuda , k ., et al ., j . biol . chem . 1992 , 267 , 20422 - 20428 ; yamada , y ., et al ., mol . pharmacol . 1992 , 42 , 2136 - 2142 ; rohrer , l ., et al ., proc . natl . acad . sci . usa . 1993 , 90 , 4196 - 4200 . ), were kindly provided by dr . graeme i . bell ( university of chicago ). the hsstr 1 , hsstr 2 , hsstr 3 , hsstr 4 and hsstr 5 cdnas were isolated as a 1 . 5 - kb psti - xmni fragment , 1 . 7 - kb bamhi - hindiii fragment , 2 . 0 - kb ncoi - hindiii fragment , 1 . 4 - kb nhei - ndei fragment , and a 1 . 2 - kb hindiii - xbai fragment , respectively , each containing the entire coding region of the full - length receptors . these fragments were independently subdloned into the corresponding restriction endonuclease sites in the mammalian expression vector pcmv5 , downstream from the human cytomegalovirus ( cmv ) promoter , to produce the expression plasmids pcmv5 / hsstr 1 , pcmv5 / hsstr 2 , pcmv5 / hsstr 3 , pcmv5 / hsstr 4 and pcmv5 / hsstr 5 . for transfection into cho - k1 cells , a plasmid , prsv - neo ( american type culture collection , rockville , md . ), carrying the neomycin mammalian cell selectable marker was added . transfections were performed by the calcium phosphate method . cho - k1 cells are maintained in α - minimum essential medium ( α - mem ; gibco ) supplemented with 10 % fetal calf serum and transfected with each of the expression plasmids using calcium phosphate precipitation . clones that had inherited the expression plasmid were selected in α - mem supplemented with 500 μg ml − 1 of geneticin ( g418 ; gibco ). independent cho - k1 clones were picked by glass - ring cloning and expanded in culture in the selective media . membranes were prepared from the isolated clones and hsstr expression was initially assessed for binding with [ 125 i ] tyr ” 1 - srif and [ 125 ] imk - 678 ( for sstr 2 ). cell membranes of the 5 receptor types were obtained from homogenates ( polytron setting 6 , 15 sec ) of the corresponding cho - k1 cells , in ice - cold tris - hcl ( 50 mm ) and centrifuged ( 39000 g , 10 min × 2 ), with an intermediate resuspension in fresh buffer . the final pellets are resuspended in tris - hcl ( 10 mm ) for assay . aliquots of the membranes are incubated ( 30 min at 37 ° c .) with 0 . 05 nm [ 125 i ] tyr 11 - srif ( types 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 ) or [ 125 i ] mk - 678 ( type 2 ) in 50 mm hepes ( ph 7 . 4 ) containing bsa ( 10 mg ml − 1 ); mgcl 2 ( 5 mm ), trasylol ( 200 kiu ml − 1 ), bacitracin ( 0 . 02 mg ml − 1 ), and phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride ( 0 . 02 mg ml − 1 ). the final assay volume is 0 . 3 ml and incubations are terminated by rapid filtration through gf / c filters pre - soaked in 0 . 3 % o poly ( ethylenimine ) using a brandel rapid filtration module . each tube and filter is then washed with aliquots of cold buffer ( 3 × 5 ml ). specific binding is . defined as the total radioligand bound minus that bound in the presence of 1 . 0 μm srif . the following total radioligand binding and non - specific binding ( nsb ) values are typically obtained with these assay systems : hsstr 1 , 7000 cpm total versus 3500 cpm nsb ; hsstr 2 , 9000 cpm total versus 1000 cpm nsb ; hsstr 3 , 8000 cpm total versus 1000 cpm nsb ; hsstr 4 , 6000 cpm total versus 3500 cpm nsb ; and hsstr 5 , 7500 cpm total versus 3500 cpm nsb . the binding affinities are expressed as k i values ± sem ( nm ) for each of the five receptor subtypes and are given in table 2 . cho - k1 cells , expressing the human sst5 receptor , were harvested by incubating in a 0 . 3 % edta / phosphate buffered saline solution ( 25 ° c . ), and washed twice by centrifugation . the washed cells were resuspended in hank &# 39 ; s — buffered saline solution ( hbss ) for loading of the fluorescent ca 2 + indicator fura - 2am . cell suspensions of approximately 10 6 cells / ml were incubated with 2 μm fura - 2am for 30 min at about 25 ° c . unloaded fura - 2am was removed by centrifugation twice in hbbs , and the final suspensions were transferred to a spectrofluorometer ( hitachi f - 2000 ) equipped with a magnetic stirring mechanism and a temperature - regulated cuvette holder . after equilibration to 37 ° c ., the somatostatin peptides were added for measurement of intracellular ca 2 + mobilization . the excitation and emission wavelengths were 340 and 510 nm , respectively . exemplary data appears in fig1 which depicts results from the immediately foregoing assay using analog 5 as the test compound . molecular modeling was performed on a silicon graphics indigo 2 high impact 10000 computer , using sybyl molecular modeling software , version 6 . 6 , ( tripos associates inc ., st . louis mo ., usa ), with the kollman all atom force field . ( weiner , s . j ., et al ., j . comp . chem . 1986 , 7 , 230 - 252 .) the pdb files for the three solution nmr structures of the initial compound sandostatin / octreotide ; d - phe 5 - c [ cys 6 - phe 7 - d - trp 8 - lys 9 - thr 10 - cys 11 ]- thr 12 - ol ( 1soc and 2soc ) were obtained from the pdb database . these structures were imported into sybyl 6 . 6 and mutated to form the n - methylated compounds based on analog 9 . the koliman partial atomic charges were loaded from the monomer dictionary . the structures were optimized by annealing the mutated residue and then by full energy minimization using the conjugate gradient algorithm to a final root mean square ( rms ) gradient of ≦ 0 . 01 kcal molå − 1 . a distance - dependent dielectric function ( mccammon , j . a ., et al ., biochem . 1979 , 18 , 927 - 942 ) was employed together with the default settings for all the other minimization options . the results are detailed in table 3 . it is to be understood that while the invention has been described in conjunction with the detailed description thereof , that the foregoing description is intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of the invention , which is defined by the scope of the appended claims . other aspects , advantages , and modifications are within the claims .	0
reference numeral 10 in fig1 schematically depicts a diamond having a crown 12 , a girdle 14 , and a pavilion 16 . the girdle 14 is a peripheral band between the crown and the pavilion and , in the preferred embodiment , an identifying indicium or mark 18 is formed on the girdle . the mark 18 can be a machine - readable indicium , such as a one - or a two - dimensional bar code symbol , or can be a human - readable indicium , such as an alphabetical and / or numerical indicium , or can be a logo or image , for example , a certification mark of quality or of source of origin . the mark is permanent and is substantially imperceptible to the naked eye , although clearly visible under magnification such as by a ten power loupe . in accordance with this invention , the mark is formed as follows : first , as depicted in fig2 a generally planar stencil 20 having cutouts 22 is mounted on the girdle . one or both sides of the stencil may bear an adhesive layer to adhere the stencil in place on the girdle . the cutouts 22 have the same pattern as the mark 18 . the manufacture of the stencil is preferably performed not by the jeweler or ultimate user , but instead , by an authorized stencil supplier who has the facilities and equipment to make the stencil with the cutouts . thus , a jeweler may pre - order a supply of apertured stencils , for example , with sequential numbers in a series , or with a logo , from the stencil supplier . with the supply of apertured stencils on hand at the jeweler &# 39 ; s premises , the jeweler selects a stencil and applies it along the girdle of a gemstone to be marked . preferably , the stencil has an adhesive surface that adheres to the girdle . next , the cutouts of the stencil are filled with a fusible coating or layer 24 , preferably of a high melting point material or mixture having a melting point exceeding that of the gemstone , e . g ., diamond , to be marked . preferably , the high melting point material is a metal such as tungsten , or a metal oxide material , or a ceramic material , or an alloy of such materials . the material layer may be sprayed , painted , dusted , or otherwise applied over the stencil to fill each cutout . the material layer 24 is preferably covered with a cover layer 26 that is preferably light - transmissive . the jeweler then heats the material layer 24 , typically by directing a source of radiant energy , such as a laser 28 , at the cover layer 26 . the laser 28 emits a laser beam 30 that is directed to the cover layer 26 . the cover layer 26 , if present , simply allows the emitted laser beam 30 to pass therethrough . the material layer 24 is heated and alters the girdle in dependence upon the energy level of the laser beam as adjusted by an energy controller 32 . at a relatively low energy level as depicted in fig3 a , the material layer 24 forms a raised bump and is fused with concomitant sublimation of the material layer 24 to the girdle 14 which may have cracks or fractures under the bump . a gel may be applied over the bump to help secure its position . at a medium energy level as depicted in fig3 b , there is concomitant sublimation of the material layer 24 . the heat is so intense that a cavity 34 is formed in the girdle , and the material layer 24 flows into , is fused to , and substantially fills the cavity until its upper surface is generally flush with the outer surface of the girdle . at the highest energy level as depicted in fig3 c , a much larger cavity or crater 36 is formed by the heat from the laser beam 30 , and the material layer 24 flows into , is fused to , and substantially lines or coats the interior surface of the crater . in all cases , the fused material layer 24 has a marking pattern which matches the shape of the cutouts which , of course , matches the shape of the identifying indicia or mark 18 desired . the radiant energy source is preferably a laser , such as an excimer laser , but can by any type of laser or even a radio frequency or microwave source of radiation . when tungsten is used for the material layer , the material layer 24 turns black after exposure to the radiation . the black or dark - colored layer 24 presents a sharp contrast against the essentially colorless diamond . other colors are obtainable when different metal oxide materials are used in the material layer . rather than using a stencil , an entire exterior surface portion of the girdle can be applied or coated with the material layer 24 , and be overcoated with the optional cover layer 26 . thereupon , as shown in fig4 the laser beam 30 and / or the girdle 14 can be moved in the directions of the four - headed arrows 38 to directly trace the pattern of the indicia on the girdle surface portion . as before , the laser beam heats the material layer 24 at each spot where the laser beam impinges on the material layer , preferably after being focused by a focusing lens 40 . the energy level of the laser beam dictates whether the girdle surface is altered as shown in fig3 a , b or c . once the gemstone is marked , a final heating step by baking the gemstone in an oven , or by exposing the gemstone to a finishing laser , may be needed . the next step is to clean the gemstone , preferably in an acetone or acid wash . if a stencil is used , it is removed before cleaning . the resulting marked gemstone conforms to that shown in fig1 . the marking can be performed on any outer surface of the gemstone , and not necessarily on the girdle . the gemstone need not necessarily be a diamond . thus , marking is achieved at a jeweler &# 39 ; s premises . the skill involved in applying a stencil , then applying the high melting point material layer , then heating the material layer , and cleaning the marked gemstone , or alternatively , the skill involved in applying the material layer without a stencil , is well within the expertise of the jeweler . it will be understood that each of the elements described above , or two or more together , also may find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above . while the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a gemstone marking system and method , it is not intended to be limited to the details shown , since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention . without further analysis , the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can , by applying current knowledge , readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that , from the standpoint of prior art , fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and , therefore , such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims .	1
all buffers , solutions or procedures without explicit reference can be found in standard textbooks , for example current protocols of immunology ( 1997 and 1999 ) or sambrook et al ., 1989 . where not given otherwise , all materials were purchased from sigma , deisenhofen , de , or merck , darmstadt , de , or sources are given in the literature cited . hybridoma cell lines lb3 . 1 and l243 were obtained from lgc reference materials , middlesex , uk ; data on antibody 8d1 were generously supplied by dr . matyas sandor , university of michigan , madison , wis ., usa . to demonstrate that we could identify cytotoxic antigen - binding domains of human composition , we first prepared a purified form of a human antigen , the human mhc class ii dr protein ( dra * 0101 / drb1 * 0401 ) from the dr - homozygous b - lymphoblastoid line priess cells ( gorga et al ., 1984 ; gorga et al ., 1986 ; gorga et al ., 1987 ; stem et al ., 1992 ) and the human - mouse chimeric molecule dr - ie from the transfectant m12 . c3 . 25 ( ito et al ., j . exp . med . 183 : 2635 - 2644 , 1996 ) by using standard methods of affinity purification ( gorga et al ., 1984 ) as follows . first , priess cells ( ecacc , salisbury uk ) were cultured in rpmi and 10 % fetal calf serum ( fcs ) using standard conditions , and 10 10 cells were lysed in 200 ml phosphate buffered saline ( pbs ) ( ph 7 . 5 ) containing 1 % np - 40 ( bdh , poole , uk ), 25 mm iodoacetamide , 1 mm phenylmethylsulfonylfluoride ( pmsf ) and 10 mg / l each of the protease inhibitors chymostatin , antipain , pepstatin a , soybean trypsin inhibitor and leupeptin . the lysate was centrifuged at 10 , 000 × g ( 30 minutes , 4 ° c .) and the resulting supernatant was supplemented with 40 ml of an aqueous solution containing 5 % sodium deoxycholate , 5 mm iodoacetamide and 10 mg / l each of the above protease inhibitors and centrifuged at 100 , 000 × g for two hours ( 4 ° c .). to remove material that bound non - specifically and endogenous antibodies , the resulting supernatant was made 0 . 2 mm with pmsf and passed overnight ( 4 ° c .) through a rabbit serum affigel - 10 column ( 5 ml ; for preparation , rabbit serum ( charles river , wilmington , mass ., usa ) was incubated with affigel 10 ( biorad , munich , de ) at a volume ratio of 3 : 1 and washed following manufacturer &# 39 ; s directions ) followed by a protein g sepharose fast flow column ( 2 ml ; pharmacia ) using a flow rate of 0 . 2 ml / min . second , the pre - treated lysate was batch incubated with 5 ml protein g sepharose fast flow beads coupled to the murine anti - hla - dr antibody lb3 . 1 ( obtained by protein g - sepharose ff ( pharmacia ) affinity chromatography of a supernatant of hybridoma cell line lb3 . 1 ) ( stern et al ., 1993 ) overnight at 4 ° c . using gentle mixing , and then transferred into a small column which was then washed extensively with three solutions : ( 1 ) 100 ml of a solution consisting of 50 mm tris / hcl ( ph 8 . 0 ), 150 mm nacl , 0 . 5 % np - 40 , 0 . 5 % sodium deoxycholate , 10 % glycerol and 0 . 03 % sodium azide at a flow rate of 0 . 6 ml / min ). ( 2 ) 25 ml of a solution consisting of 50 mm tris / hcl ( ph 9 . 0 ), 0 . 5 m nacl , 0 . 5 % np - 40 , 0 . 5 % sodium deoxycholate , 10 % glycerol and 0 . 03 % sodium azide at a flow rate of 0 . 9 ml / min ; ( 3 ) 25 ml of a solution consisting of 2 mm tris / hcl ( ph 8 . 0 ), 1 % octyl - β - d - glucopyranoside , 10 % glycerol and 0 . 03 % sodium azide at a flow rate of 0 . 9 ml / min . third , mhc class ii dr protein ( dra * 0101 / drb1 * 0401 ) was eluted using 15 ml of a solution consisting of 50 mm diethylamine / hcl ( ph 11 . 5 ), 150 mm nacl , 1 mm edta , 1 mm egta , 1 % octyl - β - d - glucopyranoside ( alexis corp ., lausen , ch ), 10 % glycerol , 10 mm iodoacetamide and 0 . 03 % sodium azide at a flow rate of 0 . 4 ml / min . 800 μl fractions were immediately neutralised with 100 μl 1m tris / hcl ( ph 6 . 8 ), 150 mm nacl and 1 % octyl - β - d - glucopyranoside . the incubation of the lysate with lb3 . 1 - protein g sepharose fast flow beads was repeated until the lysate was exhausted of mhc protein . pure eluted fractions of the mhc class ii dr protein ( as analyzed by sds - page ) were pooled and concentrated to 1 . 0 - 1 . 3 g / l using vivaspin concentrators ( greiner , solingen , de ) with a 30 kda molecular weight cut - off . approximately 1 mg of the mhc class ii dr preparation was re - buffered with pbs containing 1 % octyl - β - d - glucopyranoside using the same vivaspin concentrator to enable direct coupling of the protein to biacore cm5 chips . since the important biological activities of anti - dr mabs , e . g ., inhibition of cd4 t cell — antigen presenting cell ( apc ) interaction and tumoricide activity are associated with specificity for the first , n - terminal domains of dr molecules ( vidovic , d . et al ., 1995 , eur . j . immunol . 25 : 3349 - 3355 ), we used purified dr molecules as well as human - murine chimeric mhc - ii molecules ( dr first domains grafted onto a murine class ii molecule , see ito , k . et al ., 1996 , j . exp . med . 183 : 2635 - 2644 ) for screening the human combinatorial antibody library ( hucal ®) by alternating whole cell panning with protein solid - phase - panning . we identified certain antigen binding antibody fragments ( in this case , scfvs ) of human composition ( ms - gpc - 1 / scfv - 17 , ms - gp - 6 / scfv - 8a , ms - gpc - 8 / scfv - b8 , ms - gpc - 10 / scfv - e6 , etc ., see fig1 and 2 ) against the human antigen ( dra * 0101 / drb1 * 0401 ) from a human antibody library based on a novel concept that has been recently developed ( knappik et al ., 2000 ). a consensus framework resulting in a total of 49 different frameworks here represents each of the vh - and vl - subfamilies frequently used in human immune responses . these master genes were designed to take into account and eliminate unfavorable residues promoting protein aggregation as well as to create unique restriction sites leading to modular composition of the genes . in hucal - scfv , both the vh - and vl - cdr3 encoding regions of the 49 master genes were randomized . the hucal - scfv ( knappik et al ., 2000 ) library , cloned into a phagemid - based phage display vector pmorph13_scfv ( see fig1 ), in e . coli tg - 1 was amplified in 2 × ty medium containing 34 μg / ml chloramphenicol and 1 % glucose ( 2 × ty - cg ). after helper phage infection ( vcsm13 ) at 37 ° c . at an od 600 of about 0 . 5 , centrifugation and resuspension in 2 × ty / 34 μg / ml chloramphenicol / 50 μg / ml kanamycin / 0 . 1 mm iptg , cells were grown overnight at 30 ° c . phage were peg - precipitated from the supernatant ( ausubel et al ., 1998 ), resuspended in pbs / 20 % glycerol and stored at − 80 ° c . phage amplification between two panning rounds was conducted as follows : mid - log phase tg1 - cells were infected with eluted phage and plated onto lb - agar supplemented with 1 % of glucose and 34 μg / ml of chloramphenicol . after overnight incubation at 30 ° c . colonies were scraped off , adjusted to an od 600 of 0 . 5 and helper phage added as described above . wells of maxisorp ™ microtiter plates ( nunc , roskilde , dk ) were coated with mhc - class ii dra * 0101 / drb1 * 0401 ( prepared as above ) dissolved in pbs ( 2 μg / well ). after blocking with 5 % non - fat dried milk in pbs , 1 - 5 × 10 12 hucal - scfv phage purified as above were added for 1 h at 20 ° c . after several washing steps , bound phages were eluted by ph - elution with 100 mm triethylamine and subsequent neutralization with 1 m tris - cl ph 7 . 0 . three rounds of panning were performed with phage amplification conducted between each round as described above . three rounds of panning and phage amplification were performed as described in 2 . 3 . and 2 . 2 . with the exception that in the second round between 1 × 10 7 and 5 × 10 7 priess cells in 1 ml pbs / 10 % fcs were used in 10 ml falcon tubes for whole cell panning . after incubation for 1 h at 20 ° c . with the phage preparation , the cell suspension was centrifuged ( 2 , 000 rpm for 3 min ) to remove non - binding phage , the cells were washed three times with 10 ml pbs , each time followed by centrifugation as described . phage that specifically bound to the cells were eluted off by ph - elution using 100 mm hcl . alternatively , binding phage could be amplified by directly adding e . coli to the suspension after triethlyamine treatment ( 100 mm ) and subsequent neutralization . clones obtained after three rounds of solid phase panning ( 2 . 3 ) or mixed solid phase / whole cell panning ( 2 . 4 ) were screened by facs analysis on priess cells for binding to hla - dr on the cell surface . for expression , the scfv fragments were cloned via xbai / ecori into pmx7_fs as expression vector ( see fig1 ). expression conditions are shown below in example 3 . 2 aliquots of 10 6 priess cells were transferred at 4 ° c . into wells of a 96 - well microtiter plate . scfv in blocking buffer ( pbs / 5 % fcs ) were added for 60 min and detected using an anti - flag m2 antibody ( kodak ) ( 1 : 5000 dilution ) followed by a polyclonal goat anti - mouse igg antibody - r - phycoerythrin - conjugate ( jackson immunoresearch , west grove , pa ., usa , cat . no . 115 - 116 - 146 , f ( ab ′) 2 fragment ) ( 1 : 200 dilution ). cells were fixed in 4 % paraformaldehyde for storage at 4 ° c . 10 4 events were collected for each assay on the facs - calibur ( bd immunocytometry systems , san jose , calif ., usa ). only fifteen out of over 500 putative binders were identified which specifically bound to priess cells . twelve scfv - s also bound to the chimeric mhc - ii molecule , but showed no reactivity to either i - ed ( the murine part of chimeric mhc - ii27 ), or unrelated proteins , such as lysozyme , transferrin , bovine serum albumine and human gamma globuline ( fig1 ), indicating that they were specific for the first domains of dr molecules . some of these clones were further analysed for their immunomodulatory ability and for their killing activity as described below . table 1 contains the sequence characteristics of clones ms - gpc - 1 ( scfv - 17 ), ms - gpc - 6 ( scfv - 8a ), ms - gpc - 8 ( scfv - b8 ) and ms - gpc - 10 ( scfv - e6 ) identified thereby . the vh and vl families and the cdr3s listed refer to the hucal consensus - based antibody genes as described ( knappik et al ., 2000 ); the sequences of the vh and vl cdrs are shown in table 1 , and the full sequences of the vh and vl domains are shown in fig1 . the fine specificity of scfv - s was tested on a panel of dr - homozygous typing cells , and mhc - ii transfectants . ten of 12 scfv - s reacted with all major allelic froms of dr represented in the cell panel ( dr1 through 14 ), and 4 of 12 recognized additional mhc - ii molecules ( drw52 and w53 , dp and dq molecules ; fig2 ). thus , these antibodies potentially could be used widely as therapeutic agents across human populations virtually irrespective of polymorphic differences in mhc - ii molecules . most importantly , four of the 12 hits exhibited strong tumor killing activity , when cross - linked with anti - tag antibody ( see fig2 , in bold ). the monovalent fragments were not tumoricidal , corresponding to previous observations ( vidovic , d . et al ., 1995 , eur . j . immunol . 25 : 3349 - 3355 ). since the tumoricidal hits had modest affinities ( k d - s ranging from 346 nm to 81 μm in single chain fv ( scfv ) format ), they were subjected to “ in vitro affinity maturation ”. the parental scfv - s were first converted into fab format that is less prone to aggregation and hence should give more reliable k off values . the fab - fragment antigen binding polypeptides ms - gpc - 1 - fab / 17 - fab , ms - gp - 6 - fab 18a - fab , ms - gpc - 8 - fab / b8 - fab and ms - gpc - 10 - fab / e6 - fab were generated from their corresponding scfv fragments as follows . both heavy and light chain variable domains of scfv fragments were cloned into pmx9_fab ( fig1 ), the heavy chain variable domains as mfei / styi - fragments , the variable domains of the kappa light chains as ecorv / bsiwi - fragments . the lambda chains were first amplified from the corresponding pmorph13_scfv vector as template with pcr - primers crt5 ( 5 ′ primer ) and crt6 ( 3 ′ primer ), wherein crt6 introduces a unique draiii restriction endonuclease site . the pcr product is cut with ecorv / draiii and cloned into pmx9_fab ( see fig1 ). the fab light chains could be detected with a polyclonal goat anti - human igg antibody - r - phycoerythrin - conjugate ( jackson immunoresearch , west grove , pa ., usa , cat . no . 109 - 116 - 088 , f ( ab ′) 2 fragment ) ( 1 : 200 dilution ). 3 . 2 . expression and purification of hucal - antibody fragments in e . coli expression in e . coli cells ( jm83 ) of scfv and fab fragments from pmx7_fs or pmx9_fab , respectively , were carried out in one litre of 2 × ty - medium supplemented with 34 μg / ml chloramphenicol . after induction with 0 . 5 mm iptg ( scfv ) or 0 . 1 mm iptg ( fab ), cells were grown at 22 ° c . for 12 hours . cell pellets were lysed in a french press ( thermo spectronic , rochester , n . y ., usa ) in 20 mm sodium phosphate , 0 . 5 m nacl , and 10 mm imidazole ( ph 7 . 4 ). cell debris was removed by centrifugation and the clear supernatant filtered through 0 . 2 μm pores before subjecting it to strep tag purification using a streptactin matrix and purification conditions according to the supplier ( iba gmbh , göttingen , germany ). purification by size exclusion chromatography ( sec ) was performed as described by rheinnecker et al . ( 1996 ). the apparent molecular weights were determined by sec with calibration standards and confirmed in some instances by coupled liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry ( toplab gmbh , martinsried , germany ). in order to optimize certain biological characteristics of the hla - dr binding antibody fragments , one of the fab fragments , ms - gpc - 8 - fab / b8 - fab , was used to construct a library of fab antibody fragments by replacing the parental vl λ1 chain by the pool of all lambda chains λ 1 - 3 randomized in cdr3 from the hucal library ( knappik et al ., 2000 ). in the first round of optimization , both h - cdr2 - and l - cdr3 - sequences of clones ms - gpc - 1 / scfv - 17 , ms - gpc - 6 / scfv - 8a , ms - gpc - 8 / scfv - b8 and ms - gpc - 10 / scfv - e6 were randomized by substituting the parental sequence with randomized trim ®- based oligonucleotide - cassettes ( virnekäs et al ., 1994 ) leading to four different libraries with 7 . 6 × 10 6 to 1 . 0 × 10 7 primary transformants . for generation of h - cdr2 and l - cdr1 - libraries : trinucleotide - containing oligonucleotides starting from o - methyl trinucleotide phosphoramidites ( virnekäs 1994 ) were synthesized as described ( knappik et al ., 2000 ). the vh2 - cdr2 - design comprised an oligonucleotide encoding for 16 amino acids which was randomized with up to 19 different amino acids ( all except for cystein ) at the following positions ( from n - to c - terminus ; amino acid - diversity and ratios in % are given in parentheses ): position - 1 ( 19 ), - 2 ( 40 % v / 20 % d , f , n ), - 3 ( 40 % v / 20 % d , v , n ), - 4 ( 19 ), - 5 ( 19 ), - 6 ( d ), - 7 ( 19 ), - 8 ( k ), - 9 ( 19 ), - 10 ( y ), - 11 ( 70 % s / 30 % g ), - 12 ( 50 % p / 50 % t ), - 13 ( s ), - 14 ( l ), - 15 ( k ), - 16 ( s ). for the l - cdr1 of the lambda - 1 - framework two different oligonucleotides ( termed as a and b ) were designed to encode : a ) position - 1 ( s ), - 2 ( g ), - 3 ( s ), - 4 ( 19 ), - 5 ( s ), - 6 ( 80 % n / 10 % d , k ), - 7 ( i ), - 8 ( g ), - 9 ( 19 ), - 10 ( 19 ), - 11 ( 19 ), - 12 ( v ), - 13 ( 19 ); b ) position 1 ( 50 % s , t ), - 2 ( g ), - 3 ( s ), - 4 ( 80 % s / 20 % n ), - 5 ( s ), 6 ( n ), - 7 ( 1 ), - 8 ( g ), - 9 ( 19 ), - 10 ( 19 ), - 11 ( 19 ), - 12 ( 19 ), - 13 ( v ), - 14 ( 19 ). the oligonucleotide for the cdr1 of lambda - 2 framework was designed to encode : position - 1 ( 19 ), - 2 ( g ), - 3 ( s ), - 4 ( 89 % s / 20 % t ), - 5 ( s ), - 6 ( d ), - 7 ( 80 % v , 20 % 1 ), - 8 ( g ), ) - 9 ( 19 ), - 10 ( y ), - 11 ( 19 ), - 12 ( 19 ), - 13 ( v ), - 14 ( 19 ). for framework lambda 3 the following cdr1 - design was made : position - 1 ( 33 % g , q , s ), - 2 ( g ), - 3 ( 50 % d , n ), - 4 ( 19 ), - 5 ( 50 % l , i ), - 6 ( 33 % g , p , r ), - 7 ( 19 ), - 8 ( 19 ), - 9 ( 19 ), - 10 ( 50 % a , v ), - 11 ( 19 ). all cassettes were introduced into a promoter - less derivative of pmorph4 ( pack et al ., in preparation ). for all subsequent affinity - maturations the respective h - cdr2 or l - cdr1 - cassettes were derived from those plasmids using the respective flanking restriction - nuclease sites as described ( knappik et al ., 2000 ). prior to cloning of different libraries for affinity maturation all parental scfv were converted into the fab - format following the standard conversion protocol ( krebs et al ., 2001 ) for the modular hucal ®- library . based on each of the 4 parental fabs 17 , 8a , b8 and e6 ( all h2 lambdal ) a sub - library was constructed exhibiting a repertoire of different l - cdr3 - and h - cdr2 - cassettes . first cloning step included the substitution of the parental xbai / draiii - fragment of fabs 17 , b8 , and e6 by a mix of corresponding fragments of all 3 v lambda consensus - genes encoding a repertoire of 5 . 7 × 10 6 different l - cdr3 cassettes . library - sizes for all 3 parental clones were in the range of 5 . 1 - 6 . 0 × 10 6 transformants . these libraries were then used to introduce different h - cdr2 - library cassettes via substitution of the xhoi / eagi - fragments . final library sizes resulted in up to 1 . 2 × 10 7 transformants including 78 % correct clones based on dna - sequence analysis . in case of 8a the l - cdr3 optimization was performed by exchanging the parental xbai / bsiwi - fragment for the corresponding hucal - scfv kappa3 sublibrary fragments . as before , this library was then used to insert different hcdr2 - cassettes via the xho / bsshii - fragment . library sizes were in the range of 1 . 7 × 10 6 cfu after l - cdr3 - and 1 . 0 × 10 7 cfu after h - cdr2 - cassette insertion including at least 65 % correct clones according to dna - sequence analysis . a fifth library has been constructed based on a consensus - sequence within h - cdr3 of binders 17 , b8 and e6 . for this purpose parental fab b8 has been chosen to randomize several positions within h - cdr3 by insertion of a synthetic trim - oligonucleotide comprising the following h - cdr3 - design from n - to c - terminus : position 1 ( all = all except c ), - 2 ( all ), - 3 ( all ), - 4 ( 25 % of y / w / f / h ), - 4 ( r ), - 5 ( g ), - 6 ( 50 % g / a ), - 7 ( 50 % f / l ), - 8 ( all ). final library size was in the range of 6 . 8 × 10 6 different transformants comprising 63 % correct clones after sequence analysis . l - cdr1 - libraries were generated based on a pool of 20 different fab - clones derived from the combined light - chain - and h - cdr2 - based - optimization . equimolar amounts of vector dna from each parental clone was mixed after removal of the ecorv / bpuai - insert and religated by insertion of the corresponding fragments encoding a repertoire of different l - cdr1 - cassettes . final library - sizes were in the range of 4 . 2 × 10 8 cfu . since clones 17 , b8 and e6 exhibited a consensus - motif in h - cdr3 , a fifth library was constructed based on the parental clone b8 , in which several h - cdr3 positions were randomized while keeping the consensus motif constant . the latter library termed b8m gave rise to 6 . 8 × 10 6 initial transformants . all libraries were subjected to either two rounds of standard solid - phase panning on purified dr , or a solid phase and a whole cell panning . several panning - parameters including decreasing amounts of antigen ( 500 ng and 250 ng / well purified protein , see schier et al ., 1996a and 1996b ), or increasing concentrations of nh 4 scn ( 50 mm , 250 mm , 500 mm in pbs ) ( hall and heckel 1988 ; macdonald . 1988 ; goldblatt 1993 ; ferreira & amp ; katzin 1995 ), or increasing the numbers of wash - cycles ( chen 1999 ; low 1996 ) were applied in the second panning - round to enhance panning - stringency and hence the probability of selecting high affinity fabs . phage - antibodies derived from the first round of a manual solid - phase - panning on 250 and 500 ng / well purified hla - protein , respectively , were pooled and used for the second panning round on either 12 ng / well purified protein according to a standard protocol ( krebs et al ., 2001 ), or on 250 ng coated antigen in combination with an additional 30 min incubation - step of different amounts of ammonium - isothiocyanate ( 50 mm , 250 mm , 500 mm and in pbs ) inbetween the standard wash - protocol ( 5 × tbst short and 5 × tbst for 5 min at room temperature ) and the elution step ( 100 mm glycine - hcl / 500 mm nacl , ph 2 . 2 ). alternatively , the second panning round was performed on different amounts of priess - cells ranging from 10 1 - 10 5 cells / well according to a standard whole - cell - panning - protocol ( krebs et al ., 2001 ). fab - clones for k off rankings were selected only from those panning wells which prior to and after treatment show a significant drop in phage - titer and thus indicating a maximum in bound phages at the highest panning - stringency . for example , the fab fragment ms - gpc - 8 - fab / b8 - fab ( see 3 . 1 ) was cloned via xbai / ecori from pmx9_fab_gpc - 8 into pmorph18_fab , a phagemid - based vector for phage display of fab fragments , to generate pmorph18_fab_gpc - 8 ( see fig1 ). a lambda chain pool comprising a unique draiii restriction endonuclease site ( knappik et al ., 2000 ) was cloned into pmorph18_fab_gpc - 8 cut with nsii and draiii ( see vector map of pmorph18_fab_gpc - 8 in fig1 ). the resulting fab optimization library was screened by two rounds of panning against mhc - class ii dra * 0101 / drb1 * 0401 ( prepared as above ) as described in 2 . 3 with the exception that in the second round the antigen concentration for coating was decreased to 12 ng / well . facs identified optimized clones as described above in 2 . 5 . finally , 12 fabs with improved k off values were selected from the b8 , b8m and 8a libraries . the best clone identified ( ms - gpc - 8 - 17 / 7ba ) had a k d of about 58 nm , corresponding to a 5 - fold affinity improvement compared to the best unoptimized clone ms - gpc - 8 / b8 ( table 3e ). libraries 17 , e6 and 8a did not yield many clones with improved k off values . binders selected from the b8 library showed different l - cdr3 - sequences , but all maintained the parental h - cdr2 - sequence ( knappik et al ., 2000 ), suggesting that the latter is critical for antibody - antigen interaction . for further affinity - improvement , we focussed on binders from the b8 and b8m library . seven of these clones , ms - gpc - 8 - 1 , ms - gpc - 8 - 6 , ms - gpc - 8 - 9 , ms - gpc - 8 - 10 , ms - gpc - 8 - 17 / 7ba , ms - gpc - 8 - 18 and ms - gpc - 8 - 27 , were further characterized and showed cell killing activity as found for the starting fragment ms - gpc - 8 / b8 . table 1 contains the sequence characteristics of ms - gpc - 8 - 1 , ms - gpc - 8 - 6 , ms - gpc - 8 - 9 , ms - gpc - 8 - 10 , ms - gpc - 8 - 17 / 7ba , ms - gpc - 8 - 18 and ms - gpc - 8 - 27 . the vh and vl families and the cdr3s listed refer to the hucal consensus - based antibody genes as described ( knappik et al ., 2000 ). the full sequences of the vh and vl domains of ms - gpc - 8 - 6 , ms - gpc - 8 - 10 , ms - gpc - 8 - 17 / 7ba and ms - gpc - 8 - 27 are shown in fig1 . the optimized fab forms of the anti - hla - dr antibody fragments ms - gpc - 8 - 6 and ms - gpc - 8 - 17 showed improved characteristics over the starting ms - gpc - 8 / b8 . for example , the ec 50 of the optimized antibodies was 15 - 20 and 5 - 20 nm ( compared to 20 - 40 nm for ms - gpc - 8 / b8 , where the concentration is given as the concentration of the bivalent cross - linked fab dimer ), and the maximum capacity to kill mhh - call 4 cells determined as 76 and 78 % for ms - gpc - 8 - 6 and ms - gpc - 8 - 17 ( compared to 65 % for ms - gpc - 8 ) respectively . in the second round , l - cdr1 - optimization is performed . the l - cdr1 library was generated from a pool of the 20 best fab clones , of which 16 ( including 7ba ) derived from the l - cdr3 optimization and 4 from the h - cdr3 optimization . to force off - rate selection , prolonged wash cycles and competing antigen were applied to the pool - library . specifically , the vl cdr1 regions of a set of anti - hla - dr antibody fragments derived from ms - gpc - 8 / b8 ( including ms - gpc - 8 - lo and ms - gpc - 8 - 27 ) were optimized by cassette mutagenesis using trinucleotide - directed mutagenesis ( virnekäs et al ., 1994 ). in brief , a vλ1 cdr1 library cassette was synthesized containing six randomized positions ( total variability : 7 . 43 × 10 6 ), and was cloned into a vλ1 framework . the cdr1 library was digested with ecorv and bbsi , and the fragment comprising the cdr1 library ligated into the lambda light chains of the ms - gpc - 8 - derived fab antibody fragments in pmorph18_fab ( as described above ), digested with ecorv and bbsi . the resulting library was screened as described above . the pool - library was subjected to two rounds of standard manual solid - phase panning using decreasing amounts of antigen ( 250 ng and 7 . 5 ng / well purified protein ) or increasing concentrations of nh 4 scn ( 100 mm , 500 mm and 2500 mm ), using either 2 - fold serial dilutions of purified hla - protein between 250 ng and 7 . 5 ng / well , or alternatively , constant amounts of 250 ng / well of protein in combination with an additional 30 min incubation step of different amounts of ammonium - isothiocyanate ( 100 mm , 500 mm and 2500 mm ) between the standard wash - protocol and the elution step . in order to enforce off - rate - selection an additional manual solid - phase - panning of 3 selection rounds was performed with the pool - library using 250 ng / well of coated hla - protein in combination with longer washes ( starting from 6 × 30 min in the first up to 24 × 30 min in the 3 rd panning - round ) and including different amounts of competing antigen ( from 20 nm up to 500 nm ) in the wash - buffer . this strategy yielded fabs with affinities of ˜ 3 nm ( table 3e ). ten clones were identified as above by binding specifically to hla - dr ( ms - gpc - 8 - 6 - 2 , ms - gpc - 8 - 6 - 19 , ms - gpc - 8 - 6 - 27 , ms - gpc - 8 - 6 - 45 , ms - gpc - 8 - 6 - 13 / 305d3 , ms - gpc - 8 - 6 - 47 , ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 / 1c7277 , ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 7 , ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 10 & amp ; ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 / 1d09c3 ) and showed cell killing activity as found for the starting fragments ms - gpc - 8 , ms - gpc - 8 - 10 and ms - gpc - 8 - 27 . table 1 contains the sequence characteristics of ms - gpc - 8 - 6 - 2 , ms - gpc - 8 - 6 - 19 , ms - gpc - 8 - 6 - 27 , ms - gpc - 8 - 6 - 45 , ms - gpc - 8 - 6 - 13 , ms - gpc - 8 - 6 - 47 , ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 , ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 7 , ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 10 & amp ; ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 . the vh and vl families and the cdr3s listed refer to the hucal consensus - based antibody genes as described ( knappik et al ., 2000 ), the full sequences of the vh and vl domains of ms - gpc - 8 - 6 - 13 , ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 and ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 are shown in fig1 . from these 10 clones , four fab fragments were chosen ( ms - gpc - 8 - 6 - 2 , ms - gpc - 8 - 6 - 13 / 305d3 , ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 / 1c7277 and ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 / 1d09c3 ) as demonstrating significantly improved ec 50 of cell killing as described in example 10 . table 1 shows the sequences of clones optimised at the cdr1 region . optimisation procedures not only increased the biological efficacy of anti - hla - dr antibody fragments generated by the optimisation process , but a physical characteristic — affinity of the antibody fragment to hla - dr protein — was also substantially improved . for example , the affinity of fab forms of ms - gpc - 8 / b8 and its optimised descendents was measured using a surface plasmon resonance instrument ( biacore , upsala sweden ) according to example 7 . the affinity of the ms - gpc - 8 / b8 parental fab was improved over 100 fold from 346 nm to ˜ 60 nm after vl cdr3 optimisation and further improved to single digit nanomolar affinity ( range 3 - 9 nm ) after vl cdr3 + 1 optimisation ( table 2 ). three fabs ( 305d3 , 1d09c3 , and 1c7277 ) obtained above were converted into igg 4 format , expressed and purified for affinity determination ( see below ). all 3 igg 4 mabs exhibited sub - nanomolar affinities ( 0 . 3 - 0 . 6 nm ; table 3e ), and retained their specificity ( fig2 ). heavy chains were cloned as follows . the multiple cloning site of pcdna3 . 1 + ( invitrogen ) was removed ( nhei / apai ), and a stuffer compatible with the restriction sites used for hucal - design was inserted for the ligation of the leader sequences ( nhei / ecori ), vh - domains ( ecori / blpi ) and the immunoglobulin constant regions ( bipi / apai ). the leader sequence ( embl m83133 ) was equipped with a kozak sequence ( kozak , 1987 ). the constant regions of human igg 1 ( pir j00228 ), igg 4 ( embl k01316 ) and serum iga 1 ( embl j00220 ) were dissected into overlapping oligonucleotides with lengths of about 70 bases . silent mutations were introduced to remove restriction sites non - compatible with the hucal - design . the oligonucleotides were spliced by overlap extension - pcr . light chains were cloned as follows . the multiple cloning site of pcdna3 . 1 / zeo + ( invitrogen ) was replaced by two different stuffers . the κ - stuffer provided restriction sites for insertion of a κ - leader ( nhei / ecorv ), hucal - scfv vκ - domains ( ecorv / bsiwi ) and the κ - chain constant region ( bsiwi / apai ). the corresponding restriction sites in the λ - stuffer were nhei / ecorv ( λ - leader ), ecorv / hpai ( vλ - domains ) and hpai / apai ( λ - chain constant region ). the κ - leader ( embl z00022 ) as well as the λ - leader ( embl l27692 ) were both equipped with kozak sequences . the constant regions of the human κ -( embl j00241 ) and λ - chain ( embl m18645 ) were assembled by overlap extension - pcr as described above . all cells were maintained at 37 ° c . in a humidified atmosphere with 5 % co 2 in media recommended by the supplier . cho - k1 ( crl - 9618 ) were from atcc and were co - transfected with an equimolar mixture of igg heavy and light chain expression vectors . double - resistant transfectants were selected with 600 μg / ml g 418 and 300 μg / ml zeocin ( invitrogen ) followed by limiting dilution . the supernatant of single clones was assessed for igg expression by capture - elisa . positive clones were expanded in rpmi - 1640 medium supplemented with 10 % ultra - low igg - fcs ( life technologies ). after adjusting the ph of the supernatant to 8 . 0 and sterile filtration , the solution was subjected to standard protein a column chromatography ( poros 20a , pe biosystems ). the igg forms of anti - hla - dr antigen binding domains show improved characteristics over the antibody fragments . these improved characteristics include affinity ( example 7 ) and killing efficiency ( examples 9 , 10 and 14 ). to demonstrate that antigen - binding domains selected from the hucal library bound specifically to a binding site on the n - terminal domain of human mhcii receptor largely conserved between alleles and hitherto unknown in the context of cell killing by receptor cross linking , we undertook an assessment of their binding specificity , and it was attempted to characterise the binding epitope . the fab antibody fragments ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 7 , ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 10 , ms - gpc - 8 - 6 - 13 , ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 / 1d09c3 , ms - gpc - 8 - 6 - 47 , ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 / 1c7277 , ms - gpc - 8 - 6 - 27 , ms - gpc - 8 / b8 and ms - gpc - 8 - 6 showed specificity of binding to hla - dr protein but not to non - hla - dr proteins . fab fragments selected from the hucal library were tested for reactivity with the following antigens : hla - dr protein ( dra * 0101 / drb1 * 0401 ; prepared as example 1 , and a set of unrelated non - hla - dr proteins consisting of bsa , testosterone - bsa , lysozyme and human apotransferrin . an empty well ( plastic ) was used as negative control . coating of the antigen mhcii was performed over night at 1 μg / well in pbs ( nunc - maxisorp ™) whereas for the other antigens ( bsa , testosterone - bsa , lysozyme , apotransferrin ) 10 μg / well was used . next day wells were blocked in 5 % non - fat milk for 1 hr followed by incubation of the respective antibodies ( anti - mhcii - fabs and an unrelated fab ( mac1 - 8a )) at 100 ng / well for 1 hour . after washing in pbs the anti - human igg f ( ab ) 2 - peroxidase - conjugate at a 1 : 10 , 000 dilution in tbs ( supplemented with 5 % w / v non - fat dry - milk / 0 . 05 % v / v tween 20 ) was added to each well for 1 h . final washes were carried out in pbs followed the addition the substrate pod ( roche ). color - development was read at 370 nm in an elisa - reader . all anti - hla - dr antibody fragments ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 7 , ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 10 , ms - gpc - 8 - 6 - 13 , ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 , ms - gpc - 8 - 6 - 47 , ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 , ms - gpc - 8 - 6 - 27 , ms - gpc - 8 and ms - gpc - 8 - 6 demonstrated high specificity for hla - dr , as evidenced by the much higher mean fluorescence intensity resulting from incubation of these antibody fragments with hla - dr derived antigens compared to controls ( fig1 a ). in a similar experiment , the fab fragments ms - gpc - 1 , ms - gpc - 6 , ms - gpc - 8 and ms - gpc - 10 were found to bind to both the dra * 0101 / drb1 * 0401 ( prepared as above ) as well as to a chimeric dr - ie consisting of the n - terminal domains of dra * 0101 and drb1 * 0401 with the remaining molecule derived from a murine class ii homologue ied ( ito et al ., 1996 ) ( fig1 b ). to demonstrate the broad - dr reactivity of anti - hla - dr antibody fragments and iggs of the invention , the scfv forms of ms - gpc - 1 , 6 , 8 and 10 , and igg forms of ms - gpc - 8 , ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 , ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 51 & amp ; ms - gpc - 8 - 6 - 13 were tested for reactivity against a panel of epstein - barr virus transformed b cell lines obtained from ecacc ( salisbury uk ), each homozygous for one of the most frequent dr alleles in human populations ( list of cell lines and alleles shown in fig2 ). the antibody fragments were also tested for reactivity against a series of l cells transfected to express human class ii isotypes other than drb1 : l105 . 1 , l257 . 6 , l25 . 4 , l256 . 12 & amp ; l21 . 3 that express the molecules drb3 * 0101 , drb4 * 0101 , dp0103 / 0402 , dp 0202 / 0201 , and dq0201 / 0602 respectively ( klohe et al ., 1988 ). reactivity of an antigen - binding fragment to the panel of cell - lines expressing various mhc - class ii molecules was demonstrated using an immunofluorescence procedure as for example , described by otten et al ( 1997 ). staining was performed on 2 × 10 5 cells using an anti - flag m2 antibody as the second reagent against the m2 tag carried by each anti - hla - dr antibody fragment and a fluorescein labelled goat anti - mouse ig ( bd pharmingen , torrey pine , calif ., usa ) as a staining reagent . cells were incubated at 4 ° c . for 60 min with a concentration of 200 nm of the anti - hla - dr antibody fragment , followed by the second and third antibody at concentrations determined by the manufacturers . for the igg form , the second antibody was omitted and the igg detected using a fitc - labeled mouse anti - human igg 4 ( serotec , oxford , uk ). cells were washed between incubation steps . finally the cells were washed and subjected to analysis using a facs calibur ( bd immunocytometry systems , san jose , calif ., usa ). fig2 shows that the scfv - fragments ms - gpc - 1 , 6 , 8 and 10 , and igg forms of ms - gpc - 8 , ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 , ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 51 & amp ; ms - gpc - 8 - 6 - 13 react with all drb1 allotypes tested . this observation taken together with the observation that all anti - hla - dr antibody fragments react with chimeric dr - ie , suggests that all selected anti - hla - dr antibody fragments recognize the extracellular first domain of the monomorphic drα chain or a monomorphic epitope on extracellular first domain of the drβ chain . we then attempted to localize the binding domains of ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 and ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 further by examining competitive binding with murine antibodies for which the binding domains on hla - dr are known . the murine antibodies l243 and lb3 . 1 are known to bind to the α1 domain , 1 - 1c4 and 8d1 to the β1 domain and 10f12 to the β2 domain ( vidovic et al . 1995b ). to this end , an assay was developed wherein a dr - expressing cell line ( lg - 2 ) was at first incubated with the igg 4 forms of ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 or ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 , the fab form of ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 or the fab form of gpc 8 , and an unrelated control antibody . subsequently murine antibodies were added and the murine antibodies were detected . if the binding site of ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 or ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 overlaps with the binding of a murine antibody , then a reduced detection of the murine antibody is expected . binding of the igg 4 forms of gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 and ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 and the fab form of ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 substantially inhibited ( mean fluorescence intensity reduced by & gt ; 90 %) the binding of 1 - 1c4 and 8d1 , whereas l243 , lb3 . 1 and 10f12 and a control were only marginally affected . the fab form of ms - gpc - 8 reduced binding of 1 - 1c4 by ˜ 50 % ( mean fluorescence dropped from 244 to 118 ), abolished 8d1 binding and only marginally affected binding of l243 , lb3 . 1 and 10f12 or the control . an unrelated control antibody had no effect on either binding . thus , ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 and ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 seem to recognise a β1 domain epitope that is highly conserved among allelic hla - dr molecules . the whole staining procedure was performed on ice . 1 × 10 7 cells of the human b - lymphoblastoid cell line lg - 2 was preblocked for 20 min . in pbs containing 2 % fcs and 35 μg / ml guinea pig igg (“ facs - buffer ”). these cells were divided into 3 equal parts a , b , and c of approximately 3 . 3 × 10 6 cells each , and it was added to a ) 35 μg ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 or ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 igg 4 , to b ) 35 μg ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 fab or ms - gpc - 8 fab , and to c ) 35 μg of an unrelated igg 4 antibody as negative control , respectively , and incubated for 90 min . subsequently a , b , c were divided in 6 equal parts each containing 5 . 5 × 10 5 cells , and 2 μg of the following murine antibodies were added each to one vial and incubated for 30 min : 1 ) purified migg ; 2 ) l243 ; 3 ) lb3 . 1 ; 4 ) 1 - 1 c4 ; 5 ) 8d1 ; 6 ) 10f12 . subsequently , 4 ml of pbs were added to each vial , the vials were centrifuged at 300 × g for 8 min , and the cell pellet resuspended in 50 μl facs buffer containing a 1 to 25 dilution of a goat - anti - murine ig - fitc conjugate at 20 μg / ml final concentration ( bd pharmingen , torrey pines , calif ., usa ). cells were incubated light - protected for 30 min . afterwards , cells were washed with 4 ml pbs , centrifuged as above and resuspended in 500 μl pbs for analysis in the flow cytometer ( facs calibur , bd immunocytometry systems , san jose , calif ., usa ). the pepspot technique ( u . s . pat . no . 6 , 040 , 423 ; heiskanen et al ., 1999 ) is used to further identify the binding epitope for ms - gpc 8 - 10 - 57 . briefly , an array of 73 overlapping 15 - mer peptides is synthesised on a cellulose membrane by a solid phase peptide synthesis spotting method ( wo 00 / 12575 ). these peptide sequences are derived from the sequence of the α1 and β1 domains of hla - dr4dw14 , hla - dra1 * 0101 ( residues 1 - 81 ) and hla - drb1 * 0401 ( residues 2 - 92 ), respectively , and overlap by two amino acids . second , such an array is soaked in 0 . 1 % tween - 20 / pbs ( pbs - t ), blocked with 5 % bsa in pbs - t for 3 hours at room temperature and subsequently washed three times with pbs - t . third , the prepared array is incubated for 90 minutes at room temperature with 50 ml of a 5 mg / l solution of the igg form of gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 in 1 % bsa / pbs - t . fourth , after binding , the membrane is washed three times with pbs - t and subsequently incubated for 1 hour at room temperature with a goat anti - human light chain antibody conjugated to horseradish peroxidase diluted 1 / 5 , 000 in 1 % bsa / pbs - t . finally , the membrane is washed three times with pbs - t and any binding determined using chemiluminescence detection on x - ray film . as a control for unspecific binding of the goat anti - human light chain antibody , the peptide array is stripped by the following separate washings each at room temperature for 30 min : pbs - t ( 2 times ), water , dmf , water , an aqueous solution containing 8 m urea , 1 % sds , 0 . 5 % dtt , a solution of 50 % ethanol , 10 % acetic acid in water ( 3 times each ) and , finally , methanol ( 2 times ). the membrane is again blocked , washed , incubated with goat anti - human 1 light chain antibody conjugated to horseradish peroxidase and developed as described above . in order to demonstrate the superior binding properties of anti - hla antibody fragments of the invention , we measured their binding affinities to the human mhc class ii dr protein ( dra * 0101 / drb1 * 0401 ) using standard equipment employing plasmon resonance principles . surprisingly , we achieved affinities in the sub - nanomolar range for igg forms of certain anti - hla - dr antibody fragments of the invention . for example , the affinity of the igg forms of ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 , ms - gpc - 8 - 6 - 13 & amp ; ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 was measured as 0 . 3 , 0 . 5 and 0 . 6 nm respectively ( table 3a ). also , we observed high affinities in the range of 2 - 8 nm for fab fragments affinity matured at the cdr1 and cdr3 light chain regions ( table 3b ). fab fragments affinity matured at only the cdr3 light chain region showed affinities in the range of 40 to 100 nm ( table 3c ), and even fab fragments of non - optimised hucal antigen binding domains showed affinities in the sub μm range ( table 3d ). only a moderate increase in k on ( 2 - fold ) was observed following cdr3 optimisation ( k on remained approximately constant throughout the antibody optimization process in the order of 1 × 10 5 m − 1 s − 1 ), whilst a significant decrease in k off was a surprising feature of the optimisation process — sub 100 s − 1 , sub 10 s − 1 , sub 1 s − 1 and sub 0 . 1 s − 1 for the unoptimised fabs , cdr3 optimised fabs , cdr3 / cdr1 optimised fabs and igg forms of anti - hla - dr antibody fragments of the invention . the affinities for anti - hla antibody fragments of the invention were measured as follows . all measurements were conducted in hbs buffer ( 20 mm hepes , 150 mm nacl , ph 7 . 4 ) at a flow rate of 20 μl / min at 25 ° c . on a biacore3000 instrument ( biacore ab , sweden ). mhc class ii dr protein ( prepared as example 1 ) was diluted in 100 mm sodium acetate ph 4 . 5 to a concentration of 50 - 100 mg / ml , and coupled to a cm5 chip ( biacore ab ) using standard edc - nhs coupling chemistry with subsequent ethanolamine treatment as manufacturers directions . the coating density of mhcii was adjusted to between 500 and 4000 ru . affinities were measured by injection of 5 different concentrations of the different antibodies and using the standard software of the biacore instrument . regeneration of the coupled surface was achieved using 10 mm glycine ph 2 . 3 and 7 . 5 mm naoh . 8 . multivalent killing activity of anti hla - dr antibodies and antibody fragments to demonstrate the effect of valency on cell killing , a cell killing assay was performed using monovalent , bivalent and multivalent compositions of anti - hla - dr antibody fragments of the invention against granta - 519 cells . anti - hla - dr antibody fragments from the hucal library showed much higher cytotoxic activity when cross - linked to form a bivalent composition ( 60 - 90 % killing at antibody fragment concentration of 200 nm ) by co - incubation with anti - flag m2 mab ( fig3 ) compared to the monovalent form ( 5 - 30 % killing at antibody fragment concentration of 200 nm ). incubation of cell lines alone or only in the presence of anti - flag m2 mab without co - incubation of anti - hla - dr antibody fragments did not lead to cytotoxicity as measured by cell viability . treatment of cells as above but using 50 nm of the igg 4 forms ( naturally bivalent ) of the antibody fragments ms - gpc - 8 , ms - gpc - 8 - 6 - 13 , ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 and ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 without addition of anti - flag m2 mab showed a killing efficiency after 4 hour incubation of 76 %, 78 %, 78 % and 73 % respectively . furthermore , we observed that higher order valences of the anti - hla - dr antibody fragments further decrease cell viability significantly . on addition of protein g to the incubation mix containing the igg form of the anti - hla - dr antibody fragments , the multivalent complexes thus formed further decrease cell viability compared to the bivalent composition formed from incubation of the anti - hla - dr antibody fragments with only the bivalent igg form . the killing efficiency of anti - hla - dr antibody fragments selected from the hucal library was tested on the hla - dr positive tumor cell line granta - 519 ( dsmz , germany ). 2 × 10 5 cells were incubated for 4 h at 37 ° c . under 6 % co 2 with 200 nm anti - hla - dr antibody fragments in rpmi 1640 ( paa , germany ) supplemented with 2 . 5 % heat inactivated fbs ( biowhittaker europe , be ), 2 mm l - glutamine , 1 % non - essential amino acids , 1 mm sodium pyruvate and 0 . 1 mg / ml kanamycin . each anti - hla - dr antibody fragment was tested for its ability to kill activated tumor cells as a monovalent anti - hla - dr antibody fragment or as a bivalent composition by the addition of 100 nm of a bivalent cross - linking anti - flag m2 mab . after 4 h incubation at 37 ° c . under 6 % co 2 , cell viability was determined by trypan blue staining and subsequent counting of remaining viable cells ( current protocols in immunology , 1997 ). the above experiment was repeated using karpas - 422 cells against a multivalent form of igg forms of ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 and ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 prepared by a pre - incubation with a dilution series of the bacterial protein protein g . protein g has a high affinity and two binding sites for igg antibodies , effectively cross - linking them to yield a total binding valency of 4 . in a control using igg alone without preincubation with protein g , approximately 55 % of cells were killed , while cell killing using igg pre - incubated with protein g gave a maximum of approximately 75 % at a molar ratio of igg antibody / protein g of ˜ 6 ( based on a molecular weight of protein g of 28 . 5 kd ). higher or lower molar ratios of igg antibody / protein g approached the cell killing efficiency of the pure igg antibodies . experiments to determine the killing efficiency of the anti - hla - dr cross - linked antibody fragments against other tumor cell lines that express hla - dr molecules were conducted analogous to example 8 . tumor cell lines that show greater than 50 % cell killing with the cross linked fab form of ms - gpc - 8 after 4 h incubation include mhh - call4 , mn 60 , bjab , bonna - 12 which represent the diseases b cell acute lymphoid leukemia , b cell acute lymphoid leukemia , burkitt lymphoma and hairy cell leukemia respectively . use of the cross - linked fab form of the anti - hla - dr antibody fragments ms - gpc - 1 , 6 and 10 also shows similar cytotoxic activity to the above tumor cell lines when formed as a bivalent agent using the cross - linking anti - flag m2 mab . the method described in example 8 was used to determine the maximum killing capacity for each of the cross - linked bivalent anti - hla - dr antibody fragments against priess cells . the maximum killing capacity observed for ms - gpc - 1 , ms - gpc - 6 , ms - gpc - 8 & amp ; ms - gpc - 10 was measured as 83 %, 88 %, 84 % and 88 % respectively . antibody fragments generated according to example 4 , when cross linked using anti - flag m2 mab as above , also showed improved killing ability against granta and priess cells ( table 4 ). the optimized igg 4 mabs were tested for induction of tumor cell death on a panel of 24 dr + and 4 dr − cell lines , representing a variety of lymphoma / leukemia types ( table 5 ). compared to corresponding murine antibodies ( vidovic et al , 1995b ; nagy & amp ; vidovic , 1996 ; vidovic & amp ; toral ; 1998 ), we were surprised to observe significantly improved killing efficiency of igg forms of certain anti - hla - dr antibody fragments of the invention ( table 5 ). the killing is dependent on hla - dr expression , but is hls - dr subtype independent . for the cell killing assay , cells at 2 × 10 6 / ml concentration were incubated in rpmi 1640 supplemented with 2 . 5 % fetal calf serum ( biowhittaker europe , belgium ) and different concentrations ( 50 nm in most experiments ) of human anti - dr mab at 37 ° c . for 4 hrs ( and 24 h in some experiments ). control cultures were without mab or with a murine anti - dr mab 10f12 that fails to induce cell death . cell cultures were set up in duplicate in flat bottom 96 well plates . since dead cells disintegrate very fast ( within 30 min ),% killing was determined based on viable cell recovery as follows : ( viable untreated − viable treated / viable untreated )× 100 . viable and dead cells were distinguished by trypan blue staining for light microscopy , fluorescein diacetate ( fda ; 100 μg / ml final concentration ; live cells ) and propidium iodide ( pi , 40 μg / ml final concentration ; dead cells ) for fluorescent microscopy , and pi for facs analysis . to obtain absolute cell counts by facs analysis , each culture was supplemented with equal amounts of facs “ truecount ” calibrating beads . cell counts were determined by the formula : viable cells × total beads / counted beads . the three different methods of cell counting ( light and fluorescent microscopy and facs ) yielded comparable results . following the method described in examples 8 and 9 and above but at 50 nm , repeated measurements ( 3 to 5 replica experiments where cell number was counted in duplicate for each experiment ) were made of the killing efficiency of the igg forms of certain antibody fragments of the invention . the mabs induced death in a wide range ( 23 of the 25 ) dr + lymphoid tumor lines . when applied at a final concentration of only 50 nm , iggs of the antibody fragments ms - gpc - 8 / b8 , ms - gpc - 8 - 6 - 13 / 305d3 , ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 / 1c7277 & amp ; ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 / 1d09c3 killed more than 50 % of cells from 17 , 20 , 19 and 22 respectively of a panel of 25 human tumor cell lines that express hla - dr antigen at a level greater than 10 fluorescent units as determined by example 11 . for comparison , two murine anti - dr mabs , l243 ( vidovic et al , 1995b ) and 8d1 ( vidovic & amp ; toral ; 1998 ) known to induce cell death 7 , 10 were tested on the same panel at 4 fold higher concentration ( 200 nm ) than the human mabs . the murine mabs usually killed less cells than human mabs , or failed to induce death in some dr + lines . over all , they reduced cell viability to a level below 50 % viable cells in only 13 and 12 of the 25 hla - dr expressing cells lines , respectively . in direct comparisons , the human mabs achieved 50 % killing efficiency at 20 to 30 fold lower concentrations than the murine mabs ( see below ). statistical analysis of the data in table 5 revealed a non - linear correlation between killing efficiency and the level of dr expression , with a significantly greater killing efficiency and better correlation for the human mabs because of the failure of the murine mabs to kill a number of dr + lines . indeed , even at the significantly increased concentration , the two murine antibodies treated at 200 nm showed significantly less efficient killing compared to the igg forms of anti - hla - dr antibody fragments of the invention . not only do igg forms of the human anti - hla - dr antibody fragments of the invention show an overall increase in cell killing at lower concentrations compared to the murine antibodies , but they show less variance in killing efficiency across different cell lines . the coefficient of variance in killing for the human antibodies in this example is 32 % ( mean % killing = 68 +/− 22 % ( sd )), compared to over 62 % ( mean % killing = 49 +/− 31 % ( sd )) for the mouse antibodies . statistically controlling for the effect on killing efficiency due to hla expression by fitting logistic regression models to mean percentage killing against log ( mean hla - dr expression ) supports this observation ( fig4 ). not only is the fitted curve for the murine antibodies consistently lower than that for the human , but a larger variance in residuals from the murine antibody data ( sd = 28 %) is seen compared to the variance in residuals from the human antibody data ( 16 %). the superior performance of human mabs could be explained , at least in part , by their higher affinity ( k d - s 0 . 3 - 0 . 6 nm , see table 3e , compared to l243 10 nm , and 8d1 & gt ; 30 nm ( z . a . nagy , unpublished )). the cell line mhh - preb - 1 was singled out and not accounted as part of the panel of 25 cell lines despite its expression of hla - dr antigen at a level greater than 10 fluorescent units due to the inability of any of the above antibodies to induce any significant reduction of cell viability . this is further explained in example 12 . the viability of dr − cell lines was not significantly affected . 11 . killing selectivity of antigen - binding domains against a human antigen for activated versus non - activated cells since mhc - ii molecules are constitutively expressed on b lymphocytes , the most obvious potential side effect of anti - dr mab treatment would be the killing of normal b cells . human peripheral b cells were therefore used to demonstrate that human anti - hla - dr mab - mediated cell killing is dependent on cell - activation . 50 ml of heparinised venous blood was taken from an hla - dr typed healthy donor and fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells ( pbmc ) were isolated by ficoll - hypaque gradient centrifugation ( histopaque - 1077 ; sigma ) as described in current protocols in immunology ( john wiley & amp ; sons , inc . ; 1999 ). purified b cells (˜ 5 % of peripheral blood leukocytes ) were obtained from around 5 × 10 7 pbmc using the b - cell isolation kit and macs ls + / vs + columns ( miltenyi biotec , germany ) according to manufacturers guidelines . successful depletion of non - b cells was verified by facs analysis of an aliquot of isolated b cells ( hla - dr positive and cd19 positive ). double staining and analysis is done with commercially available antibodies ( bd immunocytometry systems , san jose , calif ., usa ) using standard procedures as for example described in current protocols in immunology ( john wiley & amp ; sons , inc . ; 1999 ). an aliquot of the isolated b cells was tested for the ability of the cells to be activated by stimulation with pokeweed mitogen ( pwm ) ( gibco brl , cat . no . 15360 - 019 ) diluted 1 : 25 in rpmi 1640 ( paa , germany ) supplemented with 10 % fcs ( biowhittaker europe , be ), 2 mm l - glutamine , 1 % non - essential amino acids , 1 mm sodium pyruvate and 0 . 1 mg / ml kanamycin by incubation at 37 ° c . under 6 % co 2 for three days . successful activation was verified by facs analysis of hla - dr expression on the cell surface ( current protocols in immunology , john wiley & amp ; sons , inc . ; 1999 ). the selectivity for killing of activated cells versus non - activated cells was demonstrated by incubating 1 × 10 6 / ml b cells activated as above compared to non - activated cells , respectively with 50 nm of the igg forms of ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 , ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 or the murine igg 10f12 ( vidovic et al ., 1995b ) in the medium described above but supplemented with 2 . 5 % heat inactivated fcs instead of 10 %, or with medium alone . after incubation at 37 ° c . under 6 % co 2 for 1 or 4 h , cell viability was determined by fluorescein diacetate staining ( fda ) of viable and propidium iodide staining ( pi ) of dead cells and subsequent counting of the green ( fda ) and red ( pi ) fluorescent cells using a fluorescence microscope ( leica , germany ) using standard procedures ( current protocols in immunology , 1997 ). b cell activation was shown to be necessary for cell killing . in non - activated cells after 1 hr of incubation with the anti - hla - dr antibodies , the number of viable cells in the media corresponded to 81 %, 117 % 126 % and 96 % of the pre - incubation cell density for ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 ( igg ), ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 ( igg ), 10f12 and medium alone , respectively . in contrast , the number of viable activated b cells after 1 h incubation corresponded to 23 %, 42 % 83 % and 66 % of the pre - incubation cell density for ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 ( igg ), ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 ( igg ), 10f12 and medium alone , respectively . after 4 hr of incubation , 78 %, 83 % 95 % and 97 % of the pre - incubation cell density for ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 ( igg ), ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 ( igg ), 10f12 and medium alone were found viable in non - activated cells , whereas the cell density had dropped to 23 %, 24 % 53 % and 67 % of the pre - incubation cell density for ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 ( igg ), ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 ( igg ), 10f12 and medium alone , respectively , in activated cells . in conclusion , as shown in fig8 c , the viability of purified resting b cells was not significantly altered by human anti - dr mabs . in contrast , pokeweed mitogen - activated b cells from the same donor were killed by these mabs . no death of either unactivated or activated b cells was induced by the control antibody 10f12 . similar results were obtained with resting and lipopolysaccharide - stimulated splenic b cells from dr - transgenic mice ( ito , k . et al . j . exp . med . 183 : 2635 - 2644 , 1996 ) ( data not shown ). thus , it appears that the mabs can kill activated but not resting mhc - ii positive normal cells in addition to tumor cells , suggesting a dual requirement of both mhc - ii expression and cell activation for mab - induced death . since the majority ( up to 99 %) of peripheral b cells is resting , the potential side effect due to killing of normally activated b cells in a leukaemia patient is negligible . 12 . killing activity of anti - hla antibody fragments against the cell line mhh preb 1 as evidenced in table 5 , we observed that our cross - linked anti - hla - dr antibody fragments or iggs did not readily kill a particular tumor cell line expressing hla - dr at significant levels ( mhh - preb - 1 ). we hypothesized that although established as a stable cell line , cells in this culture were not sufficiently activated . we therefore stimulated these cells with interferon - gamma , and lipopoysaccharide . activation was evidenced by an increase in the cell surface expression of cd40 and hla - dr . non - adherently growing mhh preb1 cells were cultivated in rpmi medium containing the following additives ( all from gibco brl and bio whittaker ): 10 % fcs , 2 mm l - glutamine , 1 % non - essential amino acids , 1 mm sodium pyruvate and 1 × kanamycin . aliquots were activated to increase expression of hla - dr molecule by incubation for one day with lipopolysaccharide ( lps , 10 μg / ml ), interferon - gamma ( ifn - γ , roche , 40 ng / ml ) and phyto - hemagglutinin ( pha , 5 μg / ml ). the cell surface expression of hla - dr molecules was monitored by flow cytometry with the fitc - conjugated mab l243 ( bd immunocytometry systems , san jose , calif ., usa ). incubation of mhh preb1 for one day in the presence of lps , ifn - 1 and pha resulted in a 2 - fold increase in hla - dr surface density ( mean fluorescence shift from 190 to 390 ). cell killing was performed for 4 hrs in the above medium but containing a reduced fcs concentration ( 2 . 5 %). a concentration series of the igg forms of ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 / 1d09c3 & amp ; ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 / 1c7277 was employed , consisting of final antibody concentrations of 3300 , 550 , 92 , 15 , 2 . 5 , 0 . 42 and 0 . 07 nm , on each of an aliquot of non - activated and activated cells . viable cells were identified microscopically by exclusion of trypan blue . whereas un - activated cell viability remains unaffected by the antibody up to the highest antibody concentration used , cell viability is dramatically reduced with increasing antibody concentration in activated mhh preb1 cells ( fig5 ). in addition , we found that cell proliferation was apparently not needed , since tumor cells in mitosis - arrest remained susceptible to mab - mediated killing ( data not shown ). in contracts to the mabs we describe here , two additional anti - hla - dr mabs with therapeutic potential , lym - 1 ( epstein et al ., cancer res . 47 : 830 - 840 , 1987 ; denardo et al ., int . j . cancer 96 ( suppl . 3 ): 96 , 1988 ) and 1d10 ( gingrich et al ., blood 75 : 2375 - 2387 , 1990 ), achieve selectivity in a different way . these two mabs recognize what appear to be postranslational modifications on dr molecules that occur preferentially in b - cell derived tumors , although some expression was noted also on normal b cells and monocytes ( epstein et al ., 1987 ; denardo et al ., 1988 ). neither of these mabs has inherent tumoricidal activity , and thus , lym - 1 is developed in a 131 i - labelled form ( oncolym ®), whereas the efficacy of 1d10 relies on intact immunological effector mechanisms of the patient , similarly to other mabs ( vose et al ., j . clin . oncol . 19 : 389 - 397 , 2001 ; dyer et al ., blood 73 : 1431 - 1439 , 1989 ) already available for the clinic . furthermore , lym - 1 is a murine mab with substantial immunogenicity for humans , and 1d10 is a humanized murine mab . our fully human mabs with strong inherent tumoricidal activity and selectivity for activated / tumor transformed cells demonstrate a substantially different profile and mechanism of action from these two mabs , and thus promise a novel therapeutic approach to lymphoma / leukemia . 13 . killing efficiency of anti - hla - dr igg antibodies of human composition against ex - vivo chronic lymphoid leukemia cells we investigated whether the human anti - dr mabs would also be active on freshly isolated leukemic cells , in addition to established cell lines . using purified malignant b cells obtained from the peripheral blood of 10 un - typed chronic lymphoid leukemia ( cll ) patients ( buhmann et al ., blood 93 : 1992 - 2002 , 1999 ), we demonstrated that igg forms of anti - hla - dr antibody fragments of the invention showed efficacy in killing of clinically relevant cells using an ex - vivo assay ( fig6 ). although the killing kinetics are slightly slower than those of in vitro experiments using established cell lines , significant killing is achieved over 24 hours of ab incubation , despite the low rate of cll cell proliferation . b - cells were isolated and purified from 10 unrelated patients suffering from cll ( samples kindly provided by prof hallek , ludwig maximillian university , munich ) according to standard procedures ( buhmann et al ., ( 1999 )). 2 × 10 5 cells were treated with 100 nm of igg forms of the anti - hla - dr antibody fragments ms - gpc - 8 , ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 or ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 and incubated for 4 or 24 hours analogous to examples 8 and 9 . a replica set of cell cultures was established and activated by incubation with hela - cells expressing cd40 ligand on their surface for three days before treatment with antibody ( buhmann et al ., 1999 ). as controls , the murine igg 10f12 ( vidovic et al ., 1995b ) or no antibody was used . cell viability for each experiment was determined as described in example 12 . surprisingly , igg forms of the anti - hla - dr antibody fragments of the invention showed highly efficient and uniform killing — even across this diverse set of patient material . after only 4 hours of treatment , all three human iggs gave a significant reduction in cell viability compared to the controls , and after 24 hours only 33 % of cells remained viability ( fig6 ). we found that on stimulating the ex - vivo cells further according to buhmann et al . ( 1999 ), the rate of killing was increased such that after only 4 hours culture with the human antibodies , only 24 % of cells remained viable on average for all patient samples and antibody fragments of the invention . the control murine anti - dr mab 10f12 , which has no inherent tumoricidal activity ( vidovic &# 39 ;, d . et al ., eur . j . immunol . 25 : 3349 - 3355 , 1995 ), had no effect on cll cells ( fig6 c ). we demonstrated superior effective concentration at 50 % effect ( ec 50 ) values in a cell - killing assay for certain forms of anti - hla - dr antibody fragments selected from the hucal library compared to cytotoxic murine anti - hla - dr antibodies ( table 6 ). the ec 50 for anti - hla - dr antibody fragments selected from the hucal library were estimated using the hla - dr positive cell line priess or lg2 ( ecacc , salisbury uk ). 2 × 10 5 cells were incubated for 4 h at 37 ° c . under 6 % co 2 in rpmi 1640 ( paa , germany ) supplemented with 2 . 5 % heat inactivated fbs ( biowhittaker europe , be ), 2 mm l - glutamine , 1 % non - essential amino acids , 1 mm sodium pyruvate and 0 . 1 mg / ml kanamycin , together with dilution series of bivalent anti - hla - dr antibody fragments . for the dilution series of fab antibody fragments , an appropriate concentration of fab fragment and anti - flag m2 antibody were premixed to generate bivalent compositions of the anti - hla - dr antibody fragments . the concentrations stated refer to the concentration of bivalent composition such that the igg and fab ec 50 values can be compared . after 4 h incubation with bivalent antibody fragments at 37 ° c . under 6 % co 2 , cell viability was determined by fluorescein diacetate staining and subsequent counting of remaining viable cells ( current protocols in immunology , 1997 ). using standard statistical software , non - linear logistic regression curves were fitted to replica data points and the ec 50 estimated for each antibody fragment . when cross - linked using the anti - flag m2 antibody , the fab fragments ms - gpc - 1 , ms - gpc - 8 & amp ; ms - gpc - 10 selected from the hucal library ( example 4 ) showed an ec 50 of less than 120 nm as expressed in terms of the concentration of the monovalent fragments , which corresponds to a 60 nm ec 50 for the bivalent cross - linked ( fab ) dimer - anti - flag m2 conjugate . ( fig7 a ). when cross - linked using the anti - flag m2 antibody , anti - hla - dr antibody fragments optimised for affinity within the cdr3 region ( example 4 ) showed a further improved ec 50 of less than 50 nm , or 25 nm in terms of the bivalent cross - linked fragment ( fig7 b ), and those additionally optimised for affinity within the cdr1 region showed an ec 50 of less than 30 nm ( 15 nm for bivalent fragment ). in comparison , the ec 50 of the cytotoxic murine anti - hla - dr antibodies 8d1 ( vidovic & amp ; toral ; 1998 ) and l243 ( vidovic et al ; 1995b ) showed an ec 50 of over 30 and 40 nm , respectively , within the same assay ( fig7 c ). surprisingly , the igg form of certain antibody fragments of the invention showed approximately 1 . 5 orders of magnitude improvement in ec 50 compared to the murine antibodies ( fig7 d ). for example , the igg forms of ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 & amp ; ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 showed an ec 50 of 1 . 2 and 1 . 2 nm respectively . furthermore , despite being un - optimised for affinity , the igg form of ms - gpc - 8 showed an ec 50 of less than 10 nm . as has been shown in examples 11 and 12 , the efficiency of killing of un - activated cells ( normal peripheral b and mhh preb cells respectively ) is very low . after treatment with 50 nm of the igg forms of ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 & amp ; ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 , 78 % and 83 % of normal peripheral b cells , respectively , remain viable after 4 hours . furthermore , at only 50 nm concentration or either igg , virtually 100 % viability is seen for mhh preb1 cells . indeed , a decrease in the level of viability to below 50 % cannot be achieved with these un - activated cells using reasonable concentration ranges ( 0 . 1 to 300 nm ) of igg or bivalent cross - linked fab forms of the anti - hla - dr antibody fragments of the invention . therefore , the ec 50 for these un - activated cell types can be estimated to be at least 5 times higher than that shown for the non - optimised fab forms ( ec 50 ˜ 60 nm with respect to cross - linked bivalent fragment ), and at least 10 times and 100 times higher than ec 50 s shown for the vhcdr3 optimised fabs (˜ 25 nm with respect to cross - linked bivalent fragment ) and igg forms of ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 (˜ 1 . 2 nm ) & amp ; ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 (˜ 1 . 2 nm ) respectively . the examples described above show that cell death occurs — needing only certain multivalent anti - hla - dr antibody fragments to cause killing of activated cells . no further cytotoxic entities or immunological mechanisms were needed to cause cell death , therefore demonstrating that cell death is mediated through an innate pre - programmed mechanism of the activated cell . the mechanism of apoptosis is a widely understood process of pre - programmed cell death . we were surprised by certain characteristics of the cell killing we observed that suggested the mechanism of killing for activated cells when exposed to our human anti - hla - dr antibody fragments was not what is commonly understood in the art as “ apoptosis ”. for example , the observed rate of cell killing appeared to be significantly greater than the rate reported for apoptosis of immune cells ( about 10 - 15 hrs ; truman et al ., 1994 ). two experiments were conducted to demonstrate that the mechanism of cell killing proceeded by a non - apoptotic mechanism . first , we used annexin - v - fitc and propidium iodide ( pi ) staining techniques to distinguish between apoptotic and non - apoptotic cell death — cells undergoing apoptosis , “ apoptotic cells ”, ( annexin - v positive / pi negative ) can be distinguished from necrotic (“ dead ”) ( annexin - v positive / pi positive ) and fully functional cells ( annexin - v negative / pi negative ). using the procedures recommended by the manufacturers of the annexinv and pi assays , 1 × 10 6 / ml priess cells were incubated at 37 ° c . under 6 % co 2 with or without 200 nm anti - hla - dr antibody fragment ms - gpc - 8 together with 100 nm of the cross - linking anti - flag m2 mab in rpmi 1640 ( paa , de ) supplemented with 2 . 5 % heat inactivated fcs ( biowhittaker europe , be ), 2 mm l - glutamine , 1 % non - essential amino acids , 1 mm sodium pyruvate and 0 . 1 mg / ml kanamycin . to provide an apoptotic cell culture as control , 1 × 10 6 / ml priess cells were induced to enter apoptosis by incubation in the above medium at 37 ° c . under 6 % co 2 with 50 μg / ml of the apoptosis - inducing anti - cd95 mab dx2 ( bd pharmingen , torrey pine , calif ., usa ) cross - linked with 10 μg / ml protein - g . at various incubation times ( 1 , 15 and 60 min ., 3 and 5 hrs ) 200 μl samples were taken , washed twice and stained with annexin - v - fitc ( bd pharmingen , torrey pine , calif ., usa ) and pi using annexin - v binding buffer following the manufacturer &# 39 ; s protocol . the amount of staining with annexin - v - fitc and pi for each group of cells is analysed with a facs calibur ( bd immunocytometry systems , san jose , calif ., usa ). cell death induced through the cross - linked anti - hla - dr antibody fragments shows a significantly different pattern of cell death than that of the anti - cd95 apoptosis inducing antibody or the cell culture incubated with anti - flag m2 mab alone . the percentage of dead cells ( as measured by annexin - v positive / pi positive staining ) for the anti - hla - dr antibody fragment / anti - flag m2 mab treated cells increases far more rapidly than that of the anti - cd95 or the control cells ( fig8 a ). in contrast , the percentage of apoptotic cells ( as measured by annexin - v positive / pi negative staining ) increases more rapidly for the anti - cd95 treated cells compared to the cross - linked anti - hla - dr antibody fragments or the control cells ( fig8 b ). second , we inhibited caspase activity using zdevd - fmk , an irreversible caspase - 3 inhibitor , and zvad - fink , a broad spectrum caspase inhibitor ( both obtained from biorad , munich , de ). the mechanism of apoptosis is characterized by activity of caspases , and we hypothesized that if caspases were not necessary for anti hla - dr mediated cell death , we would observe no change in the viability of cells undergoing cell death in the presence of these caspase inhibitors compared to those without . 2 × 10 5 priess cells were preincubated for 3 h at 37 ° c . under 6 % co 2 with serial dilutions of the two caspase inhibitors ranging from 180 μm to 10 mm in rpmi 1640 ( paa , de ) supplemented with 2 . 5 % heat inactivated fcs ( biowhittaker europe , be ), 2 mm l - glutamine , 1 % non - essential amino acids , 1 mm sodium pyruvate and 0 . 1 mg / ml kanamycin . hla - dr mediated cell death was induced by adding 200 nm of the human anti - hla - dr antibody fragment ms - gpc - 8 and 100 nm of the cross - linking anti - m2 mab . an anti - cd95 induced apoptotic cell culture served as a control for the activity of inhibitors ( drenou et al ., 1999 ). after further incubation at 37 ° c . and 6 % co 2 , cell viability after 4 and 24 h was determined by trypan blue staining and subsequent counting of non - stained cells . as we expected , cell viability of the anti - hla - dr treated cell culture was not significantly modified by the presence of the caspase inhibitors , while cell death induced through anti - cd95 treatment was significantly decreased for the cell culture pre - incubated with the caspase inhibitors . we therefore concluded that the cell death induced by the human anti - dr mabs does not occur via the classical apoptotic pathway that can be inhibited by zdevd - fin or zvad - fink . 16 . in vivo therapy for cancer using an hla - dr specific antibody to test the in vivo efficacy , we inoculated immunocompromised ( such as scid , nude or rag - 1 knockout ) scid ( severe combined immunodeficient ) mice subcutaneously ( s . c .) or intraveneously ( i . v .) with the non - hodgkin b cell lymphoma line granta - 519 ( see in table 5 ), and monitored tumor development in mice treated with mab , in comparison to solvent - treated animals . in general , mice are treated i . v . or s . c with the igg form of the anti - hla - dr antibody fragments ms - gpc - 8 , ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 , ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 or others of the invention prepared as described above , using doses of 1 to 25 mg / kg over 5 days . survival of anti - hla - dr treated and control untreated mice is monitored for up to 8 weeks after cessation of treatment . tumor progression in the mice inoculated s . c . is additionally quantified by measuring tumor surface area . for example , eight weeks old female c . b .- 17 scid mice were injected with anti - asialogm1 antibody ( wako chemicals , neuss , germany ; 25 μl diluted 4 fold in pbs , i v .) to suppress natural killer ( nk ) cell activity , on days 0 , 1 , and 2 . on day 1 , 5 × 10 6 granta - 519 cells were injected s . c . into the right flank , or i . v . the endpoint in the s . c . model is a tumor surface area of & gt ; 5 cm 2 , skin ulceration above the tumor , or death , and in the i . v . model hind leg paralysis or death . mice were treated with 1 mg or 0 . 2 mg 1d09c3 mab s . c . or i . v . on days 5 , 7 and 9 . control mice received pbs . mice were monitored , and tumor length and width were measured by a slide - gauge twice a week . significant prolongation of survival of up to 80 % of anti - hla - dr treated mice is observed during the experiment , and up to 50 % mice survive at the end of the experiment . in the s . c . tumor experiment , at day 48 , 100 % of s . c . mab treated mice were alive and 80 % of i . v . mab treated mice were alive ( death is not related to mab treatment or tumor ), while all control mice died within the observation period ( fig1 a ). in s . c . inoculated and untreated mice , the tumor reaches a surface area of 2 - 3 cm 2 , while in anti - hla - dr treated animals the tumor surface area is significantly less . fig1 d shows representative tumor size in mice treated or untreated by mab of the instant invention . tumor growth was also significantly retarded in the treated animals ( fig1 b ). in the i . v . tumor experiment , a significant delay ( about 30 days ) in disease onset was observed in the mab treated groups ( fig1 c ). the 30 day survival rate for i . v . mab treated mice is 100 %, while the survival rate for control mice is 0 %. even at day 40 , the survival rate for i . v . mab treated mice is 50 %/ 20 % ( for high / low doses , respectively ). tumor - induced paralysis is also significantly reduced in the i . v . mab treated mice as compared to the control group mice which are all paralysized by day 40 . these experiments demonstrate that antigen - binding domains of human composition can successfully be used as a therapeutic for the treatment of cancer . the in vitro , ex vivo and in vivo efficacy data presented here are strong evidence that such mabs offer the potential to become useful and potent therapeutic agents for the treatment of different dr + lymphoma and leukemia . 17 . immunosuppression using anti - hla - dr antibody fragments measured by reduction in il - 2 secretion various diseases are caused by or associated with activated t - cells . for example , delayed - type hyper sensitivity ( dth ) is caused by t - cells activated by antigen - presenting cells ( apcs ) via mhc receptors . thus , inhibition of interaction between the mhc class ii molecule and the t - cell receptor ( tcr ) can inhibit certain undesirable immune responses . we were surprised to observe that certain anti - hla - dr antibody fragments of the invention also displayed substantial immunomodulatory properties within an assay measuring il - 2 secretion from immortalized t - cells ( t - cell hybridoma ). igg forms of the antibody fragments ms - gpc - 8 - 6 - 13 / 305d3 , ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 / 1c7277 & amp ; ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 / 1d09c3 showed very strong immunosuppressive properties in this assay with sub - nanomolar ic 50 values and virtually 100 % maximal inhibition ( fig9 a ). particularly surprising was our observation that certain monvalent compositions of the antibody fragments of the invention were able to strongly inhibit il - 2 secretion in the same assay . for example , fab forms of the vh cdr3 - selected and vl cdr3 / vl cdr1 optimised antibody fragments showed low single - digit nm ic 50 &# 39 ; s and also almost 100 % maximal inhibition ( fig9 b ). other monvalent anti - hla - dr antibody fragments of the invention showed significant immunosuppressive properties in the assay compared to control igg and fab fragments ( table 7 ). fig9 c also shows immunomodulatory properties of the mouse 1 - 2 c4 and l243 mab as well as the gpc 1 and 2 ab &# 39 ; s . the immunomodulatory properties of anti - hla - dr antibody fragments was investigated by measuring il - 2 secretion from the hybridoma cell line t - hyb1 stimulated using dr - transgenic antigen presenting cells ( apc ) under conditions of half - maximal antigen stimulation . il - 2 secretion was detected and measured using a standard elisa method provided by the optieia mouse il - 2 kit of pharmingen ( torrey pine , calif ., usa ). apcs were isolated from the spleen of unimmunized chimeric 0401 - ie transgenic mice ( ito et al . 1996 ) according to standard procedures . 1 . 5 × 10 5 apcs were added to 0 . 2 ml wells of 96 - well in rpmi medium containing the following additives ( all from gibco brl and paa ): 10 % fcs , 2 mm l - glutamine , 1 % non - essential amino acids , 1 mm sodium pyruvate and 0 . 1 g / l kanamycin . hen egg ovalbumin was added to a final concentration of 200 μg / ml in a final volume of 100 ul of the above medium , the cells incubated with this antigen for 30 min at 37 ° c . under 6 % co 2 . anti - hla - dr antibody fragments were added to each well at various concentrations ( typically in a range from 0 . 1 to 200 nm ), the plate incubated for 1 h at 37 ° c ./ 6 % co 2 and 2 × 10 5 t - hyb1 cells added to give a final volume of 200 μl in the above medium . after incubation for 24 h , 100 μl of supernatant was transferred to an elisa plate ( nunc - immuno plate maxisorp surface , nunc , roskilde , dk ) previously coated with il - 2 capture antibody ( bd pharmingen , torrey pine , calif ., usa ), the amount of il - 2 was quantified according to the manufacturer &# 39 ; s directions using the optieia mouse il - 2 kit and the plate read using a victor v reader ( wallac , finland ). secreted il - 2 in pg / ml was calibrated using the il - 2 standards provided in the kit . the t - cell hybridoma line t - hyb1 was established by fusion of a t - cell receptor negative variant of the thymoma line bw 5147 ( atcc ) and lymph node cells from chimeric 0401 - ie transgenic mice previously immunized with hen egg ovalbumin ( ito et al . 1996 ). the clone t - hyb1 was selected for the assay since it responded to antigen specific stimulation with high il - 2 secretion . 18 . immunosuppression using an hla - dr specific antibody measured by t cell proliferation immunomodulatory properties of the anti - hla - dr antibody fragments were also seen within an assay that measures t cell proliferation . the ic 50 value for inhibition of t cell proliferation of the igg form of ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 / 1c7277 and ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 / 1d09c3 were 11 and 20 nm respectively ( fig1 ). the anti - hla - dr antibody fragments were tested as follows to inhibit the proliferative t cell response of antigen - primed lymph node cells from mice carrying a chimeric mouse - human class ii transgene with an ra - associated peptide binding site , and lack murine class ii molecules ( muller et al ., 1990 ; woods et al ., 1994 ; current protocols in immunology , vol . 2 , 7 . 21 ; ito et al ., 1996 ). here , the immunization takes place in vivo , but the inhibition and readout are ex vivo . transgenic mice expressing mhc class ii molecules with binding sites of the ra - associated molecule , drb * 0401 were commercially obtained . these mice lack murine mhc class ii , and thus , all th responses are channeled through a single human ra - associated mhc class ii molecule ( ito et al ., 1996 ). these transgenic mice represent a model for testing human class ii antagonists . the inhibitory effect of the anti - hla - dr antibody fragments and their igg forms were tested on t - cell proliferation measured using chimeric t - cells and antigen presenting cells isolated from the lymph nodes of chimeric 0401 - i e transgenic mice ( taconic , usa ) previously immunized with hen egg ovalbumin ( ito et al ., 1996 ) according to standard procedures . 1 . 5 × 10 5 cells are incubated in 0 . 2 ml wells of 96 - well tissue culture plates in the presence of ovalbumin ( 30 μg per well — half - maximal stimulatory concentration ) and a dilution series of the anti - hla - dr antibody fragment or igg form under test ( 0 . 1 nm - 200 nm ) in serum free hl - 1 medium containing 2 mm l - glutamine and 0 . 1 g / l kanamycin for three days . antigen specific proliferation is measured by 3 h - methyl - thymidin ( 1 μci / well ) incorporation during the last 16 hrs of culture ( falcioni et al ., 1999 ). cells are harvested , and 3 h incorporation measured using a scintillation counter ( topcount , wallac finland ). inhibition of t - cell proliferation on treatment with the anti - hla - dr antibody fragment and its igg form was observed by comparison to control wells containing antigen . fig9 d showed that the proliferation of the t - cell line ng - tcl ha - 10 was significantly inhibited by the two gpc antibodies ( ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 / 1c7277 and ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 / 1d09c3 ), at least to the same extent of the mouse 1 - 1c4 positive control ab . fig9 e and 9 f showed that transgenic t - cell proliferation as measured by 3 h incorporation in two experiments were significantly inhibited by mab treatments , including ms - gpc - 8 - 10 - 57 / 1c7277 and ms - gpc - 8 - 27 - 41 / 1d09c3 human mab &# 39 ; s and mouse l243 , 11c4 and lb3 . 1 ab &# 39 ; s . in these experiments , t - cells are sensitized in vivo by specific antigens ( ovalbumin ( ova ) in one case , hen egg lysozyme ( hel ) in another case ), followed by re - stimulation ex vivo by these two antigens respectively for measuring immune stimulation in the form of antigen specific induction of t - cell proliferation . fig9 e and 9 f showed that more than 90 % inhibition of antigen specific induction of t - cell proliferation is achieved using the human mab &# 39 ; s of the instant invention . in order to select the most appropriate protein / peptide to enter further experiments and to assess its suitability for use in a therapeutic composition for the treatment of cancers , additional data are collected . such data for each igg form of the anti - hla antigen antibody fragments can include the binding affinity , in vitro killing efficiency as measured by ec 50 and cytotoxicity across a panel of tumor cell lines , the maximal percentage cell killing as estimated in vitro , and tumor reduction data and mouse survival data from in vivo animal models . the igg form of the anti - hla antigen antibody fragments that shows the highest affinity , the lowest ec 50 for killing , the highest maximal percentage cell killing and broadest across various tumor cell lines , the best tumor reduction data and / or the best mouse - survival data may be chosen to enter further experiments . such experiments may include , for example , therapeutic profiling and toxicology in animals and phase i clinical trials in humans . 20 . in vivo efficacy of immunosuppression using an hla - dr specific antibody in treating delayed - type - hypersensitivity ( dth ) in order to determine the in vivo efficacy of the immunosuppression activity of the mab &# 39 ; s of the instant invention , we conducted experiments using a mouse model for delayed - type - hypersensitivity ( dth ). in this system , mouse ear - swelling in response to treatments by haptens such as oxazalone ( oxa ) or dinitrofluorobenzene ( dnfb ) were measured to determine the in vivo efficacy of the mab &# 39 ; s of the instant invention . specifically , 0 . 05 ml of 2 % oxa or dnfb were applied to the bellies of treatment group mice on day 1 and 2 . on day 5 , different doses of test mab &# 39 ; s 1d09c3 or control treatments were administered i . v . after waiting for 4 or 8 hours , mice were challenged with 0 . 02 ml of 0 . 5 % oxa or dnfb . ear thickness was measured on day 6 , 8 , 9 and 12 , and the results were presented in fig9 g , 9 h and 9 i . in fig9 g , dth to oxa as measured by ear - thickness was blocked by roughly 75 % if 1 mg or 0 . 75 mg of mab was administered i . v ., while 0 . 5 mg of mab or less has no significant effect . in fig9 h , the time course of inhibition , by human anti - dr mab , of dth to dnfb in dr - tg mice as measured by ear - thickness was presented . dth was almost completely blocked ( p & lt ; 0 . 005 ) at 7 th hour after treatment with the mab 1d09c3 , followed by a 60 % block ( p & lt ; 0 . 01 ) at 18 th hr and no effect at 4 hr . fig9 i showed a positive correlation between the dose of mab ( 1d09c3 ) used at the 7 th hour and the effectiveness of the inhibition of dth in dr - tg mice . both 1 mg and 0 . 5 mg of 1d09c3 significantly ( p & lt ; 0 . 005 ) inhibited dth while lower doses have no effect . these experiments demonstrates that mab &# 39 ; s of the instant invention is capable of specifically inhibiting the very part of the immune system responsible for the unwanted immune reaction . it is an inhibition of immune reaction rather than suppression of existing immune reaction . since the mab &# 39 ; s of the instant invention are fully human antibodies , rather than murine mab or humanized murine antibodies , they are expected to have very low immunogenicity in the host and a much longer half life . in addition , most mab &# 39 ; s of the instant invention also have very high affinity in the pico molar range . these mab &# 39 ; s shall prove to be useful for a variety of immune diseases such as dth and graft v . host disease ( gvhd ). 21 . selection of useful polypeptide for the treatment of diseases of the immune system in order to select the most appropriate protein / peptide to enter further experiments and to assess its suitability for use in a therapeutic composition for the treatment of diseases of the immune system , additional data are collected . such data for each monovalent antibody fragment or igg form of the anti - hla antigen antibody fragments can include the affinity , reactivity , specificity , ic 50 - values , for inhibition of il - 2 secretion and of t - cell proliferation , or in vitro killing efficiency as measured by ec 50 and the maximal percentage cell killing as estimated in vitro , and dr - transgenic models of transplant rejection and graft vs . host disease . the antibody fragment or igg form of the anti - hla antigen antibody fragments that shows the lowest ec 50 , highest affinity , highest killing , best specificity and / or greatest inhibition of t - cell proliferation or il - 2 secretion , and high efficacy in inhibiting transplant rejection and / or graft vs . host disease in appropriate models , might be chosen to enter further experiments . such experiments may include , for example , therapeutic profiling and toxicology in animals and phase i clinical trials in humans . c ) 3000ru mhcii were immobilized on a cm5 - chip . for each measurement 7 different concentrations from 1 μm to 16 nm were injected on the surface . dissociation time : 150 sec , regeneration was reached by 6 μl 10 mm glycine ph 2 . 3 followed by 8 μl 7 . 5 mm naoh . for ms - gpc - 8 - 6 - 19 mean and standard deviation of 4 different preparations are shown whereas for all other binders mean and standard deviation of 3 different preparations are shown . d ) one protein preparation is measured on 3 different chips ( 3000 , 2800 and 6500ru ). e ) affinity determination of maturated mhcii binder on a 4000ru density chips ; single measurement . molecular weights were determined after size exclusion chromatography and found 100 % monomeric with the right molecular weight between 45 and 48 kda . a ) for ms - gpc - 8 - 6 mean and standard deviation of 3 different preparations on 3 different chips ( 500 , 4000 , 3000ru ) is shown . binders obtained out of hucal in scfv form and their converted fabs a ) affinity data of ms - gpc - 8 are based on 8 different fab - preparations which were measured on 4 different chips ( 2 × 500 , 1000 , 4000ru ) and are shown with standard deviation . b based on viable cell recovery after treatment with 200 nm murine or 50 nm human mab at 37 c for 4 h . determined by light or fluorescence microscopic cell counting or facs analysis , as described in experimental protocol . each number represents an average from 2 to 6 independent experiments . the following is a partial list of references cited in the instant application . the contects of these references are hereby incorporated herein by reference . adorini l , mueller s , cardinaux f , lehmann p v , falcioni f , nagy z a , ( 1988 ), nature 334 : 623 . ausubel , f . m ., brent , r ., kingston , r . e ., moore , d . d ., seidman , j . g ., smith , j . a . and struhl , k . 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reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present disclosure , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings , wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout . fig1 is a drawing illustrating a front of a refrigerator in accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure . referring to fig1 , a refrigerator 1 in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a body 10 , storage compartments 20 and 30 divided into an upper side and a lower side at an inside the body 10 , doors 31 , 40 , and 50 configured to open / close the storage compartments 20 and 30 , and a cool air supplying apparatus ( not shown ) to supply cool air to the storage compartments 20 and 30 . the body 10 may include an inner case forming the storage compartments 20 and 30 , an outer case forming an exterior appearance by being coupled to an outer side of the inner case , and a heat insulation member foamed in between the inner case and the outer case and configured to thermally insulate the storage compartments 20 and 30 from each other . the cool air supplying apparatus ( not shown ) may generate cool air by using a cooling circulation cycle configured to compress , condense , expand , and evaporate refrigerant . the storage compartments 20 and 30 may be provided with a front surface thereof open , and may be partitioned into the refrigerating compartment 20 at the upper side and the freezing compartment 30 at the lower side . the refrigerating compartment 20 may be open and closed by a pair of doors 40 and 50 that are rotatably coupled to the body 10 , and the freezing compartment 30 may be open and closed by a sliding door 31 slidably mounted at the body 10 . the pair of doors 40 and 50 configured to open and close the refrigerating compartment 20 may be disposed side by side . hereinafter , for the sake of convenience , the left side door 40 on the drawing is referred to as the first door 40 and the right side door 50 on the drawing is referred to as the second door 50 . the first door 40 is configured to open and close a left portion of the front surface of the refrigerating compartment 20 that is open , and the second door 50 is configured to open and close the remaining portion of the front surface of the refrigerating compartment 20 that is open . door shelves 41 and 51 are provided at the rear surfaces of the first door 40 and the second door 50 , respectively , to store foods . in addition , at the rims of the rear surfaces of the first door 40 and the second door 50 , gaskets 42 and 52 are provided , respectively , to seal the gap with respect to the body 10 in a state that the first door 40 and the second door 50 are closed . the gaskets 42 and 52 may be installed in a shape of a loop along the rims of the rear surfaces of the first door 40 and the second door 50 , respectively , and magnets ( 42 a and 52 a in fig4 and 5 ) may be included at an inside the gaskets 42 and 52 , respectively . meanwhile , in a state that the first door 40 and the second door 50 are closed , a gap may be formed between the first door 40 and the second door 50 , and in order to seal the gap as such , a rotating bar 100 is rotatably mounted at the first door 40 . the rotating bar 100 as such is provided in a bar shape formed lengthwise along the height direction of the first door 40 , and may be rotated by a guide part 60 provided at the body 10 . the guide part 60 of the body 10 may include a guide body ( 61 in fig6 ) coupled to the body 10 , and a guide groove ( 62 in fig6 ) formed at the guide body 61 . hereinafter , the structure and the operation of the rotating bar 100 as such will be described . fig2 is an exploded perspective view showing a structure of the rotating bar of the refrigerator of fig1 , fig3 is an assembled perspective view of the rotating bar of the refrigerator of fig1 , and fig4 is a cross - sectional view of the rotating bar of the refrigerator of fig1 . referring to fig2 to 4 , the rotating bar 100 includes a case 110 having an accommodating space 110 a and provided with one surface thereof open , a heat insulation member 120 accommodated in the accommodating space 110 a of the case 110 , a cover 130 coupled to the one open surface of the case 110 , a metallic plate 150 coupled to an outer side of the cover 130 , and a heat generating member 140 disposed at a space in between the cover 130 and the metallic plate 150 . the case 110 is configured to form an external appearance of the rotating bar 100 , and may be provided at an inside thereof with the accommodating space 110 a having one surface open , and the one open surface of the rotating bar 100 may be covered by the cover 130 . a hinge bracket coupling part 110 b to which a hinge bracket ( 70 in fig6 ) is coupled may be provided at the case 110 . the hinge bracket 70 may include a fixing part ( 71 in fig6 ) fixed to the rear surface of the first door 40 , and a hinge bar ( 72 in fig6 ) configured to connect the fixing part 71 to the rotating bar 100 , so that the rotating bar 100 is rotated on a rotation shaft ( 73 in fig6 ). the fixing part 71 may be coupled to the rear surface of the first door 40 by use of a connecting member such as a screw . in addition , at an upper surface of the case 110 , a passage part 112 may be provided , so that an insertion protrusion 161 being inserted into the guide groove ( 62 in fig6 ) of the guide part ( 60 in fig6 ) may be protruded to an outside the case 110 . the passage part 112 may be provided in the form of a hole having the same shape as the insertion protrusion 161 . in the embodiment of the present disclosure , the guide part 60 is formed at an upper portion of the body 10 while the insertion protrusion 161 is protruded toward an upper side of the rotating bar 100 . however , the guide part 60 may be formed at a lower portion of the body 10 while the insertion protrusion 161 may be protruded toward a lower side of the rotating bar 100 . in this case , the passage part 112 of the case 110 may also be formed at a lower surface of the case 110 . the case 110 as such may be injection - molded using plastic material as an integrated body . the heat insulation member 120 is configured to thermally insulate the refrigerating compartment 20 , and may be formed of eps ( expanded polystyrene ) material having superior insulation performance and light weight . the heat insulation member 120 , after being formed in an approximate shape to be inserted into the accommodating space 110 a of the case 110 , may be inserted into the accommodating space 110 a of the case 110 . the cover 130 is configured to cover the one surface of the case 110 that is open , and may be coupled to the one open surface of the case 110 after the heat insulation member 120 is inserted into the accommodating space 110 a of the case 110 . as illustrated on fig4 , the cover 130 is provided with a cross section obtained by being bent several times , and forms a portion of the side surface and a portion of the rear surface of the rotating bar 100 . here , the rear surface of the rotating bar 100 is referred to as a surface facing the gaskets 42 and 52 of the doors 41 and 51 . in detail , the cover 130 includes a heat insulation member adhering part 131 making contact with the heat insulation member 120 , a second coupling part 132 to which the metallic plate 150 , which will be described later , is coupled , a heat conduction blocking part 133 protruded toward the metallic plate 150 , and a side surface forming part 134 forming at least one portion of the side surface of the rotating bar 100 . the cover 130 may be injection molded using plastic material having low heat conductivity as an integrated body . the metallic plate 150 may be coupled to an outer side of the cover 130 as such , and the metallic plate 150 is formed of metallic material so as to come into close contact with the gaskets 42 and 52 by the magnetic force of the magnets 42 a and 52 a included in the gaskets 42 and 52 , and to provide rigidity to the rotating bar 100 . the metallic plate 150 may include a first coupling part 151 being coupled to the second coupling part 132 of the cover 130 , and a gasket close - contact part 152 coming into close contact with the gaskets 42 and 52 . the first coupling part 151 of the metallic plate 150 is coupled to the second coupling part 132 of the cover 130 by a connecting member such as a screw or by an adhesive member . meanwhile , the heat generating member 140 , which is configured to generate heat to prevent frost from being formed on the metallic plate 150 due to the temperature difference between the inside and the outside the refrigerating compartment 40 , may be disposed at a space formed by the first coupling part 151 of the metallic plate 150 and the gasket close - contact part 152 of the metallic plate 150 . here , so as to prevent the heat generated from the heat generating member 140 from being excessively delivered to the metallic plate 150 , the heat generating member 140 may be implemented by a heating cable 140 , which includes a heating wire covered with non - conductive material such as silicon or an fep ( fluorinated ethylene propylene ). thus , the heat generating member 140 , so as to deliver the minimum amount of heat to the metallic plate 150 to prevent frost from being formed on the metallic plate 150 , may be disposed in a line - contacted manner with the metallic plate 150 instead of being surface - contacted with the metallic plate 150 . meanwhile , the heat conduction blocking part 133 of the cover 130 and the gasket close - contact part 152 of the metallic plate 150 , both of which were previously described , form the rear surface of the rotating bar 100 . the central portion of the rear surface of the rotating bar 100 is formed by the gasket close - contact part 152 of the metallic plate 150 , and both side edge portions of the rear surface of the rotating bar 100 are formed by the heat conduction blocking part 133 of the cover 130 . in order to prevent the heat , which is being conducted along the gasket close - contact part 152 of the metallic plate 150 , from being conducted to the side surface of the rotating bar 100 , the heat conduction blocking part 133 of the cover 130 is needed to be provided for a predetermined length l . the length l of the heat conduction blocking part 133 of the cover 130 is provided to be approximately larger than a thickness d of the cover 130 , and within the limit that the metallic plate 150 comes into close contact with the gaskets 42 and 52 by the magnetic force of the magnets 42 a and 52 a that are included in the gaskets 42 and 52 , the length of the gasket close - contact part 152 of the metallic plate 150 may be reduced while increasing the length l of the heat conduction blocking part 133 of the cover 130 . according to the structure as the above , in a state where the first door 40 and the second door 50 are closed , the rotating bar 100 may seal the gap between the first door 40 and the second door 50 while coming into close contact with the gaskets 42 and 52 of the first door 40 and the second door 50 , and may also minimize the heat , which is generated from the heat generating member 140 of the rotating bar 100 , from penetrating to an inside the refrigerating compartment 20 . thus , the insulation performance of the rotating bar 100 is enhanced while the heat loss of the heat generating member 140 is minimized , thereby able to save the energy needed to prevent frost from being formed on the rotating bar 100 . meanwhile , sealing members ( 170 and 180 in fig2 ) may be provided at an upper end and at a lower end of the rotating bar 100 , respectively , to seal a gap formed between the rotating bar 100 and the body 10 in a state that the doors 40 and 50 are closed . the sealing member 170 of the upper end and the sealing member 180 of the lower end may include blocking walls 171 and 181 , respectively , which protrude to seal the gap in between the guide part 60 of the body 10 and the rotating bar 100 in a state that the door 40 is closed . as illustrated in one embodiment shown in fig1 of the present disclosure , in a case when the guide part 60 is provided at an upper portion of the body 10 , the sealing member 170 may seal the gap between the guide part 60 and the rotating bar 100 . the sealing members 170 and 180 as such may be formed of flexible material such as rubber to seal the gap between the body 10 and the rotating bar 100 in a smooth manner without damage by a collision . fig5 is a cross - sectional view of a rotating bar of a refrigerator in accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure . hereinafter , the structure of a rotating bar in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to fig5 . in the following description , the same reference numerals will be assigned to the parts of the present embodiment that are identical to those according to the previous embodiment , and details of parts will be omitted in order to avoid redundancy . in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure , the rotating bar 100 includes a case 110 provided with an accommodating space formed at an inside thereof and having one surface thereof open , a heat insulation member 120 accommodated in the accommodating space of the case 110 , a metallic plate 150 coupled to the one open surface of the case 110 , a heat generating member 140 configured to radiate heat to prevent frost from being formed on the metallic plate 150 , and a heat insulation film 190 formed on a surface of the metallic plate 150 that is exposed to the outside . the heat insulation film 190 is configured to increase the heat resistance of the metallic plate 150 so as to prevent the heat generated at the heat generating member 140 from penetrating to the refrigerating compartment 20 after being delivered along the metallic plate 150 to the both side surfaces of the rotating bar , and the heat insulation film 190 may be formed of material having a low heat conductivity . the heat insulation film 190 may be formed on the surface of the metallic plate 150 through a method such as a coating , or may be formed by attaching processed material having a shape of a thin panel to the metallic plate 150 . however , the heat insulation film 190 is needed to be provided with a thickness less than a predetermined thickness , so that , in a state of the first door 40 and the second door 50 are closed , the rotating bar may come into close contact with the gaskets 42 and 52 by the magnetic force of the magnets 42 a and 52 a that are included in the gaskets 42 and 52 . as for the heat generating member 140 , a heating cable may be used , and by being line - contacted with the metallic plate 150 , may supply the minimum amount of heat needed to prevent frost from being formed at the metallic plate 150 . the heat generating member 140 , except for the area that is being line - contacted with the metallic plate 150 , is disposed in a way to be surrounded by the heat insulation member 120 , thereby minimizing heat loss . fig6 to 9 are drawings to describe the operation of the rotating bar of the refrigerator of fig1 . referring to fig6 to 9 , the operation of the rotating bar of the refrigerator in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in brief . fig6 illustrates a normal position of the rotating bar 100 in a state that the door 40 is open , fig7 illustrates a process of the first door 40 being closed from the state of fig6 , and fig8 illustrates a state of the first door 40 and the second door 50 closed . fig9 illustrates an abnormal position of the rotating bar 100 in a state that the first door 40 is open . as illustrated on fig6 , in a state that the first door 40 is open , the normal position of the rotating bar 100 is a position at which the rear surface of the rotating bar 100 is approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the first door 40 . hereinafter , the position as such is referred to as a vertical position . in a state that the rotating bar 100 is at the vertical position , as the first door 40 is closed , as illustrated on fig7 , the insertion protrusion 161 of the rotating bar 100 may enter an inside the guide groove 62 through a guide groove entry 63 of the guide part 60 that is provided at the body 10 . the insertion protrusion 161 that enters an inside the guide groove 62 is rotated along the curved surface of the guide groove 62 , and as the insertion protrusion 161 rotates , the rotating bar 100 is also rotated . finally , as illustrated on fig8 , when the first door 40 is completely closed , the rear surface of rotating bar 100 is disposed in an approximately horizontal to the longitudinal direction of the first door 40 and of the second door 50 , and thus the rotating bar 100 comes into close contact with the gaskets 42 and 52 , thereby able to seal the gap in between the first door 40 and the second door 50 . hereinafter , the position of the rotating bar 100 as such will be referred to as a horizontal position . finally , in the process of the first door 40 being closed , the rotating bar 100 , in the order of sequence as illustrated on fig6 , fig7 , and fig8 , is rotated in clockwise direction on the drawings . in addition , on the contrary , in the process of the first door 40 being open , the rotating bar 100 , in the order of sequence of fig8 , fig7 , and fig6 , is rotated in the counter - clockwise direction with respect to the drawings , and in the state of the first door 40 is completely open , the rotating bar 100 is disposed at the vertical position . as the above , as the rotating bar 100 is disposed at the vertical position , the first door 40 , even in a state of the second door 50 being closed , may be closed without having the rotating bar 100 being interfered by the second door 50 , and in addition , the insertion protrusion 161 of the rotating bar 100 may enter the guide groove 62 through the guide groove entry 63 . however , in a state that the first door 40 is open , the rotating bar 100 may be disposed at the horizontal position due to an erroneous operation by a user . in this case , in the process of the first door 40 being closed , the rotating bar 100 may be interfered by the second door 50 . in addition , even if the rotating bar 100 does not interfere with the second door 50 since the second door 50 is open , the insertion protrusion 161 may not be able to enter the guide groove 62 through the guide groove entry part 63 , and may collide with the guide body 61 . thus , the first door 40 is not being completed closed , and the cool air of the refrigerating compartment 20 may be discharged , thereby causing a damage on the insertion protrusion 161 . thus , the insertion protrusion 161 of the rotating bar 100 of the refrigerator in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure is configured to be vertically movable , so that the insertion protrusion 161 is inserted into the guide groove 62 without being collided with the guide body 61 even in a state of the rotating bar 100 being at the horizontal position . the structure of the insertion protrusion 161 as such will be described hereinafter . fig1 is a drawing showing a structure of the insertion protrusion of the rotating bar of the refrigerator of fig1 , and fig1 to 12 are drawings to describe a vertical movement of the insertion protrusion of the rotating bar of the refrigerator of fig1 . referring to fig1 to 12 , the insertion protrusion 161 includes a body part 166 disposed at an inside the rotating bar 100 , a protrusion part 164 protruded to the outside the rotating bar 100 through the passage part 112 of the rotating bar 100 , a stopper part 165 to prevent the insertion protrusion 161 from being separated to the outside the rotating bar 100 , and an inclined surface 163 formed at the protrusion part 164 . the body part 166 is provided at an inside thereof with a hollowness into which an elastic member 162 may be inserted , and the insertion protrusion 161 is elastically biased by the elastic member 162 in a state of that the protrusion part 164 protrudes to the outside the rotating bar 100 . at the case 110 of the rotating bar 100 , a supporting part 111 to support the elastic member 162 is provided , and also a supporting bar 111 a is protruded from the supporting part 111 . at the body part 166 , a supporting bar 166 a is provided to support the elastic member 162 . the protrusion part 164 is provided with an approximately same shape as the passage part 112 while provided with a size smaller than the size of the passage part 112 so as to be able to pass through the passage part 112 . the protrusion part 164 may be provided with the stopper part 165 to limit the protrusion range of the protrusion part 164 to the outside of the protrusion part 164 . the inclined surface 163 formed at the protrusion part 164 is configured to convert horizontal force into vertical force , and is configured in a way that the insertion protrusion 161 may move vertically by the horizontal pressing force of the guide body 61 in the process of the first door 40 being closed while the rotating bar 100 is at the horizontal position . thus , as illustrated on fig9 , if the first door 40 is closed in a state of the rotating bar 100 is at the horizontal position , the insertion protrusion 161 is collided with the guide body 61 , and may descend by the pressing force of the guide body 61 . in the state as such , when the first door 40 is completely closed , the insertion protrusion 161 is ascended by the restoration force of the elastic member 162 , and may be inserted into the guide groove 62 . according to the structure as the above , the first door 40 of the refrigerator in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure , even in a state that the rotating bar 100 is rotated to the horizontal position , may be closed without interference . thus , the user convenience is enhanced , and the cool air loss due to the incomplete closing of the doors 40 and 50 may be prevented . although a few embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described , it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the disclosure , the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents .	5
turning now to fig1 , a block diagram of one embodiment of a system 100 that includes an integrated circuit 103 coupled to external memory 102 is shown . in the illustrated embodiment , integrated circuit 103 includes a memory controller 104 , a system interface unit ( siu ) 106 , a set of peripheral components such as components 126 - 128 , a central dma ( cdma ) controller 124 , a network interface controller ( nic ) 110 , a processor 114 with a level 2 ( l2 ) cache 112 , and a video processing unit ( vpu ) 116 coupled to a display control unit ( dcu ) 118 . one or more of the peripheral components may include memories , such as random access memory ( ram ) 136 in peripheral component 126 and read - only memory ( rom ) 142 in peripheral component 132 . one or more peripheral components 126 - 132 may also include registers ( e . g . registers 138 in peripheral component 128 and registers 140 in peripheral component 130 in fig1 ). memory controller 104 is coupled to a memory interface , which may couple to memory 102 , and is also coupled to siu 106 . cdma controller 124 , and l2 cache 112 are also coupled to siu 106 in the illustrated embodiment . l2 cache 112 is coupled to processor 114 , and cdma controller 124 is coupled to peripheral components 126 - 132 . one or more peripheral components 126 - 132 , such as peripheral components 140 and 142 , may be coupled to external interfaces as well . siu 106 may be an interconnect over which the memory controller 104 , peripheral components nic 110 and vpu 116 , processor 114 ( through l2 cache 112 ), l2 cache 112 , and cdma controller 124 may communicate . siu 106 may implement any type of interconnect ( e . g . a bus , a packet interface , point to point links , etc .). siu 106 may be a hierarchy of interconnects , in some embodiments . cdma controller 124 may be configured to perform dma operations between memory 102 and / or various peripheral components 126 - 132 . nic 110 and vpu 116 may be coupled to siu 106 directly and may perform their own data transfers to / from memory 102 , as needed . nic 110 and vpu 116 may include their own dma controllers , for example . in other embodiments , nic 110 and vpu 116 may also perform transfers through cdma controller 124 . various embodiments may include any number of peripheral components coupled through the cdma controller 124 and / or directly to the siu 106 . dcu 118 may include a display control unit ( cldc ) 120 and buffers / registers 122 . cldc 120 may provide image / video data to a display , such as a liquid crystal display ( lcd ), for example . dcu 118 may receive the image / video data from vpu 116 , which may obtain image / video frame information from memory 102 as required , to produce the image / video data for display , provided to dcu 118 . processor 114 ( and more particularly , instructions executed by processor 114 ) may program cdma controller 124 to perform dma operations . various embodiments may program cdma controller 124 in various ways . for example , dma descriptors may be written to the memory 102 , describing the dma operations to be performed , and cdma controller 124 may include registers that are programmable to locate the dma descriptors in the memory 102 . the dma descriptors may include data indicating the source and target of the dma operation , where the dma operation transfers data from the source to the target . the size of the dma transfer ( e . g . number of bytes ) may be indicated in the descriptor . termination handling ( e . g . interrupt the processor , write the descriptor to indicate termination , etc .) may be specified in the descriptor . multiple descriptors may be created for a dma channel , and the dma operations described in the descriptors may be performed as specified . alternatively , the cdma controller 124 may include registers that are programmable to describe the dma operations to be performed , and programming the cdma controller 124 may include writing the registers . generally , a dma operation may be a transfer of data from a source to a target that is performed by hardware separate from a processor that executes instructions . the hardware may be programmed using instructions executed by the processor , but the transfer itself is performed by the hardware independent of instruction execution in the processor . at least one of the source and target may be a memory . the memory may be the system memory ( e . g . the memory 102 ), or may be an internal memory in the integrated circuit 103 , in some embodiments . for example , a peripheral component 126 - 132 may include a memory that may be a source or target . in the illustrated embodiment , peripheral component 132 includes the rom 142 that may be a source of a dma operation . some dma operations may have memory as a source and a target ( e . g . a first memory region in memory 102 may store the data to be transferred and a second memory region may be the target to which the data may be transferred ). such dma operations may be referred to as “ memory - to - memory ” dma operations or copy operations . other dma operations may have a peripheral component as a source or target . the peripheral component may be coupled to an external interface on which the dma data is to be transferred or on which the dma data is to be received . for example , peripheral components 130 and 132 may be coupled to interfaces onto which dma data is to be transferred or on which the dma data is to be received . cdma controller 124 may support multiple dma channels . each dma channel may be programmable to perform a dma via a descriptor , and the dma operations on the dma channels may proceed in parallel . generally , a dma channel may be a logical transfer path from a source to a target . each channel may be logically independent of other dma channels . that is , the transfer of data on one channel may not logically depend on the transfer of data on another channel . if two or more dma channels are programmed with dma operations , cdma controller 124 may be configured to perform the transfers concurrently . for example , cdma controller 124 may alternate reading portions of the data from the source of each dma operation and writing the portions to the targets . cdma controller 124 may transfer a cache block of data at a time , alternating channels between cache blocks , or may transfer other sizes such as a word ( e . g . 4 bytes or 8 bytes ) at a time and alternate between words . any mechanism for supporting multiple dma operations proceeding concurrently may be used . cdma controller 124 may include buffers to store data that is being transferred from a source to a destination , although the buffers may only be used for transitory storage . thus , a dma operation may include cdma controller 124 reading data from the source and writing data to the destination . the data may thus flow through the cdma controller 124 as part of the dma operation . particularly , dma data for a dma read from memory 124 may flow through memory controller 104 , over siu 106 , through cdma controller 124 , to peripheral components 126 - 132 , nic 110 , and vpu 116 ( and possibly on the interface to which the peripheral component is coupled , if applicable ). data for a dma write to memory may flow in the opposite direction . dma read / write operations to internal memories may flow from peripheral components 126 - 132 , nic 110 , and vpu 116 over siu 106 as needed , through cdma controller 124 , to the other peripheral components ( including nic 110 and vpu 116 ) that may be involved in the dma operation . in one embodiment , instructions executed by the processor 114 may also communicate with one or more of peripheral components 126 - 132 , nic 110 , vpu 116 , and / or the various memories such as memory 102 , or rom 142 using read and / or write operations referred to as programmed input / output ( pio ) operations . the pio operations may have an address that is mapped by integrated circuit 103 to a peripheral component 126 - 132 , nic 110 , or vpu 116 ( and more particularly , to a register or other readable / writeable resource , such as rom 142 or registers 138 in the component , for example ). it should also be noted , that while not explicitly shown in fig1 , nic 110 and vpu 116 may also include registers or other readable / writeable resources which may be involved in pio operations . pio operations directed to memory 102 may have an address that is mapped by integrated circuit 103 to memory 102 . alternatively , the pio operation may be transmitted by processor 114 in a fashion that is distinguishable from memory read / write operations ( e . g . using a different command encoding then memory read / write operations on siu 106 , using a sideband signal or control signal to indicate memory vs . pio , etc .). the pio transmission may still include the address , which may identify the peripheral component 126 - 132 , nic 110 , or vpu 116 ( and the addressed resource ) or memory 102 within a pio address space , for such implementations . in one embodiment , pio operations may use the same interconnect as cdma controller 124 , and may flow through cdma controller 124 , for peripheral components that are coupled to cdma controller 124 . thus , a pio operation may be issued by processor 114 onto siu 106 ( through l2 cache 112 , in this embodiment ), to cdma controller 124 , and to the targeted peripheral component . alternatively , the peripheral components 126 - 132 may be coupled to siu 106 ( much like nic 110 and vpu 116 ) for pio communications . pio operations to peripheral components 126 - 132 may flow to the components directly from siu 106 ( i . e . not through cdma controller 124 ) in one embodiment . generally , a peripheral component may comprise any desired circuitry to be included on integrated circuit 103 with the processor . a peripheral component may have a defined functionality and interface by which other components of integrated circuit 103 may communicate with the peripheral component . for example , a peripheral component such as vpu 116 may include video components such as a display pipe , which may include graphics processors , and a peripheral such as dcu 118 may include other video components such as display controller circuitry . nic 110 may include networking components such as an ethernet media access controller ( mac ) or a wireless fidelity ( wifi ) controller . other peripherals may include audio components such as digital signal processors , mixers , etc ., controllers to communicate on various interfaces such as universal serial bus ( usb ), peripheral component interconnect ( pci ) or its variants such as pci express ( pcie ), serial peripheral interface ( spi ), flash memory interface , etc . as mentioned previously , one or more of the peripheral components 126 - 132 , nic 110 and vpu 116 may include registers ( e . g . registers 138 - 140 as shown , but also registers , not shown , in nic 110 and / or within vpu 116 ) that may be addressable via pio operations . the registers may include configuration registers that configure programmable options of the peripheral components ( e . g . programmable options for video and image processing in vpu 116 ), status registers that may be read to indicate status of the peripheral components , etc . similarly , peripheral components may include memories such as rom 142 . roms may store data used by the peripheral that does not change , code to be executed by an embedded processor within the peripheral component 126 - 132 , etc . memory controller 104 may be configured to receive memory requests from system interface unit 106 . memory controller 104 may be configured to access memory to complete the requests ( writing received data to the memory for a write request , or providing data from memory 102 in response to a read request ) using the interface defined the attached memory 102 . memory controller 104 may be configured to interface with any type of memory 102 , such as dynamic random access memory ( dram ), synchronous dram ( sdram ), double data rate ( ddr , ddr2 , ddr3 , etc .) sdram , low power ddr2 ( lpddr2 ) sdram , rambus dram ( rdram ), static ram ( sram ), etc . the memory may be arranged as multiple banks of memory , such as dual inline memory modules ( dimms ), single inline memory modules ( simms ), etc . in one embodiment , one or more memory chips are attached to the integrated circuit 10 in a package on package ( pop ) or chip - on - chip ( coc ) configuration . it is noted that other embodiments may include other combinations of components , including subsets or supersets of the components shown in fig1 and / or other components . while one instance of a given component may be shown in fig1 , other embodiments may include one or more instances of the given component . turning now to fig2 , a partial block diagram is shown providing an overview of an exemplary system in which image frame information may be stored in memory 202 , which may be system memory , and provided to a display pipe 212 . as shown in fig2 , memory 202 may include a video buffer 206 for storing video frames / information , and one or more ( in the embodiment shown , a total of two ) image frame buffers 208 and 210 for storing image frame information . in some embodiments , the video frames / information stored in video buffer 206 may be represented in a first color space , according the origin of the video information . for example , the video information may be represented in the ycbcr color space . at the same time , the image frame information stored in image frame buffers 208 and 210 may be represented in a second color space , according to the preferred operating mode of display pipe 212 . for example , the image frame information stored in image frame buffers 208 and 210 may be represented in the rgb color space . display pipe 212 may include one or more user interface ( ui ) units , shown as ui 214 and 216 in the embodiment of fig2 , which may be coupled to memory 202 from where they may fetch the image frame data / information . a video pipe or processor 220 may be similarly configured to fetch the video data from memory 202 , more specifically from video buffer 206 , and perform various operations on the video data . ui 214 and 216 , and video pipe 220 may respectively provide the fetched image frame information and video image information to a blend unit 218 to generate output frames that may be stored in a buffer 222 , from which they may be provided to a display controller 224 for display on a display device ( not shown ), for example an lcd . in one set of embodiments , ui 214 and 216 may include one or more registers programmable to define at least one active region per frame stored in buffers 208 and 210 . active regions may represent those regions within an image frame that contain pixels that are to be displayed , while pixels outside of the active region of the frame are not to be displayed . in order to reduce the number of accesses that may be required to fetch pixels from frame buffers 208 and 210 , when fetching frames from memory 202 ( more specifically from frame buffers 208 and 210 ), ui 214 and 216 may fetch only those pixels of any given frame that are within the active regions of the frame , as defined by the contents of the registers within ui 214 and 216 . the pixels outside the active regions of the frame may be considered to have an alpha value corresponding to a blend value of zero . in other words , pixels outside the active regions of a frame may automatically be treated as being transparent , or having an opacity of zero , thus having no effect on the resulting display frame . consequently , the fetched pixels may be blended with pixels from other frames , and / or from processed video frame or frames provided by video pipe 220 to blend unit 218 . turning now to fig3 , a more detailed logic diagram of one embodiment 300 of display pipe 212 is shown . in one set of embodiments , display pipe 300 may function to deliver graphics and video data residing in memory ( or some addressable form of memory , e . g . memory 202 in fig2 ) to a display controller or controllers that may support both lcd and analog / digital tv displays . the video data , which may be represented in a first color space , likely the ycbcr color space , may be dithered , scaled , converted to a second color space ( for example the rgb color space ) for use in blend unit 310 , and blended with up to a specified number ( e . g . 2 ) of graphics ( user interface ) planes that are also represented in the second ( i . e . rgb ) color space . display pipe 300 may run in its own clock domain , and may provide an asynchronous interface to the display controllers to support displays of different sizes and timing requirements . display pipe 300 may include one or more ( in this case two ) user interface ( ui ) blocks 304 and 322 ( which may correspond to ui 214 and 216 of fig2 ), a blend unit 310 ( which may correspond to blend unit 218 of fig2 ), a video pipe 328 ( which may correspond to video pipe 220 of fig2 ), a parameter fifo 352 , and master and slave host interfaces 302 and 303 , respectively . the blocks shown in the embodiment of fig3 may be modular , such that with some redesign , user interfaces and video pipes may be added or removed , or host master or slave interfaces 302 and 303 may be changed , for example . display pipe 300 may be designed to fetch data from memory , process that data , then presents it to an external display controller through an asynchronous fifo 320 . the display controller may control the timing of the display through a vertical blanking interval ( vbi ) signal that may be activated at the beginning of each vertical blanking interval . this signal may cause display pipe 300 to initialize ( restart ) and start ( go ) the processing for a frame ( more specifically , for the pixels within the frame ). between initializing and starting , configuration parameters unique to that frame may be modified . any parameters not modified may retain their value from the previous frame . as the pixels are processed and put into output fifo 320 , the display controller may issue signals ( referred to as pop signals ) to remove the pixels at the display controller &# 39 ; s clock frequency ( indicated as vclk in fig3 ). in the embodiment shown in fig3 , each ui unit may include one or more registers 319 a - 319 n and 321 a - 321 n , respectively , to hold image frame information that may include active region information , base address information , and / or frame size information among others . each ui unit may also include a respective fetch unit , 306 and 324 , respectively , which may operate to fetch the frame information , or more specifically the pixels contained in a given frame from memory , through host master interface 302 . as previously mentioned , the pixel values may be represented in the color space designated as the operating color space of the blend unit , in this case the rgb color space . in one set of embodiments , fetch units 306 and 324 may only fetch those pixels of any given frame that are within the active region of the given frame , as defined by the contents of registers 319 a - 319 n and 321 a - 321 n . the fetched pixels may be fed to respective fifo buffers 308 and 326 , from which the ui units may provide the fetched pixels to blend unit 310 , more specifically to a layer select unit 312 within blend unit 310 . blend unit 310 may then blend the fetched pixels obtained from ui 304 and 322 with pixels from other frames and / or video pixels obtained from video pipe 328 . the pixels may be blended in blend elements 314 , 316 , and 318 to produce an output frame or output frames , which may then be passed to fifo 320 to be retrieved by a display controller interface coupling to fifo 320 , to be displayed on a display of choice , for example an lcd . in one set of embodiments , the output frame ( s ) may be converted back to the original color space of the video information , e . g . to the ycbcr color space , to be displayed on the display of choice , the overall operation of blend unit 310 will now be described . blend unit 310 may be situated at the backend of display pipe 300 as shown in fig3 . it may receive frames of pixels represented in a second color space ( e . g . rgb ) from ui 304 and 322 , and pixels represented in a first color space ( e . g . ycbcr ) from video pipe 328 , and may blend them together layer by layer , through layer select unit 312 , once the pixels obtained from video pipe 328 have been converted to the second color space , as will be further described below . the final resultant pixels ( which may be rgb of 10 - bits each ) may be converted to the first color space through color space converter unit 341 ( as will also be further described below ), queued up in output fifo 320 at the video pipe &# 39 ; s clock rate of clk , and fetched by a display controller at the display controller &# 39 ; s clock rate of vclk . it should be noted that while fifo 320 is shown inside blend unit 310 , alternate embodiments may position fifo 320 outside blend unit 310 and possibly within a display controller unit . the sources to blend unit 310 ( ui 304 and 326 , and / or video pipe 328 ) may provide the pixel data and per - pixel alpha values ( which may be 8 - bit and define the transparency for the given pixel ) for an entire frame with width , display width , and height , display height , in pixels starting at a specified default pixel location , ( e . g . 0 , 0 ). the alpha values may be used to perform per - pixel blending , may be overridden with a static per - frame alpha value ( e . g . saturated alpha ), or may be combined with a static per - frame alpha value ( e . g . dissolve alpha ). any pixel locations outside of a source &# 39 ; s valid region may not be used in the blending . the layer underneath it may show through as if that pixel location had an alpha of zero . an alpha of zero for a given pixel may indicate that the given pixel is invisible , and will not be displayed . blend unit 310 may functionally operate on a single layer at a time . the lowest level layer may be defined as the background color ( bg , provided to blend element 314 ). layer 1 may blend with layer 0 ( at blend element 316 ). the next layer , layer 2 , may blend with the output from blend element 316 ( at blend element 318 ), and so on until all the layers are blended . for the sake of simplicity , only three blend elements 314 - 318 are shown , but display pipe 300 may include more or less blend elements depending on the desired number of processed layers . each layer ( starting with layer 1 ) may specify where its source comes from to ensure that any source may be programmatically selected to be on any layer . as mentioned above , as shown , blend unit 310 has three sources ( ui 304 and 322 , and video pipe 328 ) to be selected onto three layers ( using blend elements 314 - 318 ). a crc ( cyclic redundancy check ) may also be performed on the output of blend unit 310 . for example , in a first mode of operation , such as a test mode , blend unit 310 may be put into an error - checking only mode , ( e . g . a crc only mode ), when an error checking operation is performed on the output pixels without the output pixels being sent to the display controller . more specifically , the error checking operation may be performed on the pixel stream output from color space converter 341 ( or , in some embodiments , output from blend element 318 ) without the pixel stream being provided to fifo 320 . in the embodiment shown , an error check unit 319 is coupled to the output of color space converter 341 , to receive the pixel stream output by the display pipe . it should be noted that for ease of illustration , certain elements are shown in fig3 as being included in blend unit 310 . however , for ease of isolating the functionality of the display pipe as relating to the processing of pixels received through host interface 302 , the output of display pipe 300 may be considered the output of color space converter 341 ( if required ), or alternately , the output of blend element 318 . the pixel stream output by the display pipe may then be provided to fifo 320 and / or error check unit 319 . the dashed line from blend element 318 to error check circuit 319 indicates that error check circuit 319 may either / or also receive the pixel stream , depending on whether color space conversion ( using color space elements 340 and 341 ) is required . the error checking functionality of error check element 319 may be performed on any stream of pixels received by error check unit 319 , assuming that expected values for each given check are clearly specified / obtained . as also previously mentioned , the stream of pixels output by display pipe 300 may be presented to an external display controller through asynchronous fifo 320 , and as the pixels are processed at a first rate — e . g . corresponding to a clock rate indicated as “ clk ” in fig3 — and pushed into fifo 320 , the display controller may issue signals to remove the pixels at a second rate — e . g . the display controller &# 39 ; s clock frequency indicated as vclk in fig3 . in many cases the rate ( corresponding to vclk ) at which the pixels are removed , or popped from fifo 320 will be lower than the rate ( corresponding to clk ) at which display pipe 300 processes the pixels . therefore , the overall rate at which fifo 320 is filled may not coincide with the rate at which display pipe 300 processes the pixels , since display pipe 300 may not be able to push more pixels into fifo 320 once fifo 320 is full . when placed in a test - only mode , for example via processing unit 114 shown in fig1 , fifo 320 may be disabled , and the stream of pixels generated by display pipe 300 may be provided to error check unit 319 at a rate at which the pixels are processed . since fifo 320 does not fill up as neither blend element 318 nor color space converter 341 is pushing pixels into fifo 320 when in test - only mode , error - check value ( s ) may be calculated by error check unit 319 at a higher rate than the rate at which pixels are typically read from fifo 320 by a display controller . as indicated above , error check unit 319 may be used to perform crc operations based on the stream of pixels received from either blend element 318 or color space converter 341 ( both of which may correspond to the output of the display pipe from an error checking perspective ). by performing a crc on the output pixels , no display controller and / or display is required to be connected to the output of fifo 320 to perform test operations or simulations of the operation of display pipe 300 . furthermore , operation of display pipe 300 may be tested and / or simulated at the pixel generation rate rather than the pixel display rate . error check unit 319 may perform a crc for each frame . that is , the crc value may be calculated for a stream of pixels representing a frame , and error check unit 319 may be polled every frame , for example by processing unit 114 shown in fig1 , to compare the crc value with an expected value to detect pass / fail conditions . alternately , processing unit 114 may provide the expected values to error check unit 319 , or error check unit 319 may be designed to perform all the necessary crc ( or more generally , error ) calculations required for testing / simulating operation of display pipe 300 . in one set of embodiments , valid source regions , referred to as active regions may be defined as the area within a frame that contains valid pixel data . pixel data for an active region may be fetched from memory by ui 304 and 322 , and stored within fifos 308 and 326 , respectively . an active region may be specified by starting and ending ( x , y ) offsets from an upper left corner ( 0 , 0 ) of the entire frame . the starting offsets may define the upper left corner of the active region , and the ending offsets may define the pixel location after the lower right corner of the active region . any pixel at a location with coordinates greater than or equal to the starting offset and less than the ending offset may be considered to be in the valid region . any number of active regions may be specified . for example , in one set of embodiments there may be up to four active regions defined within each frame and may be specified by region enable bits . the starting and ending offsets may be aligned to any pixel location . an entire frame containing the active regions may be sent to blend unit 310 . any pixels in the frame , but not in any active region would not be displayed , and may therefore not participate in the blending operation , as if the pixels outside of the active had an alpha value of zero . in alternate embodiments , blend unit 310 may be designed to receive pixel data for only the active regions of the frame instead of receiving the entire frame , and automatically treat the areas within the frame for which it did not receive pixels as if it had received pixels having a blending value ( alpha value ) of zero . in one set of embodiments , one active region may be defined within ui 304 ( in registers 319 a - 319 n ) and / or within ui 322 ( in registers 321 a - 321 n ), and may be relocated within the display destination frame . similar to how active regions within a frame may be defined , the frame may be defined by the pixel and addressing formats , but only one active region may be specified . this active region may be relocated within the destination frame by providing an x and y pixel offset within that frame . the one active region and the destination position may be aligned to any pixel location . it should be noted that other embodiments may equally include a combination of multiple active regions being specified by storing information defining the multiple active regions in registers 319 a - 319 n and in registers 321 a - 321 n , and designating one or more of these active regions as active regions that may be relocated within the destination frame as described above . in one set of embodiments , a parameter fifo 352 may be used to store programming information for registers 319 a - 319 n , 321 a - 321 n , 317 a - 317 n , and 323 a - 323 n . parameter fifo 352 may be filled with this programming information by control logic 344 , which may obtain the programming information from memory through host master interface 302 . in some embodiments , parameter fifo 352 may also be filled with the programming information through an advanced high - performance bus ( ahb ) via host slave interface 303 . turning now to fig4 , a flowchart is shown illustrating one embodiment of a method for operating a video system . one of two operating modes may be selected ( 502 ). in a first operating mode , ( or in a first mode of operation ), an output buffer may be enabled ( 504 ), and first pixels corresponding to a first frame may be generated in a display pipe ( 506 ). the first pixels may then be pushed into the output buffer ( 508 ), and retrieved from the output buffer and displayed on a display device ( 510 ). in a second operating mode ( or in a second mode of operation ), the output buffer may be disabled ( 512 ), and second pixels corresponding to a second frame may be generated in the display pipe ( 514 ). an error - checking value may then be computed using the second pixels at a rate unaffected by operation of the output buffer , and determined by a rate at which the second pixels are generated ( 516 ). the error - checking value may be compared with an expected value to detect pass / fail conditions of the display pipe ( 518 ). the second mode of operation may correspond to an error - check only operation , and may be selected before selecting the first mode of operation , which may correspond to a graphics display operation during which graphics and / or video content is displayed on a display screen . in one set of embodiments , in the second mode of operation , a plurality of pixels corresponding to a plurality of frames may be generated in the display pipe ( e . g . in 514 ), and a respective error checking value corresponding to each of the plurality of frames may be computed using the plurality of pixels at a rate unaffected by operation of the buffer , and determined by a rate at which the plurality of pixels are generated ( e . g . in 516 ). subsequently , each respective error value may be compared with a corresponding expected value to detect test pass / fail conditions ( e . g . in 518 ). for testing purposes , in some embodiments , the first frame and the second frame may be the same , that is , the pixels generated in the second mode of operation ( or during the test ) may correspond to actual frames intended to be displayed in the first mode ( or regular mode ) of operation . turning now to fig5 , a flowchart is shown illustrating operation of how some functionality of a display pipe may be tested according to one embodiment . video pixels and image pixels may be processed in a display pipe ( e . g . display pipe 300 in fig3 ) at a first rate ( e . g . a rate corresponding to “ clk ” indicated in fig3 ) to generate a stream of pixels ( 602 ). the stream of pixels may be provided to an error - checking circuit ( e . g . circuit 319 in fig3 ) at the first rate ( 604 ), and the error - checking circuit may compute an error - checking value from the stream of pixels ( 606 ). subsequently , the error - checking value may be compared with an expected value to detect pass / fail conditions of the display pipe ( 608 ). the condition may be evaluated ( 610 ), and in response to detecting a pass condition (“ yes ” branch from 610 ), an output buffer ( e . g . fifo 320 in fig3 ) may be enabled to store video pixels and image pixels processed in the display pipe subsequent to the detection of the pass / fail condition , that is , video pixels and image pixels processed in the display pipe subsequent to 608 ( 612 ). in response to detecting a fail condition (“ no ” branch from 610 ), the display pipe may be further examined and / or potential problems with the display pipe may be addressed . in some cases it may be possible that there is a hardware error and the display pipe may not function properly . in response to encountering the pass condition , a display controller may read the stored video pixels and image pixels from the buffer , and provide the stored video pixels and image pixels to a display device to display the stored video pixels and image pixels on the display device . numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated . it is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such variations and modifications .	6
the particular values and configurations discussed in these non - limiting examples can be varied and are cited merely to illustrate at least one embodiment and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention . fig1 illustrates a block diagram of a data - processing apparatus 100 , which can be utilized in accordance with a preferred embodiment . data - processing apparatus 100 ( e . g ., a computer ) can be utilized in the context of the vehicle screening system 200 disclosed in further detail here . data - processing apparatus 100 can be configured to include a general purpose computing device , such as a computer 102 . the computer 102 includes a processing unit 104 , a memory 106 , and a system bus 108 that operatively couples the various system components to the processing unit 104 . one or more processing units 104 operate as either a single central processing unit ( cpu ) or a parallel processing environment . the data - processing apparatus 100 further includes one or more data storage devices for storing and reading program and other data . examples of such data storage devices include a hard disk drive 110 for reading from and writing to a hard disk ( not shown ), a magnetic disk drive 112 for reading from or writing to a removable magnetic disk ( not shown ), and an optical disc drive 114 for reading from or writing to a removable optical disc ( not shown ), such as a cd - rom or other optical medium . a monitor 122 is connected to the system bus 108 through an adapter 124 or other interface . additionally , the data - processing apparatus 100 can include other peripheral output devices ( not shown ), such as speakers and printers . additionally , a user input device 127 such as a keyboard and / or mouse can be connected to system bus 108 in order to permit users to input data , commands and instructions to data - processing apparatus 100 . the hard disk drive 110 , magnetic disk drive 112 , and optical disc drive 114 are connected to the system bus 108 by a hard disk drive interface 116 , a magnetic disk drive interface 118 , and an optical disc drive interface 120 , respectively . these drives and their associated computer - readable media provide nonvolatile storage of computer - readable instructions , data structures , program modules , and other data for use by the data - processing apparatus 100 . note that such computer - readable instructions , data structures , program modules , and other data can be implemented as a module 107 . note that the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in the context of a host operating system and one or more module ( s ) 107 . in the computer programming arts , a software module can be typically implemented as a collection of routines and / or data structures that perform particular tasks or implement a particular abstract data type . software modules generally comprise instruction media storable within a memory location of a data - processing apparatus and are typically composed of two parts . first , a software module may list the constants , data types , variable , routines and the like that can be accessed by other modules or routines . second , a software module can be configured as an implementation , which can be private ( i . e ., accessible perhaps only to the module ), and that contains the source code that actually implements the routines or subroutines upon which the module is based . the term module , as utilized herein can therefore refer to software modules or implementations thereof . such modules can be utilized separately or together to form a program product that can be implemented through signal - bearing media , including transmission media and recordable media . it is important to note that , although the embodiments are described in the context of a fully functional data - processing apparatus such as data - processing apparatus 100 , those skilled in the art will appreciate that the mechanisms of the present invention are capable of being distributed as a program product in a variety of forms , and that the present invention applies equally regardless of the particular type of signal - bearing media utilized to actually carry out the distribution . examples of signal bearing media include , but are not limited to , recordable - type media such as floppy disks or cd roms and transmission - type media such as analogue or digital communications links . any type of computer - readable media that can store data that is accessible by a computer , such as magnetic cassettes , flash memory cards , digital versatile discs ( dvds ), bernoulli cartridges , random access memories ( rams ), and read only memories ( roms ) can be used in connection with the embodiments . a number of program modules can be stored or encoded in a machine readable medium such as the hard disk drive 110 , the , magnetic disk drive 114 , the optical disc drive 114 , rom , ram , etc or an electrical signal such as an electronic data stream received through a communications channel . these program modules can include an operating system , one or more application programs , other program modules , and program data . the data - processing apparatus 100 can operate in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more remote computers ( not shown ). these logical connections are implemented using a communication device coupled to or integral with the data - processing apparatus 100 . the data sequence to be analyzed can reside on a remote computer in the networked environment . the remote computer can be another computer , a server , a router , a network pc , a client , or a peer device or other common network node . fig1 depicts the logical connection as a network connection 126 interfacing with the data - processing apparatus 100 through a network interface 128 . such networking environments are commonplace in office networks , enterprise - wide computer networks , intranets , and the internet , which are all types of networks . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the network connections shown are provided by way of example and that other means of and communications devices for establishing a communications link between the computers can be used . fig2 illustrates a block diagram of a system 200 , which can be implemented in accordance with a preferred embodiment . system 200 generally includes a kiosk 202 composed of a face camera 204 , an audio component 206 , a driver &# 39 ; s license reader 208 , a kiosk touch screen 210 , and officer camera 212 . the face camera 204 and other similar face cameras can be employed in the context of a facial biometric identification device for identifying the faces of vehicle occupants . system 200 also includes one or more vehicle cameras 218 and a license plate reader 201 . data generated from the vehicle camera ( s ) 218 can be transmitted to a digital video manager 226 . data generated from the officer camera 212 can also be transmitted to the digital video manager 226 . data generated by the license plate reader 201 , the face camera 204 , the audio component 206 , the driver &# 39 ; s license reader 208 and / or the kiosk touch screen 210 can be transmitted to a module 220 that implements web logic java “ beans ” algorithms , database functions and / or business rules . note that module 220 can be implemented as a module such as module 107 depicted in fig1 . data generated by the digital video manager 226 can also be transmitted to module 220 for processing by module 220 . data generated by the module 220 can then be provided to one or more consoles 224 , which are described in greater detail herein . data processed by module 220 can also be provided to a gate database 228 and a biometric management system database 230 . data generated by the digital video manager 226 can also be stored in a video database 232 . additionally , a road loop / controller or other vehicle sensing device such as an infrared beam unit 214 can publish event information as indicated by arrow 216 , which is then provided to and / or accessed by elements of the system which subscribe to these events . elements which may subscribe to the vehicle event s include but are not limited to the license plate reader 201 , face camera 204 , audio 206 , kiosk touch screen 210 and vehicle cameras 218 . fig3 illustrates a schematic diagram of a sensor field 300 , in accordance with a preferred embodiment . the example depicted in fig3 is merely illustrative in nature , and it can be appreciated that a variety of alternative embodiments may be implemented for sensor field 300 , depending upon design considerations . as indicated in the example scenario of fig3 , three vehicles 306 , 307 , and 302 are shown progressing along a road or vehicle lane 308 . vehicle 307 is shown stopped or approaching the front of a gate 322 . vehicle 302 is also shown located in front of a gate 314 . a camera 320 has a view of the front of car 307 . an officer &# 39 ; s camera 316 , which is analogous or similar to the officer camera 212 depicted in fig2 , is located proximate to a face camera 318 , which is also analogous or similar to the face camera 204 depicted in fig2 . an officer &# 39 ; s intercom 326 is also located proximate to the face camera 318 and associated with an id reader and keypad component 326 . additionally , a camera 340 and a camera 342 that can perform a license plate recognition operation are preferably positioned to view the rear of car 307 . note that the officer &# 39 ; s intercom 324 the id reader and keypad component 326 , the officer &# 39 ; s camera 316 and the face camera 318 can be implemented in the context of a system such as system 200 and the kiosk 202 depicted in fig2 . fig4 illustrates a block diagram of a kiosk 400 , which can be implemented in accordance with an alternative embodiment . note that kiosk 400 is analogous to the kiosk 202 of system 200 described earlier . kiosk 400 thus represents an alternative implementation of kiosk 202 . in general , kiosk 400 is associated with a gate 406 , which is analogous , for example , to gates 322 depicted in fig4 . kiosk 400 includes a microphone 411 ( analogous to the audio component 206 of fig2 ) that is connected to a preamplifier 424 , which in turn is connected to a fiber i / f unit 422 that is connected to a fiber patch panel 426 . the microphone 411 can be used for speech identification . a vehicle occupant speaks into the occupant to provide his or her voice for speech verification purposes . kiosk 400 also includes an officer &# 39 ; s camera 410 , which is analogous to the officer camera 212 of fig2 and the officer camera 316 of fig3 . the officer &# 39 ; s camera 410 is connected to a fiber i / f unit 424 , which in turn is connected to a fiber patch panel 426 . a face camera 408 is also provided as a part of kiosk 400 . the face camera 408 is analogous to the face camera 204 of fig2 and the face camera 318 of fig3 . the face camera 408 is generally connected to the fiber i / f unit 424 along with the officer &# 39 ; s camera 410 . a speaker 412 is also provided as a part of kiosk 400 . the speaker 412 is also analogous to the audio component 206 depicted in fig2 . speaker 412 is connected to an amplifier 426 , which is connected to a fiber i / f unit 430 . the fiber i / f unit 430 is connected to the fiber patch panel 426 . the fiber i / f unit 430 is connected to the data processing apparatus 100 depicted in fig1 . note that the data - processing apparatus 100 or another type of computer can be utilized in association with the configuration depicted in fig4 . a dl reader 416 having a reader slot 418 is connected to the apparatus 100 , along with a dl reader 420 having a reader slot 422 . note that the dl reader 420 is a barcode reader that can read a two - dimensional bar code associated with a user identification card that belongs to a vehicle occupant . note that although readers 416 and 420 are depicted in fig4 , it can be appreciated that the system and method described herein can also utilizes reader devices that rely on radio frequency identification ( rfid ), near field communications and smartcard technologies which use radio frequency instead of optical means to communicate information . for example , a vehicle occupant may possess a card having an rfid tag that can be automatically scanned by a wireless rfid reader 421 associated with the kiosk 400 in order to assist in verifying the identity of the vehicle occupant . similarly , the identification card belong to the vehicle occupant can be , for example , a smart card and a smart card reader 423 may be employed by kiosk 400 instead of and / or in addition to readers 416 and 420 . kiosk 400 additionally includes two lines 439 and 441 which can electrically or optically connect to the processing and display elements of the system . a fiber line 437 is generally connected to the fiber patch panel 426 . kiosk 400 also includes one or more camera power supplies 430 and 432 in addition to a heater unit 434 and an ac unit 426 . note that the pre - amplifier 424 , the amplifier 426 , the apparatus 100 , the fiber i / f units 430 , 422 , 424 and the fiber patch panel 426 are a part of the general kiosk unit 402 in addition to the camera power supplies 430 , 432 and the heater 434 and ac unit 436 . fig5 illustrates a high - level flow chart of operations depicting a method 500 that can be implemented in accordance with a preferred embodiment . note that the methodology depicted in fig5 , 6 , and 7 can be implemented in the context of a software module , such as module 107 ( or group of modules ) described earlier . as indicated at block 502 , a vehicle enters a vehicle lane such as the vehicle lane or road 308 depicted in fig3 . thereafter , as illustrated at block 504 , vehicle and related information are acquired . next , as indicated at block 506 , a test can be performed to determine if the vehicle can be processed at a kiosk ( e . g ., kiosks 202 and / or 400 ). if it is determined that the vehicle cannot be processed at the kiosk , a visitor center processing operation is performed as indicated at block 508 . that is , the vehicle driver is requested to visit a visitor center for processing before entry into a secured facility or area . if it is determined that the vehicle can be processed , as depicted at block 506 , an operation is then performed , as indicated at block 510 , in which information is acquired , including an identification number such as a social security number ( ssn ), drivers license data . additionally , as indicated at block 510 , local database results can be gathered and access control results processed . thereafter , as indicated at block 512 another test can be performed , this one involving a test to determine if there is one passenger ? if there is more than one passenger , then an officer determines driver disposition by , for example , entering officer comments . the officer may press “ save ” or “ forget ” and enter his or comments into a data - processing apparatus . the officer can provide instructions to the driver or may actually lift the gate arm to allow the vehicle to pass through the gate . results may be saved to a database . if it is determined , that there is only one passenger , then an operation is performed , as depicted at block 516 , in which the passenger is processed . that is , the ssn can be acquired , along with driver &# 39 ; s license information , and local database results displayed . additionally , access control results can be processed . thereafter , as depicted at block 518 , the officer can determine driver / passenger disposition . the office may enter comments , if any and can “ save ” or “ forget ” information regarding the vehicle and occupants . the officer can provide instructions to the driver and can life the gate arm to allow the vehicle to pass through the gate . results can then be saved to the database . fig6 illustrates a high - level flow chart of operations depicting a method 510 that can be implemented in accordance with an alternative embodiment . note that in fig5 - 7 , identical or similar parts or elements are generally indicated by identical reference numerals . the method 510 depicted in fig6 is a more detailed breakdown of the operation depicted at block 510 in fig5 . thus , as depicted at block 506 , in response to a “ yes ” answer with respect to the test described at block 506 , a test can be performed as illustrated at block 604 to determine if the driver entered his or her ssn ( or other appropriate identifying information ) into the kiosk 202 or 400 . if it is determined that the driver did not enter this information , then an operation is performed in which the officer performs exception process ( e . g ., sending the driver to the visitor center ) as depicted at block 606 . if , however , it is determined that the operation did enter the ssn into the kiosk 202 or 400 , then the ssn and / or other appropriate information is displayed to the officer who manually types into an access control system as indicated at block 608 . thereafter , a test can be performed to determine if the driver &# 39 ; s 2d bar code has been scanned . if it is determined that the 2d bar code has not been scanned , then as indicated at block 612 , the driver &# 39 ; s license is scanned and the data is displayed for the officer . thereafter , as indicated at block 614 , the system 200 queries the local watch list and thereafter , the watch list results are displayed for the officer as depicted at block 618 . following processing of the operation illustrated at block 618 , the officer can make an authorization determination based upon the results of the ssn check and the watch list results . thereafter , the operation depicted at block 514 of fig5 can be processed . assuming that the diver &# 39 ; s license 2d code was scanned , as indicated at block 610 , then the operation indicated at block 616 can be processed in which the system 200 queries the local watch list using all vehicle and driver information . thereafter , the operations indicated at block 616 , 618 and so forth are processed . fig7 illustrates a high - level flow chart of operations depicting a method 516 that can be implemented in accordance with an alternative embodiment . the method 516 depicted in fig7 is a more detailed breakdown of the operation depicted at block 516 in fig5 . thus , as depicted at block 512 , in response to a “ yes ” response , a test can then be performed to determine if the passenger entered his or her ssn into the kiosk 202 or 400 . if it is determined that the passenger did not enter his or ssn as depicted at block 704 , then the officer performs exception processing as indicated at block 706 . if , however , it is determined that the passenger did enter the ssn , then as illustrated at block 708 , an operation is performed in which the ssn is displayed to the office who manually types it into the access control system . next , as indicated at block 710 , a test is performed to determine if the driver &# 39 ; s license 2d bar code has been scanned . if it is determined that the driver &# 39 ; s license was not scanned , then the driver &# 39 ; s license is scanned and the data is displayed to the officer as illustrated at block 712 . thereafter , as described at block 714 , the system 200 queries the local watch list using only “ additional ” information . next , as depicted at block 718 , the watch list results are displayed for the officer . thereafter , as depicted at block 720 , the officer can make an authorization determination based upon the result of the ssn check and the watch list results . note that if is determined that the driver &# 39 ; s license 2d bar code was scanned , then as indicated at block 716 , the system 200 queries the local watch list using the information from the passenger &# 39 ; s driver license and additional information . following processing of the operation depicted at block 716 , the operations depicted at blocs 718 , 720 and so on can be processed . fig8 illustrates a kiosk interface 802 that can be implemented in accordance with a preferred embodiment . fig8 also indicates an interface 804 that graphically displays instructions for a user , instructing the driver on how to insert and validate his or her driver &# 39 ; s license into a card reader . fig9 illustrates an officer console system 900 that can be implemented in accordance with an alternative embodiment . note that the officer console system 900 can be implemented in the context of a data - processing apparatus , such as , for example , data - processing apparatus 100 depicted in fig1 . the officer console system 900 generally includes one or more keyboards 902 , 903 , which are user input devices that permit a user to input data to a device such as apparatus 100 of fig1 and ultimately to system 200 . note that keyboards 902 , 903 are analogous to the use input device 127 depicted in fig1 . keyboard 902 can be associated with a control section 906 , which provides gate and intercom controls . keyboard 902 also can be associated with a section that provides ptz ( pan tilt zoom ) controls . a plurality of display areas 910 , 914 and 916 can also be provided for a user , which can provide a graphical user interface that respectively provides for driver ptz and other views 912 , an existing interface ( i . e ., display area 914 ) and an officer console via ( display area 916 ). using the officer console system 900 depicted in fig9 , a ptz officer camera can be controlled from a user interface device such as a joy stick unit 905 . all camera views can be selectable via a user input device such as a mouse . fig1 illustrates a detailed view of the graphical user interface of display area 916 that can be implemented in accordance with the embodiment depicted in fig9 . the display area 916 is an interactive graphical user interface in which driver and passenger data can be displayed to the officer and entered into system 200 . it will be appreciated that variations of the above - disclosed and other features and functions , or alternatives thereof , may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications . also that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives , modifications , variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims .	6
illustrated in fig1 by way of example is a two - axle , four - wheel motor vehicle 101 that has an ambient sensor 102 , with the aid of which it is possible to detect in the surroundings of the vehicle 101 ambient objects that are , in particular , further motor vehicles which are moving in the same driving lane or in an adjacent one . shown by way of example is an ambient sensor 102 with a coverage 103 that comprises a solid angle ahead of the vehicle 101 in which , for example , an ambient object 104 is illustrated . the ambient sensor 102 is preferably a lidar ( light detection and ranging ) sensor that is known per se to the person skilled in the art ; equally , however , it is also possible to use other ambient sensors 102 . the ambient sensor 102 measures the separations d from the detected points of an ambient object 104 , and the angle φ between the connecting straight lines to these points and the central longitudinal axis of the vehicle 101 , as is illustrated in fig1 by way of example for a point p of the ambient object 104 . the fronts of the detected ambient objects 104 , which face the vehicle 101 , are composed of a number of detected points , an object detection unit 201 that is shown in fig2 and to which the sensor signals are transmitted producing the correlations between points and the shape of an ambient object 104 , and determining a reference point for the ambient object 104 . by way of example , it is possible in this case for the reference point to be selected as the midpoint of the ambient object 104 or the midpoint of the detected points of the ambient object 104 . the speeds of the detected points , and thus the speed of the detected ambient objects 104 , cannot be directly measured by means of the ambient sensor 102 . they are calculated from the difference between the separations , measured in successive scanning steps , in the object detection unit 201 . the duration of a scanning step is understood the duration of a time step in which a single scan of the coverage 103 is performed by means of the ambient sensor 102 and evaluation of the sensor data . in a way similar to the speed , it is also possible in principle to determine the acceleration of the ambient objects 104 by two - fold derivation of their position . however , the measured separations of the detected points and the measured angles have measuring errors that have such large effects on the acceleration thus determined that it is impossible to obtain sufficiently reliable information from the calculated acceleration , and the acceleration signal is not used . moreover , a movement direction of the ambient object 104 is determined with the aid of a variation in the determined position of the ambient object 104 . the movement information relating to the ambient object 104 , which is detected with the aid of the ambient sensor 102 , relate initially to a reference system fixed on the vehicle . a conversion to an arbitrarily stationary reference system can be performed with the aid of the position , alignment and speed of the vehicle 101 in the stationary reference system . the position and alignment of the vehicle 101 inside a reference system initialized at an origin can , for example , be determined successively starting from the origin with the aid of the path length , which is covered from the start point and can be determined with the aid of signals from wheel speed sensors , and with the aid of the yaw angle of the vehicle 101 , which can be determined on the basis of integrating the yaw rate of the vehicle 101 detected by means of a yaw rate sensor . it is equally possible to determine the position and alignment of the vehicle 101 in a stationary reference system , for example with the aid of a satellite - supported locating system . the results of the evaluation of the sensor data of the ambient sensor 102 are fed to a prediction device 202 whose basic structure is likewise illustrated in fig2 with the aid of a schematic block diagram . it includes a maneuver detection device 203 , in which a vehicle maneuver executed by the ambient object 104 is identified . the maneuver detection device 203 is connected to the block 204 , in which one of n models for predicting the trajectory of the reference point of the ambient object 104 is selected as a function of the identified driving maneuver . in accordance with the selected model , the block 204 activates one of the blocks 205 1 , . . . , 205 n of the prediction device 207 in which the selected model is used to calculate the predicted path { right arrow over ( r )} obj ( t ) of the reference point of the ambient object 104 , which is also denoted below as path or trajectory of the ambient object 104 . the predicted positions of the ambient object 104 are compared in the block 206 with the measured positions of the ambient object 104 . if the deviations are very large , it is assumed that the driving maneuver has not been correctly identified . in this case , a signal that leads to resetting of the stored data is sent to the maneuver detection device 203 . the maneuver detection device therefore goes over into the state that , for example , is also present at the system start , and the identification of the current maneuver of the ambient object begins anew . in the event of small deviations between the predicted and the measured positions of the ambient object 104 , parameters of the prediction model are adapted in order to improve the prediction . the object detection unit 201 and the prediction unit 202 , or components 203 - 207 thereof are preferably software components of a computer program that is executed in a microprocessor unit of the vehicle 101 . illustrated in fig3 and 4 are the coordinate systems that are used , in particular , for identifying the driving maneuver and for predicting the object trajectory : a . absolute coordinate system : the absolute coordinate system 301 is a spatially fixed coordinate system . variables referring to the absolute coordinate system 301 are denoted by the index “ 0 ”. b . vehicle coordinate system : the vehicle coordinate system 302 is a stationary coordinate system whose origin is situated in each scanning step at the midpoint m of the vehicle 101 . the positive x - axis points forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction , and the positive y - axis points to the left in the vehicle lateral direction . variables referring to the vehicle coordinate system 302 are denoted by the index “ v ”. c . object coordinate system : the object coordinate system 303 is a stationary coordinate system whose origin is located in each scanning step at the reference point q of the ambient object 104 . the positive x - axis points in the movement direction of the ambient object 104 , that is to say in the direction of the speed { right arrow over ( v )} obj thereof , and the positive y - axis points to the left with regard to this direction . variables referring to the object coordinate system 303 are denoted by the index “ oa ”. d . characteristic coordinate system : in the event of a lane change maneuver or an instance of cornering , the object coordinate system 303 is fixed at the beginning of the driving maneuver inside the absolute coordinate system 301 for the duration of the driving maneuver . the fixed object coordinate system is denoted as characteristic coordinate system 401 . variables relating to the characteristic coordinate system 401 are denoted by the index “ c ”. the characteristic coordinate system 401 is illustrated in fig4 at three different instants t 1 , t 2 and t 3 . the dashed line shows a path of the ambient object 104 . at the instant t 1 , the ambient object 104 is moving rectilinearly , and the characteristic coordinate system 401 corresponds to the object coordinate system 303 , that is to say its origin is placed at the reference point q of the ambient object 104 in each scanning step . it is determined at the instant t 2 that the ambient object 104 is beginning to traverse a curve . consequently , the characteristic coordinate system 401 is fixed at an instant t 2 until it is determined at the instant t 3 that the ambient object 104 is again moving rectilinearly . furthermore , fig4 illustrates the decomposition of the object speed { right arrow over ( v )} obj into the components v x , obj , c and v y , obj , c within the characteristic coordinate system 401 . the maneuver detection in the maneuver detection device is divided into a separate detection with regard to the longitudinal and lateral movement behavior of the ambient object 104 . the information relating to the detected longitudinal movement behavior is used in order to forecast the speed of the ambient object 104 , and the information relating to the detected lateral movement behavior is used for forecasting the course angle of the ambient object 104 . furthermore , there is the special case of a stationary ambient object 104 and a nonidentifiable behavior . the maneuver detection is based on the evaluation of the course angle γ obj , 0 in the absolute coordinate system . it is possible by neglecting the attitude angle to calculate this course angle from the longitudinal speed v x , obj , 0 and the lateral speed v y , obj , 0 in the absolute coordinate system 301 : the longitudinal and lateral speeds of the ambient object 104 in the absolute coordinate system 301 can in this case be obtained from the signals of the ambient sensor 102 by considering the position , alignment and speed of the vehicle 101 within the absolute coordinate system 301 . with regard to the longitudinal movement behavior , only two modes of behavior are distinguished in the context of the maneuver detection as a consequence of the previously described inaccuracies of the acceleration signal : when it holds that δv obj , 0 & lt ;− 7 m / s 2 , an instance of emergency braking of the ambient object 104 is detected , δv obj , 0 being the difference between the absolute values v obj , 0 ( k ) and v obj , 0 ( k − 1 ) of the speed of the ambient object 104 in the absolute coordinate system 301 in the current scanning step k and in the preceding scanning step k − 1 : driving at constant speed is determined if no instance of emergency braking of the ambient object 104 is determined . three typical driving situations are distinguished with regard to the lateral movement behavior : to this end , the characteristic course angle γobj , ch , 0 of the ambient object 104 in the absolute coordinate system 301 is defined on the basis of the absolute course angle γ obj , 0 : if the difference between the absolute course angle γ obj , 0 ( k ) in a scanning step k and the absolute course angle γ obj , 0 ( k − 1 ) in the preceding scanning step k − 1 remains below a threshold value σ 1 in absolute terms , the characteristic course angle in the time step k corresponds to the absolute course angle , that is to say it holds that γ obj , ch , 0 ( k )= γ obj , 0 ( k ). however , if the difference in absolute terms is greater than the threshold value v 1 , the characteristic course angle does not change in the time step k , and it holds that : γ obj , ch , 0 ( k )= γ obj , ch , 0 ( k − 1 ). in summary , the definition of the characteristic course angle is therefore : when the course angle does not vary within a prescribed limit , in particular when it holds that \| δγ ( k )\|≡\| γ obj , 0 ( k )− γ obj , ch , 0 ( k )\|≦ σ 2 ( 4 ) with a threshold value σ 2 , an instance of driving straight ahead is determined . an instance of cornering or a lane change of the ambient object 104 is determined when it holds that : a distinction is made between an instance of cornering and a lane change by evaluating the variation in the longitudinal and lateral speeds of the ambient object 104 in the characteristic coordinate system 401 . an instance of cornering is established when the characteristic longitudinal speed decreases and the characteristic lateral speed increases , that is to say when it holds that δ v x , obj , c ( k )≡ v x , obj , c ( k )− v x , obj , c ( k − 1 )& lt ;− σ 3 and ( 6 ) δ v y , obj , c ( k )≡ v y , obj , c ( k )− v y , obj , c ( k − 1 )& gt ; σ 4 ( 7 ) with prescribed positive threshold values σ 3 and σ 4 . the sign of δγ specifies in this case whether there is a left - hand or right - hand curve , a left - hand curve being determined for δγ ( k )& gt ; 0 and a right - hand curve for δγ ( k )& lt ; 0 . in the case of a lane change , the course angle of the ambient object 104 changes quickly , the rate of change depending on the speed of the ambient object 104 ( it is immediately clear that the rate of change of the course angle during a lane change at 30 m / s is smaller than the rate of change during a lane change at a speed of 10 m / s ). consequently , the variable is evaluated in order to detect the lane change , v obj , 0 ( k ) denoting the absolute value of the object speed in time step k . a lane change is detected in this case when \| k lc \| lies in a prescribed range ; otherwise , an instance of cornering is determined . a lane change is preferably determined , in particular , when ∥ k lc \| lies between 0 . 9 m / s and 4 m / s ( δγ being specified in radian measure ). the direction in which the lane change is performed is determined , in turn , with the aid or the sign or k lc or δγ . the previously explained criteria are illustrated qualitatively once again by way of summary in the following table ( 0 : approximately zero , +: positive value , −: negative value , ++: high value ): after the detection of the driving maneuver in the maneuver detection device 203 , the result is passed on to the block 204 in which a model is selected for calculating the trajectory as a function of the determined driving maneuver . the selected model is used to predict the positions of the ambient object 104 or its reference point . the position ( x obj , 0 , y obj , 0 ) is calculated for each prediction step n = 1 , . . . , n being a positive number and δt p being a prediction time interval . t denotes the duration of a scanning step . the prediction is performed recursively with the aid of the following relationships : x obj , 0 ( k n p )= x obj , 0 ( k n - 1 p )+ v x , obj , 0 ( k n p )· δ t p ( 10 ) y obj , 0 ( k n p )= y obj , 0 ( k n - 1 p )+ v y , obj , 0 ( k n p )· δ t p ( 11 ) starting from the position ( x obj , 0 ( k ), y obj , 0 ( k )) determined at the start of the detected maneuver in the time step k = k 0 p from the signals of the ambient sensor 102 , the positions in the time steps k 1 p to k n p are successively calculated with the aid of these equations , the time duration n · δt p being a few seconds . the longitudinal and lateral speeds of the ambient object 104 in the equations ( 10 ) and ( 11 ) are calculated in the following way : v x , obj , 0 ( k n p )= v obj , 0 ( k n p )· cos ( γ obj , 0 ( k n p )) ( 12 ) v y , obj , 0 ( k n p )= v obj , 0 ( k n p )· sin ( γ obj , 0 ( k n p )) ( 13 ) the prediction of the object speed and of the course angle of the ambient object 104 is performed in a function of the detected driving maneuver , and is described below for the different driving maneuvers . longitudinal and lateral movements are once again considered in this case separately from one another . with regard to the longitudinal movement , a distinction is made between driving at constant speed and an instance of emergency braking of the ambient object 104 . it holds that : it is assumed in the case of an instance of emergency braking of the ambient object 104 that the speed of the ambient object 104 decreases with a prescribed acceleration a obj , ref ( k )& lt ; 0 until the ambient object 104 has reached a standstill . it therefore holds here that : according to this calculation , the stopping path in the case of the instance of the emergency braking maneuver of the ambient object 104 is an instance of driving straight ahead , an instance of cornering and a lane change are distinguished with regard to the lateral movement of the ambient object 104 . the course angle does not change in the event of an instance of driving straight ahead , that is to say it holds that : when an ambient object 104 is transversing a curve , it passes quickly out of the coverage of the ambient sensor 102 . consequently , it is not necessary to determine the parameters of the curve such as , for example , radius and angle portion . the following simple formulation : γ obj , 0 ( k n p )= γ obj , 0 ( k )+ p · n · δt p ( 17 ) the parameter p has in this case an arbitrarily selected initial value that can be adapted by means of the correction algorithm still to be described . it is assumed in the case of a lane change that the trajectory of the ambient object 104 inside the characteristic coordinate system 401 is described by a sigmoid function of form the function that is illustrated schematically in fig5 has a point of inflection at x c = c . the function value at the point of inflection is b / 2 . furthermore , the curve is point symmetric about the point of inflection ( c , b / 2 ), and it holds that : b is thus the lateral offset of the ambient object 104 during the maneuver , which is also denoted here as maneuver width and corresponds to the lane width d lane of a driving lane in the event of a lane change . it therefore follows that so that the following holds for the parameter b left of the sigmoid : in the event of a lane change to the left , that is to say in the direction of the positive y - axis . furthermore , the starting point is a duration t change and a start instant t detect for the lane change , there being prescribed for the duration t change a typical value that can , however , likewise be adapted by means of the correction algorithm still to be described . since the entire lateral offset is achieved only in an infinite duration of the maneuver and the sigmoid does not run exactly through the origin of the characteristic coordinate system 401 , a small lateral tolerance y tol is introduced , and so it holds that : y obj , c ( x obj , c ( t detect − t change ))= d lane − y tol ( 23 ) x obj , c ( t detect )= 0 because of the construction of the characteristic coordinate system 401 . it therefore follows from using equation ( 19 ) that : furthermore , considering that the absolute values of the object speed in the absolute coordinate system 301 and in the characteristic coordinate system 401 are equal , and neglecting the speed of the ambient object 104 in the y c - direction , it holds that : the sigmoid function , which describes a lane change to the left , is completely determined inside the characteristic coordinate system with the aid of equations ( 18 ), ( 21 ) and ( 22 ): it holds correspondingly for a lane change to the right , that is to say in the direction of the negative y c - axis , that : the course angle of the ambient object 104 in the characteristic coordinate system 401 is given by : the course angle to be calculated in the time step k n p in the absolute coordinate system is given by : γ obj , 0 ( k n p )= γ obj , 0 ( k )+ γ obj , c ( x obj , c ( k n p )). ( 30 ) here , as well , x obj , c ( k n p )= v obj , 0 ( k )· n · δt p can be set approximately by neglecting the lateral speed of the ambient object 104 in the characteristic coordinate system 401 , and so it holds that : γ obj , 0 ( k n p )= γ obj , 0 ( k )+ γ obj , c ( v obj , c ( k )· n · δt p ) ( 31 ) the prediction algorithm will now be described in summary with the aid of fig6 . the driving maneuver executed by the ambient object 104 is identified in the maneuver detection device 203 with regard to the longitudinal and lateral dynamics of the ambient object 104 . in this process , with regard to the lateral dynamics , which is analyzed in the block 601 , a distinction is made between an instance of driving straight ahead , a lane change and an instance of cornering , and a distinction is made between a movement at constant speed and an emergency braking maneuver with regard to the longitudinal dynamics , which is examined in the block 602 . furthermore , it is also determined if appropriate that the ambient object 104 is not moving ( block 603 ). the movement of the ambient object 104 is then predicted in the prediction device 205 as a function of the identified maneuver . with regard to the lateral dynamics , this is performed in the block 604 , in which the course angles of the ambient object 104 are calculated for the prediction steps k 1 p , . . . , k n p . provided in particular to this end are the blocks 605 , 606 and 607 in which the course angles are determined with the aid of a model in accordance with the identified lateral dynamics maneuver . if an instance of driving straight ahead has been identified , the calculation is performed in this case in the block 605 , while in the case of a lane change it is carried out in the block 606 , and in the block 607 in the case of a curve . with regard to the longitudinal dynamics , the prediction of the object movement is performed in the block 608 , likewise with the aid of a model that is selected in accordance with the identified longitudinal dynamics maneuver . in particular , in this case the speeds of the ambient object 104 are calculated in the prediction steps k 1 p , . . . , k n p , this being performed in the block 609 in the case of a movement at constant speed , and in the block 610 in the case of an instance of emergency braking . if it has been determined that the ambient object 104 is not moving , the prediction of the “ movement ” is performed in the block 611 . the course angles { γ obj , 0 ( k i p )}, i = 1 , . . . , n , which are calculated in the block 604 , as well as the speeds { v obj , 0 ( k i p )}, i = 1 , . . . , n , calculated inside the block 608 , are handed on to the block 612 . in this block , the longitudinal and lateral speeds { v obj , 0 ( k i p )} and { v obj , 0 ( k i p )}, i = 1 , . . . , n of the ambient object 104 are determined with the aid of equations ( 12 ) and ( 13 ). the positions ( x obj , 0 ( k 1 p ), y obj , 0 ( k 1 p )) to ( x obj , 0 ( k n p ), y obj , 0 ( k n p )) of the ambient object 104 in the prediction steps ( k 1 p ), . . . , ( k n p ) are then determined successively in the block 613 with the aid of equations ( 10 ) and ( 11 ), and the trajectory of the ambient object 104 is thereby determined . it holds here in the case of a stationary ambient object 104 that x obj , 0 ( k 1 p )= . . . = x obj , 0 ( k n p )= x obj , 0 ( k ) ( 28 ) y obj , 0 ( k 1 p )= . . . = y obj , 0 ( k n p )= y obj , 0 ( k ) ( 29 ) it is possible to predict the object trajectory with the aid of the procedure represented above . however , it has emerged that the results , which in particular exhibit inaccuracies because of the measuring errors of the ambient sensor 102 , can be improved by adapting the prediction in each scanning step k with the aid of the detected information relating to the ambient object 104 . the adaptation is preferably performed according to the principle of error diagnosis and error elimination . the predicted position of the previous prediction step is firstly compared with the measured position in the current scanning step . if a substantial deviation is determined in the process , the driving maneuver of the ambient object 104 is not correctly identified , or the identified maneuver has been ended . in this case , a reset is made and the identification of the current driving maneuver of the ambient object 104 begins a new independently of the previously stored data relating to the maneuver . until the correct maneuver has been identified , the path of the ambient object 104 is predicted with the aid of the euler extrapolation . if the deviation between the predicted and the measured positions is only slight , the prediction is adapted . in particular , in the event of an instance of cornering of the ambient object 104 the curve parameter p in equation ( 17 ) is adapted here . in the event of a lane change of the maneuver , the parameters d lane and t change of the sigmoid function are adapted . according to the previously described principle of the model - based prediction , the movement trajectory of the vehicle 101 itself is also determined . a device for carrying out the prediction is illustrated in fig7 schematically with the aid of a block diagram . the movement state of the motor vehicle 101 is determined with the aid of the vehicle sensor system 701 which , for example , comprises wheel speed sensors , a longitudinal and lateral acceleration sensor , a yaw rate sensor and a steering angle sensor . the sensor signals are evaluated in the block 702 . furthermore , movement variables that are not accessible to direct measurement can be estimated in the block 702 from the sensor signals . the determined movement variables of the vehicle 101 are fed to a prediction unit 703 whose basic structure is likewise illustrated in fig7 . it includes a driving maneuver detection device 704 in which driving maneuvers of the vehicle 101 are identified with the aid of the movement variables . the driving maneuver detection device 704 is connected for signaling purposes to the block 705 , in which one of n models is selected for predicting the trajectory of the vehicle 101 as a function of the identified driving maneuver . in accordance with the selected vehicle model , the block 705 activates one of the blocks 706 1 , . . . , 706 n of the prediction device 708 , in which the predicted path { right arrow over ( r )} f zg ( t ) of the reference point of the vehicle 101 is then calculated , which path is also denoted below as path or trajectory of the vehicle 101 . the predicted positions of the vehicle 101 are compared in the block 707 with the positions of the vehicle 101 determined with the aid of the vehicle sensor system 701 . if the deviations are very large , it is to be assumed that the driving maneuver has not been correctly identified . in this case , a signal that leads to a reset is sent to the driving maneuver detection device 704 . after the reset , a renewed identification of the current driving maneuver is performed without accessing the data previously stored in relation to the maneuver . in the event of small deviations between the predicted and the measured position , parameters of the prediction model used are adapted in order to improve the prediction . the components 702 - 708 of the system are likewise designed as software components of a computer program that is executed in a microprocessor unit of the vehicle 101 . as with the prediction of the object trajectory , longitudinal and lateral dynamics of the vehicle 101 are considered separately from one another with regard to the maneuver identification . for example , with reference to the longitudinal dynamics a distinction is made between an acceleration maneuver , a uniform movement and a braking maneuver with the aid of the signals of the wheel speed sensors , the signals of a longitudinal acceleration sensor and / or with the aid of information relating to the actuating state of the gas pedal and of the vehicle brake . instances of driving straight ahead , cornering and lane change are distinguished with reference to the lateral dynamics . an instance of driving straight ahead is detected whenever the yaw rate ψ or the steering angle δ h does not overshoot prescribed threshold values k dψ , dt and k δ h , respectively , in absolute terms , that is to say when it holds that : \|{ dot over ( ψ )}\|≦ k dψ / dt or \| δ h ≦ k δ h ( 30 ) it has been determined with regard to an instance of cornering and a lane change that an evaluation of the product of the steering angle at the steerable wheels of the vehicle 101 and the yaw rate of the vehicle 101 permits a distinction between these driving maneuvers as early as during their initial phase . it has been shown in this case that an instance of cornering can be determined when it holds that δ h ·{ dot over ( ψ )}≧ k δ h { dot over ( ψ )} or \| ψ − ψ start \|≧ k ψ ( 31 ) k δ h ψ and k ψ being prescribed threshold values , and ψ start denoting the yaw angle , stored in a memory , of the vehicle 101 at the beginning of the driving maneuver when the maneuver has been detected with the aid of the first condition in ( 31 ). a lane change is detected when neither an instance of driving straight ahead nor an instance of cornering has been determined . in order to improve the robustness of the detection , lane changes are additionally subdivided into three phases . in phase 1 ( sw 1 ), the vehicle 101 is steered in the direction of the desired lane , starting from the instantaneous lane . during an intermediate phase ( swz ), the vehicle 101 moves in a substantially rectilinear fashion . the intermediate phase is generally substantially shorter than the remaining phases and merges into phase 2 ( sw 2 ) of the lane change . in phase 2 , the vehicle 101 is again turned parallel to the initial direction before the beginning of the lane change . the yaw angle of the vehicle 101 increases in absolute terms in phase 1 , remains substantially constant in the intermediate phase and returns to the original value again in phase 2 . the time profiles of the yaw angle ψ and of the steering angle δ h , as well as the assignment to the phases of the lane change are illustrated in fig8 for a lane change examined by way of example . phase 1 of the lane change is detected when neither an instance of driving straight ahead nor an instance of cornering has been detected with the aid of the conditions ( 30 ) and ( 31 ). after the detection of the lane change , the rate of change of the yaw angle , that is to say the yaw rate of the vehicle 101 , and of the steering angles are monitored . if the yaw rate and the steering angle drop below prescribed threshold values , a transition into the intermediate phase is detected . after a change in sign of the yaw rate , and after yaw rate and steering angle have once again overshot the threshold values in absolute terms , a transition from the intermediate phase into phase 2 is determined . since it is often not possible at the beginning of the maneuver to make a clear distinction between an instance of cornering and a lane change , truncation conditions are initially provided with regard to the duration of the individual phases of the lane change . if these truncation conditions are fulfilled , an instance of cornering or an instance of driving straight ahead is detected instead of the lane change . a first truncation condition is fulfilled in this case when the duration of phase 1 is smaller than a threshold value t sw1 , min : in this case , t sw1 , start is the instant at which the beginning of lane change has been detected , and the variable t − t sw1 , start corresponds to the time duration of phase 1 of the lane change at the observation instant t . the second truncation condition is fulfilled when the duration of phase 1 of the lane change is greater than a threshold value t sw1 , max : a third truncation condition is fulfilled when the duration of the intermediate phase of the lane change is greater than a threshold value t swz , max : in this case , t swz , start is the instant at which the beginning of the intermediate phase of the lane change has been detected , and the variable t − t swz , start corresponds to the time duration of the intermediate phase of the lane change at the observation instant t . as illustrated in fig9 with the aid of a schematic block diagram of the driving maneuver detection device 704 , in order to identify the driving maneuver of the vehicle 101 it is determined in the block 901 or the block 902 whether the conditions for an instance of driving straight ahead ( g ) or an instance of cornering ( k ) are fulfilled . the driving maneuver is determined in the block 903 by calling upon these results and calling upon the truncation conditions . this is performed with the aid of a state diagram , which is illustrated in fig1 . the transition conditions between the detection of an instance of driving straight ahead ( gaf ), an instance of cornering ( kuf ) and the three phases of a lane change ( sw 1 , swz , sw 2 ) are illustrated in the diagram . the transition conditions are denoted in the figure in the following way : g : an instance of driving straight ahead was detected in block 901 . g : no instance of driving straight ahead was detected in block 901 . k : an instance of cornering was detected in block 902 . k : no instance of cornering was detected in block 902 . a 1k : the truncation condition ( 32 ) is fulfilled . ā 1k : the truncation condition ( 32 ) is not fulfilled . a 1l : the truncation condition ( 33 ) is fulfilled . a zl : the truncation condition ( 34 ) is fulfilled . if it is not specified by a v symbol in the figure , individual conditions for a state transition need to be fulfilled cumulatively . the star at the transition from the intermediate phase to phase 2 of the lane change signifies that the sign of the yaw rate must be opposite to the sign of the yaw rate in the case of the transition from an instance of driving straight ahead in phase 1 of the lane change . by contrast with the prediction of the object trajectory , in the case of predicting the trajectory of the vehicle 101 the x - and y - coordinates of the reference point m of the vehicle 101 are calculated directly . the prediction is performed firstly with reference to the vehicle coordinate system 302 . the prediction is then transformed into the absolute coordinate system 301 . if an instance of driving straight ahead by the vehicle 101 has been detected , a vanishing lateral speed of the vehicle 101 is assumed , and so it holds that t p denoting the prediction period , which amounts , in turn , to a few seconds . it holds for the x - coordinate of the reference point m of the vehicle 101 that : the longitudinal acceleration a x of the vehicle 101 , which is , for example , measured with the aid of a longitudinal acceleration sensor or determined from the signals of the wheel speed sensors , is preferably subjected to weak low - pass filtering when an acceleration process or braking process has been detected . if this is not the case , the longitudinal acceleration signal is preferably subjected to strong low - pass filtering . as a result , the noise of the acceleration signal is suppressed for instances of travel at virtually constant speed , whereas in the event of speed changes the entire dynamics of the signal is considered . the longitudinal speed v x , v ( t ) of the vehicle 101 in the vehicle coordinate system 302 at the observation instant t corresponds to the longitudinal speed of the vehicle in the speed of the vehicle in the absolute coordinate system 301 , since the vehicle coordinate system 302 is likewise a stationary coordinate system . for the first phase of a lane change and for the intermediate phases , the position is predicted with the aid of a second order euler prediction , and so it holds that : in addition , the trajectory of the vehicle 101 is recorded during the first phase of the lane change and is approximated by a third degree polynomial . the polynomial is specified in this case in a lane change coordinate system that is defined in a fashion similar to the characteristic coordinate system 401 for the ambient object 104 . thus , what is involved here is a stationary coordinate system whose origin corresponds to the position of the reference point of the vehicle 101 at the beginning of the lane change , and that is fixed inside the absolute coordinate system 301 for the duration of the lane change . variables that relate to the lane change coordinate system are marked below with an index “ spur ”. thus , the polynomial has the form spur ( t )= c 0 + c 1 · x spur ( t )+ c 2 · x spur 2 ( t )+ c 3 · x spur 3 ( t ) ( 38 ) the parameters c i , i = 1 , . . . , 3 are determined by means of a parameter estimation method such as , for example , the recursive dsfi ( discrete square root filter in the information form ) method . in order to consider the first phase of the lane change completely in this case , the “ forgetting factor ” of the method is set at λ = 1 such that all the measured values are equally weighted . it is assumed that the second phase of the lane change runs in mirror image fashion to the first phase . consequently , the second phase of the lane change can be predicted by the polynomial ( 38 ) rotated at the end point of the first phases by 180 ° and applied at the end point of the intermediate phase . it therefore holds that : y spur ( t + t p )= y spur , endz + y spur , end1 −[ c 0 + c 1 · x h ( t + t p )+ c 2 · x h 2 ( t + t p )+ c 3 · x h 3 ( t + t p )] ( 39 ) the point ( x spur , end1 , y spur , end1 ) specifying the position of the reference point of the vehicle 101 upon conclusion of the first phases of the lane change , and the point ( x spur , endz , y spur , endz ) specifying the position of the reference point of the vehicle 101 after conclusion of the intermediate phase of the lane change . the variable x h is given by here , the x - coordinate x spur ( t + t p ) is calculated with the aid of equation ( 37a ), the result calculated with the aid of the equation being transformed into the lane change coordinate system . in order to predict the vehicle trajectory in the case of a detected instance of cornering of the vehicle 101 , the length of the circular arc traveled and its radius are considered . it has emerged that the circular arc can be approximated as a straight line in order to determine its length . it therefore holds for the length of the circular arc that : neglecting the attitude angle , on the basis of a single lane model of the vehicle 101 it holds for an instance of traveling of the vehicle 101 at constant speed on a circle with the radius r that : the speed of the vehicle 101 can , for example , be determined here in turn with the aid of the signals of the wheel speed sensors , and the lateral acceleration a y , v can be determined , for example , with the aid of a lateral acceleration sensor . the predicted coordinates are yielded in the case of an instance of cornering as as can be seen from the drawing in fig1 . the radius and the curve length are determined with the aid of the equations ( 42 ) and ( 43 ). whether a collision between the motor vehicle 101 and an ambient object 104 is imminent can now be determined with the aid of the predicted movement trajectory of the ambient object 104 detected in the surroundings of the motor vehicle 101 , and of the movement trajectory of the motor vehicle 101 . to this end , the predicted trajectory of the ambient object 104 is assessed with regard to the trajectory of the reference point of the vehicle 101 . a collision course is assumed when the trajectories approach one another up to a separation that considers the width of the vehicle 101 and of the ambient object 104 . furthermore , the so - called time to collision ( ttc ) is determined , that is to say the duration up to the determined collision with the ambient object 104 . if a collision course exists and the collision time undershoots a specific value , there is firstly triggered in one embodiment a driver warning that can , for example , be an optical , acoustic and / or haptic warning . the warning alerts the driver to the dangerous situation so that he can institute measures in good time in order to avoid collision or diminish collision consequences . particularly when the collision time undershoots a further smaller value , in one embodiment a trigger signal is transmitted to a safety means control system that controls passive safety means such as , for example , airbags or seatbelt pretensioners . the vehicle 101 is preconditioned for a collision by driving the passive safety means appropriately , and so the consequences of the collision for the vehicle occupants are reduced . in a further embodiment , a check is made in a decision direction as a function of the existing driving situation as to whether the collision can be prevented by a braking maneuver , or there is a need to carry out an avoidance maneuver . if it is determined that the collision can be prevented by a braking maneuver , a distance from the collision location is determined at which the braking maneuver must be started . once the vehicle 101 has reached the determined distance , a brake pressure is automatically built up in the wheel brakes in order to carry out the maneuver . if it is determined that the collision can be prevented by an avoidance maneuver , a trigger signal is transmitted to a path prescribing device . in this embodiment , the trigger signal leads initially to calculation of an avoidance path y ( x ) inside the path prescribing device in order to prevent the collision with the ambient object 104 . the start point at which the avoidance maneuver must be started is then determined as a function of the determined avoidance path in order to be able still just to avoid the ambient object 104 . the previously named steps are preferably repeated in time steps until there is no longer any danger of collision on the basis of changes in course of the ambient object 104 or of the vehicle 101 , or until the vehicle 101 reaches the start point for an avoidance maneuver . if this is the case , the avoidance path or parameters representing this path is / are transmitted to a steering actuator controller . in one preferred embodiment , the latter then uses a control method to control a steering actuator in such a way that there are set at the steerable wheels of the motor vehicle 101 steering angles that permit the motor vehicle 101 to follow the avoidance path . in a further embodiment , the steering actuator is used in accordance with the calculated path to impress a torque on a steering handle operated by the driver , as a result of which the driver receives a steering recommendation for an avoidance maneuver . moreover , the prediction of the trajectories of the ambient object 104 and of the vehicle 101 can be used inside an acc ( acc : adaptive cruise control ) system . this system controls the vehicle speed such that a specific separation from a vehicle driving in front is not undershot . by way of example , the trajectory prediction for the vehicle and the ambient object 104 and the driver &# 39 ; s own vehicle 101 can also be used to consider lane change of the ambient object 104 and / or of the vehicle 101 in the case of acc , the ambient object 104 being a further vehicle . if , for example because of a lane change , such a vehicle is moving into the driving lane of the motor vehicle 101 , the speed thereof can already be adapted in good time . the above - described applications require a sufficiently accurate prediction of the object trajectory . a number of driving situations were simulated in order to demonstrate the improved prediction quality that can be achieved with the aid of the prediction method described above . since it is possible only with a very large outlay to compare the results of the prediction with a position of an ambient object 104 measured with sufficient accuracy , a different approach was used in this case . firstly , a few test drives were carried out with a motor vehicle 101 . during these test drives , the positions of the vehicle 101 were recorded with reference to the start point ; the position of the run - in was determined by the driver . yaw rate and speed were likewise measured . in an offline simulation , the recorded data records were used as input variables for a sensor simulation model whose output variables have the format of the data of the ambient sensor 102 . the simulated sensor data were then used as input variables for a prediction algorithm , use being made , on the one hand , of the previously described prediction algorithm and , on the other hand , of the euler prediction ( equation ( 1 )). the data measured during the test drives were then compared with the predicted data for the two prediction algorithms . the results of the comparison between the data are illustrated for the inventive prediction algorithm in fig1 a . the error classes of the histogram correspond to intervals for the deviation δ between the predicted position and the measured position . the classes were selected in this case in accordance with the following qualitative classification : 1 ) 0 & lt ; δ & lt ; 0 . 5 m : very good prediction with the aid of which collisions can be reliably forecast . 2 ) 0 . 5 m & lt ; δ & lt ; 1 m : still good prediction , in particular for long prediction times . it is possible to forecast collisions with reduced certainty . 3 ) 1 m & lt ; δ & lt ; 2 m : the deviation corresponds approximately to the width of a passenger car or half the length of a passenger car and half the width of a driving lane of a freeway . there is still a limited possibility of forecasting collisions . 4 ) 2 m & lt ; δ & lt ; 4 m : the deviation corresponds approximately to the length of a passenger car and the width of a driving lane of a freeway . a collision forecast is not possible with sufficient accuracy in order to institute measures for collision avoidance ; however , a driver warning can be issued if a collision is forecast . 5 ) 4 m & lt ; δ & lt ; 8 m : the deviation corresponds approximately to twice the length of a passenger car or twice the width of a freeway lane . the prediction is sensible here only in order to obtain an idea of the situation . however , measures for collision avoidance cannot be sensibly instituted . 6 ) δ & gt ; 8 m : the deviations are so large that the prediction results cannot be used sensibly . here , fig1 a shows , in particular , the results of the comparison in the event of a lane change of the ambient object 104 in the case of which ambient object 104 and vehicle 101 respectively move at a speed of 18 m / s . the ambient object 104 carries out a lane change with a lateral offset of 3 . 5 m . since the speeds are virtually constant during the maneuver , only the prediction error of the y - component of the trajectory of the ambient object 104 is assessed . the prediction interval was 3 seconds . as may be seen from the figure , more than 40 % of the prediction results are in the error class 0 & lt ; δ & lt ; 0 . 5 m that is of most use to a collision avoidance system . furthermore , over 55 % of the prediction results the deviation δ is smaller than 1 m . fig1 b shows the deviations between the prediction results and the measured positions for the euler extrapolation . here , only approximately 21 % of the deviations are smaller than 0 . 5 m , and less than half the deviations are smaller than 1 m . the improvement attained with the aid of the invention is obvious from a comparison of fig1 a and 12 b .	1
initial reference is made to fig1 in which there is shown a folded optics antenna arrangement 1 for use in a frequency modulated , continuous wave ( fm - cw ) radar . as will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art , such a radar operates in alternating transmitting and receiving modes . for a transmitting mode , the radar emits em radiation , for example , millimeter wave or microwave radiation . in a receiving mode , the radar receives em radiation reflected from an object to determine the range , velocity and direction of movement of the object . the antenna 1 comprises a flat , front transreflector 2 at a fixed distance from a rear twist reflector 3 . the twist reflector 3 is parabolic in shape , and the axis 4 of parabolic twist reflector 3 extends from the apex of the parabolic shape to the focus 5 of the parabolic shape . transreflector 2 is positioned transverse to the axis 4 of parabolic twist reflector 3 . an em feed 6 is positioned at an opening 7 through twist reflector 3 . the axis 8 of em feed 6 is aligned with the axis 4 of parabolic twist reflector 3 , which defines the axis of transmission of far field focused , orthogonally polarized radiation that is transmitted by the antenna 1 , and which further defines the principal direction from which reflected radiation is received by the antenna 1 . transreflector 2 is also known as an analyzer that passes or transmits radiation having a particular , orthogonal polarization , and that reflects radiation having a different orthogonal polarization . during transmission , radiation is emanated by the em feed 6 , and is reflected by transreflector 2 toward twist reflector 3 . the twist reflector 3 reflects incident radiation , imparting a 90 degree , such that reflected radiation is imparted with an orthogonal polarity relative to that of the incident radiation . thus , the polarity of the incident radiation is reflected with a 90 degree twist , when reflected by twist reflector 3 . the radiation reflected by parabolic twist reflector 3 has a polarity that is passed unaffected by transreflector 2 . in addition , antenna 1 collimates radiation imaged at the far field upon reflection by parabolic twist reflector 3 , which radiation has an orthogonal polarity that is passed unaffected by transreflector 2 . with reference to fig2 it will be seen that transreflector 2 is mounted against an interior shoulder 9 of a hollow housing 10 , which positions the flat transreflector 2 at a fixed distance from parabolic twist reflector 3 . an emanated ray 11 from the em feed 6 is reflected rearward by transreflector 2 , and is incident on parabolic twist reflector 3 . the incident ray 11 is reflected by the parabolic transreflector 2 with an imparted 90 degree polarity twist and is focused at the far field . the reflected ray 11 having the proper polarity is passed by the flat transreflector 2 . the antenna 1 utilizes folded optics principles . accordingly , transreflector 2 is positioned closer to parabolic twist reflector 3 than the actual focus 5 of parabolic twist reflector 3 . the folded optics antenna 1 is more compact than an equivalent antenna structure , as shown in phantom outline , wherein , em feed 6 is positioned at the actual focus of a parabolic transreflector that is shown in phantom outline as a virtual parabolic transreflector 12 . thus , antenna 1 is constructed according to folded optics principles to provide a compact antenna in which the em feed 6 need not be positioned at the actual focus of the antenna 1 ( i . e ., the actual focus 5 of parabolic twist reflector 3 ). returning briefly to fig1 it will be seen that twist reflector 3 is mounted , constructed , or otherwise defined on a base 13 of substantial thickness which , in turn , is mounted against an interior shoulder 14 of the hollow housing 10 . the interior shoulder 14 is precisely located on the housing 10 relative to the interior shoulder 9 that precisely locates transreflector 2 . accurate positioning of transreflector 2 relative to parabolic twist reflector 3 is important in order to assure accurate focus of received radiation at em feed 6 . as shown in fig2 a ray 15 of received radiation is passed by transreflector 2 , and is reflected by twist reflector 3 with a 90 degree twist , such that the reflected ray 15 has an orthogonal polarity that is reflected rearward by transreflector 2 to em feed 6 . returning once again to fig1 it will be seen that interior surface 16 of hollow housing 10 can be parallel to the axis 4 of parabolic twist reflector 3 . alternatively , interior surface 16 may diverge at 16 ′, relative to the axis 4 of parabolic twist reflector 3 , such that off - axis rays 15 ( fig2 ) of received radiation will be passed by the transreflector to become incident on twist reflector 3 . with reference now to fig3 the construction of twist reflector 3 will be described in greater detail . in accordance with the present invention , twist reflector 3 is constructed on a base 13 which provides stability and preserves alignment despite variations in temperature . accordingly , it is desirable that the base be constructed of a material which has a relatively low coefficient of thermal expansion and which is sufficiently thick and of sufficient bulk as to not be subject to undesirable deformation ( elongation or flattening ). to the extent that the material selected for the base has the ability to reliably return to its original shape when a temperature cycle has concluded , however , it will be understood that some tendency to expand or contract with variations in temperature may be tolerated . for ease of manufacturing , it is contemplated by the inventor herein that a wide variety of metals and metal alloys are suitable for fabrication of the base . however , other materials having the material properties discussed above might also be utilized . in any event and with continued reference to fig3 twist reflector 3 may be formed by depositing a continuous film 17 on the parabolic surface 18 defined in an electrically conductive base 13 . the dielectric film has thickness of about one quarter wavelength (□/ 4 )— or uneven multiples of □/ 4 — of the em radiation emanated by em feed 6 . by way of illustrative example , dielectric film 17 may be deposited by electrophoretic deposition . a metal grid 19 as a polarizer may be configured as a laminate on the dielectric film 17 . for example , metal grid 19 may formed by electroless deposition , followed by electrodeposition of copper , followed in turn by selective etching away portions of the copper to form the metal grid 19 . it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art , however , that the polarizer can be formed by alternate structures . for example , and with particular reference to the alternative embodiment depicted in fig3 a , it will be appreciated that the polarizer may be formed directly by machining or selectively etching the parabolic surface 18 of the base 13 to form the metal grid 19 . the grid 19 extends as projections in air , outwardly from parabolic surface 18 , with the aforementioned thickness of □/ 4 ( or odd multiple thereof ) of the radiated em energy emanated by em feed 6 . as mentioned earlier , the parabolic twist reflector 3 is constructed on a parabolic surface 18 that is recessed in a non - paraboloid base 13 . the non - paraboloid base 13 has a substantial non - paraboloid thickness that provides a foundation which maintains alignment of the common axis 4 of parabolic surface 18 and parabolic twist reflector 3 relative to the axis of the antenna 1 . accordingly , the parabolic twist reflector 3 avoids the disadvantages of prior reflectors that are of paraboloid shapes . paraboloid shapes are subject to axial misalignment and warpage of their shapes / reflective surfaces with changes in temperature . thus , heretofore during manufacture of prior antennas , the alignment and shape of paraboloid shaped reflectors has heretofore been disadvantageously effected by temperature conditions . from the foregoing discussion , it should be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that such temperature dependence is avoided by providing a parabolic twist reflector 3 on a parabolic surface 18 of a non - paraboloid base such that axial alignment is maintained despite temperature fluctuations . moreover , warpage of the parabolic twist reflector 3 with variations in temperature is also avoided . for example , the base 13 may be configured as a solid block with the parabolic surface 18 defined as a recess on one surface thereof . returning once more to fig1 the em feed 6 is rigidly embedded in the opening 7 that extends through the substantial thickness of base 13 . such a thickness assures accurate alignment of the embedded em feed 6 along the axis of the antenna 1 . further , such accurate alignment , as noted earlier , is preserved despite variations in temperature . with reference now to fig4 it will be seen that transreflector 2 has a thin metal grid 20 formed on a dielectric layer 21 . the dielectric layer 21 has a thickness of about one - half the wavelength ( λ / 2 ) ( or multiples thereof ), of the em radiation emitted by the em feed 6 . according to one embodiment , the dielectric layer 21 is of sufficient stiffness to be self - supporting , and that stays flat with variations in temperature . according to another embodiment , additional stiffness is provided by having the dielectric layer 21 supported against a stiff dielectric layer 22 — the thickness of which being about about one - half the wavelength ( λ / 2 ) ( or multiples thereof ), of the em radiation emitted by the em feed 6 — that stays flat with variations in temperature . whereas , a prior known paraboloid shaped transreflector will undergo axial misalignment and warpage of its shape with variations in temperature , the flat transreflector 2 ( fig1 ) maintains a precise alignment relative to the axis 5 of the antenna 1 , despite variations in temperature . further , the flat transreflector 2 maintains its flat shape with variations in temperature . while the invention has been shown with respect to a preferred embodiment of the invention , the specific configurations that have been illustrated and described in detail herein are merely exemplary . various modifications , equivalents and alternatives are contemplated by the inventor and should be considered to fall within the scope of the appended claims .	7
as required , detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein ; however , it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention , which may be embodied in various forms . therefore , specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting , but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure . the drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof . the following convention is used in describing various directions with respect to the inventive lid . the pan or cookware on which the lid is placed is assumed to be setting on a counter or other surface in an upright position for normal use . when the lid and cookware are in this upright , normal orientation , the following terms have the following meanings : the terms “ up ” or “ upward ” mean the vertical direction extending from the bottom of the cookware toward the top of the cookware and beyond ; the terms “ down ” or “ downward ” mean the vertical direction that is the opposite of the “ up ” or “ upward ” direction — i . e ., the vertical direction extending from the top of the cookware toward the bottom of the cookware ; the terms “ in ” or “ inward ” means the horizontal direction from the periphery or side of the cookware toward the center of the cookware ; and the terms “ out ” or “ outward ” means the opposite horizontal direction — i . e ., the direction from the center of the cookware toward the periphery or side of the cookware . if a part or object is “ above ” another part or object , the part or object is in a position or location that is in the upward direction from the other part or object ; thus , the lid of the cookware is above the bottom of the cookware when the cookware is in its normal upright position ; similarly if a part or object is “ below ” another part or object , the part or object is in a position that is in the downward direction from the other part or object ; thus , the bottom of the cookware is below the lid of the cooker when the cooker is in its normal upright position . fig2 and 3 show a lid assembly 1 for use on pots , pans , saucepans , and other cookware ( not shown ). the lid assembly 1 comprises a lid 2 , a handle 3 , a handle mount 4 , a handle retainer 5 , and a silicone band 6 . the lid 2 may be made of glass , metal , or some other suitable material that can withstand heating . the lid 2 has a rim 10 and a flange 15 that extends downward from the rim 10 and is sized to fit within the top of the pan ( not shown ) on which the lid assembly 1 is to be used . if the lid 2 is made of glass , as show in fig2 and 3 , the rim 10 may be made of metal , and the flange 15 may be formed as part of the rim 10 . if the lid 2 is made of metal or some other heat - stable substance the flange 15 may be formed as part of the lid 2 when it is fabricated . the lid 2 forms a central hole 20 in its top or crest . the handle 3 may be made of metal , plastic , or some other material that is a less efficient conductor of heat so that the handle remains cooler than the lid 2 or the pan when the pan and its contents are being heated . the handle 2 forms a central longitudinal hole 25 that has threads 30 as shown in fig4 and 5 . an upper part 35 of the hole 25 is narrower or smaller in diameter than the lower part of the hole 25 that is threaded . the handle 2 also forms a slot 38 in its side below the narrower or smaller diameter hole 25 , as shown in fig2 through 7 . as shown in fig6 and 7 , one end of an elongated slide 40 is attached to the inside of the handle 2 by a pin 42 so that the slide 40 can be pivoted horizontally about the pin 42 . a hole 45 is formed in slide 40 in a location such that , when the slide 40 is moved horizontally about the pin 42 , the hole 45 may moved to a position immediately below the narrower part 35 of the hole 25 in the handle . the opposite end of the slide 40 extends outward through slot 38 and forms a grip 50 that may be pushed or grasped from the outside of the handle 2 to move the slide 40 horizontally about pin 42 , thus moving the hole 45 in the slide 40 into or out of register with the upper , narrower part 35 of the hole 25 in the handle 2 . as best shown in fig3 , the outside of retainer 5 is threaded such that its threads 55 match the internal threads 30 of the hole 25 in the handle 3 . the retainer 5 may thus be screwed into the hole 25 of the handle . the retainer 5 also has a base 60 that can be used to screw the retainer into the hole 25 in the interior of the handle 3 and anchor the retainer 5 against the underside of the lid 2 when the retainer 5 is threaded into the hole 25 . the retainer 5 has an interior hole 65 which communicates with the interior of the cookware and the narrowed portion 35 of the hole 25 in the handle 3 . as shown in fig3 , and 5 , the handle mount 4 is used to space the handle 3 from the top of the lid 2 and fully cover the hole 25 in the lid 2 when the lid assembly 1 is fully assembled . it would , of course , be possible to make the handle mount 4 an integral part of the handle 3 , or to eliminate the mount 4 entirely , provided suitable means were used to seal and protect the hole 25 in the lid when the handle 3 and the lid 2 are fully assembled . the handle mount 4 has an internal hole 70 so that the retainer 5 may be inserted into and through the mount 4 and threaded into the hole 25 in the handle 3 . as shown in fig2 and 3 , the lid assembly 1 may be assembled by inserting the retainer 5 up thought the hole 20 in the lid 2 until the retainer base is flush with and anchored against the underside of the lid 2 . the handle mount 4 is then placed on the top of the lid 2 so that the threaded portion 55 of the retainer 5 extends up through the hole 20 in the handle mount 4 . the handle 3 is then threaded or screwed onto the threaded retainer 5 until it is tight , thus securing the retainer 5 , the mount 4 , and the handle 3 to the lid 2 . when the lid 2 is ready for use , the flexible silicone band 6 is placed around the flange 15 of the lid 2 . the lid 2 is then placed on the top of the cookware , the silicone band 6 sealing the lid 2 on the top of the cookware . so assembled , the interior hole 65 of the retainer extends from the inside of the cookware up to the narrowed portion 35 of the handle 3 , ending just below the slide 40 in the handle 3 . the slide 40 may then be pivoted by pushing the grip 50 of the slide 40 until the hole 45 in the slide 40 is in register with and immediately above the hole 65 in the retainer 5 and in register with and immediately below the narrowed portion 35 of the hole 25 in the handle 3 . if desired , the slide 40 may be pivoted in the manner described above so the hole 45 in the slide 40 is only partially in register with the hole 65 in the retainer 5 and the narrower part 35 of the hole 25 in the handle 2 . in such case the hole in the retainer 5 is still in register with the narrowed portion 35 of the hole 25 in the handle 3 , but the size or diameter of the combined registered hole or cavity in the retainer 5 , the narrow portion 35 of hole 25 , and hole 45 is effectively smaller than if the holes 45 and 65 are fully in register . in other words , if the hole 45 in the slide 40 is only partly in register with the hole 65 of the retainer and narrowed portion 35 of the hole 25 , the diameter of the combined holes 65 , 45 , and 35 is restricted or lessened in diameter by , and at the location of , the partial registering of hole 45 with holes 65 and 35 . when the lid assembly and cookware are so assembled , the cookware , containing water and food to be cooked , is placed a stove or other heating surface and heated . as the liquid in the cookware increases in temperature , water vapor is formed in the cookware and increases the pressure of the air and water vapor inside the cookware . eventually , the liquid contents of the cookware will boil , producing additional pressurized water vapor , air , and / or steam inside the cookware . the lid 2 , however , does not rock or move off of the top of the cookware , because the silicone band 6 seals the lid 2 on the cookware . and , due to the friction of the band 6 against the inside of the cookware , the band 6 prevents the lid 2 from being dislodged from the top of the cookware . instead , the pressurized air , water vapor and / or steam in the cookware move upward though the hole 65 in the retainer 5 , through the registered or partially registered holes 65 and 45 in the retainer 65 and slide 40 , respectively , up though the narrowed portion 35 of the hole 25 in the handle 3 , and out into the atmosphere above the lid 2 . as the pressurized air , water vapor , and / or steam escapes through the registered or partly registered holes 65 , 45 , and 35 , a whistling noise is produced by the rush of the air , water vapor , and / or steam through holes 65 , 45 , and 35 . this whistling noise signals the user that the liquid in the cookware is boiling , so that the user can reduce the heat being applied to the cookware in order to permit cooking to continue at optimal cooking temperature . the pitch and volume of the whistle may be controlled by adjusting the size of the combined registered holes 65 , 45 , and 35 . higher volume , lower pitch whistling may be produced by placing the holes 65 and 45 fully in register . lower volume , higher pitch whistling may be produced by placing the holes 65 , 45 , and 35 only partly in register . adjusting the size or diameter of the combined holes 65 , 45 , and 35 is accomplished by moving slide 40 to increase or decrease the size or diameter of the combined holes 65 , 45 , and 35 at the location of the partial or registration of hole 45 with holes 65 and 35 . thus , the user may adjust the whistling noise to the desired volume and pitch to most effectively signal or warn the user that the contents of the cookware are boiling and that the temperature of the stove or heating source to be reduced . it is to be understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein , it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts described and shown .	0
in fig1 the reference numeral 10 designates a personal computer system embodying features of the present invention . the system 10 comprises a power control system 12 , a processor complex 14 , a cpu clock controller 16 , several i / o devices 18 , and a system memory 20 . a system bus 22 interconnects the power control system 12 , processor complex 14 , cpu clock controller 16 and i / o devices 18 . while not shown , it is understood the processor complex 14 includes a cpu and associated subsystems normally required for operation of a personal computer . for example , portions of the complex 14 may include a commercially available single chip solution or &# 34 ; chip set .&# 34 ; a bus 24 connects the system memory 20 to the complex 14 . although not shown , it is understood that the i / o devices 18 may include hard disk drives , floppy disk drives , a keyboard , a video monitor , a mouse , a numeric coprocessor , various serial and parallel ports , and other similar i / o or peripheral devices used in connection with a personal computer . since these devices are well known , they will not be described further . the power control system 12 is a microprocessor system which includes cpu , memory and i / o components ( not shown ). the system 12 monitors the activity of the i / o devices 18 via lines 26a - 26g , connected with conventional circuitry ( not shown ) to the i / o devices . the lines 26a - 26g are connected to exemplary hard disk , keyboard , video , numeric coprocessor , floppy disk , serial port and parallel port i / o devices 18 , respectively . the system 12 monitors the status of the cpu ( not shown ) of the processor complex 14 via line 26h . it is understood that the signals on lines 26a - 26h used for the monitoring functions are dependent upon the types of i / o devices used and the particular computer implementation . for example , in an ibm pc implementation of the processor complex 14 , certain i / o devices generate interrupt signals to the cpu when accessed . the interrupt signals are thus also indicated on the particular line 26a - 26g to the power control system 12 . other i / o devices may generate chip select signals , for example , which are detected on the appropriate line 26a - 26g and input to the control system 12 in the above - described manner . as will be described , a user may specify timeout parameters upon which a plurality of software activity timers , each specific to a particular i / o device or logical combination thereof , are based . in the event that a parameter is not specified , a default parameter is used . if upon polling a line 26a - 26h the power control system 12 determines that the cpu or a particular device 18 is active , the corresponding activity timer is reset . after a device has remained inactive for the predetermined interval of time , as indicated by the expiration of the corresponding activity timer , the control system 12 performs the functions necessary to place the cpu or particular i / o device or combination of devices in a reduced power consumption state . the system 12 gains control of the system bus 22 and then communicates with the particular i / o device 18 to place it in the reduced power consumption state , independent of the cpu of the processor complex 14 . the system 12 gains control of the system bus 22 by issuing a bus request ( breq ) signal to the processor complex 14 via a line 32 . the complex 14 acknowledges the breq signal with a bus acknowledge ( back ) signal via a line 34 , to grant control of the bus 22 to the system 12 . upon receipt of the back signal , the control system 12 becomes the bus master for one clock cycle . the remaining devices competing for the use of the system bus 22 are slaves until the system 12 relinquishes control of bus . while not shown , it is understood that for an ibm pc at implementation , the control system 12 becomes the bus master by using the master control line . it is understood that the operations to be performed by the system 12 while it is the bus master to power down the particular i / o devices 18 will depend upon the nature of the devices . for example , if the i / o device 18 is a hard disk drive , the control system 12 will write directly to the appropriate i / o port of the system 10 and set a bit , resulting in the hard disk drive &# 39 ; s motor turning off . the motor will automatically turn on upon the next attempt at a hard disk drive access . if the device to be powered down is the cpu , the control system 12 will write to the cpu clock controller 16 to either slow or halt the cpu clock , again depending upon the particular implementation of the cpu . the powered - down device or devices are reactivated by the system 12 when activity is next required . in accordance with a feature of the invention , the control system 12 automatically adjusts the value of the activity timer to either a longer or shorter time period , depending on the work pattern of the pc user . if the particular device 18 is powered - up within a relatively short time period after power - down , logic of the system 12 is implemented to incrementally adjust the activity timer to a longer time period , up to a predetermined maximum value . if the device 18 is powered - up after a relatively long time period after power - down , logic of the system 12 is implemented to incrementally adjust the activity timer to a shorter time period , down to a predetermined minimum value . in this manner , the control system 12 adapts to changing power demands of system 10 for increased efficiency and performance . fig2 is a flowchart illustrating control logic implemented by the power control system 12 in accordance with the present invention . the control logic may be implemented by microcode instructions stored within the system 12 . the flow chart exemplifies control logic further illustrated in the attached appendix . the control logic describes power consumption reduction and adaptive power management operations for one i / o device 18 , it being understood that other devices are also controlled by similar logic . further , it is noted that one or more devices 18 may be placed in a reduced power consumption state based on the activity of that device , a different device or combination of devices . execution begins in step 200 with the performance of initialization procedures . in step 202 an activity timer associated with the i / o device 18 is loaded in the system 12 . it is understood that a user is able to specify the time - out parameters for the activity timer . also , inactivity timer parameters associated with the device 18 are loaded in the system 12 , the parameters being user specified and utilized , as discussed below , for adapting the value of the activity timer to a longer value or - a shorter value , as determined by frequency of use of the device 18 . default parameters are provided if the parameters are not specified by the user . when the activity timer is loaded in step 202 , with either specified or default parameters , it is initialized to the time - out value . at step 204 , the power control system 12 monitors the device 18 ( or combination of devices ) associated with the timer to determine whether the device is active . as indicated previously with reference to fig1 activity of a device 18 is indicated by signals on the particular line 26a - 26g or on line 26h for the cpu . if at step 204 the device 18 is active , execution returns to step 202 and the activity timer is reset . otherwise , execution proceeds to step 206 . at step 206 , the activity timer is decremented . at step 208 , a determination is made whether the activity timer has expired , by decrementing to zero . if at step 208 the activity timer has not expired , execution returns to step 204 . otherwise , execution proceeds to step 210 . at step 210 , the power control system 12 issues a breq signal to the processor complex 14 . at step 212 , a determination is made whether the processor complex 14 has acknowledged the breq signal by issuing a back signal to the power control system 12 . if a back signal is not received , execution remains at step 212 until received . execution proceeds to step 214 . at step 214 , the power control system 12 asserts control of the system bus 22 and becomes the bus master . the control system 12 then communicates on the system bus 22 with the device 18 to place it in the reduced power consumption state . at step 216 , the breq is deasserted and the power control system 12 surrenders control of the system bus 22 to the processor complex 14 . at step 218 , an inactivity timer is started from an initialized value of zero . at step 220 , the inactivity timer is incremented . at step 222 , a determination is made whether the device 18 is active . if not , execution returns to step 220 . if at step 222 the device 18 is active , execution proceeds to step 224 . at step 224 , a determination is made whether the inactivity timer is less than a predetermined value x1 . for example , the predetermined value may be on the order of about 5 - 10 seconds . if at step 224 the inactivity value is less than x1 , execution proceeds to step 226 , where a determination is made whether the activity timer is currently at its maximum prescribed value . if not , at step 228 the value of the activity timer is increased by a value of y1 . y1 may be on the order of 30 seconds to a few minutes , depending on the particular device 18 associated with the activity timer . execution then returns to step 202 . by increasing the value of the activity timer at step 228 based upon the occurrence of device activity within a time period of less than x1 , as determined by step 224 , the system 12 adapts to increase the amount of time before the device 18 again powers - down . the system 12 thus patterns device 18 power reduction so that it is less frequent in periods of high demand . if at step 224 the inactivity timer value is not less than x 1 , or if at step 226 the activity timer is at its maximum value , execution proceeds to step 230 . at step 230 , a determination is made whether the inactivity timer has been incremented to a value of greater than x2 . x2 may be on the order of one - to - several minutes , depending upon the particular device 18 . if the inactivity timer is not greater than x2 , execution returns to step 202 . if the inactivity timer is greater than x2 , at step 232 a determination is made whether the activity timer is at a minimum value . the minimum value may be in the range of several seconds to a few minutes , depending on the initial value of the activity timer and a practical range for its value . if at step 232 the activity timer is at a minimum value , execution returns to step 202 . if at step 232 the activity timer is not at a minimum , execution proceeds to step 234 . at step 234 , the activity timer value is decreased by a value of y2 . y2 may be on the order of a few seconds to a several minutes , depending upon the particular device . execution then returns to step 202 . by decreasing the activity timer by an incremental value of y2 at step 234 when there has been a period of device inactivity for greater than a time value of x2 , the system 112 adapts to provide more frequent power - down the device 18 , improving the power efficiency of the system 10 . this is accomplished based upon a relatively low demand for use of the device 18 , as determined by the logic . the adaptive power management logic of the system 12 is readily illustrated where the device 18 is an lcd backlight of the system 10 . assuming the activity timer for the backlight is set for 5 minutes , the adaptive logic can be used to adjust this value down to a minimum value of one minute and a maximum value of 10 minutes , based upon user activity . if the user reactivates the backlight after its power - down within an inactivity period of less than ten seconds ( x1 ), the logic of the system 12 would increase the activity timer by one minute ( y1 ) to a new value of six minutes . this procedure might occur several times until a maximum activity timer value of ten minutes is reached . the system 12 thus adapts to repeated reactivation of the backlight by powering down less frequently . on the other hand , if the user does not reactivate the backlight after power - down for an inactivity period of greater than three minutes ( x2 ), the logic of the system 12 would decrease the activity timer by two minutes ( y2 ) down to a new value of three minutes . this would happen again until the minimum value of one minute is reached , given this pattern of use . the result would be improved power savings and less inconvenience to the user caused by unwanted power - downs of the backlight . various activity timer and inactivity timer parameters may be employed , depending on the device 18 or devices to be managed . in one preferred embodiment , the program control system 12 includes several user - programmable activity timers for managing the power consumption characteristics of the cpu and i / o devices 18 . the activity timers include a &# 34 ; standby &# 34 ; timer , an &# 34 ; auto - suspend &# 34 ; timer , a &# 34 ; hard - disk &# 34 ; timer and an &# 34 ; lcd &# 34 ; timer . also included is a &# 34 ; smart cpu &# 34 ; mode , which will be subsequently described in detail . the standby timer is used to specify the maximum length of time which may elapse between successive occurrences of i / o activity before the system 10 will be placed in a standby mode , wherein the cpu and several i / o devices 18a are caused to operate in a reduced power consumption state . specifically , the backlight of the lcd ( not shown ) is extinguished , the hard - disk drive motor ( also not shown ) is halted and the cpu clock controller 16 is slowed to a speed of 0 megahertz ( mhz ). with this timer set , the system 12 monitors i / o activity and resets the timer upon detection of any i / o activity . for example , i / o activity that would cause a resetting of the timer would include accessing a hard drive , using a keyboard , modem , serial port or parallel port . a suggested user setting for the standby timer is within a range of 10 to 15 minutes , although other settings may be chosen . upon the occurrence of any i / o activity , the system 10 automatically exits standby mode and is returns to its previous full power mode . the auto - suspend timer is used to specify the maximum length of time which may elapse between successive occurrences of i / o activity before the system 10 will be placed in a suspend mode . the suspend mode causes a more extensive reduction in power consumption with respect to the cpu and several i / o devices 18 . in addition to deactivating the i / o devices 18 mentioned above , the system 12 also deactivates microcontroller cache memory , keyboard , any mouse and numeric coprocessor devices , and various system clocks . in suspend mode , the system 10 consumes only enough power to maintain data stored in the system memory 20 . the auto - suspend timer is reset upon any i / o activity , as discussed above . a suggested user setting for the auto - suspend timer is within a range of 20 to 30 minutes , although other settings may be chosen . upon the occurrence of any i / o activity , the system 10 automatically exits suspend mode and returns to its previous full power mode . the hard - disk timer is used to specify how much time may elapse between successive hard disk accesses before the hard disk drive motor is halted . a suggested user setting for the hard - disk timer is within a range of 1 to 15 minutes , although other settings may be chosen . once halted , the hard disk is reactivated automatically upon the next hard disk access attempt . the lcd timer is used to specify how much time may elapse between periods of i / 0 activity before the lcd backlight is extinguished . a suggested user setting for the lcd timer is within a range of 1 to 15 minutes , although other settings may be chosen . once extinguished , the lcd backlight automatically returns to its full power state upon any i / o activity . the smart - cpu function is used to reduce the power consumption of the cpu of the processor complex 14 and may be enabled or disabled by a user when setting the above timer values . upon elapse of the smart - cpu timer the cpu clock controller 16 is slowed to a reduced speed , such as approximately 3 . 125 mhz . with this timer set , the system 12 monitors i / o activity and resets the timer upon detection of any i / o activity . the smart - cpu timer is set for a relatively short interval of time , for example , 12 seconds . the reduced speed mode is useful for conserving power when the cpu is not performing demanding processing functions . it is understood that the present invention can take many forms and embodiments . the embodiments shown herein are intended to illustrate rather than to limit the invention , it being appreciated that variations may be made without departing from the spirit of the scope of the invention . for example , the processor complex 14 may be implemented using any commercially available cpu and associated subsystems , including pc - compatible , risc - based , macintosh or other systems . furthermore , the power control system 12 may be configured to monitor i / o and peripheral devices other than those discussed herein , expansion cards and other components used in association with personal computers . the values of the various timers may be selected according to desired parameters . although illustrative embodiments of the invention have been shown and described , a wide range of modification , change and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure and in some instances some features of the present invention may be employed without a corresponding use of the other features . accordingly , it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the scope of the invention . ## spc1 ##	6
referring to the drawings , there is shown a building structure such as a family dwelling , indicated generally at 10 , and being of two stories , the building structure being erected upon footings 12 which in turn support vertical foundation walls 14 about all four sides of the building . these footings and foundation walls are mounted within an excavation e or rectangular hole within ground g determined by the horizontal dimensions of the building structure , the excavation penetrating to a certain vertical depth within the ground . of importance to the present invention , is the fact that the excavation e extends to a level somewhat below the normal frost line l of the ground . that is , particularly in the northern sections of the country during the winter , the ground freezes progressively and to a distance vertically downward from the ground surface as determined by the length and severity of the freezing temperatures to which the ground is subjected . nevertheless , below the frost line l , the ground maintains itself at a temperature of 40 ° to 50 ° f . and therefore acts as a winter heat sink or summer cool sink which is very pertinent to the present invention . the building is shown in somewhat simplified form , particularly to stress the inventive concept which constitutes a solar heated system of simple construction and one which completely eliminates the necessity for liquid heat collectors and the piping necessary to feed or circulate liquid through a heat exchanger or collector mounted to the roof as is exemplified by the referred to patent . specifically , and important to the present invention , a concrete slab 16 , which in the building structure 10 as shown is rectangular in form , extends between the foundation walls 14 . the peripheral edge 17 of the concrete slab 16 is extended by wooden sills 34 upon which the vertical walls 18 of the building structure 10 are mounted , the wood sills constituting thermal insulation members and preventing good thermal conduction between the concrete slab 16 , vertical walls 18 , and the foundation walls 14 which are in direct contact with the ground g at the walls of excavation e . embedded within the concrete slab 16 , which may be , for instance , 7 inches in thickness , is 6 × 6 × 10 / 10 wire mesh for reinforcing purposes . the concrete slab 16 therefore thermally floats relative to foundation walls . further , the building structure 10 which rests upon the foundation as partially defined by foundation walls 14 , footings 12 and the concrete slab 16 , is composed , in addition to vertical walls 18 , of a roof 24 and horizontal floors at 20 and 22 defining a first floor 28 , a second floor 30 , and an attic 31 for the structure . since the building structure is to be heated at least partially by solar energy , east , west and south walls including the right side vertical wall 18 , fig1 are provided with glass windows as at 26 for both first and second floors which permit direct radiation of the structure interior including the concrete slab 16 through the windows 26 , whereby the heat is picked up by air circulated due to thermo - siphon effect as shown in fig1 or alternatively by forced circulation through the utilization of one or more blowers which may be associated with a horizontal center duct 32 beneath slab 16 . important to the present invention is the utilization of a series of parallel rows of end - to - end abutting and axially aligned and side - to - side abutting cinder or concrete blocks indicated generally at 38 forming a cinder block array 56 . the blocks 38 are hollow and formed with paired parallel passages or holes at at 38a . a single hole may extend through the blocks 38 . the sides 38b of the blocks of adjacent rows abut each other while the ends 38c of respective blocks 38 within a given row abut each other and are in axial alignment , as may be seen by reference to fig1 and 2 . thus , the holes 38a of the blocks form elongated transverse air flow paths which extend from longitudinal or lengthwise passages 52 and 54 at opposite lateral ends of the cinder block array . the cinder block array indicated generally at 56 forms in conjunction with the concrete slab 16 the basic heat sink for the solar heating system of the present invention . preferably , the blocks 38 are positioned on top of a mass of gravel 40 which fills most of the excavation space between the foundation walls 14 , the gravel being applied over a one inch styrofoam sheet material layer 44 which abuts the ground g below the frost line l such to permit thermal conduction between the gravel and the ground g over a full horizontal surface area corresponding to that of the concrete slab 16 . the gravel acts in addition to slab 16 and cinder block array 56 to store some of the heat and permits heat by conduction to pass to and from the cinder block array 56 and the concrete slab 16 to the ground g . interposed between the bottom of the cinder block array 56 and the gravel 40 is a vapor barrier 42 which may take the form of four mill polyethylene sheet material . in order to prevent heat transfer to that portion of the ground above the frost line l , about the periphery of the gravel 40 , the cinder block array 56 , and at least a portion of the concrete slab 16 , there is provided a thermal insulation barrier in the form of paired thermal insulation sheets , constituted by an outer sheet 49 in direct contact with the side of the foundation walls 14 facing the gravel , and constituting preferably 2 inch urethane sheet material , while the interior layer or sheet 50 may comprise a continuation of the one inch styrofoam sheet material layer 44 lying between the gravel 40 and the ground g . if desired , one or more of the longitudinal passages 52 and 54 may carry a sheet metal duct or member such as 58 which extends the complete length of the building and which is provided at intermediate locations with lateral duct openings as at 60 . in this case , both the bottom and the outside vertical walls of the sheet metal longitudinal duct member 58 is suitably covered with fiberglass thermal insulation to minimize radiation heat losses therefrom . the cinder or concrete blocks 38 may comprise 12 inch standard weight concrete blocks having , as noted previously , two parallel holes 38a defining the horizontal transverse air paths for the multiple row cinder block array . further , it is preferred that the blocks 38 be loosely placed but in end - to - end and axially aligned abutment and in side - to - side contact with other blocks of adjacent rows so as to define multiple rows which extend from the front to the rear of the building , fig1 . the cinder blocks 38 form parallel heat transfer air flow paths between the laterally spaced longitudinally extending ducts 52 and 54 . even when the temperature outside of the building is 0 ° f ., the ground g immediately beneath the sheet materials 44 and underlying the gravel 40 is from 40 ° to 50 ° f . this ground , therefore , acts as a heat source relative to the building structure interior , and regardless of any applied thermal energy input to the building interior above the concrete slab 16 , there would be sufficient heat transfer by conduction to the cinder block array 56 from the ground g below the frost line l for pick up by the air circulating by thermal siphon effect through the first and second stories 30 and 28 . this is sufficient to maintain the interior of the building at approximately 40 ° f . or above freezing , and if the building were used as a vacation home or the like and unheated during the winter , this would be sufficient under most conditions to prevent freezing of the water pipes within the structure 10 regardless of lack of applied heat by a furnace , electric heater or other thermal energy input . however , due to the solar energy passage by way of the rays r through the windows 26 , the slab tends to heat up as well as the interior walls of the building and floor , causing heat to be transmitted to the air circulating as indicated by the arrows a within these rooms and passing into and out of longitudinal passages 52 and 54 via the vertical slots 36 and 37 , respectively , adjacent the periphery of the concrete slab and being transferred laterally through the horizontal air flow paths as defined by the aligned openings 38a within the various cinder blocks 38 . further , some of the heat is transmitted by conduction through the walls 18 , for instance , and picked up by convection of the air moving across those surfaces . the rooms 28 and 30 form natural mixing chambers ; for instance , if there were a stove within the first floor , this would radiate heat to the interior of the first floor 28 where that heat would be picked up by the air circulating , arrows a , within that floor , and mixing with the air from the upper floor 30 and moving into the longitudinal passage 52 for transfer laterally through the cinder blocks . preferably , the concrete slab is poured with the cinder blocks in place such that the concrete flows into intimate contact between and about the concrete blocks to in fact bury the blocks in situ , and in hardening to form a composite , basic two layer heat sink , that is , the upper layer constituting the concrete slab and the lower layer constituting the cinder block array . as shown in fig1 the wall containing the glass windows 26 is provided on the interior with thermal insulation shutters 64 which are shown as raised but which may be lowered as indicated by the double headed arrows 70 to overlie the glass 26 completely and to impede heat flow into and out of the building by both conduction and radiation . at night , therefore , the thermal insulation shutters 64 would be pulled and moved across the glass window to prevent heat loss from the building interior ( except by natural conduction ) through the walls and insulation shielded glass layer . thus , the air circulating through the house and drawn through the passages defined by the openings 38a within the individual cinder blocks act in the summer to cool the house during the day and heat it in the winter . heat transfer is particularly enhanced by the fact that the interior of the holes 38a of the cinder blocks are very rough and provide good heat transfer with the air which is prevented from laminar flow due to the roughness of the interior surfaces of these blocks . it is estimated that a dwelling constructed in the manner of the present invention and functioning during the months of january and february of 1977 in employing the solar heating system of the present invention , provides approximately 40 % of the heat load of the building , thereby effectively reducing the heat costs of the building by approximately a 40 % factor during these months . where the buildings are employed as family dwellings and the temperature is maintained from 65 ° f . to 70 ° f . within the building interior , there is some loss of heat through the gravel and insulation layer 44 to the ground , but this loss is relatively low since the δt is low . obviously , the heat loss of the building above the slab is controlled by the thermal insulation for the external walls , the roof structure and / or the ceiling between the upper story and the attic . however , the novel solar heating system of the present invention is characterized by the utilization of south facing windows as at 26 which are about 80 % efficient in contrast to the best liquid roof collector which is between 40 % and 60 % efficient . thus , the present invention needs only about one - half the glass area to collect the same amount of solar energy as compared to a roof mounted collection system . further , the heat is radiated directly to the concrete slab which acts as a heat sink and the excess heat is readily stored within the first floor concrete slab . the stored heat subsequently assists in heating the home at night and on cold days by radiation from the slab , the cinder block array 56 and the gravel 40 . the presence of the vertical air passages 33 , 36 , 37 in the various floors permit the heat derived from a wood buring stove in the family room to be either distributed to other parts of the dwelling or to be placed in storage via the passages 38a within the cinder blocks . at any point where direct sunlight enters through windows , the sun radiates and heats the building interior , i . e ., the concrete , the surrounding walls or upper floors even through layers of linoleum , rugs , etc . there is natural transfer of heat therefore by conduction and convection . thermal siphon effect of mechanical blowers for positive circulation of the air , is such that the temperature of the air captured within the internal volume of the dwelling tends to become the termperature of the slab . the house acts as a mixing chamber so that any central or localized heat causes the temperature at the slab to pick up some of the heat . by reference to fig1 it may be seen that the transverse rows of concrete or cinder blocks 38 are interrupted at approximately the center of the building to form a third longitudinally extending air passage 35 which parallels passages 52 and 54 . within this passage 35 is mounted the sheet metal cold air return duct 32 , being provided with a series of lateral openings as at 32a which permit selectively air flow to be achieved by way of a mechanical blower associated with the cold air return duct 32 as at b within l portion 32b , thereby pulling air , fig1 from the left and the right to the center longitudinal passage 35 in contrast to the circulation of the air as shown in fig1 wherein the air enters passage 52 , passes by the duct holes from left to right and exits back to the building interior through vertical openings 36 . in the absence of blower operation , thermal siphonic air circulation occurs as in fig1 this being achieved by the warm south wall and cold north wall setting up convection currents . when the air circulation is required , for instance , at night when the house temperature is less than 72 ° f ., forced air circulation occurs by energizing blower b and causing air to flow down along both walls and to the center of the cinder block array from left and right and for discharge into the building interior rooms through the cold air duct return openings within respective rooms ( not shown ). a typical operation involving the passive , thermal siphonic air circulation solar heating system of the present invention in conjunction with a furnace . in that regard , reference to fig4 shows diagrammatically the operation of such system in which the building structure enclosure identified as the house is connected via duct work d to the solar slab duct work indicated by schematic lines to the solar slab 16 , there being a thermostat 3 , operable at 68 ° f . within the duct work , as at 76 , a thermostat 4 operable at 80 ° f . within the duct work , as at 78 , the furnace blower b , a furnace f and a damper which selectively vents the air circulating with the duct work d to the outside , via vent extension 82 , although normally it circulates the air flow through the house . within the schematic diagram of fig4 thermostat 1 may be located on the second floor 30 of the building structure having a day setting of 68 ° f . such that the contacts close below 68 ° f ., thermostat 2 for instance could be located on the first floor and set for 75 ° f ., such that the contacts close below 75 ° f . thermostat 3 is located in the fan duct upstream of the blower b , set for 68 ° f ., that is , its contacts close below 68 ° f ., while thermostat 4 is also located in the fan duct and set at 80 ° f . with its contacts closing below 80 ° f . in a typical installation , therefore , with the employment of such thermostats , a typical winter operation would be one in which thermo - siphon effect may be employed for circulation of air , particularly with adequate thermal input by radiation through the windows 26 of the building . forced air circulation would occur with the furnace blower motor operating when the temperature within the downstairs or first floor room 28 drops below 75 ° or the air temperature within the second floor drops below 68 °. further , if the air temperature in the furnace blower drops below 68 °, the furnace gun and the blower are operating so that the furnace adds heat to the powered forced air being circulated through the system . if the air temperature into the furnace blower is greater than 68 ° f ., the furnace gun does not go on , and the warm air is circulated from the solar slab 16 which is sufficient to maintain proper temperature within the rooms of the building structure 10 . in contrast , during summer and under the cooling mode , the operator manually closes a switch for instance on a time clock to allow the blower b to operate from 12 o &# 39 ; clock midnight to 4 : 00 a . m . continuously . during this time , the motorized damper 80 exhausts warm air to the outside through the vent duct 82 . upon building structure overheat , the thermostat 2 will effect circulation of cool air from the solar slab should the house overheat during the day , with the vent damper 80 closed in the sense that air is continuously circulated through the house and duct work and is not vented to the outside by way of the vent duct 82 which is closed off to the main duct work d . thermostat 4 is an override shut off control for summer cooling . in summer time when the air temperature coming out of the solar slab exceeds the setting on thermostat 4 , i . e ., 80 ° f ., this calls for an override for system shut down . in other words , the capacity of the solar slab to absorb heat has been exceeded , so that 80 ° f . would tend to make the house uncomfortable . the blower now shuts off . that is the point at which a mechanical air conditioner ( not shown ) would have to operate , or if there is no mechanical air conditioner , the house windows would have to be opened and the house vented , because the primary heat sink has absorbed all the heat it is capable of doing within its capacity . in its most simple sense , it is evident that the solar heating system of the present invention as applied to a slab constructed house permits the house to be continuously in thermal balance , that is , if the solar slab 16 is at a temperature too high with respect to the building interior , heat will be given off and circulated through that building . further , the solar slab will lose some heat continuously due to the temperature differential which exists between the slab and the ground g and across the concrete block array 56 . should the air be warmer than the solar slab , obviously heat is given up during air circulation . further , the existence of the thermal insulation shutters permits the heat loss or heat input through the windows to be readily varied to meet changing conditions . purposely , the storage capacity of the heat sink , that is , the mass of concrete and gravel and cinder blocks must be balanced to the heat gain and heat loss of the building , the heat gain being principally on the south side through the windows and the heat loss by way of radiation throughout the building and some minor radiation through the gravel 40 . the solar heating system of the present invention has the natural ability to store at low purchased energy cost hundreds of thousands of btu per day in excess of the normal house needs for the period of solar energy collection , which btus are stored within the heat sink compositively formed of the solar slab , the cinder blocks and the gravel . the stored btus are then available for heating the house in the winter during the night and ensuing cloudy days and in the summer for expulsion at night . of course , the storage capacity may be readily varied as may the heat gain and heat loss characteristics of the building so as to ensure proper balance dpeending upon the geographical location of the building and exposure to the solar radiation . the present invention advantageously employs these factors in the creation of a simplified , preferably passive solar energy heating and cooling system . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	8
referring to the drawing , the instrument comprises of an elongated hollow electrically conducting metal cylinder 10 having an internally threaded end portion 12 and a second threaded end 13 . a cylindrical light transmitting lens element 14 is provided with a thread 15 which mates with thread 13 . a cavity 16 receives a light bulb 18 , sleeve 19 of the bulb makes electrical contact to metal cylinder 10 through metal disc 20 in which the sleeve 19 sits in a contact relationship . the outer end of the lens 14 is provided with a roughened face surface so that the light transmitted through the body of the lens is directed outwardly . this is a characteristic of many light transmitting resins such as polymethylmethacrylate . on the other hand , the end of the lens may be polished in the shape of a concave disc so as to direct the light forward . at the center of the lens a bore 22 is provided , preferably of a tapered configuration , for receiving tapered shanks 23 of tools 24 . in order to energize the incandescent lamp , two batteries 25 , 25 &# 39 ; in series such as shown in fig4 may be employed wherein the positive contact 26 of the forward battery 25 &# 39 ; makes contact with the center contact 27 on the bulb 18 and the conventional negative terminal of the rearward battery 25 makes contact to spring 28 connected to threaded metal portion 30 and , in turn , to the case 10 . within knob 32 there is provided a switch ( shown schematically ) and actuated by contact button 34 . in fig2 however , there is shown a battery simulator of fig4 which consists of a non - conductive tube 40 which terminates in a metal contact button 42 having a central portion 44 surrounded by insulation 46 . one lead runs from member 42 to one side of the secondary 47 of transformer 48 , shown schematically . another lead is connected to metal terminal member 50 through a rheostat 52 , which permits adjusting the voltage applied to the bulb whereby the intensity of the illumination provided may be varied . the primary 54 of transformer 48 is connected through a conventional power cord 56 and plug 58 , to a conventional source of line current . thus , it will be appreciated , that the apparatus may be used either with batteries or from an ac source . mounted onto the elongated metal cylinder 10 , there is provided a housing 60 , which contains a drive wheel 62 extending to the side of the instrument , whereby the user holding the instrument in his hand can readily actuate the device , the drive wheel , with his thumb . on a common shaft with the drive wheel 62 there is provided a pinion 64 which engages a rack 66 , which lies in a groove 68 in the housing 60 . shaft 70 terminates at both ends in a ball configuration which is secured by ball joint clamping means 72 and 74 , permitting adjustment of the magnifying means 76 , attached to member 72 to be adjusted to any desired configuration or position . while there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment thereof , it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention . it is the intention , therefore , to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto .	0
the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure , application , or uses . for purposes of clarity , the same reference numbers will be used in the drawings to identify similar elements . as used herein , the term module refers to an application specific integrated circuit ( asic ), an electronic circuit , a processor ( shared , dedicated , or group ) and memory that execute one or more software or firmware programs , a combinational logic circuit , and / or other suitable components that provide the described functionality . as used herein , the phrase at least one of a , b , and c should be construed to mean a logical ( a or b or c ), using a non - exclusive logical or . it should be understood that steps within a method may be executed in different order without altering the principles of the present disclosure . the teachings of the present disclosure can be implemented in a system for communicating content to an end user or user device . both the data source and the user device may be formed using a general computing device having a memory or other data storage for incoming and outgoing data . the memory may comprise but is not limited to a hard drive , flash , ram , prom , eeprom , rom phase - change memory or other discrete memory components . each general purpose computing device may be implemented in analog circuitry , digital circuitry or combinations thereof . further , the computing device may include a microprocessor or microcontroller that performs instructions to carry out the steps performed by the various system components . a content or service provider is also described . a content or service provider is a provider of data to the end user . the service provider , for example , may provide data corresponding to the content such as metadata as well as the actual content in a data stream or signal . the content or service provider may include a general purpose computing device , communication components , network interfaces and other associated circuitry to allow communication with various other devices in the system . further , while the following disclosure is made with respect to the delivery of video ( e . g ., television ( tv ), movies , music videos , etc . ), it should be understood that the systems and methods disclosed herein could also be used for delivery of any media content type , for example , audio , music , data files , web pages , advertising , etc . additionally , throughout this disclosure reference is made to data , content , information , programs , movie trailers , movies , advertising , assets , video data , etc ., however , it will be readily apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art that these terms are substantially equivalent in reference to the example systems and / or methods disclosed herein . as used herein , the term title will be used to refer to , for example , a movie itself and not the name of the movie . insert detailed description . while the following disclosure is made with respect to example directv ® broadcast services and systems , it should be understood that many other delivery systems are readily applicable to disclosed systems and methods . such systems include wireless terrestrial distribution systems , wired or cable distribution systems , cable television distribution systems , ultra high frequency ( uhf )/ very high frequency ( vhf ) radio frequency systems or other terrestrial broadcast systems ( e . g ., multi - channel multi - point distribution system ( mmds ), local multi - point distribution system ( lmds ), etc . ), internet - based distribution systems , cellular distribution systems , power - line broadcast systems , any point - to - point and / or multicast internet protocol ( ip ) delivery network , and fiber optic networks . further , the different functions collectively allocated among a service provider and integrated receiver / decoders ( irds ) as described below can be reallocated as desired without departing from the intended scope of the present patent . referring now to fig1 , a satellite television broadcasting system 10 is illustrated . the satellite television broadcast system 10 includes a head end 12 that generates wireless signals 13 through an antenna 14 which are received by an antenna 16 of a satellite 18 . the wireless signals 13 , for example , may be digital . the wireless signals 13 may be referred to as an uplink signal . a transmitting antenna 20 generates downlink signals that are directed to various receiving systems including stationary systems such as those in the home , as well as , mobile receiving systems . television receiving devices 22 , 23 are examples of a stationary receiving system . the receiving devices 22 , 23 may be referred to as set top boxes or satellite television receiving devices . as mentioned above , a terrestrial distribution system may replace the satellite . the television receiving devices 22 , 23 may be part of a network 44 . the television receiving device 22 may be a non - digital video recorder receiving device ( non - dvr receiving device ). that is , the non - dvr receiving device 22 may not include a digital video recorder therein . receiving devices without dvrs are commonly used to reduce costs in secondary locations within a home . the receiving device 23 may be a dvr receiving device . that is , the receiving device 23 may include a digital video recorder . a digital video recorder is used to record or store various television content . in addition , the digital video recorder may be used to store advertisements . in general , advertisements may be stored then played back through the digital video recorder receiving device and through the non - digital video recorder receiving device 22 when the advertisements are communicated to the non - digital video receiving device 22 from the digital video recorder receiving device 23 through the network 44 . the receiving devices 22 , 23 are in communication with an antenna 24 . the antenna 24 receives downlink signals 26 from the transmitting antenna 20 of the satellite 18 . the present example is set forth by way of a building 28 such as a home . the building 28 may include a plurality of rooms each of which has a receiving device 22 , 23 . the receiving devices 22 , 23 are associated with a single user account . the building 28 may be a home or commercial building . the head end 12 may communicate various content , advertisements program guide data or other data through the satellite 18 . the receiving devices 22 , 23 may receive the content , advertisements and data . the receiving devices 22 , 23 each have a display 30 associated therewith . the display 30 may be a television or monitor used for displaying video images and providing an audio output . a network 36 may be used to connect the head end 12 with various devices included the receiving devices 22 , 23 . the network 36 may be one type of network or multiple types of networks . the network 36 may , for example , be a public switched telephone network , the internet , a mobile telephone network , another type of network , or combinations thereof . the network 36 may also be a cloud network . the network 36 may be used for streaming content or advertisements to the user devices . the network 36 may communicate the content or ads in an ip format . the local area network ( lan ) 44 may also be incorporated into the building 28 . the local area network 44 may be in communication with the receiving devices 22 , 23 . the local area network 44 may be a wireless local area network or a wired network . the local area network 44 may include a router 46 . the router 46 may allow the devices within the local area network 44 to communicate . in this example , the local area network 44 may allow the non - dvr receiving device 22 to communicate with the receiving device 23 having a dvr and vice versa . the router 46 may also allow devices within the network 44 to communicate with the network 36 . for example , the dvr receiving device 23 and non - receiving device 22 can communicate with the head end 12 and the modules therein . in the present disclosure , two examples of providing advertisements are set forth . advertisements may be communicated to and stored in the dvr receiving device 23 and then communicated to the non - dvr receiving device 22 . alternatively , the non - dvr receiving device may also receive advertisements directly from the head end 12 . the head end 12 includes an advertisement storage device 50 used for storing advertisements therein . the advertisement storage device 50 may store different advertisements to be used for different groups or types of receiving devices . user characteristics may be stored with the ads so that when a user profile is compared thereto , suitable advertisements are provided to the users . the head end may also include an advertisement engine module ( ad engine ) 52 . the ad engine 52 may receive an advertisement request through the network 36 that originates from the non - dvr receiving device 22 . the ad engine 52 receives the request and communicates advertisements to the non - dvr receiving device . the ad engine 52 may communicate specific ads based upon the profile within the profile module 54 . that is , the request for an advertisement may include a receiving device identifier that corresponds to a profile stored within the profile module 54 . based upon the user profile stored within the profile module 54 and the user characteristics of an advertisement , a targeted ad may be communicated to a particular receiving device . the ad engine 52 may also communicate ads to the dvr receiving device 23 . the dvr within the dvr receiving device 23 may store the advertisements and communicate the advertisements to the non - dvr receiving device 22 upon request . further , ads may also be stored in the head end or cloud and may be communicated to the non - dvr receiving device 22 . referring now to fig2 , the non - dvr receiving device 22 or set top box is illustrated in further detail . although , a particular example using the set top box is illustrated , it is merely representative of various electronic devices with an internal controller used as a content receiving device . the antenna 24 may be one of a number of different types of antennas that may include one or more low noise blocks associated therewith . the antenna 24 may be a single antenna used for satellite television reception . of course , multiple antennas for receiving signals from satellites in different orbital slots may be used . in a terrestrial system such as a cable television system , no antenna may be used . rather , a connector to a fiber optic or coaxial cable may be used . the non - dvr receiving device 22 , as described above , is coupled to a display 30 . the display 30 may have an output driver 310 within the non - dvr receiving device 22 . a controller 314 may be a general processor such as a microprocessor that cooperates with control software . the controller 314 may be used to coordinate and control the various functions of the non - dvr receiving device 22 . these functions may include tuner 320 a - 320 n ( collectively 320 ), demodulator 322 a - 322 n ( collectively 322 ), decoders 324 a - 324 n ( collectively 324 ) such as forward error correction decoders and any buffer or other functions . the tuners 320 receive the signal or data from the individual channel . the tuners 320 may receive data from a satellite or a terrestrial source such as a cable . the tuners 320 may receive television programming content , program guide data or other types of data . the demodulators 322 demodulate the signal or data to form a demodulated signal or data . the decoders 324 decode the demodulated signal to form decoded data or a decoded signal . the controller 314 may be similar to that found in current directv ® set top boxes which uses a chip - based multifunctional controller . by providing a number of tuners , demodulators and decoders , a number of different content programs may be used by the receiving device . for example , live viewing and recording may be performed simultaneously . a number of recordings may be made simultaneously depending on the number of tuners available . the controller 314 may also include a hypertext transfer protocol ( http ) engine module 316 . the http engine module 316 ( http engine ) is used to receive commands from the local area network 44 and communicate formatted commands to the local area network 44 . the http engine module 316 receives the commands that are acted upon by the controller 314 . the http signals communicated by the http engine 316 may include a request for an advertisement or advertisements . the http signals may also include the advertisements themselves or links to advertisements . the controller 314 may also include an advertisement engine 318 . the advertisement engine 318 may be used to monitor the broadcast signal being displayed at the display 30 . the advertisement engine 318 may look for a signal cue to determine that an advertising may need to be placed within the signal . the advertisement engine 318 , as will be described below , may use a break descriptor as a cue for determining that an upcoming timeframe requires an advertisement . a break descriptor may be provided before a trigger for inserting the advertisement . the advertisement engine 318 may also be in communication with a profile module 319 . a break descriptor may contain metadata for profile module 319 to select particular ads at this time . the profile module 319 includes a profile of the user . the profile is used to compare with user characteristics of an advertisement so that content or advertisements suitable for a particular user are provided . the profile module 319 may include profile characteristics such as user location , user likes and dislikes that have been expressly entered into the system , programming previously watched , and the program being watched currently . algorithms may be used to generate profile characteristics based on weights . the advertisement engine 318 may refer to the profile module 319 and request or retrieve advertisements . that is , in one example , advertisements may be retrieved from the digital video recorder set forth in a dvr receiving device . the advertisements may also be requested from the head end and the advertisement storage device 50 as illustrated in fig1 . the profile module 319 may also be used to build a profile which may be stored within the memory 330 . the profile module 319 may monitor the programming watched and add it to the profile . from the profile , advertisements likely to be relevant to a user may be obtained . the controller 314 is in communication with a memory 330 . the memory 330 is illustrated as a single box . the memory 330 may actually be a plurality of different types of memory including the hard drive , a flash drive and various other types of memory . the memory 330 may be other types of memory or sections of different types of memory . the memory 330 may be non - volatile memory or volatile memory . the memory 330 may include storage for various operational data collected during operation of the non - dvr receiving device 22 . for example , the memory 330 may store a profile or the data used to build the profile . another type of data stored in the memory is the favorite settings for the non - dvr receiving device 22 . another type of data in the memory 330 may include the channels subscription data , the blocked channels , adult channels , rating limits set by the non - dvr receiving device 22 , current set top box language , tv resolution data , to do list data , the conditional access module identifier , time zone data , time of day daylight savings , status data , aspect ratio data , viewing hours data , quick tune list and a zip code . the memory 330 may also store the advanced program guide data . the memory 330 may store program guide data that is received at the head end . the program guide data may include amounts of data including two or more weeks &# 39 ; worth of program guide data . the program guide data may be communicated to the non - dvr receiving device 22 in various manners including through the satellite 18 of fig1 . the program guide data may include a content or program identifiers , and various data objects corresponding thereto . the content identifier may include series data . the first 4 digits may , for example , identify the series . the program guide may include program characteristics for each program content . the program characteristic may include ratings , categories , actor , director , writer , content identifier , producer data and event type . the data may also include various other settings . the non - dvr receiving device 22 may also include a user interface 350 . the user interface 350 may be various types of user interfaces such as a keyboard , push buttons , a touch screen , a voice activated interface or the like . the user interface 350 may be used to select a channel , select various information , change the volume , change the display appearance , or other functions . the user interface 350 may also be used for selecting recommendation and providing feedback for recommendations as will be described below . a network interface 352 may be included within the non - dvr receiving device 22 to communicate various data through the networks 36 / 44 described above . the network interface 352 may be a wifi , wimax , wimax mobile , wireless , cellular , or other types of communication systems . the network interface 352 may use various protocols for communication therethrough including , but not limited to , hypertext transfer protocol ( http ). the non - dvr receiving device 22 may also include a conditional access module 360 . the conditional access module 360 prevents unauthorized reception of the television signals through the antenna 24 . the conditional access module 360 may use a cryptographic hash to authorize the use and display of the received signals . referring now to fig3 , a dvr receiving device 23 is illustrated in further detail . the dvr receiving device 23 may include similar components to those described above relative to the non - dvr receiving device 22 set forth in fig2 . in this example , the memory 330 may include a dvr 332 . the dvr may include recorded content as well as advertisements to be communicated to the non - dvr receiving device 22 . the http engine 316 may receive requests for advertising from the non - dvr receiving device 22 and may retrieve the advertisements from the dvr 332 . the advertisement engine module 318 may be used to retrieve the advertisements from the dvr . the advertisement engine module 318 may use the profile module 319 to determine advertisements that are suitable for the user . that is , based upon a comparison of the user profile and user characteristics of the advertisement , suitable advertisements for the user may be determined . referring now to fig4 , a video signal 410 is illustrated . the video signal 410 includes live television content or live streaming content 412 . the live content 412 may include an insert indicator for indicating an upcoming advertising break . the insert indicator may be one tone or signal . in the present example the insert indicator includes a break descriptor 414 and a trigger 416 . the break descriptor 414 may be a tone or another type of digital signal included directly in or broadcasted together with the television signal 410 . the break descriptor may not be perceivable by the user . the break descriptor 414 comes a pre - determined time before the trigger 416 . the break descriptor 414 may also include various data including the amount of time that will be allotted for insert advertising and / or the number of ads . for example , 30 seconds , 60 seconds , 90 seconds may be set as a time window . the break descriptor 414 may trigger the advertisement engine module to retrieve advertising for insertion within the television signal 410 . the advertisement may replace or be substituted for the broadcasted advertisement . at the trigger 416 , the advertising is inserted into the live content signal . alternatively , the trigger 416 may also indicate the exact timeframe to insert the ads into the live content . advertising 418 is inserted after the trigger 416 . after the advertising timeslot , regular live content 412 is resumed . as mentioned above , the advertising 418 may be one or more advertising segments whose total fill the timeslot for advertising 420 . referring now to fig5 , a method for storing advertising signals in a storage device is set forth . in step 510 , advertisements are generated or received . as mentioned above , the advertisements may be received at the head end in fig1 . in step 512 , the advertisement is associated with user characteristics . that is , various types of data may be associated with an advertisement including geographic locations and user characteristics . for example , a user characteristic may correspond to sporting events . users that watch a significant amount of sporting events may find the advertisement suitable . another example is that people who watch cooking shows may find advertisements for pots and pans suitable . in step 514 , the advertisement and user characteristics are communicated to a storage device which may be in a dvr receiving device or a storage device at the head end . in step 516 , a user profile is established at one or more of the receiving devices associated with the account . the user profile may be established over time and in response to programming content viewed or stored within a digital video recorder or watched through a tuner . over time , the user profile may continually evolve or by sending data about user to evolve profile data like income , online purchase , auto and model year etc . in step 518 , advertising signals having an advertisement therein are received at the dvr receiving device . in step 520 , the advertising signals are stored in the video storage device . as mentioned above , the advertising signals having advertisements therein may be stored within a digital video recorder in a digital video recorder receiving device . only ads relevant to user are stored . steps 518 and 520 are used when the advertisements are stored within the network . in the alternative , the advertisement may be maintained at the head end and stored in the storage device 52 of the head end 12 illustrated in fig1 rather than communicating the advertisement to a digital video recorder receiving device . referring now to fig6 , a method for displaying the advertisement is set forth . in step 610 , a television signal is received at a non - digital video recorder ( non - dvr ) receiving device . in step 612 , a break descriptor is reached within the television signal being played out . as mentioned above , the break descriptor may be a digital signal that not only describes that an upcoming break is eminent but that the time of the break is a predetermined time window . in step 614 , an advertisement request signal is generated by the advertisement engine within the non - dvr receiving device . the request may identify the type of ads at this time or specific ads at this time lot . in step 616 , the advertisement request signal is communicated to the advertisement storage device through the network . as mentioned above , the advertisement storage device may be a dvr receiving device , or retrieve from head end or the storage device at the head end . in step 618 , the advertisement is retrieved from the advertisement storage device or head end . the advertisement request signal may include an identifier that corresponds with the user account or the non - dvr receiving device . step 618 may perform the retrieval of the advertisement based upon a profile . the profile may be associated with the user identifier at the advertisement storage device . in step 620 , the advertisement is communicated through the network to the non - dvr receiving device . in step 622 , the advertisement is displayed on a display associated with the non - dvr receiving device at the trigger . thus , the advertisement replaces the advertisement broadcasted within the live signal . as mentioned above , the advertisement may be communicated through the network such as the internet from either the dvr storage device or an advertisement storage device located within the head end remotely . a profile may or may not be used to select appropriate advertisements for the user account . those skilled in the art can now appreciate from the foregoing description that the broad teachings of the disclosure can be implemented in a variety of forms . therefore , while this disclosure includes particular examples , the true scope of the disclosure should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent to the skilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings , the specification and the following claims .	7
the present invention is a water - displacing corrosion preventive paint which , when applied to a metal substrate without a primer , air dries to deposit an adherent , flexible , and durable coating of a desired color . the paint has a low surface tension , typically , typically less than 30 dynes per centimeter , permitting it to spread completely and readily upon the substrate , and displaces water from the substrate upon application by adsorbing onto the metal and diffusing under water droplets . it should be noted that the paint is immiscible with water so that droplets cannot be entrapped in the coating after application . the paint contains a significant portion of a silicone alkyd resin which serves as a binder for the paint composition and provides the paint coating with its important physical characteristics . the silicone alkyd resin provides a polymer film having good adhesion , high temperature strength and hardness , and excellent chemical as well as abrasion resistance . the silicone alkyd resin is characterized by a solids content of 50 weight percent , a minimum phthalic anhydride content of approximately 20 weight percent , and a minimum oil content , preferably linseed for its drying qualities , of about 25 weight percent . one such silicone alkyd resin suitable for inclusion in the paint according to the present invention is varkyd 385 - 50e , manufactured by the mccloskey varnish company . a relatively small portion of a low molecular weight petroleum sulfonate is included in the paint to serve as a corrosion inhibitor , providing chemical protection for the metal substrate , and as an adsorption agent . small percentages of the petroleum sulfonate offer sufficient corrosion retardation and surface adsorption without adversely effecting the desirable physical properties provided by the silicone alkyd resin . the petroleum sulfonate employed in the present paint formulations , detailed hereinafter , is a sodium petroleum sulfonate having a molecular weight of about 400 to 500 and a typical specific gravity of 0 . 980 at 77 ° f . the sodium petroleum sulfonate has an acid number , in accordance with astm - d - 974 , typically in the range of 6 - 10 , and a saponification number , in accordance with astm - d - 94 , of between 16 - 25 . one suitable sodium petroleum sulfonate is alox 904 , manufactured by the alox corporation . other low molecular weight petroleum sulfonates commonly employed as corrosion inhibitors , particularly those of barium and ammonium , are as equally effective as the sodium petroleum sulfonate contained in the present paint formulations . controlled portions of ethyl acetate , aromatic mineral spirits , and 1 , 1 , 1 trichlorotrifluoroethane are included in the paint composition as solvents . selected and combined on the basis of solvency , evaporation rate , and ability to displace water , the solvents promote water displacement , ensure water immiscibility , and control drying time of the paint coating . the ethyl acetate employed in the paint formulations is a commercially available organic compound , also known chemically as ethyl ester acetic acid . the aromatic mineral spirits , also known as aromatic hydrocarbon , is a standard petroleum distillate having a boiling range between 365 ° f . and 410 ° f ., a minimum flash point of 145 ° f ., and a specific gravity range of 0 . 89 - 0 . 90 at 60 ° f . one such aromatic mineral spirit suitable for inclusion in the paint is solvent g , manufactured by the amsco division of union oil company of california . the 1 , 1 , 1 trichlorotrifluoroethane included as a solvent in the paint is a widely known and generally available fluorohydrocarbon , one suitable trichlorotrifluoroethane being freon tf , manufactured by the dupont company . an organo - titanate of the monoalkoxy type is included as a coupling agent in the paint in small percentages to promote surface adhesion of the paint coating . the titanate employed in the present formulations is isopropyl , tri ( n ethylamino - ethylamino ) titanate in a 4 . 5 % ( by mass ) solution with isopropyl alcohol . one suitable such titanate is kr - 44s , manufactured by kenrich petrochemicals , inc . desired coloring of the paint is provided by the addition of standard tinting pigments in appropriate amounts . selected portions of commercially available compounds of titanium dioxide and zinc molybdate are combined in the present paint formulations to impart a white color to the paint . one suitable titanium dioxide compound commercially available is r - 960 , manufactured by the dupont company . an effective zinc molybdate compound suitable as a white pigment is moly - white 101 , manufactured by sherwin williams chemicals . it should be understood that alternate colors can be obtained by decreasing the portion of titanium dioxide in the white paint formulations and adding the appropriate tinting pigments to impart the desired color to the paint . one effective formulation of the paint according to the present invention is set forth below on a weight percent basis . table i______________________________________silicone alkyd resin 39 . 1 % ethyl acetate 19 . 4 % aromatic mineral spirits 11 . 7 % 1 , 1 , 1 trichlorotrifluoroethane 7 . 7 % sodium petroleum sulfonate 2 . 1 % titanium dioxide 11 . 5 % zinc molybdate 6 . 4 % isopropyl , tri ( n -- ethylamino - ethylamino ) 2 . 1 % titanate ( 4 . 5 % in isopropyl alcohol ) ______________________________________ a second effective formulation of the paint is also set forth below on a weight percent basis . table ii______________________________________silicone alkyd resin 42 . 9 % ethyl acetate 16 . 6 % aromatic mineral spirits 12 . 9 % 1 , 1 , 1 trichlorotrifluoroethane 8 . 6 % sodium petroleum sulfonate 2 . 4 % titanium dioxide 9 . 6 % zinc molybdate 4 . 8 % isopropyl , tri ( n ethylamino - ethylamino ) 2 . 2 % titanate ( 4 . 5 % in isopropyl alcohol ) ______________________________________ the foregoing water - displacing paint formulations are prepared by mixing the silicone alkyd resin , ethyl acetate , aromatic mineral spirits , and 1 , 1 , 1 trichlorotrifluoroethane in sequence , agitating after each ingredient is added . the petroleum sulfonate and organo - titanate in solution are then added separately , mixing after each is added . the titanium dioxide and zinc molybdate are then added , and the resulting mixture milled until the paint has a fineness of grind of 7 , in accordance with astm - d - 1210 . it should be noted that in the event of extended periods of storage of the paint , such as in excess of three to four months , an anti - settling agent may be added to the paint to facilitate dispersion of the pigments . the paint can be applied by spray techniques and may be packaged in a pressurized spray container using dichlorodifluoromethane ( freon - 12 ) as a propellant . effective spray application of the paint is achieved by combining approximately 250 milliliters of the paint as formulated in table i or ii with approximately 115 milliliters of the propellant in a standard 16 ounce ( 473 ml ) pressurized spray container . upon the metal substrate to be coated , it is recommended that the paint be applied to a dry film thickness of 33 ± 5μ ( 1 . 3 ± 0 . 2 mils ). upon application , the organic solvents begin to evaporate into the atmosphere and the silicone alkyd polymer reacts with oxygen in the air causing oxidation and crosslinking to occur . such reaction results in formation of a flexible , pigmented coating which is initially soft but which hardens in time , typically in about 8 hours , to produce a hard , durable finish for long - term corrosion protection of the metal substrate . therefore , it is now apparent that the disclosed paint provides an improved pigmented coating composition that effectively displaces water and moisture on a metal substrate upon application thereby leaving a relatively permanent and durable coating upon the substrate to ensure its long - term corrosion protection . in addition , the disclosed corrosion preventive paint can be applied to the metal substrate in humid environments without need of priming and thereupon form a flexible coating having excellent adhesion as well as heat and weather resistance . furthermore , the disclosed water - displacing , corrosion preventive paint is safe and easy to use , and economical to manufacture . obviously , many modifications and variations of the present invention will readily come to those of ordinary skill in the art in light of the above teachings . it is therefore to be understood that , within the scope of the appended claims , the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described .	2
in the embodiment shown in the figures , instruments in accordance with the invention for fitting hip prostheses comprise a milling tool support 1 and at least one milling tool 2 adapted to be removably fitted to the milling tool support 1 . the milling tool 2 comprises a hollow , substantially hemispherical dome 3 , with sharp - edged openings 4 and an open base 50 in which are provided means for removably fixing the milling tool support 1 . in the embodiment shown in the figures , the means for removably fixing the milling tool support 1 comprise radial spacer members 5 , 6 , 7 and 8 arranged at the base of the dome . there are preferably at least two radial spacer members . there are four of them in the embodiment shown . the milling tool support 1 includes a handle 9 having at a first end 10 attachment means for removably fastening the milling tool 2 , and its other end 11 includes a coupling end - piece 12 for selective coupling to the shaft of a drive motor or a manipulator handle . the handle 9 of the milling tool support 1 includes an exterior protection tube 13 in which an operating tube 14 is freely journalled . a first end of the operating tube 14 carries a sliding plate 15 . the other end of the operating tube 14 carries an operating ring 16 , which is accessible to the user for displacing the operating tube 14 in the axial direction . the handle 9 further comprises a central drive shaft 17 carrying at its first end the coupling end - piece 12 , and carrying at its other end a locking bush 18 . the locking bush 18 has l - shape slots , in its terminal edge , such as the slot 19 , the number of slots being equal to the number of radial spacer members 5 - 8 , and the slots being shaped to constitute a bayonet coupling system for fitting the milling tool 2 to the locking bush 18 . the operating tube 14 slides axially on the drive shaft 17 , between a locked position in which the sliding plate 15 is near or bears against the locking bush 18 , and an unlocked position in which the sliding plate 15 is away from the locking bush 18 . the sliding plate 15 includes longitudinal lugs , such as the lug 20 , closing each of the slots , such as the l - shape slot 19 when the sliding plate 15 is in a locked position . a spring pushes the operating tube 14 towards the locking bush 18 . by pulling on the operating ring 16 , the user can displace the operating tube 14 against the force exerted by said spring , to disengage the lugs 20 from the l - shape slots 19 to enable the milling tool 2 to be unlocked . this arrangement is similar to that described in swiss patent application n ° 2933 / 94 - 8 . the locking bush 18 has a diameter slightly less than that of the milling tool 2 , and so occupies only the peripheral portion of the base 50 of the milling tool , leaving the central part of the base 50 free . in accordance with the invention , the dome 3 also has additional openings , such as the openings 21 and 22 , of sufficiently large size to enable the user to check the contact between the bottom of the cotyloid cavity hollowed out by the milling tool 2 and the hemispherical external surface of the milling tool 2 fitted into the cavity . the milling tool 2 also includes a central interior core 23 , fastened to the substantially hemispherical dome 3 , with an external face 24 separated from the wall of the substantially hemispherical dome 3 to provide a passage for bone fragments cut off by the milling tool 2 . the central interior core 23 further includes a concentric hemispherical recess 25 open at the base 50 of the dome and the inside diameter of which is chosen to correspond to the outside diameter of a femoral prosthesis head to be fitted . the central interior core 23 is preferably also open at its apex 26 opposite the dome base 50 , to expose the central portion of the dome 3 and in particular the openings 21 and 22 , and to facilitate the evacuation of bone debris during milling . the milling tool 2 is associated with means for temporarily fixing the milling tool into the cotyloid cavity formed . as shown in the figures , for example , the substantially hemispherical dome 3 has , at its base 50 , an interior annular peripheral rim 27 with divergent holes 28 in it for temporary fixing spikes , for example the spikes 29 and 30 . as shown in fig4 and 5 , the instruments of the invention further comprise a manipulator handle 31 , adapted to be coupled to the end - piece 12 at the end 11 of the milling tool support 1 . the manipulator handle 31 advantageously includes sighting means for orienting the milling tool support 1 and the milling tool 2 in a particular anatomical orientation . the sighting means comprise a rod 32 articulated at its first end 33 to the manipulator handle 31 and adapted to be locked to the handle 31 in all orientations within an appropriate orientation adjustment range . alternatively , the rod 32 may be in a fixed orientation relative to the handle 31 at an appropriate angle such that the rod 32 is horizontal when the longitudinal axis of the milling tool support 1 is at an angle of 45 ° to the horizontal plane and an angle of 15 ° to the vertical plane containing the rod 32 . these angles substantially correspond to the 45 ° vertical inclination angle of the cotyloid implant , and to the 15 ° anteversion angle of the cotyloid implant . the rod 32 preferably incorporates spirit levels 39 showing the orientation of the rod 32 in the horizontal plane . the instruments further comprise an impaction handle , adapted to receive and to retain the final cotyl at its first end and to receive the manipulator handle 31 at its other end , said handle 31 having sighting means , so that the user can orient the final cotyl with the same orientation as that previously assumed by the milling tool 2 . the instruments previously described can be used in the manner described next with reference to fig4 through 6 . during a first step , the milling tool 2 is fitted to the milling tool support 1 , which is coupled to a motor , not shown , driving axial rotation of the shaft 17 in the operating tube 14 and in the protection tube 13 . the motor therefore drives rotation of the milling tool 2 engaged and locked in the locking bush 18 of the milling tool support 1 . a hemispherical cavity is made in the bone of the pelvis 34 in this way . the motor is then uncoupled and the manipulator handle 31 is engaged with the end of the milling tool support 1 , with its sighting rod 32 . with the patient in a lateral decubitus position , the axis of the milling tool support 1 is oriented so that the rod 32 is horizontal and aligned with the longitudinal axis of the patient , as shown in fig4 and 5 . accordingly , the axis of the milling tool support 1 is inclined at approximately 45 ° to the horizontal plane as shown in fig4 and at approximately 15 ° to the longitudinal axis of the patient as shown from above in fig5 . maintaining this orientation of the milling tool support 1 , the milling tool 2 is then fixed into the bone of the pelvis 34 by driving in nails , such as the nail 29 . the milling tool support 1 is then disengaged from the milling tool 2 , by manoeuvring the operating ring 16 , followed by slight rotation of the milling tool support 1 and movement in translation away from the milling tool 2 to disengage the bayonet coupling . then , as shown in fig6 the milling tool 2 may be used as a test cotyl , by placing a test head 35 at the end of a rasp 36 adapted to hollow out in the femur 37 the cavity intended to receive the femoral prosthesis shank . by virtue of the presence of the core 23 with its hemispherical recess 25 , the milling tool 2 is itself adapted to receive the spherical end 38 of the test head 35 , so constituting a provisional joint enabling the effectiveness of the final joint to be tested , in particular for the absence of any risk of dislocation . in the disposition shown in fig6 the femur 37 of the patient may be moved into all the orientations that are necessary for the habitual movements of the lower limb , and to verify that the test head 35 remains correctly engaged in the milling tool 2 . if there is any defect , for example in the event of any risk of dislocation , the test head 35 is removed , the milling tool support 1 and the manipulator handle 31 are fitted to the milling tool 2 again , the nails 29 are removed and the orientation of the milling tool 2 is appropriately modified to reduce the risk of dislocation . the milling tool 2 is fixed again using nails 29 . the new orientation of the milling tool 2 is then checked by checking the orientation of the milling tool support 1 relative to the rod 32 . the milling tool support 1 is removed and the test head 35 is replaced to check the risk of dislocation again . when the tests are conclusive , the test head 35 and the milling tool 2 are removed , and replaced by the final cotyl that has the same external shape as the milling tool 2 , and an internal cavity with the same shape as the hemispherical recess 25 of the milling tool 2 . the final cotyl is fitted using an impaction handle , adapted to be attached to the final cotyl at its first end and to receive the handle 31 with the sighting rod 32 at its other end . at this time it is important to orientate the impaction handle and the final cotyl with the same orientation as that previously assumed by the milling tool support 1 and the milling tool 2 , by placing the sighting rod 32 in the same position as that assumed at the time of the last test using the milling tool 2 . this ensures that the final cotyl assumes the same orientation as that previously assumed by the milling tool 2 during satisfactory testing of the test head 35 . the final implant is then definitively fixed into the acetabulum . the present invention is not limited to the embodiments that have been explicitly described , but encompasses the various generalisations and variants thereof that fall within the scope of the following claims .	0
fig3 to 7 illustrate a first embodiment of the fluid dispersal device according to the present invention . a housing 1 of the fluid dispersal device comprises a base plate 1a and a cover plate 1b abutting on the base plate 1a as shown in fig3 . a fluid supply pipe 5 is connected to the housing 1 . the base plate 1a is provided with a groove having a predetermined depth in the surface opposed to the cover plate 1b . the groove comprises a fluid inlet port 15 to be communicated with the fluid supply passage 5 , a nozzle 11 , a fluid jet passage 12 and an outlet throat 13 . as shown in fig4 the fluid inlet port 15 is converged from the upstream end thereof toward the downstream end thereof and is communicated with the nozzle 11 having a predetermined width . the fluid jet passage 12 is located on the downstream of the nozzle 11 and symmetric with respect to the center line of the nozzle 11 . the side walls of the upstream portion of the fluid jet passage 12 are formed into parallel deflection walls 12a and 12b having a distance larger than the width of the nozzle 11 . the side walls of the downstream portion of the passage 12 are formed into concave turn walls 12c and 12d having a distance larger than that of the deflection walls 12a , 12b . the downstream ends of the turn walls 12c , and 12d form branch walls 12e , and 12f adjacently opposed to each other . between the branch walls 12e and 12f is formed the outlet throat 13 . the downstream walls 131 of the throat 13 diverge outwardly . let the size of several portions of the nozzle 11 , the passage 12 and the throat 13 be a , b , d , l , x , y , w as shown in fig5 and 6 , one example of the preferable size ratio is as follows . the size a represents the depth of the nozzle 11 , the passage 12 and the throat 13 . other preferable size ratios are distributed over a considerably wide permissible range . hereinafter , the operation of the fluid dispersal device having the above structure will be explained . a fluid under pressure is supplied to the nozzle 11 by way of the fulid inlet port 15 in fig7 a to form a fluid jet f having a predetermined width in the fluid jet passage 12 . the fluid jet f sucks the fluid located therearound to produce a negative pressure between the fluid jet f and each of the deflection walls 12a and 12b . then , sucked flows f1 and f2 flow into the upstream portion of the fluid jet passage 12 from the downstream portion thereof . the amount of the sucked flows f1 and f2 differ form each other due to slight unsymmetry of the shape of the flowing passage thereof . consequently , difference in negative pressure occurs between the fluid jet f and each of the deflection walls 12a and 12b so that the fluid jet f is sucked and deflected toward one of the deflection walls 12a and 12b . ( e . g . left deflection wall 12a as shown in fig7 a ) the negative pressure between the fluid jet f and the deflection wall 12a gradually increases with the deflection of the fluid jet f . consequently , the fluid jet f is largely deflected much more . at this time , the fluid jet f flows out of the fluid jet passage 12 through the throat 13 . one portion of the fluid jet f collides with the branch walls 12e and 12f and is branched into branch flows f3 and f4 . the branch flows f3 and f4 flow toward the turn walls 12c and 12d and turn into the upstream side of the fluid jet passage 12 . the amount of the branch flows f3 and f4 increases in accordance with the amount of rightward and leftward deflection of the fluid jet f . when the fluid jet f is deflected leftward as shown in fig7 a , the amount of the branch flow f3 increases . and the branch flow f3 grows with the deflection of the jet flow f , flows along the turn wall 12c and turns rightward . then , the turned branch flows f3 collides with the fluid jet f in a direction perpendicular to the flowing direction of the fluid jet f to generate a collision force . at this time , one portion of the turned branch flow f3 flows into the fluid jet f as sucked flow f1 to decrease the negative pressure between the fluid flow f and the deflection wall 12a . due to the collision force and the increase in negative pressure , the fluid jet f is returned to a straight flow directed straight toward the throat 13 ( fig7 b ). then , the fluid jet f is deflected rightward due to rightward inertia force to produce sucked flow f2 and branch flow f4 as shown in fig7 c . fig7 c shows the state just before the branch flow f4 collides with the fluid jet f . at this time , the fluid jet f is largely curved rightward by the remaining branch flow f3 directly before passing the outlet throat 13 and is jetted out of the passage 12 leftward at an angle to the center line of the nozzle 11 . when the branch flow f4 grows and collides with the fluid jet f , the fluid jet f is gradually pushed leftward so as to be curved leftward as shown by alternate long and short dash lines in fig7 c and the fluid jet f is jetted out of the fluid jet passage 12 rightward at an angle θ to the center line of the nozzle 11 . as described above , the fluid jet f cyclically repeats the rightward and leftward deflection to enable uniform dispersion of fluid over a wide range . the downstream wall 131 can be formed into a straight or curved surface diverging away from the throat 13 . the inclination angle of the downstream wall 131 can be arbitrarily selected in accordance with the usage of the fluid dispersal device of the present invention . it is preferable to make the width of the throat 13 slightly smaller than that of the fluid jet f so as to prevent problems such as the change of the density of the fluid yet caused by air flowing form the outside of the throat 13 . as described above , in the first embodiment , the fluid jet passage is defined by the side walls comprising deflection walls for sucking and deflecting the fluid yet due to the interaction therebetween , branch walls for branching the deflected fluid jet into branch flows and turn walls for turning one of the branch flows and making the turned branch flow collide with the deflected fluid jet to push it in a direction opposite to the deflecting direction thereof . the fluid dispersal device of the first embodiment enables regular and uniform fluid dispersal over a wide range without providing feedback passages . since no feedback passage is required in the fluid dispersal device of the first embodiment , the structure thereof can be made simple and it can be easily produced . in addition , the fluid dispersal device of the first embodiment is free from problems such that smooth fluid flow within the feed back passage of a small diameter is obstructed or the feedback passage is clogged with dust , etc . fig8 illustrates a second embodiment of the fluid dispersal device according to the present invention . in the second embodiment , the branch walls 12e and 12f and the upstream walls of the turn walls 12c and 12d are inclined so as to direct toward the upstream side of the fluid jet f . according to the second embodiment having the above described structure , the branching action by the branch walls 12e and 12f can be smoothed and the fluid jet pushing action by the branch flows f3 and f4 can be effectively performed . fig9 illustrates a third embodiment of the fluid dispersal device according to the present invention . in the third embodiment , the downstream wall of each of the turn walls 12c and 12d is formed into an inclined wall which straightly continues to the branch wall 12e or 12f . fig1 illustrates a fourth embodiment of the fluid dispersal device according to the present invention . in the fourth embodiment , the turn walls 12c and 12d are made into semi - circular walls . these semi - circular walls enable smooth turning of the branch flows f3 and f4 . and it is preferable to set the starting point of the semi - circular wall at a position which is rightward or leftward away from the corner portion of the wall 12c or 12d by a distance of δ as shown in fig1 for guiding the branch flow f3 or f4 and making it surely collide with the fluid jet f . fig1 to 16 illustrate a fifth embodiment of the fluid dispersal device according to the present invention . the structure of the fluid dispersal device 100 of the fifth embodiment is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment except that supplemental fluid supply pipes 2a and 2b are connected to the housing 1 . in fig1 , supplemental fluid inlet ports 14a and 14b open in a bottom wall 12g of the fluid jet passage 12 surrounded by the turn walls 12c and 12d . to each of the inlet ports 14a and 14b is connected each of the supplemental fluid supply pipes 2a and 2b . the supply pipes 2a and 2b are communicated with a fluid supply source ( not shown ) by way of electromagnetic valves 3a and 3b , respectively . the electromagnetic valves 3a and 3b are opened and closed by a control circuit 4 . when both of the electromagnetic valves 3a and 3b are closed , no supplemental fluid is supplied to the inlet ports 14a and 14b . at this time , the fluid jet f is periodically deflected and dispersed rightward and leftward symmetrically over the range of an angle 2θ as shown in fig1 a . namely , due to the sucked flows f1 and f2 , negative pressure is produced between the fluid jet f and the deflection wall 12a or 12b . the fluid jet f is sucked and deflected toward one of the deflection walls 12a and 12b ( e . g . the deflection wall 12b as shown in fig1 a ). one portion of the deflected fluid jet f collides with the branch walls 12e and 12f and is branched into branch flows f3 and f4 directing to the turn walls 12c and 12d , respectively . the branch flows f3 and f4 grow in accordance with the amount of deflection of the fluid jet f , and collide with the fluid jet f in a direction perpendicular to the flowing direction thereof . ( fig1 a shows the state just before the branch flow f4 collides with the fluid jet f ). then , the branch flow f3 or f4 push the fluid jet f toward the opposed deflection walls ( e . g . toward the deflection wall 12a as shown by short and long dash lines ). the above processes are repeated so that the fluid jet f is periodically deflected rightward and leftward and is dispersed out of the outlet throat 13 . fig1 a illustrates a dispersing pattern of the fifth embodiment shown in fig1 a . in fig1 a to 14c , x marks show that the electromagnetic valve ( 3a , 3b ) shown in fig1 is closed to stop the fluid supply to the supplemental fluid supply pipe ( 2e , 2b ). when the electromagnetic valve 3a is opened , supplemental fluid under presure is supplied to the fluid jet passage 12 through the inlet port 14a by way of the fluid supply pipe 2a to increase the pressure of the left half of the fluid jet passage 12 . at this time , the supplemental fluid flows toward the throat 13 to produce a rightward momentum as shown in fig1 b . due to the increase in pressure , the fluid jet f within the fluid jet passage 12 is deflected rightward and collides with the branch wall 12f . then , the fluid jet f is branched into two branch flows directed toward the throat 13 and the turn wall 12d , respectively . the branch flow toward the throat 13 receives the rightward momentum of the supplemental fluid and flows out of the throat 13 in a straight direction . the branch flow f4 directed toward the turn wall 12d is turned thereby and collides with fluid jet f . the fluid jet f is pushed leftward by the branch flow f4 to return to a straight flow . this straight flowing fluid jet f is jetted out of the throat 13 in a direction rightward inclined from the center line of the fluid jet passage 12 by an angle θ due to the rightward momentum of the supplemental fluid from the inlet poart 14a as shown in fig1 c . this straight flowing fluid jet f receives high pressure from the left half of the fluid jet passage 12 and is deflected again rightward . the repetition of the above described pressure results in the fluid jet f being dispersed only rightward over a range of an angle θ as shown in fig1 b . when the electromagnetic valve 3b is opened in place of the valve 3a , the supplemental fluid is supplied to the fluid jet passage 12 through the inlet port 14b by way of the supply pipe 2b . the fluid jet f is dispersed only leftward over a range of an angle θ as shown in fig1 c . when both of the electromagnetic valves 3a and 3b are opened , the increase in pressure and the production of the momentum due to the supply of the supplemental fluid similarly occur in both of the left and right sides of the fluid jet f . this results in the deflection of the fluid jet f being restricted rightward and leftward to cause the fluid jet f to be dispersed from the throat 13 within a narrow range of an angle θ &# 39 ; along the center line thereof as shown in fig1 d . fig1 illustrates the example wherein the fluid dispersal device of the present invention is used in a window washer for a vehicle . in fig1 , a pair of fluid dispersal device 100 are provided in front of the lower edge of a windshield glass w of a vehicle . a main fluid supply pipe 5 is connected to a washer pump 61 provided in a washer tank 6 and is branched to supplemental fluid supply pipes 2a and 2b . the washer pump 61 and electromagnetic valve 3a and 3b provided in the supply pipes 2a and 2b are operated by a control circuit 4 . in fig1 , a dispersal mode selection switch 41 comprises fixed contacts 41a , 41b , 41c , 41d and movable contact 41e coming in contact with the fixed contacts 41a to 41d . the reference numeral 42 designates a washer switch , the reference numeral 7 designates a battery and the reference numerals 31a and 31b designated electromagnetic coils of the electromagnetic values 3a and 3b . when the washer switch 42 is closed in the state where the movable contact 41e is located at a position as shown in fig1 , the electromagnetic coils 31a and 31b are not excited . therefore , the washer pump 61 is started to supply washer liquid to only the inlet port 15 ( fig1 ) by way of the main fluid supply pipe 5 . then , the washer liquid is dispersed over a wide range shown by w1 , w2 and w3 in fig1 . when the movable contact 41e is located at b position , the fixed contacts 41b and 41d are conducting . when the washer switch 42 is closed in this state , only the electromagnetic coil 31b is excited to open the electromagnetic valve 3b . the supplemental fluid is supplied to the inlet port 14b ( fig1 ) of the fluid dispersal device 100 in addition to the main fluid supplied from the washer pump 61 . this results in the washer liquid being dispersed only within a range w1 shown in fig1 . when the movable contact 41e is located at c position or d position , the washer liquid is dispersed within the range w3 or w2 shown in fig1 . according to the fifth embodiment , the washer liquid can be dispersed only in the stained area on the windshiled glass w so as to enable the effective wash thereof . fig1 and 18 illustrate a sixth and a seventh embodiment according to the present invention , respectively . the inlet ports 14a and 14b need not be provided in the bottom wall 12g of the fluid jet passage 12 defined by the turn walls 12c and 12d . the inlet poarts 14a and 14b can be provided in the bottom wall 12g adjacent to the deflection wall 12a ( e . g . the inlet port 14a in fig1 ). furthermore , the inlet ports 14a and 14b can be provided in the deflection walls 12a and 12b and the turn walls 12c and 12d as shown in fig1 and 18 . one of the inlet ports 14a and 14b for the supplemental fluid can be omitted . furthermore , a plurality of inlet ports for the supplmental fluid can be provided in each of the right side and the left side of the fluid jet passage 12 . each of the supplemental fluid supply passages 2a and 2b can be provided with a throttle for controlling the fluid dispersal angle . the supply source for the supplemental fluid can be provided separately from that for the main fluid . fig1 ilustrates an eighth embodiment according to the present invention . in the eighth embodiment , the supplemental fluid inlet port 14 is provided near the nozzle 11 . to the inlet port 14 is connected one end of the supplemental fluid supply pipe 2 the other end of the supplemental fluid supply pipe 2 is connected to the supply source ( not shown ). the electromagnetic valve 3 is provided in the pipe 2 for controlling the supply of the supplemental fluid and is opened and closed by the control circuit 4 . when the electromagnetic valve 3 is closed , no supplemental fluid is supplied to the inlet port 14 . in this state , the fluid jet f is periodically deflected and dispersed over a wide range having an angle 2θ , which is symmetrical with respect to the center line of the throat 13 as shown in fig2 ( 1 ). when the electromagnetic valve 3 is opened , the supplemental fluid having a predetermined pressure is supplied to the inlet port 14 . the supplied supplemental fluid collides with the fluid jet f from the nozzle 11 in a direction perpendicular to the flowing direction of the fluid jet f . after the collision , the fluid jet f is dispersed so that the width thereof is enlarged as shown in fig2 b to grow the branch flows f3 and f4 similarly . at this time , the pressure within the fluid jet passage 12 surrounded by the deflection walls 12a and 12b increases so that the sucked flows f1 and f2 become weak . this causes the fluid jet f to flow straight toward the throat 13 without rightward and leftward deflection . thereafter , the fluid jet f is dispersed from the outlet throat 13 within a limited range . fig2 illustrates the example in which the fluid dispersal device 100 of the eighth embodiment is employed in a window washer device for a vehicle . in fig2 , two fluid dispersal devices are provided at the left and the right of the windshield glass w of a vehicle in front of the lower edge thereof . the main fluid supply pipe 5 is connected to the washer pump 61 provided in the washer tank 6 . the supplemental fluid supply pipe 2 is branched from the supply pipe 5 . the washer pump 61 and the electromagnetic valve 3 are operated by the control circuit 4 . fig2 is a circuit diagram of the control circuit 4 . the reference numeral 41 designates a dispersal mode selection switch , the reference numeral 42 designates a washer switch , the reference numeral 7 designates a battery and the reference numeral 31 designates an electromagnetic coil of the electromagnetic valve 3 . the selection switch 41 comprises fixed contacts 41a and 41b and a movable contact 41c coming in contact with the fixed contacts to conduct voltage thereto . when the movable contact 41c is set to a position as shown in fig2 and the washer switch 42 is closed , the electromagnetic coil 31 is not excited . so , the washer pump 61 starts up to supply the washer liquid as a main fluid to only the inlet port 15 ( fig1 ). in this case , the washer liquid is dispersed over a wide range shown by w1 , w2 and w3 in fig2 . when the movable contact 41c is set to b position and the washer switch 42 is closed , the electromagnetic coil 31 is excited to open the electromagnetic valve 3 . the washer liquid as the supplemental fluid is supplied to the inlet port 14 of the dispersal device 100 . in this case , the fluid jet f is dispersed only within the range w2 shown in fig2 . according to the eighth embodiment , the washer liquid can be dispersed on only narrow areas of the windshield glass w , opposed to eyes of a driver . therefore , effective cleaning can be performed . in the eighth embodiment , the supplemental fluid inlet port 14 may be provided in the cover plate ( not shown ) covering the base plate 1a . furthermore , the supplemental fluid inlet port 14 can be provided in each of the base plate 1a and the cover plate so as to be opposed to each other . the supply source for the supplemental fluid can be provided separately from that for the main fluid . the supplemental fluid supply passage 2 can be provided with a throttle for controlling the fluid dispersal angle . fig2 to 26 illustrate a ninth embodiment of the fluid dispersal device according to the present invention . in the ninth embodiment , the housing 1 comprises the base plate 1a and the cover plate 1b as shown in fig2 . the fluid supply pipe 5 is connected to the housing 1 for supplying the main fluid to the housing 1 . in the upper surface of the base plate 1a is formed a groove having a predetermined depth . the groove is formed into the fluid supply port 15 , the nozzle 11 , the fluid jet passage 12 , a jet opening 17 , the deflection amount increase passage 16 and the outlet throat 13 . the above described passage 12 has the same structure as that of each of the preceding embodiments . the deflection amount increase passage 1b is located on the downstream of the jet opening 17 and is defined by guide walls 16a and 16b each linearly and symmetrically diverging toward the outlet throat 13 . the downstream end of each of the guide walls 16a and 16b is curved oppositely to be formed into downstream turn walls 16c and 16d defining the outlet throat 13 . the outlet walls 131 positioned on the downstream of the throat 13 outward diverge . between the guide walls 16a and 16b is formed a vortex chamber 161 . in operation , when the fluid is supplied to the dispersal device 100 , the fluid is jetted into the fluid jet passage 12 through the nozzle 11 as shown in fig2 . the fluid jet f is periodically deflected leftward and rightward within the fluid jet passage 12 in the same procwss as described in the preceding embodiments . when the fluid jet f flows straight within the passage 12 , it also flow straight within the vortex chamber 161 and is supplied out of the vortex chamber 161 through the outlet throat 13 . when the fluid jet f is deflected as shown in fig2 , the fluid jet f jetted from the jet opening 17 attaches to the guide wall 16b and is guided therealong . then , the fluid jet f is turned by the turn wall 16d and flowed into the outlet throat 13 at a large angle . at this time , one portion of the fluid jet f is returned to the upstream side of the vortex chamber 161 to form a vortex flow f5 within the vortex chamber 161 . the formed vortex flow f5 has a large leftward or rightward momentum ( e . g . leftward in fig2 ) in the vicinity of the outlet throat 13 so as to increase the leftward or rightward component force v1 ( e . g . leftward in fig2 ) of the fluid jet f . the component force v1 is combined with the straight component force v2 formed by the static pressure and the flow quantity of the fluid flow f to produce a jet force v for jetting the fluid jet f at a large angle θ . the guide walls 16a and 16b may be formed into a concave ( fig2 ) or a convex ( fig2 ). the downstream turn walls 16c and 16d can be made extend in a direction perpendicular to the flow of the fluid jet f ( fig2 ) or incline toward the upstream side ( fig3 ). furthermore , by enlarging the downstream half of the vortex chamber 161 as shown in fig3 , a strong vortex f5 can be produced within the vortex chamber 161 . in the ninth embodiment and the above described modified examples , it is preferable to make the diameter of the outlet throat 13 nearly double that of the jet opening 17 .	1
an example of a computer architecture employing dedicated co - processor resources for hardware acceleration is the ibm power server system . a simplified block diagram of hardware acceleration dataflow in the power server system is shown in fig7 . power processor chip 700 has multiple cpu cores ( 0 - n ) and associated cache 710 , 711 , 712 which connect to power bus 709 . memory controller 713 provides the link between power bus 709 and external system memory 714 . i / o controller 715 provides the interface between power bus 709 and external i / o devices 716 . power bus 709 is the bus fabric that facilitates data , address , and control movement between the various interconnected components . co - processor engines 701 perform cryptographic functions and memory compression / decompression . dma engine 702 reads and writes data and status on behalf of co - processors . powerbus interface ( pbi ) 703 buffers data routed between the dma engine 702 and powerbus 709 and enables bus transactions necessary to support co - processor data movement , interrupts , and memory management i / o associated with hardware acceleration processing . advanced encryption standard ( aes ) and secure hash algorithm ( sha ) cryptograph accelerators 705 , 706 are connected pairwise to a dma channel , allowing a combination aes - sha operation to be processed moving the data only one time . asymmetric math functions ( amf ) 707 perform rsa cryptography and ecc ( eliptical curve cryptography ). 842 accelerator co - processors 708 perform memory compression / decompression . in order for the accelerators to perform work for the system , accelerator unit 701 must be given work from the hypervisor . a request for co - processor hardware acceleration is initiated when a co - processor request command is received by the pbi 703 . permission to issue the request , the type of co - processor operation , and availability of a queue entry for the requested type of co - processor operation are checked and assuming all checks are passed , the command is enqueued and a state machine is assigned to the request , otherwise the co - processor job request is rejected . if a request is successfully enqueued , when a co - processor is available the job will be dispatched to the dma engine , i . e ., pbi 703 signals dma engine 702 that there is work for it to perform and dma engine 702 will remove the job from the head of the job request queue and start processing this request . dma engine 702 then assigns the co - processor request to an appropriate dma channel connected to the type of co - processor requested . dma 702 tells the co - processor to start and also begins fetching the data associated with the job request . if a requested input queue is full , the power bus interface will issue a powerbus retry partial response to the co - processor request . when the data arrives , pbi 703 will direct data to the correct input data queue and inform dma 702 the queue is non - empty . when the co - processor has output data or status to be written back to memory , it makes an output request to dma 702 , and dma 702 moves the data from the co - processor to local buffer storage and from there to pbi 703 and pbi 703 writes it to memory . a co - processor also signals to dma 702 when it has completed a job request accompanied by a completion code indicating completion with or without error . upon completion , the co - processor is ready to accept another job request . with reference to a first embodiment , fig1 shows a queue controller 102 and a plurality of queues 104 , 105 and 106 for enqueuing jobs received from job requestor 101 and dispatching the jobs from the heads of the queues to hardware acceleration engines 107 , 108 and 109 , which may include different methods of encryption ( rsa , aes ), compression / decompression , or data analytics . a person of skill in the art will appreciate that many types of hardware accelerator engines could be employed using embodiments of the present invention and are not limited to the type shown in fig7 . fig1 shows one queue ( q 1 , q 2 . . . qn ) for each type of hardware acceleration engine 107 , 108 and 109 . a queue comprises one or more queue positions (“ position ”) in memory arranged in first - in - first - out stack order , wherein the depth of the stack is variable . queue positions are shown in fig1 as rectangular boxes representing empty positions , floating entries or dedicated positions . a position corresponds to the place in the order of the total number of queue entries allocated to a particular acceleration engine and is either empty or full . a full position has a queue entry (“ entry ”) with a job allocated to it ; an empty position does not . a queue entry is made up of storage elements containing information pertaining to a job , such as identifiers connecting the job to a software process , entry empty or full bit , queue position , operands , or memory addresses specifying the location of instruction groups to be processed . queue entries may also specify job priority and whether a job is completed through an interrupt or a write access to memory . as shown in qn 106 of fig1 , the position at which an entry is first enqueued in a queue is the tail ; the position from which a entry may be dequeued ( position made empty ) and job dispatched to an engine is the head . for simplicity , these position descriptors are not shown in queues q 1 and q 2 . entries advance by one queue position as jobs are dequeued and dispatched from the head position . in this manner an entry is emptied and becomes available to receive a new job from the queue controller . in a queue with a single position or in an empty queue , the tail position is the same as the head position . as shown in fig1 , there are two types of entries : dedicated and floating . a dedicated entry , be it empty or full , is permanently assigned to a queue . if a dedicated entry is empty it is available to accept a job for the assigned queue from queue controller 102 . a floating entry 103 may be allocated to the tail of the queue and filled with a job if the number of entries allocated to the queue has not exceeded a configurable limit if such a limit exists . referring to fig3 , a queue entry may be specified in a hardware description language , such as vhdl or verilog . job requestor 101 may at any time request that one or more jobs associated with a particular identifier be removed from any and all of the queues , in any and all queue positions . this operation is called a “ kill ” queue entries associated with killed jobs are emptied and become available to receive another job . queue controller 102 includes logic to interrogate this identifier in all allocated entries and remove entries with matching identifiers from the queues . queue controller 102 decides whether to accept a job from the job requestor for a given queue . to do so , it examines the job type , i . e ., which type of hardware acceleration engine it requires , to choose the correct queue from the plurality of queues . if the entry dedicated to the head position of the destination queue is empty , the job is accepted and the entry at the head is filled with the job . if the entry at the head is full , the queue controller checks if the number of entries allocated to the queue is less than the limit and that a floating entry is available . if both of these conditions are true , the job is accepted , a floating entry is filled with the job and allocated to the tail of the queue . otherwise , the job is rejected . fig2 shows an example of an embodiment in operation . there are three job queues q 1 , q 2 , q 3 and eight entries . there are 3 dedicated entries , one for each of the three queues shown , which are represented by the open ended boxes above q 1 , q 2 and q 3 . the remaining five entries are shown as floating entries 1 - 5 . a floating entry may be allocated to q 3 if the number of entries allocated to q 3 is less than the q 3 limit and an empty floating entry is available , or to q 2 if the the number of entries allocated to q 2 is less than the q 2 limit and an empty floating entry is available . the remaining empty floating entries may be allocated to q 1 . for example , if the q 3 limit is set to 1 and the q 2 limit is set to 2 , then only one dedicated entry may be allocated to q 3 ; and one dedicated entry plus one floating entry may be allocated to q 2 . the remaining three floating entries may only be allocated to q 1 . in the example shown in fig2 , earlier in time jobs a , b , and c filled the dedicated entries of each queue and were allocated to the head positions of queues q 1 , q 2 , and q 3 , respectively . as time advances , job request d for q 2 is received . an empty floating entry is available and the number of entries enqueued in q 2 is less than the limit , therefore floating entry 1 is allocated to q 2 and filled with job d . next , job request e for q 3 is received . an empty floating entry is available but the number of entries enqueued in q 3 equals the limit , therefore job request e is rejected . next , job request f for q 1 is received . an empty floating entry is available and q 1 has no limit , therefore floating entry 2 is allocated to q 1 and filled with job e . fig3 - 5 describe the operation of the queue controller ( qc ) with respect to the following events : 1 . assignment of a queue entry ( qe ) to particular queue , i . e ., enqueing a job ; 2 . job completion and job dispatch ; and 3 . job termination (“ jobkill ”). the qc receives jobs from a job requestor and controls a plurality of queue entries ( qe ) by dynamically assigning queue entries to one of several queues . the qc dispatches jobs from the queues to hardware accelerators attached to the queues and is able to terminate jobs identified by the job requestor . a particular queue is referred to as qn . a qe may be implemented with a series of registers in hardware named and defined as follows : a queue has several necessary parameters and variables that may be stored in registers associated with the queue . referring to fig3 , q . head defines qe . qpos = 0 in a q . thus , qpos = 0 refers to the first position in a queue . q . tail refers to the youngest position , i . e ., highest numbered qe . qpos , in a q or qe that will be dispatched to a hardware accelerator last . q . min refers to the minimum number of qes assigned to a q , which represent the fixed qes assigned to a queue . q . limit is the maximum number of qes that may be assigned to a queue . the jobrequester supplies the qc a jobdescriptor that contains at least a jobtype , which identifies the q to which a job will be assigned , and jobid , which uniquely identifies the job . with reference to fig3 , in step 301 qc examines the jobtype in the jobdescriptor received from the job requestor . in step 302 , if the jobtype does not match any of the qs , no accelerator exists for the requested job type and the job is rejected in step 308 , i . e ., an indication is sent back to the job requestor that the qc could not accept the job . it may be observed by a person of skill in the art that additional information may be provided further qualifying the type of rejection . if the jobtype matches a dedicated hardware accelerator for a specific q , step 302 continues to step 303 which ascertains whether q . head is already allocated . if it is not , then the incoming job may be enqueued in this qe in step 307 and in this instance q . head = q . tail . if it is already allocated , then step 304 determines whether any unallocated , i . e ., floating , qes exist . if no floating entries are available , the job is rejected in step 309 . if at least one unallocated qe exists , step 305 determines whether q . limit has been met ; if it has then the job is rejected in step 309 . if q . limit has not been met , then step 306 enqueues qe at the tail of q . in boxes 306 and 307 , the notation qe . jobinfo & lt ;− jobdescriptor means fields from the jobdescriptor the hardware accelerator requires to perform the job are copied from the jobdescriptor to the qe . jobinfo register . such fields may comprise operation code , operand addresses , unique job identifier , job priority , etc . fig4 describes the qc action of dispatching a job from a queue to an attached accelerator . it will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that an interface ( not shown ) between qc and the attached accelerator is implemented where : the accelerator can signal to qc that it may accept another job by asserting the jobcomplete signal . the qc may dispatch jobinfo from q . head to the accelerator simultaneously asserting a jobvalid signal to the accelerator . in step 401 , the accelerator has asserted jobcomplete , indicating to the qc that it can accept another job . step 402 follows where the qc determines if there is a job at q . head . if no job is enqueued , the process moves to step 403 and ends . the qc periodically checks the job status for a job at q . head ; if there is a job , in step 404 the qc sends q . head qe . jobinfo to the accelerator and asserts jobvalid and in step 405 q . head qe is marked as not allocated . step 406 queries whether the number of queue entries in the queue is equal to q . min . if yes , q . head becomes q . tail in step 408 , then qes younger than q . head , if any , are moved forward one queue position in q in step 408 . otherwise in step 409 , the qe at q . head is deallocated and the qes in q are advanced one queue position toward q . head in step 410 and the q . tail is updated with the qpos of the new tail qe . fig5 describes the action of terminating a queue entry ( qe kill ), i . e ., dequeuing , a qe from the queues . for ease of exposition , it is assumed that qc activities of enqueuing and dispatching jobs are suspended until the kill is completed . this assumption is not limiting as one skilled in the art could design a system where these activities proceed concurrently . in step 501 a kill request of job jobid is received by the qc from the job requestor and in step 502 all allocated qes are examined to see if there is a match . if there is no match , step 509 follows and the kill is completed trivially with no jobs killed . if there is a match , the qe containing the job is deallocated in step 503 , step 406 ensues with either steps 407 and 408 , or 409 , 410 , and 411 , which move qes toward head in q as described previously . in another embodiment of the invention , the jobdescriptor contains priority information , for example , a single bit field indicating the job is high priority if the field is 1 and low priority if the field is 0 , or multiple bit fields could be used to create a broader range of priorities . the queue entry contains register storage for the job priority information that is filled from the jobdescriptor when the job is enqueued . the job dispatch function of the queue controller uses the job priority information in the enqueued queue entries to determine the highest priority job to dispatch next . in the previous example , if a job of low priority were enqueued at the head of the queue and a job of high priority were enqueued behind it , job dispatch would dispatch the high priority job at the next opportunity rather than the low priority job at the head of the queue . in this embodiment , the queue controller further employs a fairness algorithm to ensure that high priority jobs do not forever prevent lower priority jobs from being dispatched . such algorithms are known by those skilled in the art and not further elaborated here . one skilled in the art would also appreciate that the same prioritized dispatch could be accomplished alternatively by partitioning a queue into a plurality of queues , one for each level of priority , enqueuing a job of given priority into the corresponding queue , and dispatching from highest priority queue first , then next highest priority queue , and so on , down to the lowest priority queue , applying a fairness algorithm as previously mentioned . in another embodiment of the invention , multiple job requests are received by queue controller 102 in parallel . the queue controller is partitioned into segments , one segment per queue type . the segments enqueue entries , dispatch jobs to engines , and handle kill requests in parallel . the segments must arbitrate with each other for access to the shared floating entries . with reference to fig6 , n qc segments are shown ( qc 1 , qc 2 , . . . qcn ) with three primary functions of enqueue , dispatch , and kill shown abstractly as boxes and their respective queues q 1 , q 2 , . . . qn under their control . multiple job requests can come into the system concurrently at the top . a shared pool of floating qes is shown on the right with access to the qes controlled by an arbiter . the arbiter operates in steps 304 , 305 , and 306 in fig3 . in these steps , a qc segment with a job to enqueue must determine if a floating qe is available and if yes , step 306 enqueues the job . in a multi - qc system , a first qc would make a request to the arbiter to gain access to the qes ; if a second qc currently had access to the qes , the arbiter would not grant the first qc access to the qes until the second qc had moved on from step 306 . in another embodiment of the invention hardware acceleration engines are replaced with more generic queue servers . the queue servers have properties of type and service time ( latency ) not unlike the hardware acceleration engines . the description of the embodiments of the present invention is given above for the understanding of the present invention . it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described herein , but is capable of various modifications , rearrangements and substitutions as will now become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention . therefore , it is intended that the following claims cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention .	6
the following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention . various modifications , however , will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art , since the general principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide a method of extracting a single droplet from a separation column or channel in a microfluidic device . the present invention solves this problem by integrating liquid column - based transport and separation functions with digital microfluidic droplet handling to extract a mobile droplet that has been enriched with column - concentrated solute molecules . extraction of a solute - rich droplet enables additional follow - on operations to be applied to the enriched sample volume , such as further in - droplet sample purifications ( see e . g ., “ particle separation and concentration control for digital microfluidic systems ,” sung kwon cho and chang - jin “ c j ” kim , ieee conf . mems , kyoto , japan , january 2003 , pp . 686 - 689 ) and / or droplet transfer to a secondary analysis or imaging site without dilution of the concentrated solute molecules . fig1 shows the inventive process diagrammatically . fig1 a is a diagram of a separation column or channel shown as a tube or capillary 20 with a physical opening 22 in its side wall serving as an extraction point . in addition , fluid columns can also be bounded without physical walls , using instead surface property differences and effects to constrain and direct the column of fluid . in such a situation the “ opening ” would not be an opening in a physical wall and extraction could take place at any point along the column . the walled liquid column 20 in the figure is shown as containing three different populations of solute molecules or particles 24 , 26 and 28 . the middle population 26 is located adjacent the opening 22 . in fig1 b this population 24 is withdrawn or extracted as a separate droplet 30 . once a droplet is extracted it can be transported along a fluidic pathway 32 to secondary evaluation sites . as shown diagrammatically in fig1 c , the separated droplet can also be subjected to a number of further manipulations . in the left panel of fig1 c the droplet 28 contains a central area of molecules 26 . surrounding these molecules are molecules originally found in population 28 . the droplet is subjected to additional forces so to cause additional within droplet separations of particles or solutes — for example according to particle charges with negative charges becoming located at one end of the droplet and positive charges at the other as shown in the right panel of fig1 c ( the arrow represents the application of an electrical field ). once there has been an end to end separation of particles or solutes , it is then possible to split the droplet 30 ( fig1 d ) into separate droplets 30 ′ and 30 ″ by means of applied forces ( two ended arrow ) so that the separated particles or solutes can be separately analyzed . according to the present invention droplet extraction from a liquid column for on - chip microfluidics can be achieved without mechanical structures ( e . g ., valves or pumps ) or pneumatic effects ( e . g ., driving the liquid by gas pressure ) by using surface - borne effects such as surface acoustic waves ( saw ) and control of surface wettability via electrical , optical or chemical means . a specific example of the use of surface - borne effects is droplet extraction by means of electrowetting based digital microfluidics . surface effect - based extraction of droplets can advantageously be applied to any microfluidic function that serves to transport , focus , concentrate , or separate target molecules within a column of fluid ( e . g ., a continuous linear fluid volume ) contained within a column . examples of such microfluidic techniques include capillary electrophoresis ( ce ), dielectrophoretic ( dep ), liquid chromatography , high performance liquid chromatography , and capture and release mechanisms such as immuno - magnetic - separation ( ims ) using beads as well as electrophoretic capture of proteins and nucleic acids . in some of these techniques , the fluid column flows resulting in separation of solutes which move more slowly ( or even become immobile ) relative to the flow whereas with other techniques the fluid column is relatively stationary with the solutes moving relative to the fluid to effect separation . droplet extraction can be performed anywhere along an non - walled liquid column or as shown in fig2 a at any wall opening in between the ends of a wall bounded liquid channel . as shown in fig2 a , a liquid column that is bounded by physical walls 20 will typically provide greater resistance to extraction of a droplet 30 in the form of a pull - back force ( indicated by the arrows in the column 20 ) exerted by the intermolecular attraction or cohesion within the fluidic volume at the extraction site . if this force is not mitigated , the fluid column within the channel will be disrupted and sample molecules or particles may become mixed or otherwise disturbed and / or droplet extraction may actually be prevented . several methods can be employed to reduce this channel pull - back force , including the merging or addition of a refill droplet 34 to the extraction site 22 as shown in fig2 b . the refill droplet 34 mitigates the pull - back force exerted by the column by replenishing the fluid volume lost through droplet extraction . this replenishing prevents drainage of adjacent fluids within the channel , thereby preventing the mixing and dilution of any solute bands at or near the extraction point . other methods may be used to mitigate channel pull back force and to replace fluid volume lost through the droplet extraction . these methods can also be used on non - walled liquid columns as the pull - back force to be mitigated in such structures will be less than with channel - bounded liquid columns . once a droplet is extracted , the sample within the droplet can be subjected to further separation and bifurcation manipulations and can also be split into two smaller daughter droplets ( fig1 d ) to physically isolate and drive a specific sample type to an analysis or immuno - capture site . that is , once the droplet containing sample is extracted , the droplet can be subjected to forces ( e . g ., electrical ) to further spatially separate the sample molecules or particles within the droplet . then the droplet can be further subdivided , for example by being pulled apart into two droplets , to render this spatial separation permanent . alternatively , a uniform droplet can be split and divided repeatedly to create multiple identical droplets to allow parallel analysis . droplet extraction from a liquid column was demonstrated using the test chip design shown in fig3 a . in the design the channel or column 40 is a ce column powered by ce electrodes 42 ( powered by traces 52 ) which draw a sample from a sample reservoir 44 through the column 40 . the length of the column from the reservoir 44 to the electrodes 42 is between two and three centimeters . the actual channel through which liquid flows is approximately 100 μm wide and 80 μm in height . spacers 46 support a layer of glass ( or similar transparent material ) above the device to create the upper bounds of the channel . two t - shaped ewod electrodes 48 are provided to extract a droplet from an extraction point 22 ( a 1 . 5 mm long opening in the walls of the column ) located where the column 40 passes between the two ewod electrodes 48 . the ewod electrodes are powered by a plurality of traces 54 . all the traces lead to square connection pads 56 ( 20 pads total ) which interconnect with a connector ( not shown ) to power and control the device . fig3 b is a photograph of the actual fabricated chip at approximately life size . fig3 b shows a photomicrograph of the extraction point 22 . the side walls 60 of the column end at either side of the ewod electrodes 48 leaving the 100 μm wide fluid channel 58 to cross the electrodes 48 without side walls . in this photomicrograph , the ewod electrodes 48 are drawing liquid out of the channel 58 forming menisci 62 on either side . fig4 a shows a large reservoir water droplet 64 which will supply the refill droplet . the ewod electrode array 48 runs from left to right . fig4 b shows a meniscus 66 ( to the right ) outlining a refill droplet 68 being pulled from the reservoir droplet 64 . note the channel 58 crossing the ewod electrodes 48 at the far right . fig4 c shows the necking as the refill droplet 68 is pinched off from the reservoir droplet as the droplet 68 is driven towards the right and the channel 58 . fig4 d shows the fully formed refill droplet 68 moving towards the separation channel 58 . fig4 e shows a droplet 70 being extracted from the right side of the channel opening ( while the refill droplet 68 moves in from the left side ). fig4 f shows the necking of the extracted droplet 70 pulled from the separation channel 20 . fig4 g shows the extracted drop 70 fully separated while fig4 h shows the extracted droplet 70 driven farther to the right end of the ewod electrode 48 . surprisingly , a break or physical wall opening does not interfere with liquid channel functions such as separation . for example , ce separation was successfully conducted in the test chip channel of the type shown in fig3 ( 100 μm wide ) with a mid - channel opening 1 . 5 mm in length . in that experiment a mixture of red colored carboxyl modified latex ( cml ) beads ( 10 μm diameter ) and white colored amino sulfate coated beads ( 10 μm diameter ) were pipetted into the channel input reservoir . then an approximately 80v potential was applied to the ce electrodes located at opposite ends of the channel . there was clear separation of red and white beads into distinct bands within the channel due to surface charge differences of the beads . the band of red beads arrived first at the extraction point where it was extracted following the steps shown in fig4 . at the extraction point the band of white beads reached the earlier arriving red beds . as anticipated remixing of the two bead populations was prevented by the droplet extraction - refill droplet process demonstrating that 1 ) the order of separation can be preserved and that 2 ) the ce separation continues to function normally despite the presence of the extraction point opening . the following claims are thus to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above , what is conceptually equivalent , what can be obviously substituted and also what essentially incorporates the essential idea of the invention . those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just - described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope of the invention . the illustrated embodiment has been set forth only for the purposes of example and that should not be taken as limiting the invention . therefore , it is to be understood that , within the scope of the appended claims , the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein .	1
referring to fig1 fig2 and fig3 the exploded , isometric , and orthographic drawings of the invention herein . the multifunction computer chair support apparatus is comprised of chair legs 1 consisting of a t - shaped anterior leg tube 11 , a t - shaped posterior leg tube 12 , and an i - shaped folding hinge 13 ( utilized for folding and positioning ) ( as shown in fig3 ); the said t - shaped posterior leg tube 12 is pivotably conjoined to the rear extent of the t - shaped anterior leg tube 11 in a inverted - v arrangement ; the t - shaped anterior leg tube 11 has respectively situated at its medial and top sections a center horizontal tube 111 and an upper horizontal tube 112 , with a leg cap 113 sleeved onto the bottom ends of each said t - shaped tube ; a pad 122 is welded to the upper tubular opening of the said t - shaped posterior leg tube 12 and the i - shaped folding hinge 13 is installed between the t - shaped anterior leg tube 11 and the t - shaped posterior leg tube 12 ; an elbow cushion 2 is situated on the upper horizontal tube 112 of the t - shaped anterior leg tube 11 , a knee cushion 3 is disposed onto one side of the t - shaped anterior leg tube 11 , and a hinge 31 is fastened to the bottom portion of the knee cushion 3 ; the adjustment structure 4 consists of an adjustment base 41 , an adjustment rod 42 , a mounting element 43 , and screws 44 ; the said adjustment base 41 is respectively positioned at a certain higher or lower height along the t - shaped anterior leg tube 11 and a plurality of adjustment holes 411 are formed in the adjustment base 41 ; the said adjustment rod 42 is u - shaped and respectively screw fastens two mounting elements 43 to the lower extent of the elbow cushion 2 and the knee cushion 3 , which thereby constitutes the structure of the computer chair support apparatus . when the user assembles the said computer chair support apparatus , the user determines the arrangement of the elbow cushion 2 and the knee cushion 3 as required ; when the user operates a computer and is handling a mouse , the arms are supported on the elbow cushion 2 and the legs are postured against the knee cushion 3 to reduce hand fatigue that occurs over an extended period of time ; when the user wants to take a break , the legs can be postured straight over the knee cushion 3 until an appropriate duration of rest has been enjoyed . referring to fig4 fig5 and fig6 the drawings of another embodiment ( 1 ) of the invention herein , the said multifunction computer chair support apparatus is comprised of chair legs 1 consisting of a t - shaped anterior leg tube 11 , a t - shaped posterior leg tube 12 , and an i - shaped folding hinge 13 ( utilized for folding and positioning ) ( as shown in fig3 ); the said t - shaped posterior leg tube 12 is pivotably conjoined to the rear extent of the t - shaped anterior leg tube 11 in a inverted - v arrangement ; the t - shaped anterior leg tube 11 has respectively situated at its medial and top sections a center horizontal tube 111 and an upper horizontal tube 112 , with a leg cap 113 sleeved onto the bottom ends of each said t - shaped tube ; a pad 122 is welded to the upper tubular opening of the said t - shaped posterior leg tube 12 and the i - shaped folding hinge 13 is installed between the t - shaped anterior leg tube 11 and the t - shaped posterior leg tube 12 ; the said elbow cushion 2 is situated on the upper horizontal tube 112 of the t - shaped anterior leg tube 11 , the said knee cushion 3 is disposed onto one side of the t - shaped anterior leg tube 11 , and a hinge 31 is fastened to the bottom portion of the knee cushion 3 ; the said adjustment structure 4 consists of an adjustment base 41 , an adjustment rod 42 , a mounting element 43 , and screws 44 ; the said adjustment base 41 is respectively positioned at a certain higher or lower height along the t - shaped anterior leg tube 11 and a plurality of adjustment holes 411 are formed in the adjustment base 41 ; the said adjustment rod 42 is u - shaped and respectively screw fastens two mounting elements 43 to the lower extent of the elbow cushion 2 and the knee cushion 3 , wherein there is a roller wheel structure 121 consisting of a roller wheel shaft 1216 extending a certain distance from each of the two sides of the t - shaped posterior leg tube 12 that are sleeved with a roller wheel 1211 and concealed by a roller wheel cover 1215 , and a hole is formed in the said roller wheel cover 1215 ( not shown in the drawings ); one end of an elastic stay cord 1212 is fixed to the t - shaped posterior leg tube 12 and its other end is routed pass the grooves 12111 of the roller wheels 1211 , following which the roller wheel covers 1215 are placed over such that they are conjoined to a handle bar 1214 ; the adjustment base 41 has a seating slot 1213 disposed across one side that provides for the positioning of the handle bar 1214 ; the design of the said adjustment base 41 is identical to that of the adjustment base 41 shown in fig1 except for the addition of the seating slot 1213 , which enables the user to pull the handle bar 1214 and utilize the tension of the stay cord 121 generated by the roller wheels 1211 to exercise the arms and thereby keep in shape . referring to fig7 the drawing of another embodiment ( 1 ) of the invention herein , when the user is utilizing the said computer chair support apparatus , the user can physically exercise by manually operating the roller wheel structure 121 to promote blood circulation , which is among the many functions of the computer chair of the present invention . referring to fig8 and fig9 the drawings of another embodiment ( 2 ) of the invention herein , the multifunction computer chair support apparatus is comprised of chair legs 1 consisting of a t - shaped anterior leg tube 11 , a t - shaped posterior leg tube 12 , and an i - shaped folding hinge 13 ( utilized for folding and positioning ) ( as shown in fig3 ); the said t - shaped posterior leg tube 12 is pivotably conjoined to the rear extent of the t - shaped anterior leg tube 11 in a inverted - v arrangement ; the t - shaped anterior leg tube 11 has respectively situated at its medial and top sections a center horizontal tube 111 and an upper horizontal tube 112 , with a leg cap 113 sleeved onto the bottom ends of each said t - shaped tube ; a pad 122 is welded to the upper tubular opening of the said t - shaped posterior leg tube 12 and the i - shaped folding hinge 13 is installed between the t - shaped anterior leg tube 11 and the t - shaped posterior leg tube 12 ; the said elbow cushion 2 is situated on the upper horizontal tube 112 of the t - shaped anterior leg tube 11 , the said knee cushion 3 is disposed onto one side of the t - shaped anterior leg tube 11 , and a hinge 31 is fastened to the bottom portion of the knee cushion 3 ; the said adjustment structure 4 consists of an adjustment base 41 , an adjustment rod 42 , a mounting element 43 , and screws 44 ; the said adjustment base 41 is respectively positioned at a certain higher or lower height along the t - shaped anterior leg tube 11 and a plurality of adjustment holes 411 are formed in the adjustment base 41 ; the said adjustment rod 42 is u - shaped and respectively screw fastens two mounting elements 43 to the lower extent of the elbow cushion 2 and the knee cushion 3 , wherein an adjustment screw 21 is installed at one side of the upper tubular opening of the said t - shaped anterior leg tube 11 , a pin mount 22 is situated at the conjoinment area of the t - shaped posterior leg tube 12 , the elbow cushion 2 is attached to the tubular opening of the t - shaped anterior leg tube 11 by means of an elbow cushion stem 23 , with the said elbow cushion stem 23 coupled into the tubular opening of the t - shaped anterior leg tube 11 , and the adjustment structure 41 consisting of the adjustment base 41 , adjustment rod 42 , mounting elements 43 , and screws 44 is disposed at the lower extent of the elbow cushion stem 23 ; a plurality of adjustment holes 411 are formed in the adjustment base 41 , the said adjustment rod 42 respectively screw fastens the two mounting elements 43 to the lower extent of the elbow cushion such that the adjustment screw 21 is utilized to vary the elevation of the elbow cushion stem 23 according to the height of the user , with the said components thereby constituting the multifunction computer chair support apparatus . referring to fig1 , the drawing of another embodiment ( 2 ) of the invention herein that illustrates its operation , when the user utilizes the computer chair support apparatus , the elevation of the elbow cushion stem 23 is changed utilizing the adjustment screw 21 to accommodate user height requirements , thereby facilitating the convenience of the computer chair support apparatus .	0
“ therapeutic treatment ” refers to the treatment of a disease wherein the treatment reduces or eliminates the symptoms of that disease . “ prophylactic treatment ” or “ prophylaxis ” refers to the prevention or hindrance of development of disease . the terms “ aliquot ,” “ aliquot of blood ” or similar terms used herein include whole blood , separated cellular fractions of the blood including platelets , separated non - cellular fractions of the blood including plasma , and combinations thereof . the method of this invention provides for the prophylactic or therapeutic treatment of a neurological brain disease mediated by reactive oxygen species . in this method a patient is first identified as having such a disease condition or is at risk of having such a disease condition mediated by reactive oxygen species . the patient is then evaluated to determine whether that disease condition or risk of disease condition can be effectively treated by reducing the concentration of reactive oxygen species . such evaluation is made by the attending clinician based upon the disease to be treated and the progression of the disease . such factors are well within the skill of the art . if , in the opinion of the attending clinician , a reduction in the concentration of reactive oxygen species would be suitable for the prophylactic or therapeutic treatment of such a disease , then the patient is administered an aliquot of blood which has been treated ex vivo with at least two stressors selected from the group consisting of an oxidative environment , thermal stress and electromagnetic radiation . the ex vivo treatment of the aliquot of blood is described below . the method provides a reduced concentration of the reactive oxygen species in said patient . in this preferred method , the patient is evaluated to determine whether the neurological brain disease condition or risk of neurological brain disease condition could be effectively treated by reducing the concentration of reactive oxygen species , e . g . whether its inflammation component associated with the presence of reactive oxygen species can be effectively reduced by reducing the concentration of reactive oxygen species . in this regard , the reduction of the reactive oxygen species is reduced in the patient at the time when a reduction of reactive oxygen species effectively treats ( either prophylactically or therapeutically ) the disease . the concentration of reactive oxygen species may be measured by a variety of methods known in the art . for example , one can determine them from measurements of depletion of anti - oxidative enzymes ( glutathione , catalase ) in the patient &# 39 ; s blood ( see layton et . al .). an alternative is to test the serum of a patient for oxidized low density lipoproteins , using anti - oldl elisa immunoassay ( see wilburgur et . al .). one can also measure lipid peroxidation products such as tiabarbituric acid and its derivatives in plasma , or measure arachidonic acid oxidation products in a patient &# 39 ; s blood . the treated blood is administered to the mammal by a method suitable for vaccination selected from the group consisting of intra - arterial injection , intramuscular injection , intravenous injection , subcutaneous injection , intraperitoneal injection , and oral , nasal or rectal administration . intramuscular injection is preferred . according to a preferred process of the present invention , an aliquot of blood is extracted from a mammalian subject , preferably a human , and the aliquot of blood is treated ex vivo with certain stressors , described in more detail below . the effect of the stressors is to modify the blood , and / or the cellular or non - cellular fractions thereof , contained in the aliquot . the modified aliquot is then re - introduced into the subject &# 39 ; s body by any route suitable for vaccination . the stressors to which the aliquot of blood is subjected ex vivo according to the method of the present invention are selected from temperature stress ( blood temperature above or below body temperature ), an oxidative environment and an electromagnetic emission , individually or in any combination , simultaneously or sequentially . suitably , in human subjects , the aliquot has a volume sufficient that , when re - introduced into the subject &# 39 ; s body , at least partial alleviation of the reactive oxygen species mediated disorder is achieved in the subject . preferably , the volume of the aliquot is up to about 400 ml , preferably from about 0 . 1 to about 100 ml , more preferably from about 5 to about 15 ml , even more preferably from about 8 to about 12 ml , and most preferably about 10 ml , along with an anticoagulant , e . g ., 2 ml sodium citrate . it is preferred , according to the invention , to apply all three of the aforementioned stressors simultaneously to the aliquot under treatment , in order to ensure the appropriate modification to the blood . it may also be preferred in some embodiments of the invention to apply any two of the above stressors , for example to apply temperature stress and oxidative stress , temperature stress and an electromagnetic emission , or an electromagnetic emission and oxidative stress . care must be taken to utilize an appropriate level of the stressors to thereby effectively modify the blood to alleviate the reactive oxygen species mediated disorder in the subject . the temperature stressor warms the aliquot being treated to a temperature above normal body temperature or cools the aliquot below normal body temperature . the temperature is selected so that the temperature stressor does not cause excessive hemolysis in the blood contained in the aliquot and so that , when the treated aliquot is injected into a subject , alleviation of the reactive oxygen species mediated disorder will be achieved . preferably , the temperature stressor is applied so that the temperature of all or a part of the aliquot is up to about 55 ° c ., and more preferably in the range of from about − 5 ° c . to about 55 ° c . in some preferred embodiments of the invention , the temperature of the aliquot is raised above normal body temperature , such that the mean temperature of the aliquot does not exceed a temperature of about 55 ° c ., more preferably from about 40 ° c . to about 50 ° c ., even more preferably from about 40 ° c . to about 44 ° c ., and most preferably about 42 . 5 ± 1 ° c . in other preferred embodiments , the aliquot is cooled below normal body temperature such that the mean temperature of the aliquot is within the range of from about − 5 ° c . to about 36 . 5 ° c ., more preferably from about 10 ° c . to about 30 ° c ., and even more preferably from about 15 ° c . to about 25 ° c . the oxidative environment stressor can be the application to the aliquot of solid , liquid or gaseous oxidizing agents . preferably , it involves exposing the aliquot to a mixture of medical grade oxygen and ozone gas , most preferably by bubbling through the aliquot , at the aforementioned temperature range , a stream of medical grade oxygen gas having ozone as a minor component therein . the ozone content of the gas stream and the flow rate of the gas stream are preferably selected such that the amount of ozone introduced to the blood aliquot , either on its own or in combination with other stressors , does not give rise to excessive levels of cell damage such that the therapy is rendered ineffective . suitably , the gas stream has an ozone content of up to about 300 μg / ml , preferably up to about 100 μg / ml , more preferably about 30 μg / ml , even more preferably up to about 20 μg / ml particularly preferably from about 10 μg / ml to about 20 μg / ml , and most preferably about 14 . 5 ± 1 . 0 μg / ml . the gas stream is suitably supplied to the aliquot at a rate of up to about 2 . 0 liters / min , preferably up to about 0 . 5 liters / min , more preferably up to about 0 . 4 liters / min , even more preferably up to about 0 . 33 liters / min , and most preferably about 0 . 24 ± 0 . 024 liters / min , at stp . the lower limit of the flow rate of the gas stream is preferably not lower than 0 . 01 liters / min , more preferably not lower than 0 . 1 liters / min , and even more preferably not lower than 0 . 2 liters / min . the electromagnetic emission stressor is suitably applied by irradiating the aliquot under treatment from a source of an electromagnetic emission while the aliquot is maintained at the aforementioned temperature and while the oxygen / ozone gaseous mixture is being bubbled through the aliquot . preferred electromagnetic emissions are selected from photonic radiation , more preferably uv , visible and infrared light , and even more preferably uv light . the most preferred uv sources are uv lamps emitting primarily uv - c band wavelengths , i . e ., at wavelengths shorter than about 280 nm . such lamps may also emit amounts of visible and infrared light . ultraviolet light corresponding to standard uv - a ( wavelengths from about 315 to about 400 nm ) and uv - b ( wavelengths from about 280 to about 315 ) sources can also be used . for example , an appropriate dosage of such uv light , applied simultaneously with the aforementioned temperature and oxidative environment stressors , can be obtained from lamps with a combined power output of from about 15 to about 25 watts , arranged to surround the sample container holding the aliquot , each lamp providing an intensity at a distance of one meter , of from about 45 – 65 mw / cm 2 . up to eight such lamps surrounding the sample bottle , with a combined output at 253 . 7 nm of 15 – 25 watts , operated at an intensity to deliver a total uv light energy at the surface of the blood of from about 0 . 025 to about 10 joules / cm 2 , preferably from about 0 . 1 to about 3 . 0 joules / cm 2 , may advantageously be used . preferably , four such lamps are used . the time for which the aliquot is subjected to the stressors is normally within the time range of up to about 60 minutes . the time depends to some extent upon the chosen intensity of the electromagnetic emission , the temperature , the concentration of the oxidizing agent and the rate at which it is supplied to the aliquot . some experimentation to establish optimum times may be necessary on the part of the operator , once the other stressor levels have been set . under most stressor conditions , preferred times will be in the approximate range of from about 2 to about 5 minutes , more preferably about 3 or about 3½ minutes . the starting blood temperature , and the rate at which it can be warmed or cooled to a predetermined temperature , tends to vary from subject to subject . such a treatment provides a modified blood aliquot which is ready for injection into the subject . in the practice of the preferred process of the present invention , the blood aliquot may be treated with the stressors using an apparatus of the type described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 968 , 483 to mueller . the aliquot is placed in a suitable , sterile , uv light - transmissive container , which is fitted into the machine . the uv lamps re switched on for a fixed period before the gas flow is applied to the aliquot providing the oxidative stress , to allow the output of the uv lamps to stabilize . the uv lamps are typically switched on while the temperature of the aliquot is adjusted to the predetermined value , e . g ., 42 . 5 ± 1 ° c . then the oxygen / ozone gas mixture , of known composition and controlled flow rate , is applied to the aliquot , for the predetermined duration of up to about 60 minutes , preferably 2 to 5 minutes and most preferably about 3 minutes as discussed above , so that the aliquot experiences all three stressors simultaneously . in this way , blood is appropriately modified according to the present invention to achieve the desired effects . a subject preferably undergoes a course of treatments , such individual treatment comprising removal of a blood aliquot , treatment thereof as described above and re - administration of the treated aliquot to the subject . a course of such treatments may comprise daily administration of treated blood aliquots for a number of consecutive days , or may comprise a first course of daily treatments for a designated period of time , followed by an interval and then one or more additional courses of daily treatments . in one preferred embodiment , the subject is given an initial course of treatments comprising the administration of 4 to 6 aliquots of treated blood . in another preferred embodiment , the subject is given an initial course of therapy comprising administration of from 2 to 4 aliquots of treated blood , with the administration of any pair of consecutive aliquots being either on consecutive days , or being separated by a rest period of from 1 to 21 days on which no aliquots are administered to the patient , the rest period separating one selected pair of consecutive aliquots being from about 3 to 15 days . in a more specific , preferred embodiment , the dosage regimen of the initial course of treatments comprises a total of three aliquots , with the first and second aliquots being administered on consecutive days and a rest period of 11 days being provided between the administration of the second and third aliquots . it may be preferred to subsequently administer additional courses of treatments following the initial course of treatments . preferably , subsequent courses of treatments are administered at least about three weeks after the end of the initial course of treatments . in one particularly preferred embodiment , the subject receives a second course of treatment comprising the administration of one aliquot of treated blood every 30 days following the end of the initial course of treatments , for a period of 6 months . it will be appreciated that the spacing between successive courses of treatments should be such that the positive effects of the treatment of the invention are maintained , and may be determined on the basis of the observed response of individual subjects . the invention is demonstrated and illustrated by the following animal experiments , conducted on wistar rats , according to ethically - approved procedures and protocols . the experiments investigated the effect of pre - treatment of peripheral blood exposed to immune modulation therapy on lps - induced impairment of ltp in rat hippocampal tissue . preliminary studies were also carried out in cortical tissue to explore the consequence of immune modulation therapy on the accumulation of ros , the concentration of the cytokines tnfα and il - 10 , as well as il - 1 receptor type i , and on the activity of the stress - activated protein kinase , jnk . four groups of eight male wistar rats ( 300 – 350 g ; bioresources unit , trinity college dublin , republic of ireland ) were used in these experiments . animals were housed in groups of four under a 12 - hour light schedule , ambient temperature was controlled between 22 and 23 ° c . and rats were maintained under veterinary supervision . whole blood was obtained by cardiac puncture from donor rats and anticoagulated with sodium citrate ( 10 ml of blood + 2 ml of 3 . 13 % sodium citrate solution ). the anticoagulated blood was divided into two aliquots ; 2 ml to be used for sham treatment and 10 ml to undergo immune modulation treatment . for immune modulation treatment , 10 ml of anticoagulated blood was transferred to a custom - built sterile , low - density polyethylene disposable blood container ( vasogen inc , toronto , on , canada ) and exposed to a combination of controlled physiochemical stress factors in a medical device ( vasogen inc ). during processing , the temperature of the blood was raised to 42 . 5 ° c ., during which time blood was exposed to uv light ( maximum emission spectrum at 254 nm ). when this temperature was reached , a gas mixture of 14 . 5 ± 1 . 0 μg / ml of ozone in medical oxygen was bubbled through the blood at a flow rate of 240 ± 24 ml per min for 3 minutes , after which time the heat and uvc light sources were turned off . the foaming action caused by bubbling the gas through the blood increased the surface area exposed to the uvc light . the blood was then allowed to settle to the bottom of the blood container and was then ready to be used . two groups of 16 rats were treated by intramuscular injection with 150 μl of processed blood or untreated blood ( sham treatment ). injections were administered 14 days , 13 days and 1 day before lps challenge / induction of ltp . rats were anesthetized by intraperitoneal injection of urethane ( 1 . 5 g / kg ). all rats received lps ( 100 μg / kg ) or saline , intraperitoneally and monitored for 3 h . a bipolar stimulating electrode and a unipolar recording electrode were placed in the perforant path ( 4 . 4 mm lateral to lambda ) and in the dorsal cell body region of the dentate gyrus ( 2 . 5 mm lateral and 3 . 9 mm posterior to bregma ), respectively , and 0 . 033 - hz test shocks were given for 10 min before , and 40 min after , titanic stimulation ( three trains of stimuli delivered at 30 - s intervals , 250 hz for 200 ms ( mcgahon & amp ; lynch , 1996 )). rats were killed by decapitation ; cross - chopped slices ( 350 × 350 μm ) were prepared from dentate gyri , entorhinal cortex , hippocampus and cortex and used to prepare dissociated cells ( see below ) or frozen separately in krebs solution containing 10 % dimethyl sulfoxide ( haan & amp ; bowen , 1981 ) and stored at − 80 ° c . for analysis , slices were thawed rapidly and rinsed in fresh oxygenated krebs solution before preparation of homogenate or the crude synaptosomal pellet p 2 ( mcgahon & amp ; lynch , 1996 ). the formation of reactive oxygen species was assessed by analyzing formation of the highly - fluorescent 2 ′, 7 - dichlorofluorescein ( dcf ) from the non - fluorescent probe , 2 ′, 7 - dichlorofluorescein diacetate ( dcfh - da ; molecular probes , usa ; lebel et al ., 1992 ). the synaptosomal pellet , p 2 , prepared from cortex , was resuspended in 1 ml ice - cold 40 mm tris buffer ( ph 7 . 4 ), incubated at 37 ° c . for 15 min with dcfh - da ( 10 μl ; final concentration 5 μm ; from a stock solution of 500 μm in methanol ) and the reaction was terminated by centrifugation at 13 , 000 × g for 8 min at 4 ° c . pellets were resuspended in 1 . 5 ml of ice - cold 40 mm tris buffer , ph 7 . 4 , and monitored for fluorescence at 37 ° c . ( excitation , 488 nm ; emission , 525 nm ). reactive oxygen species formation was quantified from a standard curve of dcf in methanol ( range 0 to 5 μm ). protein concentration was determined ( bradford , 1976 ) and the results were expressed as nmol / mg protein / min . a commercially available enzyme - linked immunosorbent assay was used to analyze cortical tnfα ( biosource international inc .) and cortical il - 10 was measured using an il - 10 cytoset antibody pair ( biosource international inc .). each tissue was added to 1 ml of iscove &# 39 ; s culture medium containing 5 % fetal bovine serum and a cocktail enzyme inhibitor ( 100 mm amino - n - caproic acid , 10 mm na 2 edta , 5 mm benzamidine hcl , 0 . 2 mm phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride ). tissue was homogenized and centrifuged at 10 , 000 rpm at 4 ° c . for 10 min . supernatants were removed and analyzed for tnfα using elisa . protein concentration was determined ( bradford , 1976 ) and the results were expressed as pg / mg protein . jnk activity and il - 1 receptor type i concentration was analyzed using western blotting technique in samples prepared from cortical tissue . tissue homogenates were diluted to equalize for protein concentration ( bradford , 1976 ) and 10 μl aliquots ( 1 mg / ml ) were added to 5 μl of sample buffer ( 0 . 5 mm tris - hcl , ph 6 . 8 , 10 % glycerol , 10 % sds , 5 % b - mercaptoethanol , 0 . 05 % bromophenol blue , w / v ) and boiled for 5 min . samples were frozen until western blotting was performed . 10 μl of each sample was loaded onto gels ( 10 % sds ) for each analysis . proteins were separated by application of a 32 - ma constant current for 25 – 30 min , transferred onto nitrocellulose strips ( 225 ma for 75 min ), and immunoblotted with the appropriate antibody . to assess jnk activity , proteins were immunoblotted with an antibody that specifically targets phosphorylated jnk ( santa cruz biotechnology , inc ; 1 : 100 in tbs and 0 . 1 % tween 20 containing 1 % bsa ) for 2 h at room temperature . il - 1 receptor type i concentration was assessed by immunoblotting proteins with a rabbit polyclonal antibody raised against an epitope mapping at the carboxy terminus of il - 1ri of mouse origin ( santa cruz biotechnology , inc . ; 1 : 2000 in pbs and 0 . 1 % tween 20 containing 2 % non - fat dried milk ) for 45 min at room temperature and 45 min at 37 ° c . nitrocellulose strips were washed and incubated with secondary antibody [ peroxide - linked anti - mouse igg ; 1 : 300 dilution ( sigma ) for 2 h at room temperature in the case of jnk and with hrp - linked anti - rabbit antibody ; 1 : 2000 dilution ( amersham , uk ) for 60 min at room temperature and 30 min at 37 ° c . in the case of il - 1 receptor type i . visualization of phosphorylated jnk was achieved using supersignal west dura extended duration substrate ( pierce , usa ). immunoblots were immersed in substrate for 5 min and subsequently exposed to film for 1 s . protein complexes of il - 1 receptor type i were visualized by ecl detection ( amersham , uk ) and immunoblots were exposed to film overnight at 4 ° c . in both cases films were processed using a fuji x - ray processor . quantification of protein bands was achieved by densitometric analysis using two software packages , grab it ( grab it annotating grabber , version 2 . 04 . 7 , synotics ; uvp ltd ) and gelworks ( gelworks id , version 2 . 51 ; uvp ltd ) for photography and densitometry , respectively . gelworks provides a single value ( in arbitrary units ) representing the density of each blot . glutamate release was assessed in the impure synaptosomal preparation , p 2 , obtained from dentate gyrus ; either freshly - prepared tissue was used or alternatively , p 2 was prepared from frozen slices of dentate gyri which were obtained from rats in which electrophysiological recordings were made ( mcgahon and lynch , 1996 ). in both cases , p 2 preparations were resuspended in oxygenenated krebs solution containing 2 mm cacl 2 and glutamate release was assessed as described previously ( mcgahon et al ., 1996 ). briefly , synaptosomal tissue was aliquotted onto millipore filters ( o45 μm ), rinsed under vacuum and the filtrate was discarded . synaptosomes were then incubated in 250 μl oxygenated krebs solution at 37 ° c . for 3 min , in the presence or absence of 40 mm kcl , and filtrate was collected and stored for analysis as described ( ordronneau et al ., 1991 ). in some experiments , synaptosomes were incubated at 37 ° c . for 20 min in krebs solution containing il - 1β ( 1 ng / ml ) in the presence or absence of vasoactive intestinal peptide ( vip ; 1 μm ). triplicate samples ( 50 μl ) or glutamate standards ( 50 μl ; 25 nm to 1 μm prepared in 100 mm nah 2 po 4 buffer , ph 8 . 0 ) were added to glutaraldehyde - coated 96 - well plates , incubated for 60 min at 37 ° c ., and washed with 100 mm nah 2 po 4 buffer . ethanolamine ( 250 μl ; 0 . 1 m in 100 mm nah 2 po 4 4 buffer ) was used to bind unreacted aldehydes and donkey serum ( 200 μl ; 3 % in pbs - t ) was added to block non - specific binding . samples were incubated overnight at 4 ° c . in the presence of antiglutamate antibody ( raised in rabbit ; 100 μl ; 1 : 5 , 000 in pbs - t ; sigma , uk ), washed and reacted with secondary antibody ( anti - rabbit horseradish peroxidase ( hrp )- linked secondary antibody ; 100 μl ; 1 : 10 , 000 in pbs - t ; amersham , uk ) for 60 min at room temperature . 3 . 3 ′, 4 . 4 ′- tetramethylbenzidine liquid substrate was added as chromogen and incubation continued for exactly 60 min at room temperature , at which time the reaction was stopped by h 2 so 4 ( 4 m ; 30 μl ). optical densities were determined at 450 mm using a multiwell plate reader and values were calculated with reference to the standard curve , corrected for protein ( bradford , 1976 ) and expressed as μmol glutamate / mg protein . il - 1β concentration in hippocampal was analysed by elisa ( r & amp ; d systems , uk ). antibody - coated ( 100 μl ; 1 . 0 μg / ml final concentration , diluted in phosphate buffered saline ( pbs ), ph 7 . 3 ; goat anti - rat il - 1βantibody ) 96 = well plates were incubated overnight at room temperature , washed several times with pbs containing 0 . 05 % tween 20 , blocked for 1 hour at room temperature with 300 μl blocking buffer , ( pbs , ph 7 . 3 containing 5 % sucrose , 1 % bovine serum albumin ( bsa ), and 0 . 05 % nan 3 ). after several washes , plates were incubated with il - 1β standards ( 100 μl ; 0 – 1000 pg / ml in pbs containing 1 % bsa ) or samples ( homogenized in krebs solution containing 2 mm cacl 2 ) for 2 hours at room temperature . samples were incubated with secondary antibody ( 100 μl ; final concentration 350 ng / ml in pbs containing 1 % bsa and 2 % normal goat serum ; biotinylated goat anti - rat il - 1β antibody ) for 2 hours at room temperature , washed and incubated in detection agent ( 100 μl ; horseradish peroxidase conjugated streptavidin ; 1 : 200 dilution in pbs containing 1 % bsa ) for 20 min at room temperature . substrate solution ( 100 μl ; 1 : 1 mixture of h 2 o 2 and tetramethylbenzidine ) was added , samples were incubated at room temperature in the dark for 1 hour after which time the reaction was stopped using 50 μl 1 m h 2 so 4 . absorbance was read at 450 nm , values were corrected for protein ( bradford , 1976 ) and expressed as pg il - 1β / mg protein . dissociated cells were prepared by enzymatic and mechanical digestion of fresh hippocampal slices . slices were incubated with collagenase ( 0 . 125 %) in pbs for 30 min at room temperature , washed with pbs to terminate collagenase digestion , and then gently triturated with a glass pasteur pipette , before passing through a nylon mesh filter to remove tissue clumps . cells were than cytospun onto glass microscope slides , fixed with methanol and stored until use . tunel ( terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase ( tdt )- mediated dutp nick - end labeling ) staining , which identifies nuclei with fragmented dna ( a characteristic of apoptotic cells ), was performed according to the manufacturer &# 39 ; s instructions . briefly , fixed cytospun cells were washed and permeabilized . cells were equilibrated in buffer ( 200 mm potassium cacodylate ( ph 6 . 6 at 25 ° c . ), 25 mm tris - hcl ( ph 5 . 5 at 25 ° c . ), 0 . 2 mm dtt , 0 . 25 mg / ml bsa , 2 . 5 mm cocl 2 ) for 5 min at room temperature and incubated in tdt reaction mixture ( 30 μl ; 98 μl equilibration buffer , 1 μl biotinylated nucleotide mix , 1 μl tdt enzyme ) at 37 ° c . for 1 hour . the reaction was terminated by adding 100 μl 2 × scc ( 1 : 10 ; 2 × scc : deionized water ), endogenous peroxidases were blocked by incubating with h 2 o 2 ( 100 μl ; 0 . 3 % in pbs ) for 5 min at room temperature , and washed cells were incubated for 30 min at room temperature in streptavidin hrp solution ( 100 μl ; 1 : 500 in pbs ) to allow binding to biotinylated nucleotides . diaminobenzidine solution was added to washed cells , and the incubation proceeded for 10 min at room temperature . cells were washed with deionised water , dehydrated through graded ethanol , and then cleared with xylene after which slides were mounted in dpx mounting medium and coverslipped . tunel positive cells were expressed as a percentage of the total . data were analyzed , as appropriate , using either the student &# 39 ; s t - test for independent means , or by using a one - way analysis of variance ( anova ) followed by post hoc analysis using the student newman keuls test . mean body weight , dose of urethane administered to induce anaesthesia , and stimulus strength required to induce an epsp spike were calculated . there was no significant difference between groups in body weight ( fig1 a ) or urethane concentration ( fig1 b ) administered due to immune modulation therapy . fig1 demonstrates that immune modulation therapy does not significantly alter body weight ( a ) or dose of urethane administered to induce anaesthesia ( b ). there is however an increase in the amplitude required to induce an action potential ( c ). the data are expressed as means with standard errors . tetanic stimulation delivered to the perforant path 3 h after intraperitoneal injection of lps resulted in an increase in the mean slope of the population excitatory post - synaptic potential ( epsp ). the mean percentage change in the 2 min immediately following tetanic stimulation (± sem ; compared with the 5 min immediately before tetanic stimulation ) was 114 . 49 (± 2 . 79 ), but this was not maintained so that the mean percentage change in population epsp slope in the last 5 min of the experiment was 90 . 32 (± 2 . 42 ). the corresponding values in the saline - treated control rats were 170 . 15 (± 10 . 16 ) and 121 . 28 (± 1 . 20 ), respectively ( fig2 ). the lps induced inhibition of ltp was blocked by pre - treatment with immune modulation therapy . fig2 demonstrates that the lps - induced impairment of ltp , was inhibited by pre - treatment with immune modulation therapy . the mean population epsp slope immediately after tetanic stimulation was attenuated in lps - treated rats compared with saline - treated rats and was close to baseline at the end of the 40 min post - tetanus recording period . the inhibitory effect of lps on ltp was blocked by pre - treatment with immune modulation therapy , which exerted no significant effect in saline - challenged rats . the data presented are means of seven to eight observations in each treatment group . the mean percentage change in population epsp slope (± sem ) in the 2 min immediately after tetanic stimulation was 166 . 85 (± 4 . 54 ) in the sham pretreated , saline challenged group compared with 147 . 44 (± 5 . 84 ) in the group pretreated with immune modulation therapy and challenged with lps . in the last 5 min of the experiment the values were 121 . 96 (± 0 . 85 ) and 128 . 07 (± 1 . 46 ), respectively ( n = 7 – 8 ). dissocated cells prepared form fresh hippocampal tissue displayed an increased number of apoptotic cells after lps injection as evidenced by increased number of cells displaying dark brown stained nuclei i . e . tunel positive cells . this contrasts with cells prepared from hippocampus of saline - treated rats and rats treated with immune modulation therapy . treatment with immune modulation therapy reversed the effects of lps as shown by a reduction in the number of cells displaying tunel positive staining . the precentage of tunel positive cells was significantly increased in the lps - treated group compared with the control treated group ( p & lt ; 0 . 01 ; anova ) and demonstrates that the immune modulation therapy reversed the degenerative effect of lps ( p & lt ; 0 . 01 ; anova ). animals were administered either immune modulation therapy or sham treatments , as previously described , and the following measurements were made in the cortex : ros accumulation , tnf - α and il - 10 levels . these experiments were performed without lps stimulation of the animals . fig3 indicates that immune modulation therapy significantly reduces reactive oxygen species accumulation in the cortex ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ; student &# 39 ; s t - test for independent means , n = 7 – 8 ). the data are expressed as means with standard errors . the concentration of pro - inflammatory cytokine , tnfα is significantly reduced in the cortex as a result of immune modulation therapy ( p & lt ; 0 . 01 ; student &# 39 ; s t - test for independent means , fig4 a ). in contrast , il - 10 concentration is significantly increased ( p & lt ; 0 . 01 ; student &# 39 ; s t - test for independent means ) ( fig4 b ). fig4 a and 4 b show that immune modulation therapy significantly reduces tnfα concentration ( a ) and significantly increases il - 10 concentration ( b ) in the cortex ( p & lt ; 0 . 01 ; student &# 39 ; s t - test for independent means ; n = 7 – 8 ). the data are expressed as means with standard errors . fig5 illustrates that immune modulation therapy decreased jnk activity as indicated by a decrease in the phosphorylated form of jnk . analysis of the mean data obtained from densitometric analysis indicated that vasocare ™ therapy significantly reduced kinase activity ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ; student &# 39 ; s t - test for independent means ). fig5 shows that immune modulation therapy significantly reduces jnk activity in the cortex ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ; student &# 39 ; s t - test for independent means ; n = 7 – 8 ). the data are expressed as means with standard errors . with respect to the concentration of il - 1 receptor type i in cortical tissue , pilot work indicates that immune modulation therapy reduces il - 1 receptor type i expression ( fig6 ). the concentration of ligand pro - inflammatory il - 1β itself is expected to be lower , and is under examination . fig6 shows that immune modulation therapy reduces the concentration of il - 1 receptor type i ( preliminary data ; n = 3 ). the data are expressed as means with standard errors . analysis of endogenous glutamate release in synatosomes prepared from tetanized and untetanized tissue obtained from these rats revealed a significant effect of lps injection . addition of 40 mm kcl to synaptosomes prepared from untetanized dentate gyrus obtained from saline - treated control rats , significantly increased glutamate release ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ; student t - test for paired means ) albeit to an attenuated degree . this immune modulation therapy reversed the lps - induced blockage of kcl stimulated glutamate release in untetanized dentate gyrus and to a more significant degree in tetanized tissue ( p & lt ; 0 . 01 ; student t - test for paired means ). this immune modulation therapy may exert its protective effect on syncystic function by acting to prevent this lps - induced signaling event . bliss t v , collingridge g l . a synaptic model of memory : long - term potentiation in the hippocampus . nature . 1993 361 ( 6407 ): 31 – 9 . bradford m m . a rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein - dye binding . anal biochem . 1976 72 : 248 – 54 . green l n . corticosteroids in the treatment of sydenham &# 39 ; s chorea . arch . neurol . january 1978 ; 35 ( 1 ): 53 – 4 . haan e a , bowen d m . protection of neocortical tissue prisms from freeze - thaw injury by dimethyl sulphoxide . j neurochem . 1981 37 ( 1 ): 243 – 6 . kedziora j , bartosz g . down &# 39 ; s syndrome : a pathology involving the lack of balance of reactive oxygen species . free radic . biol . med ., 1988 ; 4 ( 5 ): 317 – 30 . kouamé n , carioto s , hamet p , tremblay j . vasocare - therapy attenuates telemetered temperature response to stress in shr . 9 th international symposium on shr and cardiovascular genetics , montreal , canada , # p - 136 , nov . 13 – 16 , 1997 . layton m e , pazdernik t l . reactive oxidant species in piriform cortex extracellular fluid during seizures induced by systemic kainic acid in rats . j . mol . neurosci august – october 1999 , 13 ( 1 – 2 ): 63 – 8 . lebel c p , ischiropoulos h , bondy s c . evaluation of the probe 2 ′, 7 ′- dichlorofluorescin as an indicator of reactive oxygen species formation and oxidative stress . chem res toxicol . 1992 5 ( 2 ): 227 – 31 . maroney a c , glicksman m a , basma a n , walton k m , knight e , murphy c a , bartlett b a , finn j p , angeles t , matsuda y , neff n t , dionne c a . motoneuron apoptosis is blocked by cep - 1347 ( kt 7515 ), a novel inhibitor of the jnk signaling pathway . j neurosci . 1998 18 ( 1 ): 104 – 11 . martin d s d , towey m , horrobin d f , lynch m a . a diet enriched in a - lipoic acid reverses the age - related compromise in antioxidant defenses in rat cortical tissue . nutritional neuroscience 2000 3 : 193 – 206 . mcgahon b , lynch m a . the synergism between metabotropic glutamate receptor activation and arachidonic acid on glutamate release is occluded by induction of long - term potentiation in the dentate gyrus . neuroscience . 1996 72 ( 3 ): 847 – 55 . mogi m , harada m , narabayashi h , inagaki h , minami m , nagatsu t . interleukin ( il )- 1b , il - 2 , il - 4 , il - 6 and transforming growth factor - a levels are elevated in ventricular cerebrospinal fluid in juvenile parkinsonism and parkinson &# 39 ; s disease . neurosci lett . 1996 211 ( 1 ): 13 – 6 . murray c a , lynch m a . evidence that increased hippocampal expression of the cytokine interleukin - 1b is a common trigger for age - and stress - induced impairments in long - term potentiation . j neurosci . 1998 18 ( 8 ): 2974 – 81 . o &# 39 ; donnell e , vereker e , lynch m a . age - related impairment in ltp is accompanied by enhanced activity of stress - activated protein kinases : analysis of underlying mechanisms . eur j neurosci . 2000 12 ( 1 ): 345 – 52 . park d s , stefanis l , yan c y , farinelli s e , greene l a . ordering the cell death pathway . differential effects of bcl2 , an interleukin - 1 - converting enzyme family protease inhibitor , and other survival agents on jnk activation in serum / nerve growth factor - deprived pc12 cells . j biol chem . 1996 271 ( 36 ): 21898 – 905 . rabinovitch b a , matukas l , raju k , punhani t , deveber g , keystone e . vasocare ™ psct normalizes the th2 cell subset in scleroderma . xii pan - american congress of rheumatology , montreal , canada , 1998 . schuchmann s , heinemann u . increased mitochondrial superoxide generation in neurons from trisomy 16 mice : a model of down &# 39 ; s syndrome . free radic . biol . med jan . 15 , 2000 ; 28 ( 2 ): 235 – 50 . shivji g m , suzuki h , mandel a s , bolton a e , sauder d n . the effect of vas972 on allergic contact hypersensitivity j cutan med surg . 2000 4 ( 3 ): 132 – 7 . tenneti l , d &# 39 ; emilia d m , troy c m , lipton s a . role of caspases in n - methyl - d - aspartate - induced apoptosis in cerebrocortical neurons . j neurochem . 1998 71 ( 3 ): 946 – 59 . trembovler v , beit - yannai e , younis f , gallily r , horowitz m , shohami e . antioxidants attenuate acute toxicity of tumor necrosis factor - alpha induced by brain injury in rat . j . interferon cytokine res july 1999 ; 19 ( 7 ): 791 – 5 . vereker e , campbell v , roche e , mcentee e , lynch m a . lipopolysaccharide inhibits long term potentiation in the rat dentate gyrus by activating caspase - 1 . j biol chem . 2000a 275 ( 34 ): 26252 – 8 . vereker e , o &# 39 ; donnell e , lynch m a . the inhibitory effect of interleukin - 1b on long - term potentiation is coupled with increased activity of stress - activated protein kinases . j neurosci . 2000b 20 ( 18 ): 6811 – 9 . wildburger r , borovic s , zarkovic n , and tatzber f . post - traumatic dynamic changes in the antibody titer against oxidized low density lipoproteins . wien klin wochenshr sep . 29 , 2000 ; 112 ( 18 ) 798 – 803 .	0
fig1 shows a switched - mode power supply unit from the top out . the housing 1 is shown here without its front cover , to show the components without obstruction . the arrangement of the individual components and the installation position of the switched - mode power supply unit shown correspond to the prior art . other arrangements or installation positions are also possible however . the input terminals 7 are shown bottom left on a printed circuit board 2 . they connect the switched - mode power supply unit to a mains voltage . next to them are the input capacitors 9 , which are generally configured as electrolytic capacitors . a primary cooling body 3 is disposed perpendicular to the printed circuit board 2 and has two switching elements 5 attached to it . to its right , in the upper region of the housing 1 , is a transformer 4 . the output capacitors 10 , configured as electrolytic capacitors , are disposed below this . a secondary diode 6 — similarly provided with a cooling body 16 — is shown on the right - hand edge of the housing 1 , said secondary diode 6 forming the rectifier circuit of the secondary element together with the output capacitors 10 . the output terminals 8 , to which a load can be connected , are disposed bottom right . the housing 1 generally has ventilation slots on its lower side and upper side , so that cooling air at ambient temperature enters the interior of the housing from below , is heated there by the heat - emitting components and then escapes in an upward direction at a higher temperature . according to the invention at least two of the five thermocouples 11 to 15 shown are disposed in the switched - mode power supply unit . the choice of measuring points is hereby a function of the switched - mode power supply unit requirements . to capture the general cooling behavior , the two thermocouples 11 and 12 are advantageously on the upper and lower edge of the housing 1 . the lower thermocouple 11 hereby measures the temperature of the ambient air flowing in from below and the upper thermocouple 12 measures the temperature of the heated outlet air . during the development of a switched - mode power supply unit at least two temperature patterns are determined by experiment . a temperature pattern is a group of temperatures , which result at the same time at the individual measuring points in a specific operating state . an optimal temperature pattern results for example with a recommended installation position and maximum permissible ambient temperature for the full power transfer . a second temperature pattern results with a changed installation position or at too high an ambient temperature . a plurality of temperature patterns is also favorably determined , resulting with different installation positions and different operating conditions . the temperature of the switching elements 5 , which are generally configured as field effect transistors ( fets ), is advantageously measured using a thermocouple 13 arranged in direct proximity . it is also advantageous to dispose one thermocouple 14 adjacent to the transformer 4 and one thermocouple 15 adjacent to the secondary diode 6 , to measure the temperatures of both these components . in the exemplary embodiment shown five thermocouples 11 to 15 are therefore provided , from which individual groups of five temperatures result as temperature patterns . the temperature patterns determined by experiment are available to the control facility of the switched - mode power supply unit for comparison with the temperatures measured during operation . a storage element and a microcontroller or a digital signal processor are suitable means for this purpose . when comparing the measured temperatures with the temperature patterns , the temperature which best corresponds to the measured temperatures is determined . this is done for example in such a manner that the individual differences between the measured temperature of a measuring point and the corresponding temperatures of the individual temperature patterns are first determined for every measuring point . the sum of the differences then represents a minimum for the group of differences of a specific temperature pattern . if increased monitoring of one or more measuring points is required for a switched - mode power supply unit due to critical deployment conditions or due to particularly temperature - sensitive components , it is favorable to weight the differences assigned to these measuring points more . for operation of the switched - mode power supply unit a specific setpoint state is assigned to each temperature pattern . it is expedient here to predetermine specific maximum transferable powers . the control facility of the switched - mode power supply unit therefore controls the switching elements as a function of the temperature pattern with the best correspondence at the time . this allows a switched - mode power supply unit to be operated permanently even at thermal overload , in that a smaller transferable power is predetermined at higher temperatures . a critical temperature pattern is hereby favorably defined , at which the switched - mode power supply unit disconnects totally . this may be necessary for example in the event of an output - side short circuit , in which the measured temperatures approximate to the critical temperature pattern . the advantage compared with the prior art is therefore an automatic derating in unfavorable thermal conditions . it is also possible to predetermine a higher transferable power in particularly good cooling conditions ( e . g . at low ambient temperatures ). to bring about a faster adjustment of the switched - mode power supply unit to changing conditions , besides the temperature pattern that corresponds best to the temperatures measured at the time , the temperature pattern that is a development of the temperature curves of the individual measuring points is also decisive . it is hereby checked on an ongoing basis whether the temperatures tend toward a higher or lower level temperature pattern . it is thus possible to reduce power for example even before a critical temperature pattern is reached , with the result that it may be possible to avoid total disconnection of the switched - mode power supply unit . as well as predetermining a maximum transferable power , it is also expedient to indicate to operators by means of suitable optical or acoustic signals that a critical thermal state is or has been reached . it can thus be indicated to operators for example that the switching element has been installed in an unfavorable position or that the outlet air slots of the housing 1 are covered . in the case of an incorrectly installed switched - mode power supply unit the measured temperature values of the two thermocouples 11 and 12 located on the edge are transposed . in other words the thermocouple 12 , which should actually measure the warmer outlet air on the upper side , measures the temperature of the cool ambient air flowing in and the other thermocouple 11 measures the warm outlet air . the thermal situation therefore best corresponds to the temperature pattern determined in an experiment with an incorrectly installed switched - mode power supply unit . a corresponding reporting signal is assigned to this temperature pattern , with the result that the approximation of the measured signals to this temperature pattern triggers a signal . the installation position is significant based on the arrangement of the individual components . thus for example the output capacitors 10 should be in the cooler region below the transformer 4 . for a differentiated evaluation of the thermal conditions it is favorable to divide the available measuring points into a number of groups , with specific temperature patterns being assigned to each group . to assess the general cooling behavior and to determine installation position for example , a number of temperature patterns are determined in experiments for the thermocouples 11 and 12 located on the edge and , to monitor the components , temperature patterns are also determined for the thermocouples 13 to 15 located in the interior . operation of the switched - mode power supply unit then depends on thermal conditions in the individual groups of measuring points . switched - mode power supply units are frequently operated at the non - constant temperature of the ambient air . it is advantageous here if storage means are provided , which store the pattern of measured temperatures for subsequent evaluations . if the switched - mode power supply unit fails to supply the required power for example , service engineers can ascertain by evaluating the temperature curve measured using the thermocouple 11 disposed on the lower edge whether this is due to the too high temperature of the cooling air flowing in . the cooling air can then be cooled by corresponding measures , such as additional switching cabinet ventilation for example .	7
as shown in fig1 , an array of active light sensors is passed over a growing plant . each sensor in the array measures a reflectance value when it is over a part of the plant . the reflectance values are compiled to form a reflectance curve of the plant biomass . this reflectance curve is used in a variety of ways to determine cross track error from accurate measurements of the physical location of the plant row and to assist in guidance of an agricultural vehicle on which the array is mounted as it passes through a field of crops . in fig2 there is illustrated apparatus comprising an array of sensors that are used to find the gap between rows . if a crop type has little to no peak reflectance value at the center of the plant , sensors can be used to indicate the total area of two plants . knowing the gap between rows based on planter spacing , the system can calculate the center of the gap between rows to create a cross track error from . the computer system calculates a cross track driving error by determining the lateral relative position of vegetation as measured by the sensors to a ground engaging member of the vehicle . the computer system includes a means to store a zero error position on the sensor array that defines the vehicle is traveling the desired path whenever vegetation is passing under zero error position . the computer system also is used to determine the direction of cross track vehicle driving error by comparing the position on the active light sensor array that vegetation is passing under to the zero error position is used to determine the magnitude of cross track vehicle driving error by comparing the position on the active light sensor array that vegetation is passing under to the zero error position , for example by adding the spacing between light sensors on said sensor array from where vegetation is passing under array to the zero error position . in a preferred embodiment , a display is used to show an operator of the vehicle the direction and magnitude of cross track vehicle driving error . in another preferred embodiment , the computer system is interconnected with an automatic steering system and uses the direction and magnitude of cross track vehicle driving error to automatically steer vehicle down a desired path . in this embodiment , a further refinement automatically determines when the cross track driving error from the active light sensor array is sufficiently accurate to automatically engage steering . in another preferred embodiment , the computer system accepts and uses a manual input to compensate direction and magnitude of cross track vehicle driving error for changes in vegetation biomass . for example , the manual input can be a user entered vegetation biomass parameter ( e . g . growth stage , plant height ). in another preferred embodiment , the computer system automatically compensates the direction and magnitude of cross track vehicle driving error for changes in vegetation biomass using an algorithm that compensates for changing biomass by interpreting sensor signals without any user entered vegetation biomass parameters except for crop type . a particular application of the present invention is detecting cross track driving error with the active light sensor array mounted to a vehicle used to detect the middle of a row space between adjacent rows ; that is , using the array to identify adjacent rows of plants and calculating the line of halfway points . in another application of the present invention , the active light sensor array mounted on a vehicle is used to augment the cross track driving error of a parallel gps manual guidance or automatic steering system , and may include comparing active light sensor readings to a gps readings of a parallel guidance line system and / or comparing active light sensor readings of one row of crop to another row of crop sensed by the active light sensor array . in another preferred embodiment , the active light sensor readings from vegetation are compared to a mechanical row feeler system . the present invention can be used to determine a cross track driving error by using the active light sensor array system to detect the location plants and compare it to the stored row spacing as planted , as well as verifying the location of two or more rows or one or more row spaces by comparing detected row space to actual planted row spacing . the present invention can also be used to detect cross track driving error with the active light sensor array mounted on a vehicle by computing a rolling average of sensor readings in the direction of travel or , alternatively , computing an average from two or more sensors laterally positioned relative to the direction of travel . the present invention can also be used to detect cross track driving error with an active light sensor array where system compensates for one or more wind parameters , such as wind speed and wind direction . in a preferred embodiment , the wind parameter is measured in real time on vehicle and wherein an algorithm uses the combination of wind parameters and sensor data to detect a row offset distance correction for cross track driving error . the present invention can also be used to detect gps drift based on plant row location compared to gps created guidance line location . the invention shifts the gps created guidance lines to the corrected location based on the location of the vehicle relative to the crop rows . in a preferred embodiment , an algorithm calculates a temporary correction for the guidance from a gps created guidance line based on the sensor array detection of shifts in the plant rows . the present invention can also be used to more accurately detect the path of the plants compared to the direction of travel of the vehicle by using at least two sensor arrays over the same rows . in this arrangement , the invention is able to more quickly respond to changes in path direction by calculating the difference in location between a front mounted and rear mounted array . the invention is able to predict the path direction very near to the current location of the vehicle , which is especially useful for detecting when row of plants start to curve . the present invention can also be used to correct cross track driving error for vegetation on slopes that do not grow perpendicular to soil surface by using slope readings from a real time slope sensor on the vehicle . in a preferred embodiment of the present invention , the cross track driving error of a mounted or drawn implement is determined for the purpose of either passively or actively steering the implement equipment . the sensors preferably have a narrow and defined viewing area to determine an accurate amount of biomass directly in the viewing area of the sensor . the sensors also preferably sample data at a very high rate , even more preferably above 100 hz . the foregoing description and drawings comprise illustrative embodiments of the present inventions . the foregoing embodiments and the methods described herein may vary based on the ability , experience , and preference of those skilled in the art . merely listing the steps of the method in a certain order does not constitute any limitation on the order of the steps of the method . the foregoing description and drawings merely explain and illustrate the invention , and the invention is not limited thereto , except insofar as the claims are so limited . those skilled in the art who have the disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention .	0
reference will now be made in detail to preferred embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . wherever possible , the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts . in fig1 a computer network 100 is shown as a representative environment for the present invention . structurally , computer network 100 includes a series of client systems 102 , of which client systems 102a through 102f are representative . each client system 102 may be selected from a range of differing devices including , but not limited to the personal computers shown in fig1 . preferably , each client system 102 is limited to a single user at any given time . a cable modem 104 is connected to each client system 102 . each cable modem 104 is connected , in turn , to a cable router 106 . the use of cable router 106 and cable modems 104 is also intended to be exemplary and it should be appreciated that other networking technologies and topologies are equally practical . it should also be appreciated that a number of different cable modems and cable routers are available from various manufactures in particular , cable modem 104 can be a cybersufr cable modem and cable router 106 can be a cablemastr cable router , both supplied by motorola , inc . network 100 also includes a series of server systems 108 , of which server systems 108a through 108a are representative . each server system 108 is connected to cable router 106 . generally , server systems 108 are intended to represent the broad range of server systems that may be found within computer networks . a dhcp server system 110 is also included in computer network 100 and connected to cable router 106 . dhcp server system 110 is a computer or other system that implements dynamic host configuration protocol ( dhcp ) defined in internet rfc 1541 . functionally , dhcp server system 110 provides for allocation of ip addresses within network 100 . when client systems 102 initially connect to cable router 106 , each client system 102 requests and receives an ip address from dhcp server system 110 . although fig1 shows only a single dhcp server system 110 , it is to be understood that additional dhcp server systems 110 may be used without departing from the spirit of the present invention . computer network 100 also includes an access network control server ( ancs ) 112 and a services management system ( sms ) 114 . both ancs 112 and sms 114 are connected to cable router 106 . ancs 112 is shown in more detail in fig2 to include a computer system 202 that , in turn , includes a processor , or processors 204 , and a memory 206 . an input device 208 and an output device 210 are connected to the computer system 202 and represent a wide range of varying i / o devices such as disk drives , keyboards , modems , network adapters , printers and displays . a disk drive 212 , of any suitable disk drive type , is shown connected to computer system 202 . an ancs process 214 is shown to be resident in memory 206 of computer system 202 . sms 114 is shown in more detail in fig3 to include a computer system 302 that , in turn , includes a processor , or processors 304 , and a memory 306 . an input device 308 and an output device 310 are connected to the computer system 302 and represent a wide range of varying i / o devices such as disk drives , keyboards , modems , network adapters , printers and displays . a disk drive 312 , of any suitable disk drive type , is shown connected to computer system 302 . an sms process 314 and a filtering profile database 316 are shown to be resident in memory 306 of computer system 302 . in fig1 ancs 112 and sms 114 are shown as separate entities . it should be appreciated , however , that the present invention specifically anticipates that ancs 112 and sms 114 may be implemented using a single computer system that includes ancs process 214 , sms process 314 and filtering profile database 316 . the filtering profile database 316 of sms 114 includes a set of filtering profiles of the type shown in fig4 and generally designated 400 . filtering profile 400 includes a profile id 402 and a series of filtering rules , of which filtering rules 404a through 404c are representative . the profile id 402 is used by sms 114 and ancs 112 as an internal identifier for the filtering profile 400 . the filtering rules 404 included in a filtering profile 400 are better understood by reference to fig5 . in fig5 it may be seen that each filtering rule 404 includes an action 500 . action 500 specifies the disposition of ip packets that match by a particular filtering rule 404 . in particular , action 500 may indicate that a matched ip packet will be forwarded , or that a matched ip packet will be discarded . filtering rule 404 also includes a destination ip address 502 and a destination ip mask 504 . destination ip address 502 corresponds to the destination address included in the header of an ip packet . destination ip mask 504 is similar to destination ip address 502 but corresponds to a range of destination addresses . to match a particular filtering rule 404 , an ip packet must either have a destination address that matches the destination address 502 included in the filtering rule 404 or have a destination address that is covered by the destination address mask 504 of the filtering rule 404 . filtering rule 404 also includes a protocol type 506 . protocol type 506 corresponds to the protocol type of an ip packet . thus , the protocol type 506 of each filtering rule 404 has a value that corresponds to an ip packet type , such as tcp , udp , icmp , etc . to match a particular filtering rule 404 , an ip packet must have a protocol type that matches the protocol type 506 included in the filtering rule 404 finally , for the embodiment shown , filtering rule 404 includes a starting port number 508 and an ending port number 510 . starting port number 508 and ending port number 510 define a range of port numbers of the type used by certain protocols , such as udp and tcp . to match a particular filtering rule 404 , an ip packet of one of these types must have a port number that falls within the range defined by starting port number 508 and ending port number 510 . the use of filtering profiles 400 by the present invention is shown generally in fig6 . in step 600 of fig6 sms 114 generates a filtering profile 400 . for the purposes of illustration , it may be assumed that the filtering profile 400 is intended to allow client system 102b to send udp packets to port 63 of server system 108c . therefore , the filtering profile 400 generated in step 600 includes a single filtering rule 404 . the single filtering rule 404 includes an action 500 indicating that ip packets that match the filtering rule 404 should be forwarded . additionally , the filtering rule 404 includes a destination address 502 that corresponds to the ip address of server system 108c . the destination address mask 504 of filtering rule 404 is set to 255 . 255 . 255 . 255 ( 255 . 255 . 255 . 255 matches all ip addresses ) and the protocol type 506 of filtering rule 404 is set to udp . finally , the starting port number 508 and ending port number 510 of filtering rule 404 are both set to 63 . in step 602 of method 600 , the filtering profile 400 is downloaded by the sms 114 to the ancs 112 . at the same time , the sms 114 also passes the ip address of client system 102b to the ancs 112 . in step 604 , the ancs 112 uses the single filtering rule 404 included in the filtering profile 400 to establish a packet filter for ip packets originating from the client system 102b . the packet filter is established by reconfiguring one or more of the components of the network 100 that forward packets originating at the client system 102b . for example , in some cases the packet filter may be established by reconfiguring the modem 104b connected to client system 102 . alternatively , the packet filter may be established by reconfiguring router 106 . in step 606 , the packet filter established by the ancs 112 in step 604 is used to filter packets that originate from the client system 102b . more specifically , each packet that originates from client system 102b is examined . packets that do not include a destination address that corresponds to server system 108c are discarded . likewise packets that do not have a protocol type of udp or a port number of 63 are discarded . a more complete example of the use of filtering profiles 400 by the present invention is shown as method 700 of fig7 . method 700 includes step performed by sms 114 and ancs 112 . for convenience , these steps are grouped into an sms context 702 and an ancs context 704 . method 700 begins with step 706 where sms 114 waits for the allocation of an ip address to a client system 102 . more specifically , for a preferred embodiment of network 100 , power - on or reset of a client system 102 is followed by connection of the client system 102 to router 106 . as part of this connection , the connecting client system 102 requests and receives a dynamically allocated ip address from dhcp server 110 . this allocation requires that a number of messages pass between dhcp server 110 and the client system 102 requesting a new ip address . the last of these messages is a dhcpack message sent by the dhcp server 110 to the client system 102 . to monitor the allocation of ip addresses , sms 114 monitors dhcp messages within network 100 . step 706 corresponds , in a general sense , to the methods and procedures that are executed by sms 114 to wait for and detect dhcpack messages within network 100 . in step 708 , sms 114 generates a sequence of one or more &# 34 ; login &# 34 ; filtering profiles 400 for the newly connected client system 102 . functionally , the purpose of the login filtering profiles 400 is to restrict the type of ip packets that may originate at the newly connected client system 102 . specifically , only the packet types that are required for a user to login to network 100 are allowed . generally , the type of ip packets required for a user login will vary between different networks . for network 100 , however , it may be assumed that four filtering profiles 400 are generated in step 708 . the first of the four login filtering profiles 400 forwards packets associated with dhcp lease renewal . more specifically , in systems that use the dhcp protocol for allocation of ip addresses , each ip address is allocated for a finite period of time . systems that do not renew their ip address leases may lose their allocated ip addresses . therefore , the first login filtering profile 400 allows passage of ip packets from the newly connected client system 102 to the dhcp server 110 for the purpose of dhcp lease renewal . preferably , the first filtering profile 400 includes a single filtering rule 404 of the form shown in fig8 a . more specifically , and as shown in fig8 a , the single filtering rule 404 for dhcp lease renewal includes an action 500 that indicates that ip packets that match the filtering rule 404 should be forwarded . filtering rule 404 also includes a destination address 502 that corresponds to the ip address of the dhcp server 110 and a destination address mask 504 of 255 . 255 . 255 . 255 . as a result , only ip packets directed at dhcp server 110 match filtering rule 404 . a protocol type of udp is specified by protocol type 506 of filtering rule 404 . finally , beginning port number 508 and ending port number 510 are both set to &# 34 ; 67 &# 34 ; corresponding to the standard port used for dhcp messages . the second of the login filtering profiles 400 forwards packets associated with dns ( domain name service ) address resolution . more specifically , in systems that use the dns protocol , symbolic names are translated to ip address by a dns server system . client systems 102 request translations of symbolic names by sending messages to their dns servers . therefore , the second login filtering profile 400 allows passage of ip packets from the newly connected client system 102 to a dns server system ( dns server system not shown ). preferably , the second filtering profile 400 includes a single filtering rule 404 of the form shown in fig8 b . more specifically , and as shown in fig8 b , the single filtering rule 404 for dns name resolution includes an action 500 that indicates that ip packets that match the filtering rule 404 should be forwarded . filtering rule 404 also includes a destination address 502 that corresponds to the ip address of a dns server system and a destination address mask 504 of 255 . 255 . 255 . 255 . as a result , only ip packets directed at the dns server system match filtering rule 404 . a protocol type of udp is specified by protocol type 506 of filtering rule 404 . finally , beginning port number 508 and ending port number 510 are both set to 53 corresponding to the standard port used for dns messages . for a preferred embodiment of network 100 , user logins are handled by downloading small , specifically tailored applications , known as &# 34 ; login applets ,&# 34 ; to client systems 102 . the login applets are downloaded from a server system , such as server system 108 , or in some cases , from sms 114 . to allow the login applet to be downloaded , the third of the login filtering profiles 400 forwards packets associated with a request for login applet download . preferably , the third filtering profile 400 includes one filtering rule 404 for each server from which the login applet may be downloaded . more specifically , and as shown in fig8 c , the filtering rule 404 for login applet download includes an action 500 that indicates that ip packets that match the filtering rule 404 should be forwarded . each filtering rule 404 also includes a destination address 502 that corresponds to the ip address of a server system from which the login applet may be downloaded . the destination address mask of filtering rule 404 is set to 255 . 255 . 255 . 255 . the protocol type 506 , beginning port number 508 and ending port number 510 of filtering rule 404 are all set to values known by sms 114 to be appropriate for the download of the login applet . in the described embodiment of the network 100 , the login applet communicates with a login server such as sms 114 . to enable this communication , the fourth of the login filtering profiles 400 forwards packets associated with login applet communication . preferably , the fourth filtering profile 400 includes one filtering rule 404 for each login server such as sms 114 . more specifically , and as shown in fig8 d , the filtering rule 404 for login applet communication includes an action 500 that indicates that ip packets that match the filtering rule 404 should be forwarded . filtering rule 404 also includes a destination address 502 that corresponds to the ip address of a login server such as sms 114 . the destination address mask of filtering rule 404 is set to 255 . 255 . 255 . 255 . the protocol type 506 , beginning port number 508 and ending port number 510 of filtering rule 404 are all set to values known by sms 114 to be appropriate for login applet communication . in the preceding paragraphs , a sequence of four filtering profiles 400 has been described . it may be appreciated from the preceding paragraphs that each of the four filtering profiles 400 is generally applicable to enable login processing for any of the client systems 102 . because of the general applicability of the four filtering profiles 400 , it is preferable for step 708 to generate these filtering profiles 400 using a standardized template making only minor modifications , if necessary , for each client system 102 . step 708 is followed by step 710 where the sequence of four filtering profiles 400 is downloaded by sms 114 to ancs 112 . at the same time , the ip address of the newly connected client system 102 ( for which the sequence of four filtering profiles 400 was generated ) is passed by the sms 114 to the ancs 112 . in the following step , the ancs 112 uses each of the filtering rules 404 included in the sequence of four filtering profiles 400 to establish a packet filter for ip packets originating from the newly connected client system 102 . the packet filter is established by reconfiguring one or more of the components of the network 100 that forward packets originating at the newly connected client system 102 . for example , in some cases , the packet filter may be established by reconfiguring the modem 104 connected to client system 102 . alternatively , the packet filter may be established by reconfiguring router 106 . preferably , ancs 112 reconfigures the network components using a protocol that is generally applicable to components of network 100 , such as the simple network management protocol ( snmp ). subsequently , the packet filter established by the ancs 112 is used to filter ip packets that originate from the client system 102 , allowing packet types generally associated with the login of a user to network 100 . a second example of the use of filtering profiles 400 by the present invention is shown as method 900 of fig9 . method 900 includes step performed by sms 114 and ancs 112 . for convenience , these steps are grouped into an sms context 902 and an ancs context 904 . method 900 begins with step 906 where sms 114 waits for a user login . more specifically , as discussed with regard to method 700 , for a preferred embodiment of network 100 , users login to network 100 using a login applet that communicates with a login server , such as sms 114 . step 114 corresponds , in a general fashion , to the methods and procedures that are executed by sms 114 to wait for the login of a user to network 100 . in step 908 , which follows , a sequence of filtering profiles 400 associated with the user are retrieved , by sms 114 , from filtering profile database 316 . in general , it may be appreciated that various users of network 100 will have varying types of allowed access . as a result , different network users will require different filtering profiles 400 . generally , these filtering profiles 400 are defined separately for each user using either automatic or manual generation techniques . for the present invention , these filtering profiles 400 are preferably maintained in filtering profile database 316 and retrieved using the identity of the particular user . step 908 corresponds to the methods and procedures that are executed by sms 114 to retrieve the filtering profiles 400 associated with the user from the filtering profile database 316 . step 908 is followed by step 910 where the sequence of user filtering profiles 400 is downloaded by sms 114 to ancs 112 . at the same time , the ip address of the client system 102 acting as a host for the user is passed by the sms 114 to the ancs 112 . in the following step , the ancs 112 uses each of the filtering rules 404 included in the sequence of user filtering profiles 400 to establish a packet filter for ip packets originating from the client system 102 acting as a host for the user . the packet filter is established by reconfiguring one or more of the components of the network 100 that forward packets originating at the client system 102 acting as a host for the user . for example , in some cases , the packet filter may be established by reconfiguring the modem 104 connected to client system 102 . alternatively , the packet filter may be established by reconfiguring router 106 . preferably , ancs 112 reconfigures the network components using a protocol that is generally applicable to components of network 100 , such as the simple network management protocol ( snmp ). subsequently , the packet filter established by the ancs 112 is used to filter ip packets that originate from the client system 102 acting as a host for the user , allowing the packets that are associated with the network privileges of the user . although not shown , it may be appreciated that the network 100 may be reconfigured to reestablish a default state after the user logs out from the client system 102 . other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein . it is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only , with a true scope of the invention being indicated by the following claims and equivalents .	7
before disclosing the best modes of practicing the invention , certain basic concepts will be explained in order to facilitate understanding of the invention . the ph of aqueous solutions can change dramatically with temperature . in particular , the ph of high - temperature water is generally quite different than that at low temperature . however , the ph of an aqueous solution is not solely a function of temperature , but also other variables such as the composition of species dissolved in the solution . even the direction of ph change varies from species to species . for example , the ph of neutral ( e . g ., ultra high purity ) water is 7 . 0 at 25 ° c ., about 6 . 2 at 100 ° c ., and about 5 . 63 at 288 ° c ., an overall change in h + ! of 25 times ( ph is - log h + !). the variation of ph in pure water is not even monotonic , but reaches a minimum at about 270 ° c . and then begins to increase again . in contrast , a significant increase in ph vs . temperature occurs for some species . for example , 0 . 01m nahso 4 is roughly 2 . 4 ph at 25 ° c ., but rises to roughly 6 at 300 ° c . because of the poor second ionization of sulfate ( hso 4 - = h + + so 4 2 - ). note that the change in ph vs . temperature for a nahso 4 solution is opposite to that of pure water . other species , including some buffers , shift acidic with temperature . for example , the ph of low concentrations of ammonia ( e . g ., 40 ppm ) at low temperature is about 10 . 3 , but is about 6 . 2 at 288 ° c . the concentration of species and ph of solution would be constant everywhere in water were it not for concentrating mechanisms . for example , the ph inside a crack tip may vary markedly from the ph in the bulk reactor coolant . the simplest conceptual mechanism is localized dissolution in an occluded region ( crack / crevice ), which occurs in low alloy and carbon steels as a result of dissolution of mns inclusion . the slightly elevated crack / crevice chemistry ( to several ppm s ) is sufficient to create conditions that increase stress corrosion crack growth rates by up to several orders of magnitude ( see fig1 ). another common mechanism is boiling , which can produce huge differences in chemistry in regions where mass transport is restricted . thermal gradients ( non - boiling conditions ) can also produce very large changes in chemistry in occluded regions . shifts of several orders of magnitude are estimated under some conditions in light water reactors . potential gradients are the most common concentrating mechanism in boiling water reactors . because oxygen is consumed in the crevice , the corrosion potential is much lower than outside the crevice . this creates a potential gradient that causes anions ( e . g ., chloride , sulfate or hydroxide ) to move into the crevice , and cations ( e . g ., sodium ) to move out of the crevice . in general , if an anion other than hydroxide is present , it will permit acidification in the crevice , since it can &# 34 ; support &# 34 ; ( charge balance ) the additional h + associated with acidification . if the only anion present is hydroxide ( but cations other than h + are present ), then only an upward shift in ph ( alkalinization ) can occur . measurements made in crevice tubes exposed to 288 ° c . water by d . f . taylor showed that a significantly different concentration and ph could persist in differential aeration cells . steady - state behavior was often achieved in less than a day , and his experiments were often run for a week or more , and showed an external ph of 5 . 5 , with an internal ph of & lt ; 1 . 0 in some cases ; in other cases , the internal ph was as high as 11 ( see fig1 and 13 ). at concentrations more representative of typical bwr operating conditions , andresen showed that the potential gradient caused typically a factor of 30x increase in anion concentration in a growing stress corrosion crack . reported in &# 34 ; modeling of water and material chemistry effects on crack tip chemistry and resulting crack growth kinetics &# 34 ;, proc . 3rd int . conf ., degradation of materials in nuclear power industry , traverse city , mich ., aug . 31 - sep . 4 , 1987 .! this was true for low alloy steels , where the anion results from dissolution of mns inclusions internal to the crack , as well as stainless steel , where anions are associated with impurities that are intentionally added to the bulk water at very low concentrations . a factor of 30x is not huge , particularly when the relevant impurity levels are low to begin with ( e . g ., 10 - 7 m ), and can give rise to ph shifts inside the crack that are less than about 1 . 5 units away from the bulk , essentially neutral water . however , this difference is sufficient to induce huge changes in crack growth rate , e . g ., by a factor of more than 100 - 1000 times . it is this condition ( ph ) within the crack that the method of the present invention seeks to control ( see fig1 ). in accordance with the preferred embodiments of the invention , propagation of a crack in a metal component immersed in high - temperature water can be mitigated by controlling the solution ph inside the crack . in the case of a water - cooled nuclear reactor , e . g ., a bwr , the ph inside the crack can be controlled by adding a ph - adjusting agent to the circulating water , e . g ., by injecting a solution or suspension of the agent into the feedwater . the ph - adjusting agent can take the form of a chemical buffering agent or an acid or base , depending on the magnitude and direction of the required shift in ph . as used hereinafter , the term &# 34 ; solution &# 34 ; means a solution or a suspension . the susceptibility of metal components in high - temperature water to scc is correlated to elevated corrosion potentials . elevated corrosion potential causes concentration of anions as well as shifts the ph in the crack . it is the effect of corrosion potential on crack tip ph which enhances scc . the following logic establishes the fundamental importance of crack tip ph . the corrosion potential ( on external surfaces ) and ( bulk ) solution conductivity interact to create a specific crack chemistry . thus , a given crack chemistry can be achieved by different combinations of potential and conductivity , i . e ., high potential , moderately low conductivity can give the same crack chemistry as theoretically low potential , but high conductivity . both analytical and experimental modeling exist to demonstrate these basic interactions , although the precise relationships over the entire range of potential and conductivity levels ( and types ) are not fully quantified / confirmed either analytically or experimentally . fig1 and 3 show examples of differing sensitivity to , e . g ., conductivity as a function of corrosion potential . in particular , fig3 is a plot of crack length vs . time for a pd - coated ct specimen of sensitized type 304 stainless steel showing the increased tolerance to high impurity levels ( 0 . 1 μm h 2 so 4 , or 0 . 863 μs / cm ) at 33 mpa √ m when a low corrosion potential ( which results from stoichiometric excess hydrogen , i . e ., 78 ppb h 2 ) is maintained on a catalytic surface , despite the presence of 400 ppb oxygen . on changing to excess oxygen at 6124 hr , the corrosion potential and growth rate increase dramatically ; returning to excess hydrogen at 6244 hr causes the corrosion potential and growth rate to again drop . fig3 shows that at low potential ( generated under excess hydrogen , but moderately high oxygen , conditions on a pd - coated ct specimen ), the tolerance to impurities is dramatically higher than at elevated corrosion potentials . however , even at low potential , the addition of sufficient impurity causes an increase in crack growth rate ( see fig4 to 6 ). fig4 shows the effect of h 2 so 4 additions on the crack growth rate of sensitized type 304 stainless steel tested in deaerated , 289 ° c . water with φ c =- 0 . 6 v she in slow strain rate experiments at 1 × 10 - 6 sec - 1 . fig5 shows the influence of the borate : sulfate mole ratio on the crack growth rate of sensitized type 304 stainless steel tested in deaerated , 289 ° c . water with 0 . 3 - 10 ppm h 2 so 4 in slow strain rate experiments at 1 × 10 - 6 sec - 1 . fig6 shows the interrelationship between corrosion potential and solution conductivity in establishing a crack tip anion activity by comparing crack growth rates in aerated vs . deaerated solutions for stainless steel and alloy 82 at 288 ° c . if the growth rates under two conditions are similar , then it is inferred that the crack tip chemistries are similar . each point represents a pair of datum obtained at similar crack growth rates and loading conditions for stainless steel and alloy 82 in 288 ° c . water . since perfect matches , requiring identical crack growth rates under aerated and deaerated conditions , were generally unavailable , the labels ( e . g ., 2 . 9x ) indicate the ratio of the crack growth rate in aerated vs . deaerated solutions . the arrows indicate where points would shift if the growth rate match were perfect . in a deaerated solution , the ppm of anion is about equal in the bulk solution and at the crack tip . crack growth rate is controlled by the crack chemistry , not , e . g ., by the external potential per se . while some crack growth models depend on the cathodic reduction of oxygen at the mouth of the crack , elevated corrosion potential is unnecessary . the best data to demonstrate this point comes from slow strain rate tests by shack et al ., reported in &# 34 ; environmental assisted cracking in light water reactors &# 34 ;, semiannual report , april - september 1985 , nureg / cr - 4667 , vol . 1 , and ct tests by andresen , reported in &# 34 ; modeling of water and material chemistry effects on crack tip chemistry and resulting crack growth kinetics &# 34 ;, proc . 3rd int . conf ., degradation of materials in nuclear power industry , traverse city , mich ., aug . 31 - sep . 4 , 1987 . data from shack et al . appear in fig4 - 6 herein ; data from andresen appear in fig6 and 7 herein . the data show conclusively that high growth rates can be achieved at - 0 . 5 v she if an acidic addition is made to a level of ≈ 10 μs / cm . shack et al . have shown this on sensitized stainless steel ; andresen has shown it on sensitized and non - sensitized stainless steel and alloy 82 weld metal . the enhancement is not subtle : growth rates as high as in aerated water can be attained . cracking responds to changes in the ph of the solution at the crack tip , not , e . g ., the sulfate activity per se . increases in growth rate on sensitized stainless steel have been shown by andresen to occur for shifts to either lower ( see data in fig4 - 6 and 7a - 7c ) or higher ph ( see data in fig8 although more ph shift is needed for naoh than for h 2 so 4 ). also , both shack et al . and andresen ( see data in fig4 - 6 and 7a - 7c ) have performed tests which show that , in fully deaerated water , crack growth rate enhancement occurs for acidic additions ( h 2 so 4 ), but not for more neutral additions ( e . g ., na 2 so 4 , which shifts somewhat basic in 288 ° c . water ). shack et al . also did tests with mixtures of borate and h 2 so 4 and showed that only when the buffering capability of borate was overcome did the growth rate increase ( see data in fig7 a - 7c ). fig7 a and 7b are respectively plots of the crack extension vs . time response of non - sensitized type 304l stainless steel and alloy 82 weld metal to changes in water chemistry showing elevated crack growth rates in the non - sensitized material in deaerated water at high conductivities . this illustrates the interrelationship between solution conductivity and corrosion potential in creating a specific crack tip solution chemistry and thus a specific crack growth rate . the straight line segments represent predictions of crack growth rate behavior for the various conditions shown . fig7 c is a plot of crack length vs . time for a pd - coated ct specimen of sensitized type 304 stainless steel showing that accelerated crack growth can be achieved at the thermodynamically lowest potentials ( characteristic of fully deaerated water , or catalytic surfaces in excess hydrogen , i . e ., 78 ppb h 2 , with 400 ppb o 2 ) provided that sufficient h 2 so 4 is added . this also shows that low corrosion potentials provide a large tolerance to impurities since , at high corrosion potentials , effects on crack growth of ≈ 0 . 1 μm h 2 so 4 are readily observed . fig8 is a plot of crack extension vs . time for sensitized type 304 stainless steel in 288 ° c . water showing the effect of various concentrations of oh - as naoh . note that in deaerated water there is no acidification mechanism ( no gradient in corrosion potential in the crack ), so that an acidic impurity must be used . in aerated water , na 2 so 4 will acidify within the crack to h 2 so 4 , as directly shown by taylor et al ., reported in &# 34 ; high - temperature aqueous crevice corrosion in alloy 600 and 304l stainless steel &# 34 ;, proc . conf . on localized crack chemistry and mechanics of environmentally assisted cracking , aime , philadelphia , oct . 1983 . taylor et al . also showed that shifts toward elevated ph occur in pure water , naoh , etc . while cracking can occur if the ph is shifted down or up , enhanced growth rates require a larger shift basic than acidic . this is based on data gathered by andresen on sensitized stainless steel with naoh additions , reported in &# 34 ; effects of specific anionic impurities on environmental cracking of austenitic materials in 288 ° c . water &# 34 ;. note , however , that at high ph , reduction of sulfate , sulfite , etc . to sulfide ( s 2 - ) becomes important . it has been shown that sulfide levels above ≈ 100 ppm in the crack cause depassivation and accelerated crack growth rates . fig9 a and 9b respectively show the effects of sulfide concentration on the excess anodic current density ( metal dissolution rate ) and slow strain rate behavior of alloy 600 . a steep threshold at ≈ 100 ppm sulfide is shown . the test conditions were as follows : 7500 ppm b , ph = 7 , 290 ° c . for fig9 a , the strain rate was 2 × 10 - 3 sec - 1 . for fig9 b , the applied potential was - 720 mv she . thus , by controlling the crack ph , the lowest possible crack growth rates are achievable for a given material , loading and temperature . interrupted slow strain rate crack initiation tests performed on smooth specimens by andresen and reported in &# 34 ; the effects of aqueous impurities on intergranular stress corrosion cracking of sensitized type - 304 stainless steel &# 34 ;, epri np - 3384 , final report , nov . 1983 , show higher strains to crack initiation for basic impurities and lower strains to crack initiation for acidic impurities . fig1 shows the effect of 10 μs / cm of impurities on crack initiation as measured by repeated interruption during slow strain rate testing ( 3 . 3 × 10 - 7 sec - 1 ) of sensitized type 304 stainless steel in 288 ° c . water with 200 ppb o 2 . the results correlated poorly with impurity level ( or solution conductivity ), but show good correlation with ( approximate ) ph at test temperature . andresen et al . have also done work , reported in &# 34 ; behavior of short cracks in stainless steel at 288 ° c .&# 34 ;, paper no . 495 , corrosion 90 , nace , las vegas , nev ., which shows that short cracks behave like long cracks ( i . e ., become deaerated within , and have high anion concentrations at the tip ) once they reach a depth of 20 to 50 μm and multiple cracks have coalesced into a larger crack . the issue of how cracks behave when they are very small and exposed to oxygen - containing water ( something a bit closer to &# 34 ; initiation &# 34 ;) is more complex . thus , benefits of ph control apply to &# 34 ; smooth &# 34 ; surfaces , very short cracks , and long cracks . in accordance with the preferred methods of the present invention , management of ph in the crack can be achieved by four related techniques ( some of which rely on the presence of a gradient in corrosion potential ): i . if detailed knowledge exists of all of the anions and cations in the bwr water ( some bwrs do measure species by on - line ion chromatography ), then it is possible to &# 34 ; manually tune &# 34 ; the crack tip ph by adding precise concentrations of acidic , neutral , or alkaline species such that , upon concentration within the crack or crevice , the resulting ph falls within the desired range of 6 . 0 to 8 . 0 . such additions would , in most instances , cause the bulk water to be outside this ph range . while obviously feasible in concept , this &# 34 ; manual &# 34 ; approach would be difficult because it would depend on an accurate knowledge of the concentration &# 34 ; mix &# 34 ; of all species in the bwr water , which can vary over relatively short times ( hours ). minor variations in the concentration of some species could cause comparatively large changes in crack ph . thus , while conceptually feasible , the use of some type of chemical buffer is preferred , as it provides a much broader tolerance to changes in the concentrations of impurities . ii . use of a buffer to &# 34 ; overwhelm &# 34 ; the ph - changing effects of other anionic impurities that concentrate in the crack . since only small changes in ph usually occur from anionic impurities such as sulfate and chloride ( i . e ., & lt ; 1 to 1 . 5 ph units ), the buffer does not need to be a strong buffer . thus , an ideal example would be a compound that only weakly dissociates in high - temperature water . the advantage would be that , with the vast majority of the compound in non - ionized form , it would not itself concentrate in the crack very much under the action of the potential gradient . one example might be silicon hydroxide , which only dissociates by about 1 % ( si ( oh ) 4 = h + + sio ( oh ) 3 - ). a small amount of base ( such as sodium or lithium hydroxide at about 0 . 1 % by weight of silicon hydroxide ) would be added to &# 34 ; tune &# 34 ; the initial ph somewhat above neutral into the desired range . iii . use of a more standard ( stronger ) buffer to &# 34 ; overwhelm &# 34 ; the ph - changing effects of other anionic impurities that concentrate in the crack . the greater ionic dissociation of this buffer would promote concentration in the crack of the anionic part of the buffer . an example is boric acid ( h 3 bo 3 ), whose ph is often &# 34 ; tuned &# 34 ; with lithium hydroxide , where the anion h 3 bo 2 - would concentrate in the crack . however , the charge - balancing cation formed in the crack is primarily h + , which means that the balance of h + and h 3 bo 2 - is similar both inside and outside the crack . because significant dissociation occurs ( h 3 bo 3 = h + + h 3 bo 2 - ), the borate anion migrates under the action of the potential gradient , and therefore the concentration of the buffer in the crack would be higher than in the bulk . further since only small changes in ph usually occur in bwrs ( i . e ., & lt ; 1 to 1 . 5 ph units ), the required buffering capacity does not need to be high . thus , quite low concentrations of boric acid could be used in the bulk water ( perhaps 0 . 1 to 10 ppm b , which is about 100 to 10 , 000 times lower than the level used in pressurized water reactors ( pwrs ), where boron serves as a neutron absorber ). proportionately less lithium - hydroxide would be used than typically used in pwrs ( which is about 2000 ppm b as boric acid and 1 . 2 ppm li as lioh ), because the fully ionized lioh ( li + and oh - ) will concentrate in the crack more than the partially ionized boric acid . this should be sufficient to control the ph in the crack to within the specified range , i . e ., 6 . 0 to 8 . 0 . other species , such as ammonium hydroxide or phosphates , can also be used . iv . the fourth alternative is a method for controlling scc by auto - buffering of the ph inside cracks . its goal is to reduce cracking to a very low , minimum value independent of the corrosion potential and , to a reasonable extent , the presence of aggressive impurities such as sulfate and chloride . it involves the addition of a nitrate species ( i . e ., a salt , such as sodium , potassium , or lithium nitrate , or an acid , hno 3 ) to bwr water . this addition would not significantly shift the ph of the bulk water ; however , since the environment within cracks is deaerated and at low potential , the nitrate that diffuses into cracks will be reduced to ammonia , producing a localized increase in ph . in areas of great need ( i . e ., high corrosion potential ), more buffering action occurs because more nitrate is concentrated into the crack . this increase in ph is self - buffering because of the equilibria between n 3 , n 4 oh , and n 4 + oh - . thus , the nitrate ( reduced to ammonia ) provides protection ( only ) in the locations ( cracks ) where shifts in ph would otherwise occur ( from anion concentration in the differential aeration &# 34 ; crevice &# 34 ; cell ), thereby preventing a significant increase in the crack growth rate . the &# 34 ; auto - buffering &# 34 ; capability is associated with several characteristics of the system : 1 . the presence of near - neutral nitrate species in the bulk water , which have been shown to be non - damaging to crack initiation . 2 . the diffusion and ion migration ( driven by the differential aeration &# 34 ; crevice &# 34 ; cell ) of these species into incipient cracks , long cracks , and crevices cause an increase in their concentration above their bulk values . the consumption of oxygen near the mouth of the crack creates a low potential in the crack ( this is the origin of the differential aeration &# 34 ; crevice &# 34 ; cell ), and also causes reduction of nitrate to ammonia . thus , in regions of the bwr where the corrosion potentials ( and dissolved oxygen and hydrogen peroxide concentrations ) are highest and give rise to the highest scc susceptibility , the concentration of ammonia in the crack is also highest . thus , the buffer is formed where it is needed , and its concentration is automatically regulated by the very phenomenon that is most responsible for high scc susceptibility . a balance in mass transport kinetics occurs because just as nitrate is driven into the crack under the action of the potential gradient , so the ammonium cation is driven out of the crack . however , since the concentration of ammonium ion is lower than nitrate ( non - ionic ammonia also forms ), excess ammonium ion ( and ammonia ) will exist in the crack . 3 . unlike other species ( e . g ., naoh ), the ph in the crack will not rise in direct proportion to concentration , because the equilibria between nh 3 , n 4 oh , and nh 4 + / oh - provides a buffering action which should maintain a ph at temperature in the crack of between 6 . 0 and 6 . 5 . the use of the ammonia equilibria is also attractive because of its relatively strong independence of temperature . by contrast , while traditional ph buffers like boric acid and phosphate could accomplish a similar goal , they possess disadvantages such as higher concentrations for a given buffering capacity and undesirable nuclear consequences ( i . e ., neutron absorption by boron ). direct additions of ammonia have also been used ( e . g ., in pwrs ) as a buffer ; its disadvantages , compared to the preferred embodiment disclosed herein , include the need for a higher concentration ( i . e ., no benefit would derive from ( lack of ) concentration of this cation in the potential gradient , as opposed to the nitrate anion ) and its volatility ( large concentrations would have to be continuously added to compensate for its loss in the steam phase ). the addition of a nitrate salt to bwr water would not significantly shift the ph of the bulk water , although it could be combined with small additions of a strong base ( e . g ., sodium hydroxide ) or weak base ( e . g ., zinc or manganese hydroxide ) to cause a slight alkaline shift in ph . a slight increase in ph in the bulk water is desirable because it shifts the system toward a minimum in solubility for many oxides , which , in turn , can decrease the formation and release of crud deposits on the fuel . the success of this approach depends on : ( 1 ) the reduction of nitrate to ammonia in the crack ; ( 2 ) the presence of a concentration of nitrate / ammonia that is sufficiently in excess of other deleterious impurities ( e . g ., chloride and sulfate ) so that the crack ph is maintained in the desired region ; ( 3 ) stability of nitrate in bulk oxygenated bwr water , so that relatively little ammonia is lost to the steam phase ; ( 4 ) the ability to measure / regulate the nitrate concentration , e , g ., using anion exchange resins that are partially converted to a nitrate base ( this maintains the nitrate concentration in the reactor water clean - up system ). the potential advantages of this overall approach include : ( 1 ) lack of concern for corrosion potential and the associated oxidizing species ; ( 2 ) decreased emphasis on anionic impurities , since their effect on crack chemistry ( ph ) would be directly controlled ( although they could not be permitted to rise to a level approaching that of nitrate ); and ( 3 ) possible reduction in the flow through the reactor water clean - up system , which typically represents from 1 to 3 % of reactor water flow and has an impact on the overall thermal efficiency . as shown in fig1 , below a redox potential of about - 0 . 3 v she , ammonia is the most stable species . however , the kinetics of nitrate reduction to ammonia are not very rapid , since it has been observed in &# 34 ; open &# 34 ; autoclaves that , following moderate exposures ( average residence time of 20 to 30 minutes ) in high - temperature deaerated water ( containing 95 ppb hydrogen ), little or no ammonia was formed . however , following a one week exposure in a 1 - mm - id crevice tube , taylor observed the nearly complete reduction of nitrate to ammonia , with an associated increase in ph ( see fig1 ). in summary , the concept of the present invention involves control of scc by limiting shifts in crack ph in high - temperature water , i . e ., within a range of about 6 . 0 to 8 . 0 . this appears to correspond to the minimum in iron and nickel oxide solubility vs . ph in high - temperature water . the invention addresses a more fundamental issue in scc than controlling dissolved oxygen or corrosion potential , since these latter items interact with the impurities in the bulk solution to generate a ph - shifted crack chemistry . if the ph is controlled , scc can be greatly decreased completely independent of the dissolved oxygen concentration or the corrosion potential . approaches for limiting shifts in ph range from chemical buffering agents ( such as nh 4 oh , na x h . sub . ( 3 - x ) po 4 and h 3 bo 3 ) to tailored water chemistry , i . e ., controlled additions of an acid ( such as h 3 po 4 , c 2 h 4 ooh , c 2 ooh , h 3 bo 3 and h 2 co 3 ) or a base ( such as zno , naoh , lioh and koh ), depending on the anionic species in the water . while it would be desirable to identify species which would not be needed in significant concentrations or would not significantly dissociate in low - temperature water ( and thus would not be efficiently removed by , or reduce the operating life of demineralizers ), it is also possible to reduce the fraction of reactor water which is purified in the reactor water cleanup system , because impurities ( like corrosion potential ) no longer influence scc if the crack ph is controlled . it is also possible to &# 34 ; convert &# 34 ; the demineralizer so that it becomes , e . g ., nh 3 + based rather than h + based for cations . the foregoing method has been disclosed for the purpose of illustration . variations and modifications of the disclosed method will be readily apparent to practitioners skilled in the pertinent arts . all such variations and modifications are intended to be encompassed by the claims set forth hereinafter .	6
reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a polyethylene resin sandwich panel according to the present invention . the polyethylene resin sandwich panel includes a lower sheet 1 , an inner sheet 3 , and an upper sheet 2 , which are melted and bonded on the contact surfaces therebetween . desirably , all of the sheets have a thickness of about 4 mm , which is not necessarily limited thereto . for example , they have a thickness in a range between 3 mm and 5 mm , and if necessary , a thickness of 3 mm or less or 5 mm or more . the total thickness of the polyethylene resin sandwich panel is preferably in a range between 40 mm and 80 mm , but it is not necessarily limited thereto . especially , the polyethylene resin sandwich panel is provided with the inner sheet that is vertically corrugated as a reinforced member in such a manner as to be inserted and melt - bonded between the upper and lower sheets 2 and 1 . this ensures that the polyethylene resin sandwich panel exhibits a substantially high strength . fig2 is a schematic view of the process of manufacturing the polyethylene resin sandwich panel of this invention . as shown in fig2 , polyethylene chips are poured into a hopper 11 and the melted polyethylene polymer is extruded from an extruder 12 and a slit nozzle 17 , which is the step of molding a vertically corrugated inner sheet 3 as a reinforced member between the upper and lower sheets 2 and 1 . the method of extruding the melted polyethylene polymer by use of the extruder and the slit nozzle is of course embodied easily by those skilled in the art . the width of the slit nozzle is dependent upon that of the sandwich panel to be manufactured . in case of manufacturing the sandwich panel having a width of 1200 mm , for example , the slit nozzle is designed to have a width of 2400 mm , such that the panel is cut to the vertical direction in the middle thereof . the polyethylene resin sheet that has been extruded from the slit nozzle 17 is molded to the vertically corrugated inner sheet 3 through a plurality of molding rolls 13 each having a pair of upper and lower rolls 13 a and 13 b through which the polyethylene resin is passed , such that the vertically corrugated inner sheet 3 is molded . fig3 is a schematic front view of the pair of molding rolls 13 for the vertically corrugated inner sheet . the pair of molding rolls 13 are provided with a plurality of vertical protrusions and grooves that are engaged with one another , wherein the height of each protrusion is that of the vertically corrugated inner sheet 3 and the interval between the upper roll 13 a and the lower rolls 13 b is the thickness of the inner sheet 3 . three pairs of molding rolls 3 are shown in fig2 , but the number of molding rolls is not limited thereto . that is , two to eight pairs of molding rolls are provided where necessary . the molding rolls 3 should maintain the linear velocity that is the same as the moving velocity of the inner sheet 3 . the moving velocity of the inner sheet 3 is desirably in a range between about 200 mm / min and 300 mm / min . therefore , the molding rolls 3 are driven at the same velocity by way of their driving device . the driving device for the molding rolls 3 is of course provided easily by those skilled in the art . the molding rolls 3 also serve to make the polyethylene resin cool . the polyethylene resin that is extruded from the slit nozzle 17 is a melted material having viscosity and as it moves to the first molding rolls 3 , the melted material starts to be hardened . thus , when the inner sheet 3 moves to the final molding rolls 3 , it becomes hard enough to take a solid shape . in this case , the plurality of molding rolls does not have any additional cooling device for making the inner sheet 3 cool . that is to say , they are exposed in room temperature of the place to be worked , such that the inner sheet 3 becomes cool and hardened . the upper sheet 2 is supplied from the upper side of the inner sheet 3 and the lower sheet 1 from the lower side of the inner sheet 3 , such that each of the upper sheet 2 and the lower sheet 1 comes in contact with the inner sheet 3 . each of the upper and lower sheets 2 and 1 is a roll of panel that has a thickness of about 5 mm . for the purpose of gently guiding the upper and lower sheets 2 and 1 , there is provided a guide roll 16 at an appropriate position , which is of course embodied easily by those skilled in the art . at a place where the upper sheet 2 is supplied toward the inner sheet 3 , there is provided a heater 14 a that is adapted to melt and bond the upper sheet 2 and the inner sheet 3 , and at a place where the lower sheet 1 is supplied toward the inner sheet 3 , there is provided a heater 14 b that is adapted to melt and bond the lower sheet 1 and the inner sheet 3 . fig4 is a schematic perspective view of each heater . each of the heaters 14 a and 14 b is secured to a device body ( which is not shown ) by use of a connecting member 141 and has a housing 142 in which a heating coil ( which is not shown ) is provided and a cover 143 adapted to be located on the housing 142 . the heating coil is connected by means of electric wires 144 to external power . the housing 142 is provided with a pair of heating sets 145 a and 145 b at the end portion thereof , each of which is comprised of a plurality of heating needles 147 . preferably , the number of heating needles 147 is 6 through 10 . the heater 14 a that is provided between the upper sheet 2 and the inner sheet 3 operates in such a manner that the upper surfaces of the heating sets 145 a and 145 b come in contact with the surface of the upper sheet 2 , thereby melting the surface of the upper sheet 2 , and the lower surfaces thereof come in contact with the upper surface of the inner sheet 3 thereby melting the surface of the inner sheet 3 . on the other hand , the heater 14 b that is provided between the lower sheet 1 and the inner sheet 3 operates in such a manner that the lower surfaces of the heating sets 145 a and 145 b come in contact with the surface of the lower sheet 1 , thereby melting the surface of the lower sheet 1 , and the upper surfaces thereof come in contact with the lower surface of the inner sheet 3 thereby melting the lower surface of the inner sheet 3 . the heating sets 145 a and 145 b should momentarily melt the surfaces between the upper sheet 2 and the inner sheet 3 and between the lower sheet 1 and the inner sheet 3 , such that they are set to be kept at a temperature of about 300 ° c . being much higher than the melting temperature of the polyethylene resin . the temperature adjustment and setting for the heater are of course carried out easily by those skilled in the art . in addition to melting the surface of each sheet by use of the heating sets 145 a and 145 b of the heater 14 , so as to achieve more rigid relations with the sheets , it is important to determine what kinds of shape the heating needles 147 have and how they are arranged . fig5 is a schematic sectional view of the heating set 145 a of each heater taken along the line a - a in fig4 . as shown , each heating needle 147 has an upper - heating section 146 a and a lower heating section 146 b . in more detail , in case of the heater 14 a placed between the upper sheet 2 and the inner sheet 3 , the upper heating sections 146 a come in contact with the surface of the upper sheet 2 , with a result of making the surface of the upper sheet 2 melted , and the lower heating sections 146 b come in contact with the surface of the inner sheet 3 , with a result of making the surface of the inner sheet 3 melted . on the other hand , in case of the heater 14 b placed between the lower sheet 1 and the inner sheet 3 , the upper heating sections 146 a come in contact with the surface of the inner sheet 3 , with a result of making the surface of the inner sheet 3 melted , and the lower heating sections 146 b come in contact with the surface of the lower sheet 1 , with a result of making the surface of the lower sheet 1 melted . at this time , the polyethylene polymer on the surfaces of the sheets with which the upper and lower heating sections 146 a and 146 b are contacted is melted to thereby form predetermined grooves and to the contrary , the polyethylene polymer on the surfaces of the sheets with which the upper and lower heating sections 146 a and 146 b are not contacted is not melted to thereby form predetermined protrusions . so as to achieve the strong contact relations between the sheets , by the way , the predetermined grooves and the predetermined protrusions should be formed to cross one another in a zigzag manner . therefore , the plurality of heating needle 147 are formed in such a manner that the upper heating sections 146 a and the lower heating sections 146 b are arranged obliquely to cross one another . such the arrangement of the heating needles 147 enables bonding areas 140 as shown in fig6 to be formed such that the sheets can be rigidly bonded with one another . fig6 is a schematic sectional view of the bonding areas of the polyethylene resin sandwich panel taken along the line b - b in fig1 . in this preferred embodiment of the present invention , the single heater 14 a or 14 b has the two heating sets 145 a and 145 b , which is not necessarily limited thereto . also , a plurality of heaters are placed in parallel relation with one another such that the thermal bonding can be obtained on all of the contact portions of the sheets , which is of course carried out easily by those skilled in the art . after the surface of each sheet is momentarily melted by use of the heaters 14 a and 14 b , each sheet is pressed by means of the plurality of press rolls 15 . each press roll 15 includes a pair of upper and lower rolls through which the bonded sandwich panel is passed . as the sandwich panel is depressed by use of the plurality of press rolls 15 , it is bonded rigidly and after that , it is ejected . three pairs of press rolls 15 are shown in fig2 , but the number of them is not necessarily limited thereto . for example , the number of the press rolls 15 is two through six pairs of ones . the press rolls should have the same linear velocity as the moving velocity of the sandwich panel . the driving device for driving the press rolls 15 is of course embodied easily by those skilled in the art . the polyethylene resin sandwich panel that has been passed through the plurality of press rolls 15 is cut to a desired length . the sandwich panel may be cut to a vertical direction . the inner sheet 3 is molded by use of a regenerated polyethylene material because it is inserted and bonded between the upper and lower sheets 2 and 1 , which enables the production costs to be substantially reduced . the polyethylene resin sandwich panel according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is not necessarily limited to the polyethylene resin . of course , the sandwich panel of this invention may be made of other kinds of thermoplastic resin . the forgoing embodiments are merely exemplary and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention . the present teachings can be readily applied to other types of apparatuses . the description of the present invention is intended to be illustrative , and not to limit the scope of the claims . many alternatives , modifications , and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art . as clearly discussed above , the polyethylene resin sandwich panel of this invention is made in a single process , using a vertically corrugated inner sheet as a reinforced member , and gives high bonding power between an upper sheet and an inner sheet and between a lower sheet and the inner sheet , which exhibits an excellent mechanical strength .	1
‘ sogo f2451 ’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions . the phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature , light intensity , fertilization and day length without any change in the genotype . the observations and measurements describe plants grown in kaohsiung county , taiwan , r . o . c . under the conditions , which approximate those generally used in commercial practice . in the following description , color references are made to the royal horticultural society ( r . h . s .) colour chart . plants used for the aforementioned photographs and the following detailed botanical description were 18 months in maturity and grown in the pots of 13 cm , in a controlled greenhouse with day - night temperature around 25 - 18 degree celsius , and light intensity between 15 , 000 - 20 , 000 lux natural light , in kaohsiung county , taiwan , r . o . c . origin : seedling from a cross of selected doritaenopsis and phalaenopsis but unnamed parentage . classification : doritaenopsis hybrid cv . ‘ sogo f2451 ’. propagation : asexual propagation by tissue culture . plant description : plant height .— soil level to top of foliar plane is about 10 to 15 cm . plant height .— soil level to top of inflorescences is about 40 to 50 cm . plant diameter .— is about 30 to 35 cm . growth habit .— compact , small , dark - green leaves and a relatively short raceme . flowers per stem .— approximately 35 to 45 . quantity .— approximately 6 to 8 leaves are produced before flowering . size of leaf .— 15 to 20 cm long and 5 to 7 cm wide . shape .— the leaf blade is short and elliptic with a cuneate base and an obtuse tip . the leaf blade is leathery and thick . the middle vein protrudes , while the other veins are not visible in the thick leaf blade . attitude .— horizontal and on two sides parallel . color .— upper surface : dark - green , rhs 139a . lower surface : light - green , rhs 146a . flower type and habit .— single zygomorphic flowers arranged in racemes . flowers are roughly pentagonal in shape . flowering stems upright , freely branching and sturdy . plants freely flowering ; plants typically produce one to three branched flowering stems with at least 28 to 35 flowers each . fragrance .— no fragrance . natural flowering season .— from february to april in the southern part of taiwan . the flower spikes can be induced under the controlled environment , of which day - night temperature at 25 - 18 degree c . for 2 weeks . post - production longevity .— plants of ‘ sogo f2451 ’ maintain good leaf and flower substance for about three to four months on the plant under interior environmental conditions . lastingness of cut flowers has not been observed . inflorescence length .— about 20 to 25 cm . inflorescence diameter .— about 32 to 37 cm . general impressions of petals and sepals .— horizontal elliptical in shape , about 5 cm of flower width in front view . sepals .— there are 3 sepals which are fleshy and glabrous in texture , with straight margins and in elliptical shape , about 2 . 7 cm in length and 2 cm in diameter . the main color of dorsal sepal is rhs 8a , the pattern color of dorsal sepal is 58a . the main color of lateral sepals is rhs 8b , the pattern color of lateral sepal is 58a . petals .— there are 2 open petals which are fleshy and glabrous in texture , with margins weakly undulate and in elliptical shape , about 3 . 7 cm in length and 2 . 4 cm in diameter . the main color of petals is rhs 4b , the pattern color of petals is 58a . labellum ( lip ).— the lip whiskers are absent , shape of apical lobe is ovate , approximately 1 . 8 cm long and 1 . 4 cm wide . the base color of apical lobe is rhs 71a , the tip color of apical lobe is rhs 71a . peduncles .— length about 45 cm , diameter about 5 mm , upright , strong and sturdy , with smooth and glabrous texture . color is rhs n200a . pedicels .— length about 3 . 4 cm , diameter about 2 mm . aspect about 80 . degree from vertical . strong , with a texture of smooth and glabrous . color rhs 145d , towards the base , overlaid with rhs 150b . reproductive organs : the stamens , style and stigmas are fused into a single , short structure called the column , possessing one terminal anther with pollen grains united into a pollinia , which are covered by an anther cap . the stigma is located under the column behind the pollinia . the ovary is inferior with three carpels present . the plant has not produced seed . column .— approximately 11 mm long and 5 mm wide , rhs 72b . pollinia .— two , about 1 mm oval masses of pollen present , rhs 21a . ovary .— 6 to 8 mm long and 2 . 6 mm in diameter , rhs 75b . roots : fleshy , approximately 6 mm wide and green , rhs 188b . plant disease resistance / susceptibility : no specific resistance or susceptibility observed . general observations : doritaenopsis ‘ sogo f2451 ’ produces two or more inflorescence with flowers having sepals and petals in the color of yellow overlaid with purple toward pink base . a red purple with white border labellum . the inflorescence is strong , erect and sturdy , relatively short , and easily packaged for shipping . the plant grows very quickly to marketable size . ‘ sogo f2451 ’ can be economically propagated via tissue culture .	0
the ski safety bracket is in the shape of a bracket open towards the bottom , with the side members 1 , 2 being linked to each other towards the top by a bridge 3 and incorporating hinge parts 4 , 5 at their open ends . the ski safety bracket 1 , 2 , 3 is a one - piece plastic injection molding and has a certain hard elasticity at the bridge 3 , so that the two hinge parts 4 and 5 can slightly oscillate outward when force is applied . the ski safety bracket 1 , 2 , 3 is linked to a hinge part 7 incorporated into the retaining plate 6 , by inserting a hinge pin 9 into a common bore 8 and enclosing the pin by a plug 10 . the retaining plate 6 and the hinge piece 7 are , like the ski safety bracket , a one - piece plastic injection molding ; the hinge pin 9 may consist of steel , but also of plastic , and a plastic compound may be used as plug 10 . the retaining plate 6 is bonded to the front half of the ski shown by a broken line and indentifid by reference numeral 11 or attached in any other manner , the distance from the tip of the ski being about 250 mm to 300 mm with skis of normal length . to prevent loosening of the bonding , or breaking of the retaining plate 6 respectively , by the vibratory movement of the ski , the retaining plate is provided with transverse flutes which will increase its elasticity . the ski safety bracket is installed on the retaining plate 6 by forcing the side members 1 , 2 so far apart that the hinge parts 4 , 5 of the bracket will reach around the hinge piece 7 of the retaining plate 6 and will , after releasing the side members , firmly rest against the hinge piece , exerting a certain , not inconsiderable contact pressure against the surface they rest on . if the dimensions of the ski safety bracket and the hinge piece 7 are of sufficient precision , the frictional resistance of smooth or simply roughened hinge faces suffice to reliably keep the ski safety bracket in its upright position . the longitudinal axis of the ski safety bracket in its upright position is at an angle of about 70 ° with the plane of the front section of the ski ; the return pivoting of the bracket part until this upright position is limited by a stop 12 on the retaining plate 6 , or incorporated into the hinge piece 7 respectively . as already noted at the beginning , it is the purpose of the bracket parts being foldable to avoid that in a fall , the skier could injure the head , the chest or any other part of the body against the upright ski safety bracket . any conceivable fall must , of course , be considered herein and not only a fall caused by crossing of the skis . folding - down must be of such an easy action that the bracket part will give immediately when coming into contact with a part of the body . on the other hand , the frictional resistance of the hinge 4 , 5 , 7 must be sufficiently high to resist concussions or to withstand such waves of snow , as are thrown from the rear onto the ski safety bracket by passing skiers . the frictional resistance , necessary for solving this task , may be predetermined within certain limits , by designing the abutting friction faces of the hinge parts 4 , 5 and the hinge piece 7 with low teeth , cif . especially fig4 . jointly with the clamping force of the bracket part 1 , 2 , 3 clamped upon the hinge piece 7 , the toothing 13 will provide a reliable resistance , predetermined ab initio , against folding down of the bracket . in fig5 to 10 , a variant of the example of realization is shown . with the ski safety bracket described therein , adjusting of the frictional resistance between the hinge faces of the bracket and the hinge faces of the retaining plate can be made any time . instead of the center hinge - piece 7 of the variant per fig1 to 4 , hinge pieces 14 , 15 are incorporated here into the flanks of the retaining plate 6 abutting the corresponding hinge parts 16 , 17 of the bracket part 1 , 2 , 3 either -- as shown -- by way of friction surfaces that are smooth or by way of toothing as described afore . inserted into each of the hinge bores 18 of the hinge 14 , 16 and also into the hinge bore 19 of the hinge 15 , 17 is one hinge pin 20 or 21 respectively and enclosed therein by plugs 22 , 23 . when using correspondingly short hinge pins , and hinge bores 18 , 19 which do not extend through the outsides of the hinge pieces 14 , 15 , these plugs can be avoided , by inserting on assembly the hinge pins from the inside ( not shown ). spring elements in the form of rubber discs 24 , 25 are resting against the inner surfaces of the hinge parts 16 , 17 of the ski safety bracket , two toothed discs 26 , 27 being wedged inbetween them . this arrangement is shown in detail in fig8 and 9 . each rubber disc 24 , 25 is provided with a bulbous end 28 , 29 extending into the hinge bores 18 , 19 and thus centering the rubber discs . for the same purpose , centering dowels 30 , 31 are incorporated into the toothed discs 26 , 27 , extending into the corresponding bores 32 , 33 of the rubber discs 24 , 25 . the two toothed discs 26 , 27 are centered in such a way that a centering dowel 34 incorporated into the toothed disc 26 , will reach into a centering ring 35 on the other toothed disc 27 . the toothing 36 is arranged one each of the toothed discs 26 , 27 in three angular sectors s , each of 120 °. the height of the teeth of the toothing 36 is evenly rising helically within each of these angular sectors , namely from a lower value equal to all sectors to a higher value also equal for all three sectors , cif . turning the toothed discs 26 , 27 relative to each other in the direction of the rise , they will be forced apart and exert a corresponding pressure onto to the rubber discs 24 , 25 which , originally had been installed between the hinge part 16 , 17 and the toothed discs 26 , 27 under an initial pressure . the rubber discs will transmit the additional pressure onto the hinge parts 16 , 17 of the bracket , whereby the frictional resistance between the hinge parts 16 , 17 and the hinge pieces 14 , 15 of the retaining plate will increase . the maximum outward tension and thus the maximum additional pressure is reached at the end of an angular sector of the teeth , i . e ., after 120 ° angular rotation from the lower plate of the toothing . in the same manner , reversed , the additional pressure can be reduced . by this tensioning device , any desired frictional resistance can arbitrily be set at the hinge faces . to facilitate rotating of the toothed discs 26 , 27 they are provided at the circumference with gripping grooves 37 running across the circumference . instead of the gripping grooves , radial bores ( not shown ) may be used into which an adjusting pin is inserted . the adjustable tension described herein , is not dependent upon using toothed discs and rubber discs , but it may be used with any suitable adjustable springing element acting axially upon the hinge parts 16 , 17 of the bracket . in order to deflect from the other ski of a pair of ski , a ski that has deviated from the direction of travel , the side member of the ski safety bracket pointing against the second ski must be relatively steeply inclined , in the example of realization about 80 ° . in the event that the crossing ski , caused by whichever irregularity in the slope , will still jump over the ski safety bracket , the skier must have the possibility of returning the ski into the direction of travel . for this purpose , the side member pointing outward has a smaller inclination , about 50 °- 60 °, so that the ski may easier slide back . the ski safety bracket shown in fig5 to 10 shows outer side member 2 provided with stepped notches 38 intended to hamper sliding - down of the crossing ski . even after - folding down of the bracket part in case of a fall , the hinge parts which , by force of circumstance will still somewhat project upwards , and present a certain danger of injury , although this will be immeasurably less than the danger of a bracket standing upright . the danger of injury present at the hinge parts may be eliminated by a protector plate 39 shown in fig6 and 10 compensating the abrupt differences in height caused by the hinges . the protector plate 39 is inserted into a slot 40 at the stop 12 of the retaining plate 6 , and it is held down by a spring - loaded sliding hook 41 incorporated into the rear part of the retaining plate . the hollow space between the retaining plate 6 and the protector plate 39 may be used for looping through of , for instance , rubber rings or straps ( not shown ) to hold the skis together during transportation . it will be understood that each of the elements described above , or two or more together , may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above . while the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a safety device for skis , it is not intended to be limited to the details shown , since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention . without further analysis , the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can , by applying current knowledge , readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that , from the standpoint of prior art , fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention .	0
in fig1 , reference numeral 10 as a whole designates a band saw , as is typically used in saw mills for dissecting logs , for dissecting and edging boards and the like . band saw 10 may be installed in the sawmill as an integrated stationary unit or as a mobile unit . band saw 10 comprises an upper wheel 12 and a lower wheel 14 rotating about a horizontal upper axis 16 and a lower axis 16 , respectively . a band saw blade 20 is stretched over wheels 12 and 14 . band saw blade 20 is provided with teeth 21 on the front side of fig1 ( see fig2 ). the free ends of band saw blade 20 are interconnected with a butt joint 22 which may be generated by welding or soldering . with regard to band saw blade 20 butt joint 22 configures a discontinuity having the shape of a bump . arrows 23 and 24 indicate the sense of rotation of wheels 12 and 14 . the positioning of wheels 12 and 14 with regard to a vertical axis 26 intersecting axes 16 and 18 and with regard to a horizontal axis 28 extending centrally between axes 16 and 18 is symmetrical . in fig1 the right hand strand of band saw blade 20 is designated with 32 and the left hand strand with 34 . from the senses of rotation 23 and 24 of wheels 12 and 14 follows a running direction of band saw blade 20 in its left strand 34 being directed downwardly as indicated by an arrow 37 . whereas right strand 32 extends tangentially on the right hand side of wheels 12 and 14 , left strand 34 keeps a distance d from a tangent line 36 on the left side of wheels 12 and 14 . this is effected by an upper guide 40 as well as a lower guide 42 . guides 40 and 42 are positioned such that a sawing table is located therebetween ( not shown ) on which , for example , a wood board is pushed through band saw 10 , namely in the illustration of fig1 perpendicularly to the drawing plane . insofar , band saw 10 corresponds essentially to the prior art . fig2 , in a view from above , shows details of upper guide 40 . guide 40 on the right hand side of band saw blade 20 in fig2 comprises a machine - mounted guide block 44 and on the left side a machine - mounted magnet guide 46 . the arrangement right / left of guide block 44 and magnet guide 46 may , of course , also be the other way round . the term “ machine - mounted ” is to be understood to mean that during operation of band saw 10 elements 44 and 46 are rigidly connected with the machine base , however , may be adapted to be adjusted e . g . for calibration purposes . machine - mounted guide block 44 may be provided with a low - friction coating 50 . magnet guide 46 comprises a housing 54 . within housing 54 there are provided a front electromagnet 56 a as well as a rear electromagnet 56 b facing a front area 58 a and a rear area 58 b , respectively , of saw blade 20 . the terms “ front ” and “ rear ” are related to a feed direction 60 of a sawing material indicated at 61 , for example a wood board as already mentioned . electromagnets 56 a and 56 b are , preferably , of same design . the design with a u - shaped yoke indicated in fig2 is , of course , only to be understood as an example . as a matter of principle , any component may be used in the present context allowing to exert an adjustable force on band saw blade 20 in a contactless manner . as two electromagnets 56 a and 56 b are used in any of the two magnet guides 46 , the entire assembly with two superimposed magnet guides ( fig1 ) has four such electromagnets . a front sensor 62 a is associated to front electromagnet 56 a and a rear sensor 62 b is associated to rear magnet 56 b . sensors 62 a and 62 b are adapted to detect a distance in a magnetic , capacitive , optical , acoustical or other manner . within the magnetic guide 46 they measure a distance d between the right hand ( fig2 ) surface 64 of magnet guide 46 and the left hand ( fig2 ) surface 66 of band saw blade 22 in its front area 58 a and its rear area 58 b , respectively . when electromagnets 56 a and 56 b are excited with the same current intensity , i . e . when they exert the same magnet force on areas 58 a and 58 b , then band saw blade 20 , as viewed in fig2 , will be displaced to the left or to the right , as indicated by a double arrow 70 while maintaining its orientation . if , however , the magnet forces of electromagnets 56 a and 56 b are different , then band saw blade 20 is twisted about its longitudinal axis as indicated by a pair of arrows 72 . by doing so it is possible to orient band saw blade 20 obliquely with regard to feed direction 60 of sawing material 61 . one can then make oblique or arc - shaped sawing cuts within sawing material 61 , in particular when sawing material 61 is conical or arc - shaped with regard to feed direction 60 , as is the case for naturally grown logs or parts thereof . accordingly , by selectively energizing electromagnets 56 a and 56 b , one can as well compensate for lateral evasive movements as torsion of band saw blade 20 , being appropriate when sawing material 61 is guided with high power against teeth 21 of band saw blade 20 in feed direction 60 and saw blade 20 then buckles , or when band saw blade 20 enters into inhomogeneous areas of sawing material 61 , for example knots in a wood board . when band saw blade 20 is in its rest position , i . e . no magnet force is exerted , it rests on machine - mounted guide blocks 44 , for example by a conventional mechanical setting of a certain laterally oriented biasing force of about 100 to 1 , 000 n , e . g . 600 n . directly before or after the starting of band saw 10 , band saw blade 20 is lifted off guide blocks 44 by a magnet force of e . g . 700 n being higher than the mechanical bias force of e . g . 600 n until it assumes a position between guide blocks 44 and magnet guides 46 as shown in fig1 and 2 ( distance d ). this may be done irrespective of band saw blade 20 , as will be explained later , is twisted about its longitudinal axis or not . in this desired position band saw blade 20 is guided in a contactless manner . the position control is then effected around this desired magnet force of 700 n by modulation , e . g . by reducing or increasing the magnet force . as an alternative it is , of course , also possible to manage without guide blocks 44 and to position magnet guides 46 on both sides of band saw blade 20 ( not shown ). in that case the control of the lateral position of the band saw blade would be effected through a selective excitation of magnet guides 46 on both sides of band saw blade 20 . band saw blade 20 would then extend along a common tangent line of both wheels 12 and 14 as shown in the right half of fig1 . in this embodiment eight magnets altogether would be used at right / left , up / down and front / rear positions . fig3 shows a block diagram of an electronic control unit 74 which may be used for energizing electromagnets 56 a and 56 b and , further provides still other functions . control unit 74 comprises a controller 80 . signals from sensors 62 a and 62 b as well as a desired value d s indicating the desired distance between surfaces 64 and 66 are fed to inputs of controller 80 . from the actual values of distance d and from the given desired value d s controller 80 in a manner known per se generates correcting variables for energizing electromagnets 56 a and 56 b . in embodiments of the invention which may also be used alone , a frequency analyzer 82 is , further , associated to controller 80 . from e . g . the signals of sensors 62 a and 62 b frequency analyzer 82 continuously computes the natural frequency or , as the case may be , several natural frequencies f 0 of band saw 10 which , however , may also be given as fixed value or values , respectively , determined beforehand . normally , one has different natural frequencies f 0 when the band saw blade 20 is out of engagement with the sawing material and in engagement therewith , respectively , when the tension of the band saw blade varies etc . the natural frequency f 0 of band saw 10 becomes apparent as a periodical oscillation of band saw blade 20 which mostly is a superposition of lateral movements and torsional movements . these natural oscillations essentially depend on the free length of band saw blade 20 between wheels 12 , and 14 , on the tension force , on the modulus of elasticity of band saw blade 20 , as well as on the system saw / sawing material at the prevailing operation parameters . on the basis of a command variable supplied by frequency analyzer 82 controller 80 now generates a periodical correcting signal of even frequency but opposed polarity for electromagnets 56 a and 56 b , such that the natural oscillations of band saw blade 20 are extinguished through interference . one has found that this given control with frequency f 0 known beforehand is more effective than a control on the basis of measured instantaneous values . it goes without saying that while doing so , one may not only take into account the fundamental wave of the natural oscillation of the band saw blade but likewise harmonic waves . in a similar manner , a clock 84 , also associated to controller 80 acts in embodiments of the invention which may also be used alone . clock 84 governs controller 80 with a command variable characterizing the periodical running by of butt joint 22 configuring an uneven discontinuity at magnet guide 40 . if , for example , band saw blade 20 has a length of 10 m and is moved at a linear velocity of 40 m / s , then butt joint 22 runs by magnet guide 46 with a frequency of 4 hz or a clock period of 250 ms . the running by effects an evasive movement which is compensated for by a correspondingly gated excitation of electromagnets 56 a and 56 b with a signal of sufficient amplitude and opposed polarity . here , too , the frequency and the clock period , respectively , may vary , for example when a high load acts on band saw blade 20 and , hence , its drive motor . for band saws , three - phase asynchronous motors are conventionally used as drives . such motors , however , have a load - dependent slip , such that the rpm , and , hence , the velocity of band saw blade 20 may fluctuate by about 1 to 3 %. therefore , the clock period of the butt joint 22 running by is continuously detected such that a dynamic compensation is also possible here . in fig4 and 6 three more embodiments of band saws having a basic structure corresponding to that of band saw 10 of fig1 are shown , irrespective of whether band saw blade 20 is twisted about its longitudinal axis . in fig4 to 6 like elements are designated bay like reference numerals . in the embodiment of fig4 a band saw 110 having four magnetic machine - mounted guides 146 11 , 146 12 , 146 21 , 146 22 are shown being positioned as two pairs above each other in the area of left strand 34 . the two guides of a pair are positioned on opposing sides of left strand 34 . in the embodiment shown , the positioning is made such that left strand 34 coincides with tangent line 36 of the two wheels 12 and 14 . the guides 146 11 , 146 12 , 146 21 , 146 22 in their design preferably correspond to the illustration of fig2 . the positioning of guides 146 11 , 146 12 , 146 21 , 146 22 on both sides along band saw blade extending along a tangent line touching wheels 12 and 14 has the effect that contrary to the embodiment of fig1 no basic force must be exerted by magnets within guides 146 11 , 146 12 , 146 21 , 146 22 on band saw blade 20 extending symmetrically between them in the rest position , i . e . when band saw blade 20 is not displaced . further , the lateral displacement of band saw blade 20 may be effected faster as is the case for the embodiment of fig1 for the displacement to the right . for the two - sided positioning of guides 146 11 , 146 12 , 146 21 , 146 22 the speed of displacement namely depends primarily on the electronic control of the magnets , i . e . the rise rate of the magnet force which may be set very high . in the embodiment of fig1 , however , the displacement to the right , i . e . away from the magnet of magnet guide 46 is effected solely under the influence of the mechanical spring constant of the system , in particular of band saw blade 20 . by this positioning , moreover , the above mentioned measure may be effected particularly well , namely to twist band saw blade about a vertical axis in the area between guides 146 11 , 146 12 , 146 21 , 146 22 by a corresponding polarization of electromagnets 56 a and 56 b as indicated with arrow 72 in fig2 . the extent of the torsion is increased within the scope of elasticity of band saw blade 20 by positioning such electromagnets on opposite sides of band saw blade 20 according to fig4 . should no sufficient torsion angle be achievable in view of , on the one hand , the width of a practically possible air gap between band saw blade 20 and guides 146 11 , 146 12 , 146 21 , 146 22 and , on the other hand , the width of band saw blade 20 in the feed direction 60 , then , according to the invention , one may configure guides 146 11 , 146 12 , 146 21 , 146 22 adapted to be rotated about a vertical axis , as will be explained below together with fig6 . if a sawing material 61 shall be sawn by band saw 10 which is not straight in the feed direction 60 , one can effect by appropriate excitation of the electromagnets that band saw blade 20 makes a cut which does not extend parallel to feed direction 60 , but may extend , for example , obliquely or arc - shaped . in the embodiment of fig5 a band saw assembly is provided which , besides a first band saw 210 1 of the type described with fig1 also comprises a second band saw 210 2 being essentially identical in design with fist band saw 210 1 , however arranged mirror - symmetrically . second band saw 210 2 also comprises wheels 212 and 214 having axes 216 and 218 lying on a vertical axis 226 and a band saw blade 220 running thereover . its right strand 232 runs in the vicinity of left strand 34 of first band saw 2101 . such paired arrangements of band saws 210 1 , 210 2 are used to apply two parallel saw cuts to a sawing material running therethrough in one run . when doing so still another pair of band saws may be provided perpendicularly to the drawing plane of fig5 so as to apply four such saw cuts in one run . such tandem band saws are known to the person of ordinary skill , for example from u . s . pat . no . 3 , 318 , 347 and , hence , need not to be explained in further detail here . in order to achieve an arrangement being as compact as possible , wheels 12 and 14 or 212 , 214 of the two band saws 210 1 and 210 2 in fig5 are arranged near to each other . in order to nevertheless provide band saw blade 20 or 220 , respectively , with a certain tension , strands 34 and 323 in the embodiment of fig5 are each drawn inwardly by means of magnetic , machine - mounted guides 246 11 , 246 12 , 246 21 , 246 22 towards their respective vertical axis 26 and 226 , respectively , i . e . in the illustration of fig5 strand 34 is drawn by distance d from tangent line 36 to the right , and strand 232 by distance d from a corresponding tangent line 236 to the left . if one would double the embodiment of fig1 into a tandem band saw of the type of fig5 by folding same about a vertical axis , then a close lateral approximation of the two band saws 10 would not be possible because the two laterally projecting magnet guides 46 would stand in the way . further , in the transitional area between the two band saws 10 one could only saw relatively wide boards . with the arrangement of fig5 , however , an can make saw cuts which , as compared to the embodiment of fig1 , could be somewhat more approximated , and could be somewhat less approximated as compared to the embodiment of fig6 being still to be described . it goes without saying that also for the embodiment of fig5 mechanical guide blocks may be used on the side of band saw blade 20 opposite magnetic guides 246 11 , 246 12 , 246 21 , 246 22 as was described in connection with fig1 above . fig6 , finally , shows another embodiment of a band saw 310 in which only two machine - mounted magnet guides 346 1 and 346 2 are provided . these magnet guides 346 1 and 346 2 are positioned such that their left surface ( fig6 ) is flush with tangent line 36 . when guides 346 1 and 346 2 are activated , they draw left strand 34 against these surfaces , such that left strand 34 coincides with tangent line 36 . in order to be able to also make oblique or arc - shaped cuts , band saw blade 20 may be twisted in a manner already described several times ( arrow 72 ). considering , however , that guides 346 1 and 346 2 simultaneously guide mechanically , they must be rotated simultaneously as indicated in fig6 with an axis 348 and an arrow 349 .	8
embodiments of the present invention will be illustrated below in conjunction with an exemplary communication system . although well suited for use with , e . g ., a system having an acd or other similar contact processing switch , the present invention is not limited to any particular type of communication system switch or configuration of system elements . those skilled in the art will recognize the disclosed techniques may be used in any communication application in which it is desirable to provide improved contact processing . fig1 shows an illustrative embodiment of the present invention . a contact center 100 comprises a central server 110 , a set of data stores or databases 114 containing contact or customer related information and other information that can enhance the value and efficiency of the contact processing , and a plurality of servers , namely a voice mail server 118 , an interactive response unit ( e . g ., ivr ) 122 , and other servers 126 , a switch 130 , a plurality of working agents operating packet - switched ( first ) communication devices 134 - 1 to n ( such as computer work stations or personal computers ), and / or circuit - switched ( second ) communication devices 138 - 1 to m , all interconnected by a local area network lan ( or wide area network wan ) 142 . the servers can be connected via optional communication lines 146 to the switch 130 . as will be appreciated , the other servers 126 can also include a scanner ( which is normally not connected to the switch 130 or web server ), voip software , video call software , voice messaging software , an ip voice server , a fax server , a web server , an email server , and the like . the switch 130 is connected via a plurality of trunks 150 to the public switch telephone network or pstn 154 and via link ( s ) 152 to the second communication devices 138 - 1 to m . a gateway 158 is positioned between the server 110 and the packet - switched network 162 to process communications passing between the server 110 and the network 162 . although the preferred embodiment is discussed with reference to a client - server architecture , it is to be understood the principles of the present invention apply to other network architectures . for example , the present invention applies to peer - to - peer networks , such as those envisioned by the session initiation protocol . in the client - server model or paradigm , network services and the programs used by end users to access the services are described . the client side provides a user with an interface for requesting services from the network , and the server side is responsible for accepting user requests for services and providing the services transparent to the user . by contrast in the peer - to - peer model or paradigm , each networked host runs both the client and server parts of an application program . additionally , the present invention does not require the presence of packet - or circuit - switched networks . referring to fig2 , one possible configuration of the server 110 is depicted . the server 110 is in communication with a plurality of customer communication lines 200 a - y ( which can be one or more trunks , phone lines , etc .) and agent communication line 204 ( which can be a voice - and - data transmission line such as lan 142 and / or a circuit switched voice line ). the server 110 can include a operational contact center reporting module ( not shown ), such as avaya iq ™, cms ™, basic call management system ™, operational analyst ™, and customer call routing or ccr ™ by avaya , inc ., gathers call records and contact - center statistics for use in generating contact - center reports . the switch 130 and / or server 110 can be any architecture for directing contacts to one or more communication devices . in some embodiments , the switch 130 may perform load - balancing functions by allocating incoming or outgoing contacts among a plurality of logically and / or geographically distinct contact centers . illustratively , the switch and / or server can be a modified form of the subscriber - premises equipment sold by avaya inc . under the names definity ™ private - branch exchange ( pbx )- based acd system , multivantage ™ pbx , communication manager ™, s8300 ™ media server and any other media servers , sip enabled services ™, intelligent presence server ™, and / or avaya interaction center ™, and any other products or solutions offered by avaya or another company . typically , the switch / server is a stored - program - controlled system that conventionally includes interfaces to external communication links , a communications switching fabric , service circuits ( e . g ., tone generators , announcement circuits , etc . ), memory for storing control programs and data , and a processor ( i . e ., a computer ) for executing the stored control programs to control the interfaces and the fabric and to provide automatic contact - distribution functionality . other types of known switches and servers are well known in the art and therefore not described in detail herein . as can be seen in fig2 , included among the data stored in the server 110 is a set of contact pools 208 a - n and a separate set of agent pools 212 a - n . the contacts may be directed to particular suitable agents or a pool of suitable agents , based upon certain criteria . alternatively the contacts may be prioritized in individual ones of the contact pools 208 a - n in their order of priority in different ones of a plurality of contact pools that correspond to a different priority . likewise , each agent &# 39 ; s pools are prioritized according to his or her suitability , and either agents are pooled in individual ones of agent pools 212 a - n in their order of suitability or are pooled in different ones of a plurality of agent pools 212 a - n that correspond to a pool and each one of which corresponds to a different suitable criteria . included among the control programs in the server 110 is a work item routing process 216 . contacts incoming to the contact center are assigned by work item routing process 216 to different contact pools 208 a - n based upon a number of predetermined criteria , including but not limited to customer identity , customer needs , contact center needs , current contact center wait lengths , customer value , and the agent skill that is required for the proper handling of the contact . agents who are available for handling contacts are assigned to agent pools 212 a - n based upon the suitability they possess . an agent may have multiple criteria that suits the needs of several contacts , and hence may be assigned to multiple agent pools 212 a - n simultaneously . furthermore , an agent may have different levels of expertise ( e . g ., levels 1 - n in one configuration or merely primary levels and secondary levels in another configuration ), and hence may be assigned to different agent pools 212 a - n at different expertise levels . in one configuration , the contact center is operated by a contract operator , and each of the contact pools 208 a - n , and possibly each of the agent pools 212 a - n , corresponds to a different client . each client can have a separate service level agreement or other type of performance measurement agreement with the contract operator regarding performance expectations , goals , requirements or specifications for the client &# 39 ; s respective pool ( s ). referring again to fig1 , the gateway 158 can be avaya inc .&# 39 ; s , g700 media gateway ™ and may be implemented as hardware such as via an adjunct processor ( as shown ) or as a chip in the server . the first communication devices 134 - 1 , . . . 134 - n are packet - switched and can include , for example , ip hardphones such as the avaya inc .&# 39 ; s , 4600 series ip phones ™, ip softphones such as avaya inc .&# 39 ; s , ip softphone ™, personal digital assistants or pdas , personal computers or pcs , laptops , packet - based h . 320 video phones and conferencing units , packet - based voice messaging and response units , packet - based traditional computer telephony adjuncts , peer - to - peer based communication devices , and any other communication device . the second communication devices 138 - 1 , . . . 138 - m are circuit - switched . each of the communication devices 138 - 1 , . . . 138 - m corresponds to one of a set of internal extensions ext 1 , . . . extm , respectively . the second communication devices can include , for example , wired and wireless telephones , pdas , h . 320 videophones and conferencing units , voice messaging and response units , traditional computer telephony adjuncts , and any other communication device . it should be noted that embodiments of the present invention do not require any particular type of information transport medium between switch or server and first and second communication devices , i . e ., embodiments of the present invention may be implemented with any desired type of transport medium as well as combinations of different types of transport channels . the packet - switched network 162 can be any data and / or distributed processing network , such as the internet . the network 162 typically includes proxies ( not shown ), registrars ( not shown ), and routers ( not shown ) for managing packet flows . the packet - switched network 162 is in communication with a first communication device 174 via a gateway 178 , and the circuit - switched network 154 with an external second communication device 180 . in a preferred configuration , the server 110 , network 162 , and first communication devices 134 are session initiation protocol or sip compatible and can include interfaces for various other protocols such as the lightweight directory access protocol or ldap , h . 248 , h . 323 , simple mail transfer protocol or smtp , imap4 , isdn , e1 / t1 , and analog line or trunk . it should be emphasized that the configuration of the switch , server , user communication devices , and other elements as shown in fig1 is for purposes of illustration only and should not be construed as limiting the present invention to any particular arrangement of elements . according to at least one embodiment , a resource connector module 232 and a resource selection module 238 are provided . the resource connector module 232 and resource selection module 238 are stored either in the main memory or in a peripheral memory ( e . g ., disk , cd rom , etc .) or some other computer - readable medium of the center 100 . the resource connector module 232 monitors the occupants of the work item and agent pools 208 a - n and 212 a - n , respectively , and contact center objectives , rules , and policies and assigns agents to service work items . as will be appreciated , the central server 110 is notified via lan 142 of an incoming contact by the communications component ( e . g ., switch 130 , fax server , email server , web server , and / or other server ) receiving the incoming contact . the incoming contact is held by the receiving communications component until the resource connector module 232 forwards instructions to the component to forward or route the contact to a specific contact center resource , such as the interactive response unit 122 , the voice mail server 118 , and / or first or second communication device 134 , 138 associated with a selected agent . the module 232 distributes and connects these contacts to communication devices of available agents based on the predetermined criteria noted above . according to an embodiment of the present invention , the resource connector module 232 may simultaneously present a contact to multiple or a plurality of suitable agents . when the resource connector module 232 forwards a contact to the plurality of agents , the module 232 also forwards customer - related information from databases 114 to the agent &# 39 ; s computer work station for previewing and / or viewing ( such as by a pop - up display ) to permit the agent to better serve the customer . the plurality of suitable agents process the contacts sent to them by the module 232 . the resource selection module 238 receives contact center operational information ( such as total agents available ), analyzes the information , and provides the results to contact center administrators . the resource selection module 238 includes an agent finder module 242 that , based upon real time operational information , determines suitable agents for a received work request . according to an embodiment of the present invention , the suitable agents include agents who already have been presented a work request , but have not accepted it . further , the suitable agents include agents who already have been presented and accepted some work request , but have not reached their full capacity of handling simultaneous work requests . the resource selection module 238 further includes an agent log module 246 that dynamically determines new available suitable agents . in case , the received work request has not been accepted by any earlier agent , the agent log module 246 is configured to detect availability of new suitable agents . for example , some suitable agents may just have logged in or some suitable agents may just have disconnected a previous work request , or an under - capacity agent may reject a presenting work request even while other work remains presenting to them . the operation of the resource connector module 232 and the resource selection module 238 including the agent finder module 242 and the agent log module 246 , will now be discussed with reference to fig3 a and 3b . fig3 a and 3b illustrate a method 300 for routing a work request or work item to an agent in the contact center 100 . in step 302 , the resource connector module 232 may receive a work request . the work request may come from a contact that requires some service from an agent . in an embodiment , the work request may be received by the resource connector module 232 . in another embodiment , the work request may be received by the receiving communication component ( not shown in the figure ). in step 304 , the resource selection module 238 may analyze the work request to determine a type of work request . in an embodiment , the work request may be analyzed to know more about exact requirement of the work request . in another embodiment , the work request may be analyzed to know from which particular client the work request belongs to . in an embodiment , the resource selection module 238 may analyze the work request to determine a type of work request . in another embodiment , some other module , for example , the receiving communication component ( not shown in the figure ) may analyze the work request . in step 306 , the resource selection module 238 may retrieve relevant data . in an embodiment , the relevant data may be retrieved from the database 214 . in another embodiment , the relevant data may be retrieved by the operational contact center reporting module . the relevant data may include historical as well as real time operational data from the operational contact center reporting module . the operational data generally includes not only historic kpi values but also current ( real time ) operational data for the contact center . the current operational data is determined by a real time event processing module of the operational contact center reporting module . in step 308 , the agent finder module 242 of the resource selection agents 238 selects a plurality of suitable agents for the work request . a suitable agent may be an agent that is not already actively handling work already accepted , or already handling work but able to handle work simultaneously and not yet at the maximum simultaneous capacity . further , “ suitable ” may also include any additional eligibility criteria required by the customer &# 39 ; s business , such as agent fairness criteria ( idle time , for example ), and skill matching . in an embodiment , the plurality of suitable agents includes agents having skills matching to the work request . further , according to an embodiment of the present invention , the plurality of agents also includes agents having previous work items in a presenting state . some agents may have been provided other work requests , but has not started work on those work requests or has not accepted those work requests . for example , if an agent has been provided a phone call , but the agent has not answered it for some reason , then another phone call may also be forwarded to the agent . furthermore , according to an embodiment of the present invention , the plurality of agents includes agents working at a capacity below maximum individual capacity of the agents for simultaneously handling a plurality of work requests . for example , some agents may handle multiple work requests simultaneously . in one embodiment , the suitable agents may include agents who have been provided other work requests and also have accepted some of them , but not operating at their maximum capacity of simultaneously handling multiple work requests . the agent finder module 242 may filter out the suitable agents and unsuitable agents . in step 310 , the resource connector module 232 simultaneously presents the work request to all of the suitable agents . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the suitable agents may be presented the work request in an appropriate form including a bearer channel , and the agent &# 39 ; s terminal device . in one embodiment , a screen popup to the suitable agent may indicate the work request . in another embodiment , a ringing to the suitable agent may indicate the work request . in step 312 , the resource connector module 232 determines whether work request has been accepted or not . if the work request has been accepted by some suitable agent , the resource connector module 232 routes the work request to the agent from the plurality of agents whose acceptance is received first by the resource connector module . otherwise , the method 300 proceeds to 314 . in step 314 , the agent log module 242 of the resource selection module 238 dynamically determines whether new suitable agents have been available to take the work request . in an embodiment , some suitable agents may just have logged in or some suitable agent may just have disconnected or completed an earlier work request , after the resource connector module 232 presented the work item to the plurality of agents . further , some agent may have been operating below his maximum capacity of handling simultaneously multiple work requests . in an embodiment , the agent log module 242 automatically determines availability of new suitable agents to handle the work request . if no new suitable agents have been available since the work request was presented to the suitable agents , the method goes to 318 . if new suitable agent / agents have become available , the method proceeds to 316 . in step 316 , the resource connector module 232 dynamically presents the work request to the new found suitable agents . in an embodiment , the new found suitable agents are presented with the work request in addition to the previously presented work request to the plurality of agents . in an embodiment , the resource connector module 232 may automatically presents the work request to the new available agents . in step 318 , the resource connector module may determine whether the work request has been accepted . if the work request is not accepted by any agent yet , the method returns to 314 . otherwise , if the work request has been accepted by any agent the method 300 proceeds to 320 . in step 320 , the resource connector module 232 may route the work request to the agent from the plurality of agents and the new available agents based on agent responsiveness time . the agent responsiveness time is a measure of responsiveness of the agent in real time for the work request . in one embodiment , the work is routed to the agent , whose acceptance is received first by the resource connector module 232 . those skilled in the art will appreciate that that one of the new available agents may also handle the work request , if his acceptance is received first by the resource connector module 232 . further , the work request may be removed from a presenting status from rest of the plurality of agents . furthermore , the resource selection module 238 may determine whether the agent who accepted work request , is operating at his maximum capacity . if the agent is operating at his maximum capacity , any other work requests presenting at this agent are now removed from this agent . these remain presenting at other agents , if they were already presenting . if the agent is not operating at his maximum capacity , the resource selection module may consider the agent to be available to take more work request . the module 238 presents the subset of recommendations to an administrator or automatically selects the “ best ” recommendation . the agent finder module 242 and the agent log module 246 , or the resource selection module 238 provides the subset of recommendations to the work item routing process 216 and / or resource connector module 232 for implementation . the exemplary systems and methods of this present invention have been described in relation to a contact center . however , to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention , the preceding description omits a number of known structures and devices . this omission is not to be construed as a limitation of the scope of the claimed invention . specific details are set forth to provide an understanding of the present invention . it should however be appreciated that the present invention may be practiced in a variety of ways beyond the specific detail set forth herein . furthermore , while the exemplary embodiments illustrated herein show the various components of the system collocated , certain components of the system can be located remotely , at distant portions of a distributed network , such as a lan and / or the internet , or within a dedicated system . thus , it should be appreciated , that the components of the system can be combined in to one or more devices , such as a switch , server , and / or adjunct , or collocated on a particular node of a distributed network , such as an analog and / or digital telecommunications network , a packet - switch network , or a circuit - switched network . it will be appreciated from the preceding description , and for reasons of computational efficiency , that the components of the system can be arranged at any location within a distributed network of components without affecting the operation of the system . for example , the various components can be located in a switch such as a pbx and media server , gateway , in one or more communications devices , at one or more users &# 39 ; premises , or some combination thereof . similarly , one or more functional portions of the system could be distributed between a telecommunications device ( s ) and an associated computing device . it will also be appreciated that the plurality of agents and the contacts may be organized or processed internally as queues , pools , or any other mechanism . furthermore , it should be appreciated that the various links connecting the elements can be wired or wireless links , or any combination thereof , or any other known or later developed element ( s ) that is capable of supplying and / or communicating data to and from the connected elements . these wired or wireless links can also be secure links and may be capable of communicating encrypted information . transmission media used as links , for example , can be any suitable carrier for electrical signals , including coaxial cables , copper wire and fiber optics , and may take the form of acoustic or light waves , such as those generated during radio - wave and infra - red data communications . also , while the flowcharts have been discussed and illustrated in relation to a particular sequence of events , it should be appreciated that changes , additions , and omissions to this sequence can occur without materially affecting the operation of the present invention . a number of variations and modifications of the present invention can be used . it would be possible to provide for some features of the present invention without providing others . for example in one alternative embodiment , the systems and methods of the present invention can be implemented in conjunction with a special purpose computer , a programmed microprocessor or microcontroller and peripheral integrated circuit element ( s ), an asic or other integrated circuit , a digital signal processor , a hard - wired electronic or logic circuit such as discrete element circuit , a programmable logic device or gate array such as pld , pla , fpga , pal , special purpose computer , any comparable means , or the like . in general , any device ( s ) or means capable of implementing the methodology illustrated herein can be used to implement the various aspects of this invention . exemplary hardware that can be used for the present invention includes computers , handheld devices , telephones ( e . g ., cellular , internet enabled , digital , analog , hybrids , and others ), and other hardware known in the art . some of these devices include processors ( e . g ., a single or multiple microprocessors ), memory , nonvolatile storage , input devices , and output devices . furthermore , alternative software implementations including , but not limited to , distributed processing or component / object distributed processing , parallel processing , or virtual machine processing can also be constructed to implement the methods described herein . in yet another embodiment , the disclosed methods may be readily implemented in conjunction with software using object or object - oriented software development environments that provide portable source code that can be used on a variety of computer or workstation platforms . alternatively , the disclosed system may be implemented partially or fully in hardware using standard logic circuits or vlsi design . whether software or hardware is used to implement the systems in accordance with the present invention is dependent on the speed and / or efficiency requirements of the system , the particular function , and the particular software or hardware systems or microprocessor or microcomputer systems being utilized . in yet another embodiment , the disclosed methods may be partially implemented in software that can be stored on a storage medium , executed on programmed general - purpose computer with the cooperation of a controller and memory , a special purpose computer , a microprocessor , or the like . in these instances , the systems and methods of the present invention can be implemented as program embedded on personal computer such as an applet , java ® or cgi script , as a resource residing on a server or computer workstation , as a routine embedded in a dedicated measurement system , system component , or the like . the system can also be implemented by physically incorporating the system and / or method into a software and / or hardware system . although the present invention describes components and functions implemented in the embodiments with reference to particular standards and protocols , the present invention is not limited to such standards and protocols . other similar standards and protocols not mentioned herein are in existence and are considered to be included in the present invention . moreover , the standards and protocols mentioned herein and other similar standards and protocols not mentioned herein are periodically superseded by faster or more effective equivalents having essentially the same functions . such replacement standards and protocols having the same functions are considered equivalents included in the present invention . the present invention , in various embodiments , configurations , and aspects , includes components , methods , processes , systems and / or apparatus substantially as depicted and described herein , including various embodiments , sub - combinations , and subsets thereof . those of skill in the art will understand how to make and use the present invention after understanding the present disclosure . the present invention , in various embodiments , configurations , and aspects , includes providing devices and processes in the absence of items not depicted and / or described herein or in various embodiments , configurations , or aspects hereof , including in the absence of such items as may have been used in previous devices or processes , e . g ., for improving performance , achieving ease and \ or reducing cost of implementation . the foregoing discussion of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . the foregoing is not intended to limit the present invention to the form or forms disclosed herein . in the foregoing detailed description for example , various features of the present invention are grouped together in one or more embodiments , configurations , or aspects for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure . the features of the embodiments , configurations , or aspects of the present invention may be combined in alternate embodiments , configurations , or aspects other than those discussed above . this method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim . rather , as the following claims reflect , inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment , configuration , or aspect . thus , the following claims are hereby incorporated into this detailed description , with each claim standing on its own as a separate preferred embodiment of the present invention . moreover , though the description of the present invention has included description of one or more embodiments , configurations , or aspects and certain variations and modifications , other variations , combinations , and modifications are within the scope of the present invention , e . g ., as may be within the skill and knowledge of those in the art , after understanding the present disclosure . it is intended to obtain rights which include alternative embodiments , configurations , or aspects to the extent permitted , including alternate , interchangeable and / or equivalent structures , functions , ranges or steps to those claimed , whether or not such alternate , interchangeable and / or equivalent structures , functions , ranges or steps are disclosed herein , and without intending to publicly dedicate any patentable subject matter .	7
an embodiment of the present invention will be explained by referring to the drawings in detail below . fig1 shows an embodiment of a pachinko machine for which an electronic display device and a game board according to the present invention are used , in a front view thereof . in fig1 a reference numeral 1 denotes the frame of the game machine , and a reference numeral 2 denotes a variable display unit of a liquid crystal display disposed on the back of the game board 3 of the pachinko machine . here , the area of the liquid crystal display screen occupies most of the area of the game board 3 , and a picture 18 is generated by a display on the liquid crystal display . the removable game board 3 is installed in front of the liquid crystal display . the base board is constituted of a sufficiently transparent board material which is an acrylic panel here to avoid disturbing the liquid crystal display when viewing it from the front . fig2 shows a cross - sectional side view of the game machine in fig1 wherein a reference numeral 13 denotes a front glass panel , a reference numeral 14 denotes an electronic control board housing , and a reference numeral 15 denotes a start - up winning ball detector . a guide rail 4 , nails 5 , a rotary pinwheel 6 , a start - up winning port 7 , a jackpot port 8 , and other winning ports 10 are arranged on the front side of the game board 3 , while a winning ball guide 9 is arranged on the back . it is effective to constitute them with a transparent material so as to provide them with transparency . the transparent board 3 is installed on the game board 1 in an easily removable fashion such as with screws or by insertion so that it can be easily replaced . although not shown , the game board 3 is arranged with electrical wiring for turning indicators 12 on or off , a drive unit for opening and closing the jackpot port 8 , and its electrical wiring , which are connected to an electronic control board in the electronic control board housing 14 through a connector 16 . the wiring is led to the surrounding nontransparent region by a transparent electrode consisting of ito . referring to fig1 a pachinko ball 17 projected by a ball projector ( not shown ) travels along the guide rail 4 , bumps against or is guided by the nails 5 and the pinwheels 6 while dropping , and , if it enters in the winning port 7 , becomes a winning ball . the winning ball is guided to the winning ball guide 9 , and detected by the start - up winning ball detector 15 ( fig2 ). the detection is converted to an electric signal , which is then input to the electronic control board ( not shown ) in the electronic control board housing 14 ( fig2 ) as an input signal . upon receipt of the signal , a cpu on the electronic control board determines various decisions to control the display screen of the liquid crystal display which constitutes the variable display unit 2 , opening or closing operations of the jackpot port 8 on the game board 3 , and turning the indicator 12 on or off . here , if no ball enters in the start - up winning port 7 for three minutes , the displayed flower 18 starts fading . in addition , a missed ball is returned through a reject port 11 . infrared sensors ( not shown ) are installed around the game board so that the position of the pachinko ball can be detected with a 10 × 10 matrix within the traveling range of the ball . here , it is arranged so that , when a pachinko ball enters in the start - up winning port 7 , a character ( not shown ) displayed on the variable display unit chases the ball dropping on the game board surface . it can be used to detect whether or not a ball enters in the winning port with the sensor . in such a case , it may have a structure that the ball pass through the winning port as is without providing the winning ball guide 9 . with such an arrangement , it becomes possible to avoid a situation such that the display on the variable display unit is hidden by the winning ball guide . it may be also possible to provide a function for detecting the ball on the winning port itself . according to the present invention , the front surface of the variable display unit of the game machine can be utilized as the ball moving region so that there is no limitation on the size of variable display unit and an electronic display device with a large screen can be used for the front surface of the variable display unit of the game machine . as a result , the amount of displayed information is significantly increased so that it becomes possible to provide more variety with the contents of the display and to increase the degree of freedom . thus , in turn , it becomes possible to provide new possibilities and fascination with the pachinko machine or pinball machine . furthermore , it becomes possible to vary the display on the variable display unit and the details of the game such as the number of prize balls according to the movement or speed of a ball passing over the transparent area by detecting the presence of the balls passing over the transparent area . in addition , the updating of pachinko machines can be performed simply by changing the display data for the electronic display device with a large screen on the variable display unit , which can be performed by replacing the electronic control board , and / or by replacing the transparent game board . therefore , the waste produced in the updating of the game machines is only the electronic control board and / or the transparent game board so that waste can be significantly reduced . furthermore , the ease of replacement also reduces the time and cost required for replacement .	0
the basic diagram of fig3 displays a power transistor lt whose collector - emitter path is connected in series with the horizontal deflection coil l , as this is also the case with the known driving circuits . at the end which is not connected to the power transistor lt , the horizontal defection coil l is connected to a voltage source u1 which effects a collector current ic increasing in ramp - shaped manner , as shown in fig2 a , as long as the power transistor lt is in the saturation state . between the emitter of the power transistor lt and ground there is connected a sensor resistor r across which an actual - value voltage u i is available which is proportional to the collector current ic . the base of the power transistor lt is connected to the control output sa of a transconductance stage tk to which the actual - value voltage u i obtained across the sensor resistor r is supplied via an actual - value input ie and to which line - frequency switching - on pulses are supplied from a pulse source ( not shown ) via an additional input e . the transconductance stage tk is furthermore connected between a voltage source supplying a voltage u2 and ground , the voltage u2 providing power for the transconductance stage tk . the transconductance stage tk represents a voltage - controlled current source with the voltage - current conversion behavior or transconductance the characteristic of the transconductance g can be made linear in case of a relatively simple circuit design or non - linear in case of a greater circuit expenditure , in order to take account of the strongly curved path of the current gain β of the power transistor as a function of the collector current thereof . in this respect , the transconductance path can be made β - inverse , at least in approximation . in this case , the transconductance g of the transconductance stage tk is set such that the power transistor lt is just in the saturation state at any value of the collector current which increases in ramp - shaped manner . thus , it holds that ## equ1 ## and wherein c is the saturation factor and β min ( ic ) is the current gain of the power transistor lt as a function of the collector current ic thereof . the subscript min designates the minimum value of the current gain of the transistor type used as the power transistor as a function of its spread between single specimens of that transistor type . thus , it follows for the transconductance of the driver circuit : and ## equ2 ## the time dependency of the positive feedback control loop is determined solely by the load impedance of the power transistor lt and results from the reactance of the deflectional system and of the line transformer . thus , the driving circuit adapts itself automatically to different operating conditions . when employing a β - inverse transconductance path , the switching - on base current ib2 shown in fig2 c is obtained . the hatched area in fig2 c corresponds to the reduction of the driving power in relation to the conventional driving method which leads to the switching - on base current ib1 . a more detailed circuit diagram of a preferred embodiment of the driving circuit according to the invention , including a circuit part which renders this driving circuit compatible with the known 2 - controller is shown in fig4 . the power transistor lt is connected on the collector side to a deflection voltage source u1 via the horizontal deflection coil l , and is connected on the emitter side to ground via the sensor resistor r . the base of the power transistor lt is connected , via a parallel connection consisting of a resistor rs and of a capacitor cs , to the control output sa of a monolithically integrated driving circuit as . the connecting point between the emitter of the power transistor lt and the sensor resistor r is connected to the actual - value input ie of the driving circuit as . within the driving circuit as , there is provided a differential amplifier dv which , in conventional manner , has a left - hand input transistor tl and a right - hand input transistor tr , the emitters thereof being each connected to a current source sl and sr , respectively , and furthermore being connected to each other via a connecting resistor rv . between a left - hand output terminal al and a right - hand output terminal ar of the differential amplifier dv , a voltage arises which is dependent upon the potential difference between a left - hand input l and a right - hand input r of the differential amplifier dv . with the aid of a voltage - current converter circuit , a current is generated at the control output sa of the driving circuit as , which is proportional to the voltage between the outputs al and ar . the voltage - current converter circuit comprises two resistors rl and rr which are connected on the one end to the outputs al and , respectively , ar of the differential amplifier dv and which are commonly connected on the other end to the emitter of a transistor t1 . the collector of the transistor t1 is connected to a supply voltage source u2 . the outputs al and ar are , furthermore , connected to the non - inverting input of an operational amplifier v1 and to the inverting input of an operational amplifier v2 , respectively . the output of the operational amplifier v2 is connected to the base of the transistor t1 , and the output of the operational amplifier v1 is connected to the base terminals of two additional transistors t2 and t3 . the transistors t2 and t3 form , with their collector - emitter paths , a series connection which is connected between the supply voltage source u2 and ground . the connecting point between the emitter of transistor t2 and the collector of transistor t3 is connected to the one end of a current - voltage converter resistor rw , the other end of which is connected on the one hand to the control output sa of the driving circuit as and on the other hand to the non - inverting input of operational amplifier v2 . that end of resistor rw which is connected to the transistors t2 and t3 is furthermore connected to the inverting input of operational amplifier v1 . the current delivered from the common output terminal of the transistors t2 and t3 to the output terminal sa is converted with the aid of the resistor sw into a corresponding voltage which is regulated with the aid of the operational amplifiers v1 and v2 to a voltage value which corresponds to the voltage between output terminals al and ar of the differential amplifier dv . in this manner , a current is present at the output terminal sa and thus at the base of the power transistor lt , which is dependent upon the potential difference between the inputs l and r of the differential amplifier dv and upon the working characteristic of the differential amplifier dv . this working characteristic determines the transconductance characteristic of the transconductance stage constructed with the differential amplifier and the voltage - current converter circuit . this working characteristic is selected such that the power transistor lt is saturated to the predetermined degree in case of any collector current demanded from the power transistor lt during the duration of the switching - on pulse . if one decides to use a non - linear transconductance behavior , i . e . a β - inverse or approximately β - inverse working characteristic of the differential amplifier dv , this can be realized by connecting additional differential stages , which are biassed in differring manner and thus respond to differring input potentials , in parallel to the differential stage shown in fig4 which comprises the two transistors tl and tr . the right - hand input r of the differential amplifier dv is connected to the emitter of a right - hand pre - transistor vtr whose collector is connected to ground and whose base is connected via an intermediate resistor rz and the actual - value input ie to the connecting point between the sensor resistor r and the emitter of the power transistor lt . the left - hand input l of the differential amplifier dv is connected to the emitter of a left - hand pre - transistor vtl whose collector is directly connected to ground and whose base is connected to ground via an external capacitor c . furthermore , the emitters of the pre - transistors vtr and vtl are each connected to the supply voltage source u2 via a current source s . the capacitor c can be bridged within the integrated driving circuit as by means of a shunting transistor ut whose emitter is connected to ground and whose collector is connected on the one hand to the capacitor c and the base of the pre - transistor vtl and on the other hand to a controllable current source ls which , in turn , is connected to the supply voltage source u2 . the controllable current source ls is controlled via a third amplifier v3 by the actual - value voltage obtained across the sensor resistor r and delivers a current which is proportional to this actual - value voltage . the base of the shunting transistor ut is connected to the output of an or - circuit o whose two inputs are connected to a control input se to which the switching - on pulses are supplied , from the pulse source ps ( not shown in fig4 ) and to remote control input fe respectively . between the control output sa and the base of the power transistor lt , there is provided a parallel connection which consists of a resistor rs and a capacitor cs and which acts as a negative constant - voltage source during those time intervals in which the switching - off base current of the power transistor lt becomes negative for discharging the base thereof . the part of the driving circuit as described so far operates as follows : at the beginning of a switching - on pulse supplied to the control input se , the shunting transistor ut is switched into the conductive state , so that it short - circuits the external capacitor c and the left - hand input l of the differential amplifier dv is brought virtually to ground potential and is maintained at ground potential during the entire duration of the switching - on pulse . in contrast thereto , the right - hand input r of the differential amplifier dv is acted upon by the voltage drop across the sensor resistor r . an internally generated quiescent potential at the right - hand input r provides for a basic output current which ensures the beginning of the regenerative feedback in the control loop of the circuit structure and compensates offset errors . as the collector current ic of the power transistor lt increases , the voltage drop across the input r and , thus , the output voltage between the output terminals al and ar of the differential amplifier dv and , in corresponding manner , the switched - on base current delivered from the control output sa to the base of the power transistor lt increase as well , this increasing taking place in accordance with the working characteristic of the differential amplifier dv . while the collector current ic of the power transistor lt increases in ramp - shaped manner , as shown in fig2 a , due to the circuit connected to the collector thereof , a switched - on base current which is determined by the shape of the working characteristic of the differential amplifier dv is delivered to the power transistor lt due to the correspondingly increasing potential at the right - hand input r of the differential amplifier dv , with the switched - on base current displaying the base current path ib2 shown in fig2 c when the working characteristic of the differential amplifier dv is β - inverse . upon termination of the switching - on pulse , the shunting transistor ut is blocked , so that the external capacitor c can be charged with the charging current delivered from the controllable current source ls , e . g . consisting of or comprising a transistor the control electrode of which is coupled to the emitter of the power transistor lt . this charging current is proportional to the voltage drop present at this moment across the sensor resistor r , and thus it is proportional to the value of the collector current ic of the power transistor lt flowing upon termination of the switching - on pulse . thus , the higher the final value of the collector current ic upon termination of the switching - on pulse , the higher the charging voltage across the capacitor c . thus , starting with the termination of the switching - on pulse , the potential at the left - hand input l of the differential amplifier dv is determined by the charging voltage across the capacitor c . while the potential at the right - hand input r of the differential amplifier dv remains quasi - constant since the collector current ic of the power transistor lt does , relatively speaking , not change significantly any more during the switching - off delay between the moments ta and ts ( fig2 a ), the potential at the left - hand input l of the differential amplifier dv increases rapidly . the potential difference between the input potentials of the differential amplifier dv , thus , decreases rapidly , this resulting in a corresponding decrease of the output voltage between the output terminals al and ar and , thus , in a corresponding decrease of the switching - off base current supplied to the base of the power transistor lt . when the rapidly increasing potential at the left - hand input l has reached the quasi - constant potential at the right - hand input r , the switching - off base current becomes zero . during the further increase of the potential at the left - hand input l , a voltage which rapidly increases in the opposite direction is then present between the output terminals al and ar , the consequence of this voltage being a corresponding negative base current of the power transistor lt . this negative base current discharges the saturated base of the power transistor lt , until the power transistor lt finally goes into the blocking state at the moment ts , whereby the collector current ic decreases to zero . if one did not employ the measure according to the invention , to control the charging current for the capacitor c proportionally to the collector current ic of the power transistor lt but , rather , charged the capacitor c with a current which is independent from the collector current ic so that a fixed descend steepness of the switching - off base current would be obtained as in case of the known driving circuits , the switching - off delay of the power transistor lt would increase as the final value of its collector current ic increases . the novel driving circuit would thus behave in a manner which is opposite to that of the known driving circuits whose switching - off delay becomes shorter as the final value of the collector current increases . thus , with a constant descend steepness of the switching - off base current , it would not be possible any more to use the novel driving circuit together with the 2 - control loop which is designed for the conventional driving circuits . this control loop would display a quasi - stable behavior in which a deflection signal of the power transistor with a maximum switching - on duration and maximum collector peak current would be followed by such a deflection signal with minimum current and minimum duration . this behavior of the power transistor , namely to display a longer storage time when the collector current increases , which is a physically &# 34 ; normal &# 34 ; behavior but disadvantageous when using the conventional 2 - control loop , is overcome with the measure according to the invention , namely to control the steepness of the descending slope of the base discharge current proportionally to the collector peak current of the power transistor . by the measure according to the invention , to make the steepness of the switching - off base current proportional to the collector peak current and , thus , to make the time required until discharge of the saturated base , i . e . the storage delay time , inversely proportional to the collector peak current , an equal behavior as with the known horizontal deflection stages is achieved in this respect , so that a stable operation of the 2 - control loop is rendered possible with the driving circuit according to the invention . furthermore , in comparison with the conventional driving circuits , the driving circuit according to the invention provides a clearly shorter transient period from switching - on to steady - state operation . in addition thereto , the saturation of the power transistor is guaranteed already in this phase . the conventional solutions require a by far longer transient period , without the power transistor being saturated during this period . thus , particularly high power dissipation occurs which may affect the reliability and the lifetime of the power transistor . thus , these problems have been overcome as well with the driving circuit according to the invention . the particularly preferred embodiment of the invention shown in fig4 displays the following additional features : as protection against too high current loads of the power transistor lt , there is provided a current limiting circuit in the form of a transistor t5 whose collector is connected to the emitter of the right - hand pre - transistor vtr and whose emitter is connected to a reference voltage source u ref . the base of the transistor t5 is connected to the actual - voltage input ie via a diode d5 and to the supply voltage source u2 via a current source s5 . when the collector current ic of the power transistor lt , and thus the voltage drop across the sensor resistor r , exceeds a speficic value which depends on the reference voltage source u ref , the transistor t5 becomes conductive and limits the potential at the right - hand input r of the differential amplifier dv to a potential value which depends on the reference voltage source u ref . the current delivered to the base of the power transistor lt is thereby limited in corresponding manner , this resulting in a limitation of the collector current thereof due to the finite current gain β of the power transistor . a clamp circuit comprising a transistor t6 whose emitter is connected to the actual - value input ie and whose collector is connected to the supply voltage source u2 and whose base is connected on the one hand to ground via a diode d6 and on the other hand to the supply voltage source u2 via a current source s6 , prevents the potential at the right - hand input r of the differential amplifier dv from assuming negative values . without this protective measure , this could happen in case of power transistors having an integrated free - running diode , since the voltage drop at the sensor resistor r reverses in the conductive state of the diode . during the line flyback signal , high voltage values are present at the power transistor lt . if the power transistor lt were switched on during this phase and if a current flowed therein , very high power dissipation would arise which might destroy the power transistor lt . for preventing this , a transistor t4 is provided whose collector is connected to the common base terminal of the two transistors t2 and t3 and whose emitter is connected to ground . the base of the transistor t4 is connected to a switching - on input ee of the driving circuit as , and via said input ee the transistor t4 is switched into the conductive state during the presense of the line flyback signal , this resulting in switching - off of the transistors t2 and t3 . the power transistor lt is thereby definitely maintained in the switched - off state during the presence of the line flyback voltage . the remote control input fe of the driving circuit as is connected to the base of a transistor t7 whose emitter is connected to ground and whose collector is connected via a resistor r7 to the base of the right - hand pre - transistor vtr . the base of said pre - transistor vtr is connected furthermore to the supply voltage source u2 via an additional current source s7 . if the television set is switched into the so - called stand - by state , e . g . by means of a remote control , the remote control input fe receives a switching - on signal which switches the shunting transistor ut into the conductive state via the or - circuit o and which directly switches the transistor t7 into the conductive state . thus , the left - hand input l of the differential amplifier dv virtually reaches ground potential , and the right - hand input r reaches a potential which depends on the resistor r7 and the current supplied from the current source s7 and which has the result that the power transistor lt is driven with a constant base current . in the embodiment shown , all transistors are designed as npn - transistors . with a monolithic integration of the driving circuit as , such transistors are preferred to pnp - transistors because of the lower cut - off frequency of monolithically integrated pnp - transistors . for the same reason , the voltage - current converter circuit following the differential amplifier dv is realized with two amplifiers , which serves to avoid slow pnp - stages .	7
in order to overcome this vortex - induced vibration problem , and thus to increase the lifetime of the structure , two approaches can be considered : the first solution takes account of the fact that fatigue depends on the frequency of the modes and on their form ( since the response of the structure is dominated by its modes ). if the modal base is changed , the excited mode is changed as well and it is therefore possible to decrease the fatigue either by decreasing the frequency of the locked - on mode , or by displacing along the structure the fatigue maxima which correspond to the maxima of the modes . the second solution involves the fact that locking - on is a phenomenon which implies that the current is constant in time to keep steady . if the current is sufficiently disturbed , the vortex release frequency will be modified and the locked - on mode will no longer be excited . this example relates to a riser placed in a current that varies with the water depth but which is time - independent . the characteristics of the riser are as follows : length 300 m outside diameter 0 . 25 m inside diameter 0 . 235 m linear weight 157 . 8 kg / m head tension 1469 kn depth ( m ) 0 60 260 300 velocity ( m / s ) 0 . 6 0 . 8 0 . 2 0 . 1 the riser is kept under tension at its upper end . the conventional layout is a riser suspended at the head by means allowing a toggle type motion . the purpose is here to be able to change the modes . according to the invention , illustrated by fig1 a system of spring type means 1 intended to control the displacements is installed on the most accessible upper part 2 of the riser . the change consists in allowing a substantially horizontal motion of the locked - on part through the agency of means having a certain stiffness , the springs being arranged transversely to the current . the vibration modes then depend on the stiffness of the displacement control means of spring type for example . a fatigue calculation shows that the lifetime can be increased in this precise case by exciting a lower frequency mode . fig2 illustrates this phenomenon and shows the computation results obtained by means of the deep viv software ( a software marketed by the french company principia ). the inverse ( 1 / a ) of the lifetime ( in years ) of the constituent material of a section located at a distance l ( in meters ) from the top of the riser is represented on the ordinate . to that effect , the amplitude of the stresses to which the riser is subjected and the frequencies at which the vibrations occur are calculated . by plotting on a fatigue strength curve relative to the riser constituent material the amplitude of the stress variations indicating the number of allowable cycles , the lifetime along the riser can be deduced , knowing the frequency of appearance of these stress cycles and the number of allowable cycles . thus , in fig2 the higher the curve on the ordinate , the shorter the lifetime at this point of the riser . of course , it is the minimum value of the lifetime ( i . e . the maximum value of the curve ) which dimensions the riser . for a great stiffness ( curve 3 − stiffness = 10 6 n / m ), the riser does not move at the top , which is thus an equivalent of the locked - on riser . then the stiffness is reduced ( curves 4 and 5 ), which progressively releases the horizontal motions of the riser head . the modes are then changed and more favourable lifetimes are obtained . one thus changes from a lifetime below 10 years , for a riser locked at the head , to about 100 years for stiffness values of the order of 10 4 n / m ( curve 4 ). it can be noted that , in this case , the spring playing a fundamental role is the one arranged perpendicular to the plane of the riser and of the current , i . e . in the plane of the vibrations . moreover , it is clear that the values of the calculated optimum stiffness are compatible with industrial implementations . in this case , a relative velocity / structure current is introduced , which depends on the time require for breaking the vortexes . according to the invention , a simple way consists in introducing a head motion in the plane of the riser and of the current . for example , on the riser defined above , a constant current is applied throughout the depth at 0 . 5 m / s and a sinusoidal motion is imposed at the riser head . the top of the riser thus has a velocity of aωsin ( ωt ) type , where a is the amplitude of the motion and ω its circular frequency . fig3 ( obtained with the deepflow software described notably in the following publication : & lt ;& lt ; numerical simulation of vortex - induced vibrations of slender flexible offshore structures & gt ;& gt ;— s . etienne , f . biolley , f . fontaine , c . le cunff , j . - m . heurtier , proceeding isope 2001 ) shows on the ordinate the amplitude a ( in meters ) of the vibrations of a section located at a distance l ( in meters ) from the top of the riser . the frequency of the motion is varied and the vibration amplitudes obtained for three different values of aω are compared in fig3 : it is clear that the amplitude of the vibrations can be decreased by varying aω . the lifetime under fatigue conditions can thus be improved insofar as not too great vibrations are introduced at higher frequencies . thus , in fig3 in the case of a locked - on riser ( curve 6 ), the maximum amplitude of the vibrations is considerably reduced at point 9 . location of the maximum amplitude is also modified by the presence of a head motion , and the new maximum , represented by 9 ′, is lower than the maximum obtained without motion ( curve 6 ). furthermore , it is clear that the optimum displacement velocities calculated can be obtained by means of industrial devices such as hydraulic jacks . the invention thus allows to reduce the amplitude of the vortex - induced vibrations by actively imposing a displacement at the head of the riser . [ 0040 ] fig4 illustrates the means for suspending an upper end 12 of a riser . the vertical stresses are taken up by conventional tensioners 11 , of hydraulic jack type for example . mechanical actuators 10 ( hydraulic jacks for example ), whose mechanical behaviour can be passive or active , allow horizontal displacement of the riser head . of course , tensioners 11 are suited to follow the horizontal displacement of the riser head . the stiffness , damping parameters , or the forces or displacemeents applied are selected to allow control of the viv phenomenon by actuators 10 . such an actuator system can also be coupled with riser vibration measuring devices and with current meters so as to allow optimum control of the vivs . the control loop then involves a viv computation model as described above , a model intended to best adjust the horizontal displacement parameters according to the riser vibrations . it is also possible to use magneto - rheological ( mr ) fluids as components of spring / damper systems 10 . a magneto - rheological fluid is a dispersed composition ( for example silicone oil + particles with magnetic properties ) whose essential property is to have a modified rheological behaviour according to the presence of a magnetic field . under the action of a magnetic field , the dispersed particles form aggregates or sorts of columns aligned in the direction of the field lines . when the system is subjected to small deformations , restoring forces exist between the particles which tend to bring the columns back into the direction of the field lines . however , beyond a certain critical deformation , the restoring force is not sufficient and the particles are carried along by the shear field . one thus changes from an elastic solid behaviour to a viscous liquid behaviour , with an intermediate viscoelastic behaviour . the intensity of the magnetic field , the particle volume fraction and the size of the particles are parameters which allow to modulate the response of the system ( fluid flow ). such fluids can then be advantageously used for making spring / damper systems 10 in cases where it would be desired to change the mechanical characteristics thereof , for example as a function of the current .	4
fig1 shows a known remote control arrangement . in this case , the remote control takes place by means of pulses of different frequency radiated by an infra - red emitter , these pulses being received by an infra - red receiver and being converted into electrical signals in dependence on the received frequency or frequency combination . these transmission paths can be considerably disrupted by ambient light such as from an incandescent lamp . thus , for example , a schmitt trigger is connected into the transmission chain at the output of the infra - red receiver , the schmitt trigger only responding above a settable potential threshold and only passing in pulses freed from noise to the instruction emitter . in order to achieve this , as is shown in fig2 the potential threshold of the trigger must be so set that a signal which has been received and which does not contain any coarse noise makes the trigger respond while a coarse noise caused by a disturbing incandescent light still lies below the response threshold . in the example of fig2 the response threshold lies 1 / 2 step above the coarse noise and 1 / 2 step below the amplitude of the non - noisy signal . fig2 a shows the signal sent and fig2 b shows the signal received in a case where it is not restricted by disturbing incandescent light or by the coarse noise associated therewith . fig2 c shows a noisy signal as it arrives at the receiving end , when distrubing surrounding light , for example in the form of a burning incandescent lamp , is present . in order that the coarse noise , which is present even without a signal , does not make the trigger respond , the potential threshold of the trigger according to fig2 c must be placed above the amplitude of the coarse noise . thus in accordance with fig2 c the potential threshold of the trigger lies 1 / 2 step above the coarse noise and 1 / 2 step below the amplitude of the non - noisy signal . while fig2 b and 2c show the received signals which are supplied to the trigger in the non - noisy or in the noisy state , fig2 d shows the signal as it comes out of the trigger and is supplied to the instruction emitter . in order to provide increased separation of the interference in this type of remote control , the invention proposes that rectification should be present at the receiving end rectifying the radiation which has been transformed into an electrical signal . the signal level is bound to a reference potential by the invention . if rectification is connected between the amplifier and the trigger in the remote control of fig1 as shown in fig3 then , based on the invention , the potential threshold of the trigger may be set at 1 step above the coarse noise and 1 step below the maximum amplitude of the non - noisy signal . thus the separation of the interference of a noisy signal is improved by the invention by a factor of 2 as compared to the arrangement without rectification . while fig2 shows the relationships with a remote control without rectification , fig4 shows the relationships with a remote control in which rectification is present . fig4 a shows the signal sent , fig4 b shows the received signal without the coarse noise and fig4 c shows the received signal with the coarse noise in front of the rectifying arrangement . fig4 d shows the received signal without coarse noise after rectification and fig4 e shows the received signal with coarse noise also after rectification . as fig4 e shows , as a result of rectification , the potential threshold of the trigger may be set so that it lies not only 1 / 2 step , but 1 step above the coarse noise and 1 step below the amplitude of the non - noisy signal . finally , fig4 f shows the signal after the trigger . in accordance with fig3 rectification device comprises for example an rc element in which a diode d is parallel - connected to the resistor r . with a useful frequency f the resistor r and the capacitance c and thus the time constant of the rectification are selected according to the relationship rc ≈( 5 . . . 50 )/ f . the resistor r and the diode d are connected to earth in the remote control arrangement of fig3 . it will be understood that the above description of the present invention is susceptible to various modification changes and adaptations .	7
in fig1 - 9 , a multi - function deck tool 10 comprises an outer structural tube 20 having board lifting arms 21 to remove deck boards 71 from deck board support beams 70 , an inner structural tube or piston 30 riding on a threaded shaft 31 having a nail receiving slot 36 for removing nails 72 from the beams 70 , and an attachable aligning arm 50 for straightening , aligning , and holding new deck boards 71 b to nail the boards to the beams . in fig1 - 9 , the outer structural tube 20 comprises a rigid elongated hollow structure having a bottom open end 29 and an aperture 25 in a top end 24 . a fork ( also called rigid lifting arms ) 21 extends down below the bottom open end 29 of the structural tube 20 , as shown in fig1 . the fork 21 comprises a pair of parallel l - shaped spaced rigid board lifting arms permanently attached to a lower portion of the outer structural tube 20 , extending below the bottom open end 29 and having two parallel lifting arms extending orthogonally relative to the outer structural tube 20 for lifting deck boards 71 , as shown in fig2 - 4 . the rigid board lifting arms 21 are spaced a sufficient distance apart to straddle a deck board supporting beam 70 , as shown in fig3 and 4 . in fig1 , an elongated threaded shaft 31 inside the inner structural tube 30 extends along the length of the outer structural tube 20 . the inner structural tube 30 comprises a threaded opening 35 in a top inner shaft end 37 to ride on the threaded portion 31 of the threaded shaft inside the inner structural tube 30 . a flat head 32 with a nail receiving slot 36 at the bottom end of the inner structural tube 30 pulls nails 72 from the deck board supporting beams 70 as shown in fig5 - 7 . a drill bit engaging top portion 33 of the threaded shaft 31 extends out of the aperture 25 in the top end 24 of the outer structural tube 20 to be secured within a drill bit 61 of a drill 60 for rotating the threaded shaft reversibly by alternating the clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of the drill . a double thrust bearing 34 a and 34 b between the inner threaded portion 31 and the outer drill bit engaging portion 33 of the threaded shaft secures the threaded tube to the top end 24 of the outer structural tube 20 to permit rotation of the threaded shaft and prevent linear movement of the threaded shaft 31 . in fig1 - 9 , the inner structural tube 30 comprises a rigid elongated hollow structure positioned slidably within the outer structural tube 20 between the threaded shaft 31 and the outer structural tube 20 . the inner structural tube 30 is preferably the same square or other rectangular cross sectional shape as the outer structural tube 20 and slightly smaller so that the inner structural tube 30 slides within the outer structural tube but cannot rotate relative to the outer structural tube 20 . the threaded opening 35 in the upper end 37 of the inner structural tube 20 engages the threaded shaft 31 so that rotation of the threaded shaft 31 causes linear movement of the inner tube 30 within the outer structural tube 20 along the threaded shaft 31 in one direction when the threaded shaft 31 is turned in a clockwise direction , and in an opposite direction when the threaded shaft 32 is turned in a counterclockwise direction . in fig2 - 4 , the flat head 32 at the lower end of the inner structural tube 30 engages the top of a deck board supporting beam 70 with the rigid lifting arms 21 spanning the deck beam 70 and positioned under a deck board 71 . activating the drill 60 in a direction to move the inner structural tube 30 downward causes the lifting arms 21 to lift the deck board 71 to remove it from the deck beam 70 , as shown in fig4 . in fig5 - 7 , the inner structural tube 30 has at least one opening 38 ( shown in fig6 ) in a side wall adjacent to the flat head 32 , with the flat head 32 having a nail receiving slot 36 ( shown in fig1 ) that extends from the opening in the side wall opening inwardly to a mid portion of the flat head 32 to receive a deck nail shaft 72 therein by sliding the flat head along the beam 70 to engage the nail , as shown in fig5 . the head of the nail shaft 72 rests on the inner surface of the flat head 32 with the nail shaft extending downwardly out of the flat head 32 through the nail receiving slot 36 . in fig7 , the bottom of the lifting arms 21 rest transversely on a top surface of a deck beam 70 with the protruding deck nail 72 in the deck nail shaft . activating the drill 60 attached to the drill bit end 33 of the inner structural tube 30 causes the inner structural tube 30 to rise up within the outer structural tube 20 to pull the deck nail 72 from the deck beam 70 , as shown in fig7 , thereby providing a multi - function deck tool 10 for removing both deck boards 71 and deck nails 72 . in fig1 , 8 , and 9 , the multi - function deck tool 10 further comprises an aligning arm 50 for use in combination with the multi - function deck tool 10 for straightening , aligning , and holding deck boards 71 for installation on the deck support beams 70 . the aligning arm comprising an elongated rigid shaft 52 , an attaching plate 53 , and an aligning plate 51 . the attaching plate 53 extends orthogonally from the rigid shaft 52 in a first direction at a first end of the rigid shaft 52 , with the attaching plate 53 having an opening therethrough for removably attaching the attaching plate 53 to the bottom face of the flat head 32 of the inner structural tube 30 with a fastener removably engaged in the nail receiving slot 36 and the elongated rigid shaft 52 extending along an outer surface of the outer structural tube 20 . the aligning plate 51 extends orthogonally from the rigid shaft 52 in a second opposite direction away from the rigid shaft 52 at a second end of the rigid shaft , the aligning plate 51 being positioned orthogonally to the outer structural tube 20 and parallel to the lifting arms 21 . after positioning the aligning plate 51 against an inner edge of a previously nailed secure deck board 71 a and hooking the lifting arms 21 over an outer edge of an unattached deck board 71 b , turning the drill 60 causes the outer structural tube 20 to move to draw in the lifting arms 21 and pull in the unattached deck board 71 b to straighten it and align it with the nailed secure deck board 71 a . with the drill 60 stopped and the aligning plate 51 and lifting arms 21 acting like a vise , the aligning arm 50 holds the unattached deck board 71 b in place in order to nail it to the deck support beams 70 . in fig1 , the elongated rigid shaft 52 has a width less that a space between the lifting arms 21 to fit between the lifting arms 21 and the aligning plate 51 has a width greater than the space between the lifting arms so the aligning plate 51 may be hooked facing up over the lifting arms 21 and the attaching plate 53 hooked facing down behind an attached nailed deck board 71 a adjacent to a building wall 80 with the multi - function deck tool 10 positioned with the outer structural tube 20 and drill oriented horizontally on a deck board support beam 70 so that the flat end 32 of the inner structural tube 30 presses against an unattached deck board 71 b straightening the unattached deck board and pushing it into alignment with the attached nailed deck board 71 a for attaching the unattached deck board 71 b to the deck board support beams 70 . in fig1 , the drill bit engaging top portion of the threaded shaft 33 may comprise a tapered end having three flattened sides for the jaws of the drill chuck 61 to grip better . in fig1 , the double thrust bearing 34 a and 34 b on the threaded shaft is held in place in the upper aperture 25 of the top end 24 of the outer structural tube 20 with a clip / pin 38 to facilitate disassembly for cleaning , lubricating , repairs , and to change the orientation of the inner parts , such as to face the nail shaft in a different direction . in fig1 and 5 - 7 , the flat head 32 comprises a nail shaft 36 without square or tapered edges and no sloping surfaces to insure that the nail head remains captured without slipping out . the nail shaft 36 also terminates with a curved radius and not a sharp v point , so the shaft of the nail 72 is surrounded by the end of the nail shaft 36 and not jammed into a sharp corner that the nail could get stuck in . no sharp edge is required on the nail puller 32 and 36 , as it is intended to place under nails that are already partially withdrawn . nails pulled with this tool come out straight and are re - usable . in fig1 - 9 , the parts that form the board lifting arms 21 at the bottom are made to a length to accommodate the most popular width of deck boards which are 5½ ″. in use , the drill 60 is attached to the drill bit engaging top 33 extending out of a proximal end of the multi - function deck tool . the drill bit engaging top 33 is an extension of the inner threaded shaft 31 inside the outer tube 20 . the drill 60 turns the drill bit engaging top 33 to turn the threaded shaft 31 and cause the inner structural tube 30 to move toward or away from the drill 60 depending on which direction the drill is turning . in fig2 - 4 , for lifting deck boards 71 , the present invention board lifting tool uses the board lifting arms 21 built into the end of the outer tube 20 to lift nailed deck boards 71 from the deck board supporting beam 70 . with the inner structural tube 21 straddling the beam 70 and hooked under the board 71 and the bottom flat head 32 of the inner structural tube 30 resting on the beam 70 , turning the drill 60 causes the movement of the inner structural tube 30 away from the drill 60 so that the outer tube 20 and forks 21 move upward ( since the beam 70 does not permit movement of the inner structural tube 30 resting against the beam 70 ) and the forks 21 lift the nailed board 71 to pull it up off of the deck board supporting beam 70 in order to remove the board . in fig5 - 7 , the bottom flat head 32 with the nail receiving slot 36 built into the distal end of the inner structural tube 30 pulls nails from beams as the inner structural tube 32 rises within the outer tube 20 . the built - in nail puller hooks under a nail 72 protruding up from the beam 70 after ripping up the deck board 71 . with the inner structural tube 21 resting on the beam 70 , turning the drill 60 causes the movement of the inner piston 30 toward the drill 60 thereby pulling the nail 72 from the beam 70 so that the nail puller 32 moves upward , pulling the nail 72 from the beam 70 , as in fig7 . the board straightening and board aligning tool 50 with a wedge arm or aligning plate 51 is attached at one end of the multi - function deck tool , to the bottom flat head 32 built into the outer end of the inner structural tube 30 , so that with the aligning plate 51 positioned against a nailed deck board 71 a , the board lifting arms 21 at the end of the outer tube 20 move toward the board alignment plate 51 to draw in and straighten the loose board 71 b to align it with the last nailed board 71 a . the board lifting arms 21 moving back , along with the outer tube 20 and the drill 60 , pull back on the loose deck board 71 b while the aligning plate 51 stays in place on the nailed board 71 a . the aligning tool 50 also holds the loose board 71 b in place to nail it onto the beam 70 . in fig1 , 12 , 13 a and 13 b , the lifting fork comprises a replaceable lifting fork 21 a having a lifting fork sleeve 14 for sliding down over the outer structural tube 20 and the outer structural tube further comprises a sleeve stop 13 adjacent to a bottom of the outer structural tube for engaging a stop plate 12 on the lifting fork sleeve 14 to hold the replaceable lifting fork in place for use , to enable replacement of the lifting fork with different lifting arm sizes and different spacing between the lifting arms to be used for different jobs . in fig1 a , one size of replaceable lifting fork 21 a has the lifting arms spaced apart by the width of the lifting fork sleeve 14 . in fig1 b , another size of replaceable lifting fork 21 a has the lifting arms 19 a and 19 b spaced apart by a distance greater than the width of the lifting fork sleeve 14 . in fig1 a and 14b the lifting fork 21 b comprises a pair of pivotable lifting arms 19 a and 19 b attached to the outer structural tube 20 by attaching plates 18 a and 18 b each having a pivot pin 16 connecting it to the outer structural tube 20 and an arched slot 16 for engaging a protruding pin 15 from the outer structural tube 20 to enable the use of one lifting arm or both lifting arms and to enable the lifting arms to be pivoted up for storage . in fig1 a , both pivotable lifting arms 19 a and 19 b are pivoted down for use together . in fig1 b , one pivotable lifting arm 19 a is pivoted partially up and the other pivotable lifting arm 19 b is pivoted down . it is understood that the preceding description is given merely by way of illustration and not in limitation of the invention and that various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed .	1
the object of the invention is to provide a method and a system for production of and use of carbon - isotope monoxide in labeling synthesis that overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art devices . this is achieved by the method and system claimed in the invention . one advantage with such a method and system is that nearly quantitative conversion of carbon - isotope monoxide into labeled products can be accomplished . there are several other advantages with the present method and system . the high - pressure technique makes it possible to use low boiling solvents such as diethyl ether at high temperatures ( e . g . 200 ° c .). the use of a closed system consisting of materials that prevents gas diffusion , increases the stability of sensitive compounds and could be advantageous also with respect to good manufacturing practice ( gmp ). still other advantages are achieved in that the resulting labeled compound is highly concentrated , and that the miniaturization of the synthesis system facilitates automation , rapid synthesis and purification , and optimization of specific radioactivity through minimization of isotopic dilution . most important is the opening of completely new synthesis possibilities , as exemplified by the present invention . embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the figures . the term carbon - isotope that is used throughout this application preferably refers to 11 c , but it should be understood that 11 c may be substituted by other carbon - isotopes , such as 13 c and 14 c , if desired . fig1 shows a flow chart over the method according to the invention , which firstly comprises production of a carbon - isotope monoxide enriched gas - mixture and secondly a labeling synthesis procedure . more in detail the production part of the method comprises the steps of : providing carbon - isotope dioxide in a suitable carrier gas of a type that will be described in detail below . converting carbon - isotope dioxide to carbon - isotope monoxide by introducing said gas mixture in a reactor device which will be described in detail below . removing traces of carbon - isotope dioxide by flooding the converted gas - mixture through a carbon dioxide removal device wherein carbon - isotope dioxide is trapped but not carbon - isotope monoxide nor the carrier gas . the carbon dioxide removal device will be described in detail below . trapping carbon - isotope monoxide in a carbon monoxide trapping device , wherein carbon - isotope monoxide is trapped but not said carrier gas . the carbon monoxide trapping device will be described in detail below . releasing said trapped carbon - isotope monoxide from said trapping device , whereby a volume of carbon - isotope monoxide enriched gas - mixture is achieved . the production step may further comprise a step of changing carrier gas for the initial carbon - isotope dioxide gas mixture if the initial carbon - isotope dioxide gas mixture is comprised of carbon - isotope dioxide and a first carrier gas not suitable as carrier gas for carbon monoxide due to similar molecular properties or the like , such as nitrogen . more in detail the step of providing carbon - isotope dioxide in a suitable second carrier gas such as he , ar , comprises the steps of : flooding the initial carbon - isotope dioxide gas mixture through a carbon dioxide trapping device , wherein carbon - isotope dioxide is trapped but not said first carrier gas . the carbon dioxide trapping device will be described in detail below . flushing said carbon dioxide trapping device with said suitable second carrier gas to remove the remainders of said first carrier gas . releasing said trapped carbon - isotope dioxide in said suitable second carrier gas . the labeling synthesis step that may follow the production step utilizes the produced carbon - isotope dioxide enriched gas - mixture as labeling reactant . more in detail the step of labeling synthesis comprises the steps of : providing a uv reactor assembly comprising a uv spot light source and a high pressure reaction chamber having a liquid reagent inlet and a labeling reactant inlet in a bottom surface thereof . in a preferred embodiment , the uv reactor assembly further comprises a magnetic stirrer and a magnetic stirring bar . in another preferred embodiment , the uv reactor assembly further comprises a protective housing and a bench where the reaction chamber , uv spot light guide and the magnetic stirrer can be mounted . the uv reactor assembly and the reaction chamber will be described in detail below . providing a reagent volume that is to be labeled . the reagent volume can be prepared in following steps : 1 . dissolve an alkyl or aryl iodide in a solvent ; 2 . dissolve a base in a solvent ( water ) in a separate vessel ; 3 . mix solutions of step 1 and step 2 to form a reagent volume as late as possible before being introduced into the reaction chamber . definition and examples of base will be provided below . introducing the carbon - isotope monoxide enriched gas - mixture into the reaction chamber via the labeling reactant inlet . introducing , at high pressure , said liquid reagent into the reaction chamber via the liquid reagent inlet . turning on the uv spot light source and waiting a predetermined time while the labeling synthesis occurs . collecting the solution of labeled acid from the reaction chamber . the step of waiting a predetermined time may further comprise adjusting the temperature of the reaction chamber such that the labeling synthesis is enhanced . fig2 schematically shows a [ 11 c ] carbon dioxide production and labeling - system according to the present invention . the system is comprised of three main blocks , each handling one of the three main steps of the method of production and labeling : block a is used to perform a change of carrier gas for an initial carbon - isotope dioxide gas mixture , if the initial carbon - isotope dioxide gas mixture is comprised of carbon - isotope dioxide and a first carrier gas not suitable as carrier gas for carbon monoxide . block b is used to perform the conversion from carbon - isotope dioxide to carbon - isotope monoxide , and purify and concentrate the converted carbon - isotope monoxide gas mixture . block c is used to perform the carbon - isotope monoxide labeling synthesis . block a is normally needed due to the fact that carbon - isotope dioxide usually is produced using the 14n ( p , α ) 11 c reaction in a target gas containing nitrogen and 0 . 1 % oxygen , bombarded with 17 mev protons , whereby the initial carbon - isotope dioxide gas mixture comprises nitrogen as carrier gas . however , compared with carbon monoxide , nitrogen show certain similarities in molecular properties that makes it difficult to separate them from each other , e . g . in a trapping device or the like , whereby it is difficult to increase the concentration of carbon - isotope monoxide in such a gas mixture . suitable carrier gases may instead be helium , argon or the like . block a can also used to change the pressure of the carrier gas ( e . g . from 1 to 4 bar ), in case the external system does not tolerate the gas pressure needed in block b and c . in an alternative embodiment the initial carbon - isotope dioxide gas mixture is comprised of carbon - isotope dioxide and a first carrier gas that is well suited as carrier gas for carbon monoxide , whereby the block a may be simplified or even excluded . according to a preferred embodiment ( fig2 ), block a is comprised of a first valve v 1 , a carbon dioxide trapping device 8 , and a second valve v 2 . the first valve v 1 has a carbon dioxide inlet 10 connected to a source of initial carbon - isotope dioxide gas mixture 12 , a carrier gas inlet 14 connected to a source of suitable carrier gas 16 , such as helium , argon and the like . the first valve vi further has a first outlet 18 connected to a first inlet 20 of the second valve v 2 , and a second outlet 22 connected to the carbon dioxide trapping device 8 . the valve vi may be operated in two modes a , b , in mode a the carbon dioxide inlet 10 is connected to the first outlet 18 and the carrier gas inlet 14 is connected to the second outlet 22 , and in mode b the carbon dioxide inlet 10 is connected to the second outlet 22 and the carrier gas inlet 14 is connected to the first outlet 18 . in addition to the first inlet 20 , the second valve v 2 has a second inlet 24 connected to the carbon dioxide trapping device 8 . the second valve v 2 further has a waste outlet 26 , and a product outlet 28 connected to a product inlet 30 of block b . the valve v 2 may be operated in two modes a , b , in mode a the first inlet 20 is connected to the waste outlet 26 and the second inlet 24 is connected to the product outlet 28 , and in mode b the first inlet 20 is connected to the product outlet 28 and the second inlet 24 is connected to the waste outlet 26 . the carbon dioxide trapping device 8 is a device wherein carbon dioxide is trapped but not said first carrier gas , which trapped carbon dioxide thereafter may be released in a controlled manner . this may preferably be achieved by using a cold trap , such as a column containing a material which in a cold state , ( e . g . − 196 ° c . as in liquid nitrogen or − 186 ° c . as in liquid argon ) selectively trap carbon dioxide and in a warm state ( e . g . + 50 ° c .) releases the trapped carbon dioxide . ( in this text the expression “ cold trap ” is not restricted to the use of cryogenics . thus , materials that traps the topical compound at room temperature and release it at a higher temperature are included ). one suitable material is porapac q ®. the trapping behavior of a porapac - column is related to dipole - dipole interactions or possibly van der waal interaktions . the said column 8 is preferably formed such that the volume of the trapping material is to be large enough to efficiently trap (& gt ; 95 %) the carbon - isotope dioxide , and small enough not to prolong the transfer of trapped carbon dioxide to block b . in the case of porapac q ® and a flow of 100 ml nitrogen / min , the volume should be 50 - 150 μl . the cooling and heating of the carbon dioxide trapping device 8 may further be arranged such that it is performed as an automated process , e . g . by automatically lowering the column into liquid nitrogen and moving it from there into a heating arrangement . according to the preferred embodiment of fig2 block b is comprised of a reactor device 32 in which carbon - isotope dioxide is converted to carbon - isotope monoxide , a carbon dioxide removal device 34 , a check - valve 36 , and a carbon monoxide trapping device 38 , which all are connected in a line . in the preferred embodiment the reactor device 32 is a reactor furnace comprising a material that when heated to the right temperature interval converts carbon - isotope dioxide to carbon - isotope monoxide . a broad range of different materials with the ability to convert carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide may be used , e . g . zinc or molybdenum or any other element or compound with similar reductive properties . if the reactor device 32 is a zinc furnace it should be heated to 400 ° c ., and it is important that the temperature is regulated with high precision . the melting point of zinc is 420 ° c . and the zinc - furnace quickly loses it ability to transform carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide when the temperature reaches over 410 ° c ., probably due to changed surface properties . the material should be efficient in relation to its amount to ensure that a small amount can be used , which will minimize the time needed to transfer radioactivity from the carbon dioxide trapping device 8 to the subsequent carbon monoxide trapping device 38 . the amount of material in the furnace should be large enough to ensure a practical life - time for the furnace ( at least several days ). in the case of zinc granulates , the volume should be 100 - 1000 μl . the carbon dioxide removal device 34 is used to remove traces of carbon - isotope dioxide from the gas mixture exiting the reactor device 32 . in the carbon dioxide removal device 34 , carbon - isotope dioxide is trapped but not carbon - isotope monoxide nor the carrier gas . the carbon dioxide removal device 34 may be comprised of a column containing ascarite ® ( i . e . sodium hydroxide on silica ). carbon - isotope dioxide that has not reacted in the reactor device 32 is trapped in this column ( it reacts with sodium hydroxide and turns into sodium carbonate ), while carbon - isotope monoxide passes through . the radioactivity in the carbon dioxide removal device 34 is monitored as a high value indicates that the reactor device 32 is not functioning properly . like the carbon dioxide trapping device 8 , the carbon monoxide trapping device 38 , has a trapping and a releasing state . in the trapping state carbon - isotope monoxide is selectively trapped but not said carrier gas , and in the releasing state said trapped carbon - isotope monoxide is released in a controlled manner . this may preferably be achieved by using a cold trap , such as a column containing silica which selectively trap carbon monoxide in a cold state below − 100 ° c ., e . g . − 196 ° c . as in liquid nitrogen or − 186 ° c . as in liquid argon , and releases the trapped carbon monoxide in a warm state ( e . g . + 50 ° c .). like the porapac - column , the trapping behavior of the silica - column is related to dipole - dipole interactions or possibly van der waal interactions . the ability of the silica - column to trap carbon - isotope monoxide is reduced if the helium , carrying the radioactivity , contains nitrogen . a rationale is that since the physical properties of nitrogen are similar to carbon monoxide , nitrogen competes with carbon monoxide for the trapping sites on the silica . according to the preferred embodiment of fig2 , block c is comprised of a first and a second reaction chamber valve v 3 and v 4 , a reagent valve v 5 , an injection loop 70 and a solvent valve v 6 , and the uv reactor assembly 51 which comprises a uv lamp 91 , a concave mirror 92 and a reaction chamber 50 . the first reaction chamber valve v 3 has a gas mixture inlet 40 connected to the carbon monoxide trapping device 38 , a stop position 42 , a collection outlet 44 , a waste outlet 46 , and a reaction chamber connection port 48 connected to a gas inlet 52 of the reaction chamber 50 . the first reaction chamber valve v 3 has four modes of operation a to d . the reaction chamber connection port 48 is : in mode a connected to the gas mixture inlet 40 , in mode b connected to the stop position 42 , in mode c connected to the collection outlet 44 , and in mode d connected to the waste outlet 46 . fig3 is the reaction chamber 50 ( micro - autoclave ) has a gas inlet 52 and a liquid inlet 54 , which are arranged such that they terminate at the bottom surface of the chamber . gas inlet 52 may also be used as product outlet after the labeling is finished . during operation the carbon - isotope monoxide enriched gas mixture is introduced into the reaction chamber 50 through the gas inlet 52 , where after the liquid reagent at high pressure enters the reaction chamber 50 through the liquid inlet 54 . fig6 a and 6 b shows schematic views of two preferred reaction chambers 50 in cross section . fig6 a is a cylindrical chamber which is fairly easy to produce , whereas the spherical chamber of fig6 b is the most preferred embodiment , as the surface area to volume - ratio of the chamber is further minimized . a minimal surface area to volume - ratio optimizes the recovery of labeled product and minimizes possible reactions with the surface material . due to the “ diving - bell construction ” of the reaction chamber 50 , both the gas inlet 52 and the liquid inlet 54 becomes liquid - filled and the reaction chamber 50 is filled from the bottom upwards . the gas - volume containing the carbon - isotope monoxide is thus trapped and given efficient contact with the reaction mixture . since the final pressure of the liquid is approximately 80 times higher than the original gas pressure , the final gas volume will be less than 2 % of the liquid volume according to the general gas - law . thus , a pseudo one - phase system will result . in the instant application , the term “ pseudo one - phase system ” means a closed volume with a small surface area to volume - ratio containing & gt ; 96 % liquid and & lt ; 4 % gas at pressures exceeding 200 bar . in most syntheses the transfer of carbon monoxide from the gas - phase to the liquid phase will probably not be the rate limiting step . after the labeling is finished the labeled volume is nearly quantitatively transferred from the reaction chamber by the internal pressure via the gas inlet / product outlet 52 and the first reaction chamber valve v 3 in position c . in a specific embodiment , fig3 shows a reaction chamber made from stainless steel ( valco ™) column end fitting 101 . it is equipped with sapphire window 102 , which is a hard material transparent to short wavelength uv radiation . the window is pressed between two teflon washers 103 inside the drilled column end fitting to make the reactor tight at high pressures . temperature measurement can be accomplished with the thermocouple 104 attached by solder drop 105 to the outer side of the reactor . a magnet stirrer ( not shown ) drives small teflon coated magnet stirring bar 106 placed inside the reaction chamber . the magnetic stirrer can be attached against the bottom of the reaction chamber . distance between the magnet stirrer and the reactor should be minimal . fig4 shows a commercial uv spot light source 110 ( hamamatsu lightningcure ™ lc5 ), which is an example of uv spot light sources that can be used in the instant invention . light source 110 has necessary means of operating and controlling the photo irradiation that is produced , the description of the light source is available from the manufacturer ( hamamatsu photonics k . k .). thus intensity and time duration of the photo irradiation are easily adjusted by an operator . light source 110 may be externally controlled by a computer , providing a possibility for automating the reactor assembly . the photo irradiation is delivered to the reaction vessel through a flexible light guide , which is an accessory of hamamatsu lightningcure ™ lc5 . thus light source 110 may be placed at the distance from the reaction chamber providing the possibility to save precious space inside a sheltered hot - cell , where the radiolabeling syntheses are carried out . light source 110 complies with the existing industrial safety standards . further , optional accessories ( e . g . changeable lamps , optical filters ) are provided which may be advantageously used for adjusting the properties of the photo irradiation . fig5 shows the reaction chamber 50 situated a magnetic stirrer 201 , with gas inlet / product outlet 52 and liquid inlet 54 facing the magnetic stirrer 201 . top of the reaction chamber 50 is connected through the flexible light guide 202 to the uv spot light source ( not shown ). referring back to fig2 , the second reaction chamber valve v 4 has a reaction chamber connection port 56 , a waste outlet 58 , and a reagent inlet 60 . the second reaction chamber valve v 4 has two modes of operation a and b . the reaction chamber connection port 56 is : in mode a connected to the waste outlet 58 , and in mode b it is connected to the reagent inlet 60 . the reagent valve v 5 , has a reagent outlet 62 connected to the reagent inlet 60 of the second reaction chamber valve v 4 , an injection loop inlet 64 and outlet 66 between which the injection loop 70 is connected , a waste outlet 68 , a reagent inlet 71 connected to a reagent source , and a solvent inlet 72 . the reagent valve v 5 , has two modes of operation a and b . in mode a the reagent inlet 71 is connected to the injection loop inlet 64 , and the injection loop outlet 66 is connected to the waste outlet 68 , whereby a reagent may be fed into the injection loop 70 . in mode b the solvent inlet 72 is connected to the injection loop inlet 64 , and the injection loop outlet 66 is connected to the reagent outlet 62 , whereby reagent stored in the injection loop 70 may be forced via the second reaction chamber valve v 4 into the reaction chamber 50 if a high pressure is applied on the solvent inlet 72 . the solvent valve v 6 , has a solvent outlet 74 connected to the solvent inlet 72 of the reagent valve v 5 , a stop position 76 , a waste outlet 78 , and a solvent inlet 80 connected to a solvent supplying hplc - pump ( high performance liquid chromatography ) or any liquid - pump capable of pumping organic solvents at 0 - 10 ml / min at pressures up to 400 bar ( not shown ). the solvent valve v 6 , has two modes of operation a and b . in mode a the solvent outlet 74 is connected to the stop position 76 , and the solvent inlet 80 is connected to the waste outlet 78 . in mode b the solvent outlet 74 is connected to the solvent inlet 80 , whereby solvent may be pumped into the system at high pressure by the hplc - pump . except for the small volume of silica in the carbon monoxide trapping devise 38 , an important difference in comparison to the carbon dioxide trapping device 8 , as well as to all related prior art , is the procedure used for releasing the carbon monoxide . after the trapping of carbon monoxide on carbon monoxide trapping devise 8 , valve v 3 is changed from position a to b to stop the flow from the carbon monoxide trapping devise 38 and increase the gas - pressure on the carbon monoxide trapping devise 38 to the set feeding gas pressure ( 3 - 5 bar ). the carbon monoxide trapping devise 38 is then heated to release the carbon monoxide from the silica surface while not significantly expanding the volume of carbon monoxide in the carrier gas . valve v 4 is changed from position a to b and valve v 3 is then changed from position b to a . at this instance the carbon monoxide is rapidly and almost quantitatively transferred in a well - defined micro - plug into the reaction chamber 50 . micro - plug is defined as a gas volume less than 10 % of the volume of the reaction chamber 50 , containing the topical substance ( e . g . 1 - 20 μl ). this unique method for efficient mass - transfer to a small reaction chamber 50 , having a closed outlet , has the following prerequisites : a micro - column 38 defined as follows should be used . the volume of the trapping material ( e . g . silica ) should be large enough to efficiently trap (& gt ; 95 %) the carbon - isotope monoxide , and small enough (& lt ; 1 % of the volume of a subsequent reaction chamber 50 ) to allow maximal concentration of the carbon - isotope monoxide . in the case of silica and a reaction chamber 50 volume of 200 μl , the silica volume should be 0 . 1 - 2 μl . the dead volumes of the tubing and valve ( s ) connecting the silica column and the reaction chamber 50 should be minimal (& lt ; 10 % of the micro - autoclave volume ). the pressure of the carrier gas should be 3 - 5 times higher than the pressure in the reaction chamber 50 before transfer ( 1 atm .). in one specific preferred embodiment specifications , materials and components are chosen as follows . high pressure valves from valco ®, reodyne ® or cheminert ® are used . stainless steel tubing with o . d . 1 / 16 ″ is used except for the connections to the porapac - column 8 , the silica - column 38 and the reaction chamber 50 where stainless steel tubing with o . d . 1 / 32 ″ are used in order to facilitate the translation movement . the connections between v 1 , v 2 and v 3 should have an inner diameter of 0 . 2 - 1 mm . the requirement is that the inner diameter should be large enough not to obstruct the possibility to achieve the optimal flow of he ( 2 - 50 ml / min ) through the system , and small enough not to prolong the time needed to transfer the radioactivity from the porapac - column 8 to the silica - column 38 . the dead volume of the connection between v 3 and the autoclave should be minimized (& lt ; 10 % of the autoclave volume ). the inner diameter ( 0 . 05 - 0 . 1 mm ) of the connection must be large enough to allow optimal he flow ( 2 - 50 ml / min ). the dead volume of the connection between v 4 and v 5 should be less than 10 % of the autoclave volume . the porapac - column 8 preferably is comprised of a stainless steel tube ( o . d .= ⅛ ″, i . d .= 2 mm , 1 = 20 mm ) filled with porapac q ® and fitted with stainless steel screens . the silica - column 38 preferably is comprised of a stainless steel tube ( o . d = 1 / 16 ″, i . d .= 0 . 1 mm ) with a cavity ( d = 1 mm , h = 1 mm , v = 0 . 8 μl ) in the end . the cavity is filled with silica powder ( 100 / 80 mesh ) of gc - stationary phase type . the end of the column is fitted against a stainless steel screen . it should be noted that a broad range of different materials could be used in the trapping devices . if a gc - material is chosen , the criterions should be good retardation and good peak - shape for carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide respectively . the latter will ensure optimal recovery of the radioactivity . below a detailed description is given of a method of producing carbon - isotope using an exemplary system as described above . preparations of the system are performed by the steps 1 to 5 : 1 . v 1 in position a , v 2 in position a , v 3 in position a , v 4 in position a , helium flow on with a max pressure of 5 bar . with this setting , the helium flow goes through the porapac column , the zinc furnace , the silica column , the reaction chamber 50 and out through v 4 . the system is conditioned , the reaction chamber 50 is rid of solvent and it can be checked that helium can be flowed through the system with at least 10 ml / min . uv lamp 91 is turned on . 2 . the zinc - furnace is turned on and set at 400 ° c . 3 . the porapac - and silica - columns are cooled with liquid nitrogen . at − 196 ° c ., the porapac - and silica - column efficiently traps carbon - isotope dioxide and carbon - isotope monoxide respectively . 4 . v 5 in position a ( load ). the injection loop ( 250 μl ), attached to v 5 , is loaded with the reaction mixture . 5 . the hplc - pump is attached to a flask with freshly distilled thf ( or other high quality solvent ) and primed . v 6 in position a . production of carbon - isotope dioxide may be performed by the steps 6 to 7 : 6 . carbon - isotope dioxide is produced using the 14n ( p , α ) 11 c reaction in a target gas containing nitrogen ( aga , nitrogen 6 . 0 ) and 0 . 1 % oxygen ( aga . oxygen 4 . 8 ), bombarded with 17 mev protons . 7 . the carbon - isotope dioxide is transferred to the apparatus using nitrogen with a flow of 100 ml / min . synthesis of carbon - isotope may thereafter be performed by the steps 8 to 16 8 . v 1 in position b and v 2 in position b . the nitrogen flow containing the carbon - isotope dioxide is now directed through the porapac - column ( cooled to − 196 ° c .) and out through a waste line . the radioactivity trapped in the porapac - column is monitored . 9 . when the radioactivity has peaked , v 1 is changed to position a . now a helium flow is directed through the porapac - column and out through the waste line . by this operation the tubings and the porapac - column are rid of nitrogen . 10 . v 2 in position a and the porapac - column is warmed to about 50 ° c . the radioactivity is now released from the porapac - column and transferred with a helium flow of 10 ml / min into the zinc - furnace where it is transformed into carbon - isotope monoxide . 11 . before reaching the silica - column ( cooled to − 196 ° c . ), the gas flow passes the ascarite - column . the carbon - isotope monoxide is now trapped on the silica - column . the radioactivity in the silica - column is monitored and when the value has peaked , v 3 is set to position b and then v 4 is set to position b . 12 . the silica - column is heated to approximately 50 ° c ., which releases the carbon - isotope monoxide . v 3 is set to position a and the carbon - isotope monoxide is transferred to the reaction chamber 50 within 15 s . 13 . v 3 is set to position b , v 5 is set to position b , the hplc - pump is turned on ( flow 7 ml / min ) and v 6 is set to position b . using the pressurised thf ( or other solvent ), the reaction mixture is transferred to the reaction chamber 50 . when the hplc - pump has reached its set pressure limit ( e . g 40 mpa ), it is automatically turned off and then v 6 is set to position a . 14 . uv spot light source 110 , magnetic stir 201 and magnet stirring bar 106 in reaction chamber 50 are turned on . 15 . after a sufficient reaction - time ( usually 5 min ), v 3 is set to position c and the content of the reaction chamber 50 is transferred to a collection vial . 16 . the reaction chamber 50 can be rinsed by the following procedure : v 3 is set to position b , the hplc - pump is turned on , v 6 is set to position b and when maximal pressure is reached v 6 is set to position a and v 3 is set to position 3 thereby transferring the rinse volume to the collection vial . with the recently developed fully automated version of the reaction chamber 50 system according to the invention , the value of [ 11 c ] carbon monoxide as a precursor for 11 c - labelled tracers has become comparable with [ 11 c ] methyl iodide . currently , [ 11 c ] methyl iodide is the most frequently used 11 c - precursor due to ease in production and handling and since groups suitable for labeling with [ 11 c ] methyl iodide ( e . g . hetero atom bound methyl groups ) are common among biologically active substances . carbonyl groups , that can be conveniently labeled with [ 11 c ] carbon monoxide , are also common among biologically active substances . in many cases , due to metabolic events in vivo , a carbonyl group may even be more advantageous than a methyl group as labeling position . the use of [ 11 c ] carbon monoxide for production of pet - tracers may thus become an interesting complement to [ 11 c ] methyl iodide . furthermore , through the use of similar technology , this method will most likely be applicable for synthesis of 13 c and 14 c substituted compounds . the main advantage of the present invention is to overcome the limitations of radical - mediated reaction to synthesize 11 c - labeled acids using alkyl / aryl iodides as precursors . the levels of specific radioactivity are high compared with alternative methods such as the use of grignard reactions for preparation of [ carboxyl - 11 c ] acids . iodides used in this invention have a formula ri , where r is linear or cyclic alkyl or substituted alkyl , aryl or substituted aryl , and may contain chloro , fluoro , hydroxyl , ester , carboxyl groups , which are separated by at least one carbon atom from the carbon atom bearing the iodide atom . a base may be defined as any organic or inorganic compound that produces oh − anion upon the reaction with water ( but does not produce any other products which may be reactive towards reagents , intermediates , and products that will hinder the desired radiolabelling transformation ). examples of base include alkali metal hydrides ( for example , kh , nah ), hydroxides ( for example , lioh , koh ), carbonates ( for example , k 2 co 3 , cs 2 co 3 ), tertiary alkyl ammonium ( for example , tetrabutylammonium hydroxide ), alkyl or aryl metals ( for example , butyl lithium , phenyl lithium ). water is pretreated by such a base before reacting with ri . the term “ pretreat ” is meant such a base dissolves in or reacts with water . the resultant labeled acids have a formula wherein r is defined as above . they provide valuable pet tracers in various pet studies . in an embodiment of the present invention , it provides kits for use as pet tracers comprising [ 11 c ]- labeled acids . such kits are designed to give sterile products suitable for human administration , e . g . direct injection into the bloodstream . suitable kits comprise containers ( e . g . septum - sealed vials ) containing [ 11 c ]- labeled acids . the kits may optionally further comprise additional components such as radioprotectant , antimicrobial preservative , ph - adjusting agent or filler . by the term “ radioprotectant ” is meant a compound which inhibits degradation reactions , such as redox processes , by trapping highly - reactive free radicals , such as oxygen - containing free radicals arising from the radiolysis of water . the radioprotectants of the present invention are suitably chosen from : ascorbic acid , para - aminobenzoic acid ( i . e . 4 - aminobenzoic acid ), gentisic acid ( i . e . 2 , 5 - dihydroxybenzoic acid ) and salts thereof . by the term “ antimicrobial preservative ” is meant an agent which inhibits the growth of potentially harmful micro - organisms such as bacteria , yeasts or moulds . the antimicrobial preservative may also exhibit some bactericidal properties , depending on the dose . the main role of the antimicrobial preservative ( s ) of the present invention is to inhibit the growth of any such micro - organism in the pharmaceutical composition post - reconstitution , i . e . in the radioactive diagnostic product itself . the antimicrobial preservative may , however , also optionally be used to inhibit the growth of potentially harmful micro - organisms in one or more components of the kit of the present invention prior to reconstitution . suitable antimicrobial preservatives include : the parabens , i . e ., ethyl , propyl or butyl paraben or mixtures thereof ; benzyl alcohol ; phenol ; cresol ; cetrimide and thiomersal . preferred antimicrobial preservative ( s ) are the parabens . the term “ ph - adjusting agent ” means a compound or mixture of compounds useful to ensure that the ph of the reconstituted kit is within acceptable limits ( approximately ph 4 . 0 to 10 . 5 ) for human administration . suitable such ph - adjusting agents include pharmaceutically acceptable buffers , such as tricine , phosphate or tris [ i . e . tris ( hydroxymethyl ) aminomethane ], and pharmaceutically acceptable bases such as sodium carbonate , sodium bicarbonate or mixtures thereof . when the ligand conjugate is employed in acid salt form , the ph - adjusting agent may optionally be provided in a separate vial or container , so that the user of the kit can adjust the ph as part of a multi - step procedure . by the term “ filler ” is meant a pharmaceutically acceptable bulking agent which may facilitate material handling during production and lyophilisation . suitable fillers include inorganic salts such as sodium chloride , and water soluble sugars or sugar alcohols such as sucrose , maltose , mannitol or trehalose . general reaction scheme for the synthesis of labeled acids are as illustrated below : wherein r is as defined above . * indicates the 11 c labeled position . in alternative embodiments , water may be the reactant in the final step instead of a base . the invention is further described in the following examples which are in no way intended to limit the scope of the invention . precursors that were used to label acids are shown in list . 1 . list 1 . iodides used as precursors in the synthesis of labeled acids the following experiments illustrate the present invention . radical carboxylation using submicromolar amounts of [ 11 c ] carbon monoxide is performed yielding labeled with the acids shown in table 1 as target compounds . [ 11 c ] carbon dioxide production was performed using a scanditronix mc - 17 cyclotron at uppsala imanet . the 14 n ( p , α ) 11 c reaction was employed in a gas target containing nitrogen ( nitrogen 6 . 0 ) and 0 . 1 % oxygen ( oxygen 4 . 8 ), that was bombarded with 17 mev protons . [ 11 c ] carbon monoxide was obtained by reduction of [ 11 c ] carbon dioxide as described previously ( kihlberg , t . ; långström , b . method and apparatus for production and use of [ 11 c ] carbon monoxide in labeling synthesis . swedish pending patent application no . 0102174 - 0 ). liquid chromatographic analysis ( lc ) was performed with a gradient pump and a variable wavelength uv - detector in series with a β + - flow detector . an automated synthesis apparatus , synthia ( bjurling , p . ; reineck , r . ; westerberg , g . ; gee , a . d . ; sutcliffe , j . ; långström , b . in proceedings of the vith workshop on targetry and target chemistry ; triumf : vancouver , canada , 1995 ; pp 282 - 284 ) was used for lc purification of the labelled products . radioactivity was measured in an ion chamber . xenon - mercury lamp was used as a photo - irradiation source . in the analysis of the 11 c - labeled compounds , isotopically unchanged reference substances were used for comparison in all the lc runs . nmr spectra were recorded at 400 mhz for 11 h and at 100 mhz for 13 c , at 25 ° c . chemical shifts were referenced to tms via the solvent signals . solvents : thf was distilled under nitrogen from sodium / benzophenone ; all other solvents were commercial grade . the solvents were purged with helium . alkyl iodides were commercially available or otherwise prepared from commercial alkyl bromides by the finkelstein reaction . general procedure . an iodide ( 100 μmol ) was placed in a capped vial ( 1 ml , flushed beforehand with nitrogen to remove oxygen ) and dissolved in thf ( 400 μl ). water ( 100 μl ) and an optional additive were added to the solution ca . 7 min before the start of the synthesis . the resulting mixture was pressurized ( over 40 mpa ) into the micro - autoclave ( 270 μl ), pre - charged with [ 11 c ] carbon monoxide ( 10 − 8 - 10 − 9 mol ) mixed with he . the mixture was irradiated with a uv source for 5 - 7 min with stirring at 35 ° c . the crude reaction mixture was then transferred from the autoclave to a capped vial , held under reduced pressure . after measurement of the radioactivity the vial was purged with nitrogen and the radioactivity was measured again . the crude product was diluted with acetonitrile or methanol ( 0 . 6 ml ) and injected on the semi - preparative lc . analytical lc and lc - ms were used to assess the identity and radiochemical purity of the collected fraction . ( 1 - 13 c ) 4 - phenylbutyric acid was synthesised from ( 3 - iodopropyl ) benzene as described in the general procedure . ( 13 c ) carbon monoxide ( approximately 0 . 05 mmol ) was added to [ 11 c ] carbon monoxide and the reaction was run for 1 h . 1 h nmr ( 400 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 10 . 0 ( br s , 1h ), 7 . 35 - 7 . 18 ( m , 5h ), 2 . 70 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 41 ( m , 2 j h 13 c = 7 . 3 hz , 2h ), 2 . 00 ( m , 3 j h 13 c = 4 . 4 hz , 2h ). 13 c nmr ( 100 mhz , cdcl 3 ); δ 180 . 5 , 141 . 2 , 128 . 5 , 128 . 4 , 126 . 0 , 34 . 9 ( d , 2 j 13 c 13 c = 3 . 8 hz ), 33 . 0 ( d , 1 j 13 c 13 c = 55 . 5 hz ), 26 . 2 the present invention is not to be limited in scope by specific embodiments described herein . indeed , various modifications of the inventions in addition to those described herein will become apparent to these skilled in the art from the foregoing description and accompanying figures . such modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims . various publications and patent applications are cited herein , the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference in their entireties .	1
fig1 illustrates a recloseable package 10 constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention . the packages 10 of the present invention are particularly suitable for sealing a perishable food product , shown in fig1 and 2 as luncheon meat slices 12 , between a first package panel 14 and a second package panel 16 . the first and second package panels 14 and 16 which form the two sidewalls of the package 10 can be made from a variety of materials including plastic films , plastic films with heat sealable coatings , multi - layered laminates and / or co - extrusions , thermoformable materials and the like . a preferred plastic film for assembly of the packages of the present invention is one which is substantially impervious to air , oxygen and / or moisture . when one or more of the package panels 14 , 16 is formed from a multi - layered construction , it is desirable to use a thin , inner layer which is substantially impervious to air , oxygen and / or moisture in combination with an outer layer having sufficient flexibility and desirable structural characteristics so that the laminate can function as a package sidewall film . for purposes of illustration and discussion , the package panels depicted as flexible sheets will be shown as a single , heat - sealable lamina . in actual practice , each flexible package panel will likely be a co - extrusion and / or laminate of two or more layers which will provide sufficient protection to the product ( e . g ., oxygen and moisture barriers ) and which can form a hermetic , and if desired , peelable seal at the inner surfaces . as is known in the art , multi - layered films comprised of copolyester films or sheets , vinylidene chloride polymers or sheets such as &# 34 ; saran &# 34 ;, ethylene vinyl acetate , a surlyn ionomer or polyethylene plastic films or sheets are suitable . fig1 illustrates a package 10 in which one package panel 14 , in the form of a generally rectangular and substantially rigid , thermoformed plastic product tray or backing board 18 , sometimes referred to as &# 34 ; bacon &# 34 ; board , which supports a plurality of luncheon meat slices 12 which are enclosed on the backing board by an opposing package panel 16 , illustrated as a flexible film sheet 17 . much like the laminated film described above , the backing board 18 is also preferably constructed from a material which is substantially impervious to air , oxygen and / or moisture . in this regard , a somewhat rigid thermoplastic sheet is used to provide a support surface 20 for the luncheon meat 12 . backing boards formed from polyvinyl chloride or barex ® with or without heat sealable coatings have been found to exhibit the preferred desired rigidity and film sealing capabilities . paperboard may also be used as the product backing board provided that it has been previously rendered impervious to oxygen , air and / or moisture , such as by lamination to a film with the desired properties . the luncheon meat slices 12 or the like are desirably positioned on the backing board 18 within a means for retaining the luncheon meat 12 in a packaged product area 19 , illustrated as a raised portion or wall 21 of the backing board 18 . not only does the raised portion 21 retains the luncheon meat 12 within the packaged product area 19 , but also it serves as a first barrier to any juices , oils , or fluids from the luncheon meat 12 within the product area 19 . the raised portion 21 can be formed integrally within the backing board 18 ( most easily accomplished when the backing board 18 is made of a thermoplastic material ) or alternately , can be formed by attaching a separate member to the backing board 18 . as used in this invention and description thereof , the top 11 of the package is meant to refer to that segment of the package perimeter which contains the package mouth 59 or access opening . the film sheet 17 and the backing board 18 are combined by contacting each other around the luncheon meat 12 to form a peripheral margin 42 extending around the periphery of the product as positioned on the backing board 18 . when a vacuum is applied to the space between the film sheet 17 and luncheon meat 12 , the film sheet 17 is drawn inwardly about the luncheon meat 12 or the like to conform to the contour thereof to provide the package 10 with improved rigidity for withstanding rigorous handling during transport and retail display and the like . when a multi - layered flexible film is used wherein the surface of the film sheet 17 which contacts the plastic backing board 18 is formed from a layer of ethylene vinyl acetate , the inherent qualities of the ethylene vinyl acetate layer provide a secure , yet peelable hermetic continuous edge seal 22 outside the board raised portion 20 , which maintains a secure seal during handling and storage that can be peeled back upon the application of digital forces applied through an outer recloseable seal 26 or the like . referring to fig1 and 2 , the package has a first , outer recloseable seal 26 illustrated as a conventional interengaging fastener assembly 27 such as a rib and groove fastener assembly . although the interengaging fastener assembly 27 is illustrated as one that is particularly secure for the illustrated type of package 10 , namely , having a length of a formed single rib element strip 28 and a similar length of a formed single groove strip 29 , it will be noted that the interengaging fastener elements 28 and 29 of the recloseable seal 26 are not limited to any particular number of interengaging fastener elements . the rib 30 projects outwardly from the rib element strip 28 a sufficient distance to be securely interengaged with and held by its confronting and complementary counterparts in the groove element strip 29 . the groove element strip 29 shown includes two outwardly extending walls 32 which define a channel or groove 34 therebetween . the groove 34 is of sufficient width to firmly engage the rib 30 when the confronting interengaging fastener elements 28 , 29 are pressed together . both the recloseable seal 26 and the interengaging fastener assembly 27 can take any number of various characteristics and configurations in addition to those described herein . although the two confronting interengaging fastener elements 28 , 29 are shown as separate members , the fastener elements can be extruded with the package panels . the rear surfaces of the interengaging fastener elements 28 , 29 may include attachment means in the form of flanges 36a , 36b which extend transversely to the fastener elements 28 , 29 . as best illustrated in fig2 these flanges 36a , 36b are of a sufficient width to provide appropriate surfaces to adhere and seal both the film sheet 17 and the backing board 18 to the recloseable seal fastener elements 28 , 29 . when the flanges 36a , 36b are sufficiently wide , it is desirable to locate the interengaging fastener elements 28 , 29 toward the bottom of the flanges so that after any tear - off strip 50 of the package 10 is removed , the uppermost portions 60 of the flanges 36a , 36b will serve as pull flanges 61 which easily enable the user to obtain easy access to the recloseable seal 26 . the flanges 36a , 36b can either be separate members as shown in fig1 and 2 which are formed apart from the rib and groove elements and subsequently attached thereto by any suitable means such as heat sealing or adhesive sealing . the flanges 36a , 36b can also be integrally formed with their respective fastener elements 28 , 29 as shown in fig2 . alternatively , and as shown in fig3 the flanges 36a &# 39 ;, 36b &# 39 ; can be part of a separately recloseable seal flange web assembly 60 , in which the respective fastener elements 28 &# 39 ;, 29 &# 39 ; are integrally joined to an interior web 62 . where such a construction is used , the central portion of the web assembly 60 , will cooperate with the free ends 56 &# 39 ;, 57 &# 39 ; of the package to form a package tear strip 50 &# 39 ; proximate to the line of weakening 64 &# 39 ; as described more fully below . one flange 36b of the interengaging fastener elements 28 , 29 is disposed so that a longitudinal surface 40b of the flange 36b is opposite and adjacent to the backing board 18 . whether the product containing package panel is a rigid thermoformed backing board 18 or a semi - rigid film 84 , the interengaging fastener assembly 27 may be attached to the same by adhering the fastener element flange longitudinal surface 40b to its access edge 38 . this may be accomplished by any appropriate means such as a suitable adhesive or , in instances where the product containing package panel 14 is a rigid thermoplastic material , the fastener assembly 27 may be adhered to the backing board 18 by heat sealing , ultrasonic welding or the like . the interengaging fastener assembly 27 is preferably of the same length as the backing board 18 and the interengaging fastener elements 28 , 29 are attached together at their opposite ends 48 so that the fastener material is not wasted in the trimming of the package 10 and so that it does not interfere with the peripheral hermetic seal 44 of the package . the interengaging fastener assembly 27 may be fitted onto the product carrying package panel 14 and the ends30 thereof are attached together , the product 12 is positioned thereon within the upraised portion 21 thereof to form a product - panel assembly . the opposing film sheet 17 is brought into contact with the product panel 16 , and a vacuum is applied therebetween . a second , hermetic seal 44 is formed around the periphery of the product and interior of the first , outer recloseable seal 26 . the opposing film sheet 17 is then permanently adhered to the recloseable seal 26 along the longitudinal surface 40a of the fastener element sealing flanges 36a , by heat sealing , ultrasonic welding , by adhesive or by any other suitable means . any air present between the two panels 14 , 16 when the product is inserted , can be evacuated and / or product 12 gas - flushed if desired . significantly , the package panels 14 and 16 each include an integral , vertical package extension 51 , 52 which extends exterior of the recloseable seal 26 near the top of the package and has a sufficient extent to accommodate a means for supporting the package 10 on a vertical display , shown as openings 54 . the openings 54 are configured to receive a pegboard display element and are preferably positioned within the recloseable seal fastener element flange portions 36a , 36b of the extensions 51 , 52 . the permanent seals 41a , 41b which attach the flanges 36a , 36b to their respective package panels 16 and 17 preferably circumferentially extends around the perimeter 55 of the openings 54 to ensure the integrity of the package extensions 51 , 52 . the free ends 56 , 57 of the extensions 51 , 52 are secured by suitable generally permanent bonding means shown as a permanent package mouth seal 58 disposal exterior of the recloseable seal 26 and the package mouth 59 . a tamper evident component of the package is further defined by a line of weakening 64 , shown as perforations , extending longitudinally within the extensions 51 , 52 generally adjacent to the recloseable seal 26 . the line of weakening 64 can be administered in any suitable manner such as by perforations or scoring . the free ends 56 , 57 of the extensions 51 , 52 thereby serve as a package tear strip 50 which will indicate prior opening of the package 10 . if desired , an additional line of weakening may be provided in order to facilitate opening of the package by grasping the tear off strip 50 in one hand and the package body in the other hand . by this structure , access which permits opening of the recloseable seal fastener elements 28 , 29 is possible only upon severance or ripping of the tamper - evident strip . the embodiments illustrated in fig1 and 4 are advantageous because they are especially suitable to being formed , filled and sealed on existing machinery , requiring minimal modifications to the packaging machery and / or material used in forming packages having reclosure strips . in addition , these embodiments provide easily understood tampering indicators while requiring no other , separate tamper - evident component , inasmuch as the package extensions perform the tamper - evident feature . as best seen in fig1 it is desirable to make a portion of the hermetic seal 44 which is interior of and adjacent to the recloseable seal 26 a peelable seal 46 to allow the purchaser simple and easy access to the product 12 . the hermetic seal 44 may be entirely of a peelable nature with the hermetic seal portion thereof having a stronger bond effected between the film and the backing board peripheral margin 42 than in the peelable seal portion 46 interior of the recloseable seal 26 so that the hermetic seal 44 is , for all intents and purposes , non - peelable . the hermetic seal 44 provides a second barrier to product liquids and cooperates with the product containment means 21 to substantially prevent the dispersion of product liquids into the recloseable seal . in any event , because the hermetic seal 44 is positioned interior of the recloseable seal 26 , the likelihood of &# 34 ; leakers &# 34 ;, i . e ., packages wherein air enters and the product juices or oils escape from the product area 16 and enter the recloseable seal area , is greatly diminished another embodiment of a recloseable food product package 80 incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown in fig4 and 5 . the basic structure of this alternate embodiment , such as the package panel extensions 94 , 95 , the recloseable seal interengaging fastener elements 88 , 90 and the inner peripheral peel seal 92 is the same as that described for the first embodiment . however , in this illustrated embodiment , the package 80 utilizes two flexible sheets of package film 82 , 84 as the package components rather than a thermoformed backing board and a covering film . in this embodiment , the package panel 84 shown overlying the luncheon meat can be a semi - rigid film which is capable of being formed to provide a product containing cavity 96 to accommodate a preselected amount of luncheon meat 98 . in this alternate construction , the second or opposing package panel 82 is contacted and bonded to the package panel 84 to form the package 80 . after the luncheon meat 98 is deposited in the second panel product cavity 96 , the first package panel 82 is then contacted to the second package panel 84 around the perimeter 100 of the product cavity 96 to form a hermetic seal 92 with a peelable seal area 104 interior of the recloseable seal interengaging fastener elements 88 , 90 . during production of packages of the present invention , a continuous strip of the recloseable seal interengaged fastener elements 28 , 29 may be fed and applied to the access edge 38 of a continuous length of the product carrying package panel 14 and sealed thereto to adhere the recloseable seal continuous strip to the package panel 14 . the continuous strip of interengaged fastener elements 28 , 29 are preferably trimmed even with the edges of the package panel 14 and are attached together at their ends 30 to form the package mouth . accordingly , there is no wasting of the recloseable seal material . an individual product carrying package panel 14 may then be dimensioned and cut from the continuous length and transferred to a product application area . a preselected amount of luncheon meat 12 is then deposited thereon within the previously formed upraised portion 21 to form a product - panel assembly , which is subsequently transferred to a packaging station where the opposing film sheet 17 may be fed from supply rolls into a position opposite the product support surface 20 of the product - backing board assembly and into contact therewith at a peripheral margin 42 extending around the product - backing board assembly . the film sheet 17 is adhered to the recloseable seal fastener element flanges 36a , 36b and is further bonded to the product - panel assembly at the peripheral margin 42 thereof to form the package hermetic seal 44 . subsequently , the permanent mouth seal 58 and the line of weakening 64 may be applied and the package display openings 54 formed in the package extensions 51 , 52 . either before or after forming the package openings 54 , a package label 106 ( shown in phantom ) or other package graphics may be applied to the package panels in a conventional manner . when it is desired to open a finished package , the user grips the package extension permanent mouth seal 58 and tears it off along the line of weakening 64 to gain access to the recloseable seal 26 . the two pull flanges 61a , 61b of the package extensions 51 , 52 are gripped and the user applies digital pull apart forces to open the recloseable seal 26 and the peel seal portion 46 of the hermetic seal 44 the recloseable seal 26 will separate and open , thereby allowing access to the inner peelable seal 46 . the recloseable seal fastener elements 28 , 29 will open to form a package mouth and because the recloseable seal 26 is adhered to the package panels 14 and 16 and attached at its ends 30 , the likelihood of destruction of the integrity of the package 10 is greatly diminished . it will be seen that while certain embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the true spirit of the scope of the invention .	1
in fig1 a multi - story office building generally designated as 20 is illustrated as having inclined southern rooftop opaque collecting area 26 , southern facade 25 and western facade 24 . in fig2 the building northern facade 28 is illustrated as having conventional double pane vision areas 34 and opaque insulated panels 32 . in fig4 the southern facade is further illustrated as having double pane horizontal vision areas 46 shaded by angularly superposed disposed opaque collector panels 44 . fig5 the building layout is generally illustrated . west facade 24 has its vision areas 38 , north - northwesterly disposed with adjacent opaque collector panels 36 exposed to the prevailing sun . similarly in the eastern facade 30 the vision areas 40 are north - northeasterly oriented intermediate opaque , angularly disposed or staggered collector panels 42 . in the south facade vision areas 46 are shaded by horizontally disposed opaque collector panels 44 . manifestly , the angle of the windows on east and west facades , as well as the angle of the collector panels may be varied , according to the sun &# 39 ; latitude . similarly , the angle of the shading collector panels 44 may be varied so as to prevent the winter sun exposure to the vision area . fig6 the rooftop collector panel 22 is illustrated fragmentarily and superposed with respect to collector panels 44 which shade the respective vision areas 46 . the rooftop and east - west collector panels may be constructed similarly to include a clear and insulated clear glass cover 51 , a collector plate 52 , with integral liquid channels 53 and a back - up insulation member 60 . insulation 48 may be interposed intermediate the bottom of the collector panel and the building wall , so as to enclose a circulating plenum or duct 50 . in fig8 the east - west facade collector panel is illustrated in enlarged detail . the collector plate may have a selective surface coating and may be a flat metal plate clad with formed metal plate . alternatively , the collector panel may include a flat metal plate with welded attached tubes or other combination . in fig7 the collector panels on the east facade are disposed at a 30 ° angle ; however , this angle may be varied , according to latitude . the individual panels may have disconnect zones i , ii , iii or the like which may be circuited to cut out of the system when shaded from the sun . in fig9 the air and piping diagram is illustrated , as including individual air supply boxes 61 and 63 , respectively representing a variable volume interior room air supplies as well as exterior room air supplies that are also illustrated for heat exchange as interposed between the low rise supply air conduit 58 and the reheat water supply 62 conduit and return 64 . as illustrated in fig9 air in the low rise supply conduit 58 , for example , is directed into interior supply 61 and also into the exterior room supply 63 with reheat exchange to reheat water from reheat coil pump 91 . this air is schematically illustrated to return to the low rise air supply 72 through air return 59 . as shown , the reheat water from 63 is returned through 64 upwardly past all such reheat boxes 63 and finally returned by reheat water reverse line 71 to hot water storage tank 86 . a high rise air supply unit 70 and a low rise air supply unit 72 may be employed adjacent the reheat water reverse return conduit 71 . as illustrated in fig9 and 10 , chilled water cooling coils 74 and 78 may be positioned above chilled water supply and return conduit 76 communicating respectively with the storage tank 86 and chilled water pumps 84 chillers 82 and hot water pumps 80 . reheat coil pumps 91 may be positioned , so as to have access to storage tank 86 and the reheat water supply and return conduit 62 , 64 . manifestly , a series of valves may be employed to block off circulation in vertical segments , of those panels on the southern facade , as well as lateral and vertical segments of those panels on the eastern and western facades . these valves to selectively control heat recovery by admitting the solar heated water supply , for example to certain liquid channels 53 in zones i , ii , and iii of fig7 are schematically illustrated as vi , vii and viii . in fig1 a condensor water diagram is further illustrated as comprising chillers 82 , condenser water supply 94 and condensor water reverse return 92 communicant with condensor water pumps and an optional cooling tower 97 with associated condenser water pumps 99 positioned in the building roof . typical lighting fixtures 98 are illustrated as cooled by conduit 96 leading from the condensor water supply . as illustrated in fig9 and 10 taken together , the representation of &# 34 ; chiller &# 34 ; 82 is firstly schematic of a heat pump system wherein hot water pumps 80 supply an energy source to effect chilling of the chilled water return from 76 . as hereinabove disclosed , any other type of thermodynamic heat removal may be used to supply chilled fluid to interior cooling coils 78 . the cooling circuit from 84 together with the heated liquid at 80 also schematically illustrate interconnections such as are conventional in solar operated absorption refrigeration systems . in this respect the u . s . pat . to bremser , no . 2 , 030 , 350 , herinabove incorporated , represents a conventional solar operated absorption circuit which may be the operative fluid circuit 76 between a heat source at 80 and the cooling or evaporator coil at 78 . in fig1 a heat recoverage and storage system is illustrated as including storage tank 86 having median baffle 88 , heat recovery pumps 110 and auxilliary stand by heater 108 , communicating with solar heating water return 106 . the heat recovery pumps communicate with solar heating water supply 100 , as well as solar heating water reverse return 102 . an expansion tank 104 may be positioned at the building rooftop . in a typical 35 story office building , a controlled interior climate may be achieved by the following : 1 . minimization of heating and air conditioning requirements by respectively minimizing heat loss in winter through the exterior wall by means of maximum insulation in opaque areas , double glazing in vision areas , and by minimizing solar heat gain in the summer by orienting vision glass to the north on the north facade , north - northwest on the west side , and completely shading vision glass on the south side by means of angled solar collectors and ; 2 . collection of all solar energy striking the building facade and roof by means of double or triple glazed clear glass covered collectors made of coated copper or aluminum plates , with integral or attached fluid carrying channels , connected to pipes , containing a liquid ( e . g ., water or water and ethylene glycol ) which is heated to optimum temperature , returned to a central location at the base of the building , then redistributed through the building where needed for heating in the winter , and used to operate an absorption cycle or other such known system operable upon heat exchange with a heated fluid , amply illustrated by the prior art for a refrigeration equipment in the summer . an insulated storage tank in the basement stores excess hot liquid for night time cooling or heating , any excess hot liquid can be sold to neighboring buildings ; 3 . the integration of the above two principles results in a novel design which , with the exception of energy for lighting , can be a net exporter of energy , meaning that the excess of solar energy collected on sunny and mildly overcast days vs . that needed for heating and cooling the subject building can be exported in a quantity greater than that needed to be imported ( gas , oil , steam or electric backup ) on a day or days when solar energy is not available in adequate quantities to heat or cool subject building . as shown in fig9 and 10 , the particular chillers 82 and 90 , respectively , for air conditioning or cooling purposes may be a conventional low temperature ( 200 ° to 245 ° f ) &# 34 ; water fired &# 34 ; unit such as that manufactured by arkla - servel and designated wf - 1200 .	8
the present invention diminishes the effects of electrocatalyst poisoning by providing a method and system for varying the temperature of the fuel cell according to the level of impurities present in the fuel stream . the temperature inside the fuel cell is rapidly changed from the normal operating temperature to a higher operating temperature when a burst of carbon monoxide or other impurities are detected in the fuel stream . an impurity sensor is disposed along a fuel supply conduit to detect increased levels of impurities before the impurity can enter the fuel cell . it is to be understood that various types of impurity sensors can be utilized to detect a variety of impurities in the fuel stream , such as co , nh 3 and h 2 s sensors . for illustrative purposed of a preferred embodiment , the impurity sensor is a carbon monoxide sensor . additionally , the preferred embodiment is described for a polyelectrolyte membrane fuel cell ( pemfc ) such as a membrane electrode assembly ( mea ) marketed under the trademark primea ®. a temperature change of 70 ° c . to 90 ° c . for this fuel cell , occurring with the fuel cell maintained at a pressure of approximately 202 kpa , diminishes the poisoning rate of impurities on the electrocatalyst . this temperature change is accomplished through the introduction of a burst of hot gas from a gas injector located downstream of the impurity sensor and before the fuel cell . in the preferred embodiment , the carbon monoxide sensor sends a signal to a control unit when a burst of carbon monoxide from a reformer is detected . the control unit then signals the gas injector to open a control valve and rapidly infuse heated h 2 into the fuel supply conduit of the fuel cell , thereby raising the fuel cell temperature to prevent the binding of impurities on the electrocatalyst either by chemical or physical absorption to the electrocatalyst . in an alternative embodiment , the existing fuel stream can be heated through a heating coil displaced around the injected fuel stream . additionally , in the event that some impurities do bind to the electrocatalyst , the higher temperature increases the removal of the impurities from the electrocatalyst , thereby increasing the voltage recover rate . once the impurity level returns to an acceptable concentration , reducing the operating temperature from the raised temperature to the normal operating temperature decreases the detrimental effect of the operational life that higher temperatures cause . therefore , once the impurities sensor no longer detects elevated levels of impurities , or carbon monoxide in this example , it sends a signal to the control unit which in turn signals the gas injector to close the control valve and cease the introduction of heated gas into the fuel supply conduit . referring now to the drawings , the invention will be described in more detail . fig1 shows a schematic of the fuel cell system according to the present invention . a reformer 14 receives methanol , hydrocarbon or other fuel from a fuel supply tank 10 , along with water from a water supply tank 12 for producing a hydrogen - rich gas that supplies the fuel cell . a fuel supply conduit 22 feeds a stream of hydrogen - rich gas produced by the reformer to a fuel cell stack 28 at an anode electrocatalyst location , designated generally as 21 . the construction of fuel cells is well known by those skilled in the art and the present invention can be applied to any of the currently known fuel cell structures and is not limited to any particular type of fuel cell arrangement . for alloy membranes normal operating temperature can be generally 70 ° c . while the higher temperature can be generally 90 ° c . for ceramic membranes , normal operating temperatures can be significantly higher and be in the several hundreds of degrees . an impurity sensor 16 is disposed along fuel supply conduit 22 after reformer 14 but before the gas enters fuel cell stack 28 . by detecting the impurity prior to the impurity reaching the fuel cell , the effect of the electrocatalyst poisoning can be minimized prior to experiencing the full effect . it is to be understood that various types of impurity sensors can be utilized to detect a variety of impurities in the fuel stream , such as co , nh3 and h 2 s . for illustrative purposes of a preferred embodiment , the impurity sensor detects carbon monoxide . a gas injector 18 for introducing heated gas into the system is connected to fuel supply conduit 22 after impurities sensor 16 , but before fuel supply conduit 22 enters fuel cell stack 28 at the anode . a control valve 19 for gas injector 18 is disposed along fuel supply conduit 22 . both impurities sensor 16 and gas injector 18 are in electronic communication with control unit 20 . according to sensing a predetermined level of poisoning such as a burst of carbon monoxide , impurities sensor 16 sends a signal to control unit 20 . control unit 20 monitors the changing level of impurities detected by sensor 16 and sends a signal to gas injector 18 to open valve 19 , thereby allowing heated gas to be injected into fuel supply conduit 22 and thereby raising the fuel cell temperature to prevent the binding of impurities to the electrocatalyst either by chemical or physical absorption to the electrocatalyst . additionally , for impurities that do bind to the electrocatalyst , the higher temperature increases voltage recover rates and the rate of impurities are reduced within the fuel cell . oxygen from air supply 26 , is also included in the fuel supply delivered to the fuel cell stack . the oxygen is introduced into fuel cell stack 28 along cathode fuel conduit 24 at a cathode electrocatalyst location , designated generally as 23 , for completing the oxidation reaction that completes the fuel cell electrochemical oxidation / reduction reaction . in an alternative embodiment , an additionally impurity sensor 16 can be placed in cathode fuel conduit 24 for detecting impurities in the oxygen supply to raise the operating temperature of the fuel cell stack to prevent the impurities from binding to the cathode . in an alternative embodiment , a heating coil 30 ( fig2 ) can be used to heat the fuel stream prior to it entering the fuel cell . the heating coil is connected to control unit 20 and heats the fuel stream upon impurities sensor 16 detecting a predetermined level of impurities . impurities sensor detects not only when the predetermined levels of impurities exist , but also when the impurity level is reduced below the predetermined level so as to allow the operating temperature to be reduced . by reducing the operating temperature from the higher temperature to the normal operating temperature , the detrimental effect on the operational life of the fuel cell is reduced . therefore , once impurity sensor 16 no longer detects elevated levels of carbon monoxide , it sends a signal to control unit 20 which in turn can signal gas injector 18 to close control valve 19 and cease the introduction of heated gas or cease heating the fuel stream being supplied to the fuel cell . this allows the fuel cell to return to the normal operating conditions . the controlled change of temperature extends the electrocatalyst life by only increasing operating temperature during high levels of impurities . as a result , an electrochemical fuel cell with increased durability and more uniform higher power output is provided . table 1 illustrates the advantages of increasing the temperature of a fuel cell in response to increased levels of impurities . the following is provided for a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell ( pemfc ) using a membrane electrode assembly ( mea ) but this invention is certainly not limited to this example . the following table shows dependence of poisoning and recovery rates on co / h 2 mixture composition at 600 ma / cm 2 with neat hydrogen as the baseline . exposure to co and baseline level was 300 s and 1500 s respectively . t cell = 70 ° c ., t cell = 90 ° c ., p = 202 kpa p = 202 kpa poisoning recovery poisoning recovery co / h 2 rate rate rate rate ( ppm ) ( v / min ) ( v / min ) ( v / min ) ( v / min ) 3000 − 1 . 10 0 . 04 − 0 . 08 0 . 06 10000 − 1 . 56 0 . 03 − 0 . 40 0 . 04 at a pressure of 202 kpa , by increasing the operating temperature of the fuel cell from 70 ° c . to 90 ° c ., in this example , the poisoning rate for carbon monoxide is decreased , though chemical and physical competing absorption and oxidation through electrochemical or chemical means . additionally , the recovery rate of the fuel cell voltage is shown increased by approximately 50 %, thereby requiring less time for the fuel cell to regain its optimal operating efficiency . thus , when a burst of carbon monoxide is detected by impurities sensor 16 , the effect of carbon monoxide poisoning on the electrocatalyst can be mitigated by increasing the operating temperature through the introduction of a burst of hot gas ( dry or humid ) into fuel supply conduit 22 . as such , the carbon monoxide poisoning rate , as noted in table 1 , is decreased due to the increase in the fuel cell temperature . thus , the fuel cell &# 39 ; s performance is only minimally affected by the poisoning when the burst of hot gas is injected into the system before the impurity can enter the fuel cell . since the higher temperature over time will reduce the operational life of the fuel cell , it is beneficial to return the cell to the normal lower operating temperature as quickly as possible . therefore , once impurities detector 16 no longer indicates unacceptable levels of impurities , it signals control unit 20 to turn off gas injector 18 to prevent further increase in temperature and allow fuel cell 28 to cool . by monitoring impurity levels with control unit 20 , prior to the fuel entering the fuel cell , it is possible to calculate the time that the carbon monoxide pulse will pass completely through the fuel cell . thus , after the carbon monoxide pulse has passed , the hot gas injector can be controlled from control 20 allowing the system to decrease the fuel cell temperature to a normal operating temperature to preserve the fuel cell operational life . it is to be understood that this system and method can also be applied to a feedback scheme where impurities are detected once they have entered the fuel cell and to mitigate the effects of poisoning that has already entered the fuel cell . in an alternative embodiment , a voltage sensor can be used to measure power output of the fuel cell in place of or in combination with the impurities sensor . in this embodiment , the voltage sensor can transmit a signal to the control unit for hot h 2 or actuating the heater when the voltage level drops below a predetermined voltage level . therefore , reacting to the resulting voltage drop by elevating the temperature in the fuel cell can minimize the effect on voltage of any impurities entering the fuel cell . when the voltage stabilized , the control unit can send a signal to the output control vales to stop the injection of hot gas or deactivate the heater allowing the temperature to return to normal so as to reduce the detrimental effect on the fuel cell and improve recovery rates . additionally , a voltage sensor and impurities sensor can operate in combination to detect impurities and voltage drops so as to actuate the control unit to control temperature producing enhanced performance in the fuel cell . software in the control unit can detect the need to manipulating the temperature through the impurities sensor or voltage sensor , send a control signal to the gas injector or heater , detect the end of a burst of impurities or voltage drop , and send a control signal to the injector or heater deactivating them . normal operation of the fuel cell at a normal operating temperature is preferred since it may be difficult to maintain optimum humidity of the mea at the higher temperatures . this is significant since optimum humidity is required for optimum mea and fuel cell performance . additionally , some fuel cells operate at lower temperature conditions since external systems would be required to operate to maintain higher temperature operating conditions requiring power . by way of example , fig3 illustrates the results of this invention for a mea fuel cell during exposure to 3 , 000 ppm carbon monoxide for 5 seconds at 600 ma / cm 2 . line 1 shows the transient in carbon monoxide concentrations that is detected by impurities sensor 16 ( fig1 ). line 2 shows the fuel cell performance with a burst of carbon monoxide impurity , but without this invention . in this instance the recover time for the cell voltage is substantially longer than with the use of this invention . line 3 shows the performance of the fuel cell when this invention increases in fuel cell temperature upon detection of an impurity , carbon monoxide burst , and then a return to normal temperature after the impurity is flushed from the fuel cell . without the use of this invention , a fuel cell operating at 600 ma / cm 2 shows a rapid decrease in cell voltage at 70 ° c . when exposed to a large transient carbon monoxide impurities concentration as shown in line 2 . as shown in line 3 , the increase in temperature will significantly decrease the voltage drop to provide more uniform power output . in an alternative embodiment , a heater is used for raising the temperature of the injected gas and disengaged so the injected fuel is no longer to be heated so as to allow the fuel cell to return to normal operating temperatures . referring now to fig4 the method of operation of this invention is described in further detail . additionally , the procedural descriptions are representations used by those skilled in the art to most effectively convey the substance of this work to others skilled in the art . these procedures are generally a self - contained sequence of steps leading to a desired result . in the event of the control unit , these steps require physical manipulations of physical quantities such as electrical and magnetic signals capable of being stored , transferred , combined , compared , or otherwise manipulated . therefore , this invention is described with reference to flowchart illustrations of methods , apparatus , and computer program products according to the invention in order to convey the understanding that each block of the flowchart illustration can be implemented by a set of computer readable instructions embodied in a computer readable medium . these computer readable instructions may be loaded onto a general purpose computer , special purpose computer , or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce the machine for which the instructions will execute . it will be understood that each block of a flowchart illustration can be implemented by special purpose hardware based computer systems that perform this specific function , or steps , in combination with special purpose hardware or computer instructions . referring now to fig4 the fuel stream begins at step 32 . a determination is made whether impurities exist in the fuel stream in step 34 . if impurities do not exist , a determination is made on whether the temperature has previously been raised in step 40 . if it has not , then the process returns to step 34 . if in step 40 , the temperature has previously been raised , then the temperature is lowered in step 42 and the process returns to step 34 . in step 34 , if impurities do exist in the stream , a determination can be made as to whether the impurities are above a predetermined level in step 36 . if they are not , then the process returns to step 34 . in the event that the impurities are above a predetermined level , the determination is made as to whether the temperature has previously been raised in step 38 . if it has , then the process returns to step 34 . in the event that the temperature has not been raised in step 38 , then the temperature is raised in step 44 , and the process returns to step 34 . while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described using specific terms , such description is for illustrative purposes only , and it is to be understood that changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims .	7
fig1 through 5 b were discussed in the background of the invention section above and the reader is assumed familiar with that discussion . fig6 illustrates a basic instruction format 20 for a three operand bit manipulation instruction in accordance with the preferred embodiment . instruction 20 includes an opcode , which like the prior art includes a number of bits whereby the bit pattern defines the specific type of instruction . instruction 20 further includes references to two data operands also like the prior art , shown as data d 1 ′ and data d 2 ′ ( where apostrophes are used here to avoid confusion with the data operands discussed earlier ). these data operand references are preferably to a register , and it is not intended therefore to demonstrate that these data are directly embedded in instruction 20 . however , in an alternative embodiment , it is possible albeit less likely that one of the operands , particularly if it is less than 32 bits in length , may be immediate data located in the instruction . thus , in either event instruction 20 includes two groups of bits , one corresponding to data d 1 ′ and another corresponding to data d 2 ′, where each group either references the operand ( e . g ., in a register ) or is the actual operand . despite these various alternatives , for consistency with the prior discussion and as a contemporary example , data d 1 ′ and d 2 ′ are discussed in the examples of this document as 32 - bit quantities stored in registers . instruction 20 also includes is a bit manipulation operand which consists of one or two immediate arguments . in the preferred embodiment , each of these arguments is a 2 - bit argument , and thus a total of two bits are used when only a single argument is embedded within instruction 20 and a total of four bits are used when two 2 - bit arguments are embedded within instruction 20 . the choice of either one or two arguments depends on the type of the bit manipulation instruction , and which is defined by the instruction opcode . finally , and also like the prior art , instruction 20 also includes a destination reference dest ′, where this reference is also commonly to one of 32 registers and , hence , is also a five bit identifier . the dest ′ location is the register where the result of the operation of instruction 20 is written . to further develop the implementation and inventive aspects of instruction 20 from fig6 fig7 a and 7 b illustrate the operation of instruction 20 as implemented where its opcode calls for an inventive insert instruction . fig7 a illustrates the two 32 - bit data operands of the inventive insert instruction , and are shown as data j and k . the third operand of the inventive insert instruction is a bit manipulation operand which provides the same two aspects as the prior art aspect , but does so using a lesser number of bits and thereby gives rise to a distinctive functionality as is now explored . specifically , for instruction 20 as implemented to achieve an inventive insert instruction , a first inventive 2 - bit immediate operand defines a shift argument and a second inventive 2 - bit operand defines a length argument . the shift argument defines the number of bytes that data j is right shifted , that is , shifted so that its most significant byte is shifted towards the original position of its least significant byte . thus , fig7 a illustrates the right shifting in response to the shift argument by way of a right - pointing arrow , where four different byte shift positions b 0 through b 3 are illustrated so that the 2 - bit shift argument may be understood to identify any one of these four positions . further , the result following the byte ( s ) shift is designated in fig7 b as j sb . for example , if shift equals one , then data j is shifted right by one byte ( i . e ., byte position b 0 ) with the result , j sb , starting at its least significant byte , having the three more significant bytes data j . j sb is shown in fig7 b only to demonstrate the functionality of the shift , and is not intended to suggest that an additional storage device or clock cycle is required to temporarily store the shifted value j sb . the inventive 2 - bit length argument defines the number of bytes that are taken from j sb ( i . e ., the shifted value of j ) and copied over the value of data k starting at the least significant byte of data k . accordingly , the inventive 2 - bit length argument may define one of four byte - aligned lengths , shown in fig7 b as lengths l 0 through l 3 . for sake of reference , the length number of bytes from j sb and merged with data k are shown in fig7 b as j sl . further , by way of example fig7 b illustrates that the 2 - bit length argument specifies that two bytes from the shifted value of j sb are copied over the two least significant bytes of data k , thereby creating a result r 5 which includes a value j sl starting at bit 0 and having length bytes of j sb . the remaining bytes in result r 5 are identical to the corresponding byte locations from data k . thus , it may be stated that a number of bytes equal to length from j s are merged with data k . from the preceding discussion of fig7 a and 7 b , one skilled in the art should appreciate that the functionality in connection with the inventive insert instruction permits a three operand manipulation as does the prior art insert instruction ; however , the inventive insert instruction performs its shift and merge functionality on a byte - aligned basis , which in the digital data art is sometimes referred to as using byte granularity . the selection of byte granularity in the preferred embodiment is selected in view of additional observations made by the present inventor , as discussed below . as a first consideration relative to the preferred embodiment use of byte granularity in the inventive shift and / or merge instruction , recall that the background of the invention section above detailed that the prior art shift and / or merge instructions are very demanding in the number of bits required to implement the instruction . in contrast , the preferred embodiment permits a 3 - operand shift and / or merge operation with far fewer bits . for example , looking to the number of bits in the arguments of instructions 10 and 20 , it is readily observed that instruction 10 requires six more bits for its arguments than does instruction 20 ( i . e ., 10 bits for instruction 10 minus 4 bits for instruction 20 ). this six bit reduction is extremely important in terms of boolean space required to implement an instruction in a processor . specifically , as demonstrated by mapping a set of bits into boolean space such as by use of a kamaugh map , it may be shown that each bit added to an instruction doubles the amount of boolean space required to implement the instruction . conversely , a reduction by one bit in an instruction reduces in half the amount of boolean space required to implement the instruction . as a result , therefore , a six bit reduction as is achieved by the present embodiment permits an inventive insert instruction to be implemented using { fraction ( 1 / 64 )} th of the boolean space ( i . e ., space reduction of ½ per bit , then for six bits equals ( ½ ) 6 ={ fraction ( 1 / 64 )}) required by a prior art insert instruction having two 5 - bit arguments . given the drastic reduction in space requirements , the inventive insert instruction as well as the instructions discussed below are much more readily implemented into processors thereby increasing the availability of such instructions to programmers of those processors and , consequently , improving processing efficiency . as a second consideration relative to the preferred embodiment use of byte granularity in the inventive shift and / or merge instruction , note that the byte granularity is not as flexible in its functionality as is the individual bit granularity achieved by the prior art , but the present inventor has observed that this limitation is reduced or indeed not a limitation for those types of processing that operate on byte or half - word ( i . e ., two bytes ) basis . for example , in many contemporary processors constructed to perform single instruction multiple data (“ simd ”) operations , such as processors supporting multimedia extensions , often there are video or multimedia operations which for the majority of their operations involve byte - based manipulations . accordingly , the inventive insert instruction described above may be readily implemented into such processors and thereby make available the byte granularity functionality of the inventive insert instruction . as another example , many contemporary communications applications , such as packing data for communication in a stream , also include operations involving byte - based manipulations . once more , therefore , such applications will benefit from the inventive insert instruction and its functionality , without the additional burden and complexity required by the prior art insert instruction . finally , these aspects also apply to the additional inventive instructions and functionality provided below . fig8 a and 8 b illustrate the operation of instruction 20 as implemented where its opcode bits specify an inventive deposit instruction . fig8 a illustrates the two 32 - bit data operands of the inventive deposit instruction , and are shown as data l and m . the third operand of the inventive deposit instruction is a bit manipulation operand which is an immediate operand and preferably provides the same two aspects as the prior art deposit instruction , but consistent with fig6 the inventive deposit instruction uses two 2 - bit arguments rather than two 5 - bit arguments . specifically , for instruction 20 as implemented to achieve an inventive deposit instruction , a first inventive 2 - bit immediate operand defines a shift argument and a second inventive 2 - bit argument defines a length argument . the shift argument defines the number of bytes that data l is left shifted , that is , shifted so that its least significant bytes is shifted towards the original location of its most significant byte . thus , fig8 a illustrates the left shifting in response to the shift argument by way of a left - pointing arrow , where four different shift positions s 0 through s 3 are illustrated so that the 2 - bit shift argument may be understood to identify any one of these four positions . further , the result following the byte shift is designated as l sb in fig8 b . for example , if shift equals two , then data l is shifted left by two bytes with the result , l sb , starting at its least significant bit , having the two least significant bytes from data l . note that l sb is shown in fig8 b only to demonstrate the functionality of the shift , and is not intended to suggest that an additional storage device or clock cycle is required to temporarily store the shifted value l sb . the length argument defines the number of bytes that are taken from l sb and copied over ( i . e ., merged into ) the value of data m starting at the shift byte location , thereby providing a result r 6 . thus , in connection with result r 6 fig8 b also illustrates the four corresponding byte - aligned shift positions s 0 through s 3 , since the merged data is inserted starting at the location identified by the shift argument . by way of example , fig8 b illustrates the instance where shift equals two , and the length designates that one byte is to be merged from l sb into data m , with the merged data shown as l sl . the remaining bytes in result r 6 are identical to the corresponding byte locations from data m , and appear in both the upper and lower byte locations of result r 6 ( assuming shift is greater than zero and less than three ). fig9 a and 9 b illustrate the operation of instruction 20 as implemented where its opcode bits specify an inventive replace instruction . fig9 a illustrates the two 32 - bit data operands of the inventive replace instruction , and which are shown as data n and p . the third operand of the inventive replace instruction is an immediate bit manipulation operand and preferably provides the same two aspects as the prior art replace instruction , but again consistent with fig6 the inventive replace instruction uses two 2 - bit arguments rather than two 5 - bit arguments . specifically , for instruction 20 as implemented to achieve an inventive replace instruction , a first inventive 2 - bit immediate operand defines a postition argument and a second inventive 2 - bit argument defines a length argument . the postition argument defines a byte position in data n , shown in fig9 a as occurring at one of four positions p 0 through p 3 . the length argument defines a number of bytes that are copied from data n starting at the position location . more particularly , these copied byte ( s ) form a quantity shown in fig9 b as n lb , and they are copied over the value of data p starting at the position location . thus , fig9 b illustrates that n lb is copied over the corresponding byte locations in data p , thereby creating a merged result r 7 which includes a value n lb starting at bit position and length byte ( s ) from n . the remaining bytes in result r 7 are identical to the corresponding bit locations from data p . fig1 a and 10 b illustrate the operation of instruction 20 as implemented where its opcode bits specify an inventive funnel - shift instruction . fig1 a illustrates the two 32 - bit data operands of the inventive funnel - shift instruction , and which are shown as data q and r and which are concatenated , as also shown in fig1 a . the third operand of the inventive funnel - shift instruction is an immediate bit manipulation operand which is preferably two bits and defines a shift argument . the shift argument defines the number of bytes that both data q and r are right shifted , that is , so that the most significant byte ( s ) of each are shifted towards the original location of their respective least significant byte ( s ). thus , fig1 a illustrates the right shifting in response to the shift argument by way of a right - pointing arrow , and with four shift positions s 0 through s 3 that may be identified by the 2 - bit shift argument . a result r * following the shift is shown in fig1 b , which includes the values of data q and r after the right shift , and designated as q sb and r sb , respectively . further , note that the 32 - bit result r 8 of the inventive funnel - shift instruction starts at its least significant byte position with the byte position of data q that is equal to the byte shift amount . for example , if shift equals one as shown in fig1 b , data r is right - shifted one byte position and , thus , bits r 0 through r 7 are shifted out such that r s in result r 8 begins , at its least significant bit location , with bit r 8 of the second original byte of data r , and includes the remainder of the bytes from data r . further , since data q is also right shifted , then q sb in result r 8 includes the bytes of q from q 0 up to q 0 +([ shift * 8 )− 1 ) ; again by way of example if shift equals one , then q sb includes bits q 0 through q 7 . fig1 illustrates a block diagram of a processor 30 in which one or more of the previously described inventive instructions may be implemented , thereby permitting a more efficient three operand shift and / or merge operation in response to such instruction . processor 30 is preferably a single integrated circuit and is shown in block form so as to simplify the illustration and discussion in the context of the instructions described above , while one skilled in the art will readily appreciate that additional details arise from the blocks shown as pertaining to processor operation and functionality . further , processor 30 typifies a processor from the tms320 c6000 series of processors commercially available from texas instruments incorporated , including the tms320c62 ×/ c67 × digital signal processors . turning to processor 30 , it includes a program memory 32 , which on some devices can be used as a program cache . processor 30 also includes a data memory 34 . memories 32 and 34 are coupled to communicate with a central processing unit (“ cpu ”) 36 , which includes a pipeline 38 having various stages shown as a program fetch unit 38 a , an instruction dispatch unit 38 b , and an instruction decode unit 38 c . the pipeline of cpu 36 further includes two data paths shown as path a and path b , where each data path has a corresponding set of four functional units ( l 1 , s 1 , m 1 , and d 1 for path a and l 2 , s 2 , m 2 , and d 2 for path b ). briefly , the operational functionality of the functional units is set forth in the following table 1 , where additional functionality may be added or removed from each unit according to a given implementation : each set of functional units may communicate with a corresponding data path register file ( shown as register file a and register file b ), where each register file includes 32 32 - bit registers . while not shown some of these communications also include cross - coupled paths whereby some functional units from path a may read register file b while some functional units from path b may read register file a . cpu 36 also includes additional supporting hardware , including a control register 40 , control logic 42 , test logic 44 , emulation logic 46 , and interrupt logic 48 . processor 30 also may include additional blocks such as a direct memory access (“ dma ”)/ external memory interface (“ emif ”) block 50 for performing the functions corresponding to these identifiers . processor 30 also includes a peripheral block 50 which may support connection to various peripherals , including by way of example , timers , serial port ( s ), and a host - port interface . finally , processor 30 includes a power down logic block 54 that can halt cpu activity , peripheral activity , and phase locked loop ( pll ) activity to reduce power consumption . the operation of processor 30 is now described in connection with the aspect of instruction treatment in the pipeline so that it may be further appreciated how the inventive shift and / or merge instructions detailed above provide their functionality in processor 30 , again by way of example . together , program fetch unit 38 a , instruction dispatch unit 38 b , and instruction decode unit 38 , can deliver up to eight 32 - bit instructions to the functional units every cpu clock cycle . the processing of the instructions occurs in each of the two data paths ( a and b ), and recall each of these paths contains four functional units ( l , s , m , and d ) and 32 32 - bit general - purpose registers . to further illustrate the pipeline operation of processor 30 , below such operation is described relative to the &# 39 ; c62x by way of example . looking to fetch unit 38 a , it uses a fetch packet of eight instructions . all eight of the instructions proceed through fetch processing together , which consists of four phases ( program address generate phase , program address send phase , program access ready wait phase , and program fetch packet receive phase ). during the program address generate phase , the program address is generated in the cpu . in the program address send phase , the program address is sent to memory . in the program address send phase , a memory read occurs . finally , in the program address send phase , the fetch packet is received at the cpu . looking to instruction dispatch unit 38 b and instruction decode unit 38 c , in dispatch unit 38 b the fetch packets are split into execute packets . execute packets consist of one instruction or from two to eight parallel instructions . dispatch unit 38 b also assigns the instructions in an execute packet to the appropriate functional units . in the operation of instruction decode unit 38 c , the source registers , destination registers , and associated paths are decoded for the execution of the instructions in the functional units . thereafter , for a given clock cycle , each functional unit that was assigned an instruction executes the instruction ; given that an execute packet may include up to eight instructions , then in a single clock ( and execution ) cycle , these up to eight instructions may be executed . if an execute packet has less than eight instructions , the remaining slots of the packet that do not have a corresponding instruction are treated as no operation instructions (“ nops ”), and the nop ( s ) is not dispatched to a functional unit because there is no execution associated with it . execution in processor 30 is broken down into five phases to accommodate certain instructions . however , for most instructions they require only one of these phases to execute . for example , for a so - called single cycle instruction , it executes in one phase in which it computes a result and writes the result to a register . as another example , for a multiply instruction , in a first execute phase it reads operands and begins its computation and in a second execute phase it computes a result and writes the result to a register . as still another example , for a load instruction , it executes in five phases , which perform the following steps , in order : ( 1 ) compute address ; ( 2 ) send address to memory ; ( 3 ) access memory ; ( 4 ) send data back to cpu ; and ( 5 ) write data into register . given the preceding , one skilled in the art may now appreciate how processor 30 may implement one or more of the inventive shift and / or merge instructions detailed earlier . specifically , each such instruction may be included in the opcode space of processor 30 and , therefore , may be a part of a program stored in , and retrieved from , memory 32 . once the instruction is fetched and dispatched , recall that it will include two data operands and an immediate value consisting of one or two arguments which define operations with respect to the two data operands . accordingly , during execution the data operands will need to be made available for execution ( e . g ., from a register or memory ), while the immediate value is directly accessible and does not require an additional external read . next , the shift and / or merge instruction is executed in either the same phase as retrieval of the data operands , or in one or more additional execute phases . in any event , during this execution , either or both of the shift operation ( if any ) and the merge operation are specified so that the execution unit performs the operation on a granularity that is less than the number of bits in the data operands . again , in the preferred embodiment , this granularity is on a byte basis , as defined by the 2 - bit argument ( s ) embedded within the shift and / or merge instruction . from the above , it may be appreciated that the present embodiments provide various inventive instructions and corresponding functionality which have in common a three operand shift and / or merge characteristic . further , while the present embodiments have been described in detail , various substitutions , modifications or alterations could be made to the descriptions set forth above without departing from the inventive scope . for example , while the preferred implementation and resulting functionality in each of the inventive instructions set forth above calls for byte - based operations , still other alternatives may be achieved using other levels of granularity that are greater than the single - bit granularity of the prior art . for example , rather than using two 2 - bit arguments to specify a location of bytes for shifting and / or merging , two 3 - bit arguments could be used , or two 4 - bit arguments could be used , whereby each argument thereby gives up to 8 or 16 different locations , respectively , for either a shift or merge operation . as still another example , while the preceding examples present a same number of bits for both arguments when an instruction includes two arguments , in still other variations an instruction may include a first argument with a first level of granularity and a second argument with a second and different level of granularity ; indeed , in this regard , one of the two arguments could be a 5 - bit argument , while the other is less than five bits , thereby still reducing the number of bits required to implement the instruction and its functionality as compared to the prior art . still further , while the above instructions have been shown in the example of 32 - bit data operands , it should be appreciated that the present teachings may apply to other sizes of data operands , where in those cases the inventive instruction and its functionality includes at least one argument that has a granularity that is greater than that required to identify each bit per the size of the data operand . lastly , while the processor of fig1 provides an example of the type of processor where the present instruction ( s ) and corresponding functionality may be implemented , numerous other processors could likewise implement the technology taught herein . given these additional examples , one skilled in the art should further appreciate the inventive scope , which is defined by the following claims .	6
according to the preferred embodiment described here , the video data are coded according to h264 / svc . svc proposes the transmission of video data according to several spatial levels , temporal levels , and quality levels . for one spatial level , one can code according to several temporal levels and for each temporal level according to several quality levels . therefore when m spatial levels are defined , n temporal levels and o quality levels , the video data can be coded according to m * n * o different levels . according to the client capabilities , different layers are transmitted up to a certain level corresponding to the maximum of the client capabilities . as shown on fig1 representing the prior art of the invention , currently in svc , sps is a syntax structure which contains syntax elements that apply to zero or more entire coded video sequences as determined by the content of a seq_parameter_set_id syntax element found in the picture parameter set referred to by the pic_parameter_set_id syntax element found in each slice header . in svc , the values of some syntax elements conveyed in the sps are layer dependant . these syntax elements include but are not limited to , the timing information , hrd ( standing for “ hypothetical reference decoder ”) parameters , bitstream restriction information . therefore , it is necessary to allow the transmission of the aforementioned syntax elements for each layer . one sequence parameter set ( sps ) comprises all the needed parameters for all the corresponding spatial ( d i ), temporal ( t i ) and quality ( q i ) levels whenever all the layers are transmitted or not sps comprises the vui ( standing for video usability information ) parameters for all the layers . the vui parameters represent a very important quantity of data as they comprise the hrd parameters for all the layers . in practical applications , as the channel rate is constrained , only certain layers are transmitted through the network . as sps represent a basic syntax element in svc , it is transmitted as a whole . therefore , no matter which layer is transmitted , the hrd parameters for all the layers are transmitted . as shown on fig2 , in order to reduce the overload of the sequence parameter set ( sps ) for scalable video coding , the invention proposes to use a nesting_sei prefix / suffix nal and to store the vui parameters in a sei message . the scalable_nesting , also called nesting sei ( and represented as nsei on the drawings ) is acting as a header of a prefix / suffix type nal unit indicating the layer information . the scalable_nesting is linked , thanks to the vui_parameter_sei ( ) field , to the vui_parameter_sei message comprising all the properties of the layer specified by the nesting sei . the following table 1 illustrates the scalable_nesting as defined by the prefix / suffix nal . a scalable nesting sei message concerns an access unit . when present , this sei message appears before any vcl nal unit of the corresponding access unit . scalable nesting sei is contained in a nal unit . the scope to which the nested sei message applies is indicated by the syntax elements all_pictures_in_au_flag , and num_pictures , dependency_id [ i ] and quality_id [ i ], when present . all_pictures_in_au_flag equal to 1 indicates that the nested sei message applies to all the coded pictures of the access unit . all_pictures_in_au_flag equal to 0 indicates that the applicable scope of the nested sei message is signaled by the syntax elements num_pictures , dependency_id [ i ] and quality_id [ i ]. num_pictures_minus1 indicates the number of coded pictures to which the nested sei message applies . dependency_id [ i ] and quality_id [ i ] indicate , respectively , the dependency_id ( spatial level ) and the quality_id of the i - th coded picture to which the nested sei message applies . sei_nesting_zero_bit is equal to 0 . the following table illustrates the sei message containing the parameters specific to each layer . the sequence_parameter_set_id identifies the sequence parameter set ( sps ) which current vui_parameter_sei message maps to and includes the common sequence parameter properties for the current layer . the other parameters mentioned in table 2 are defined in the standard h . 264 / svc . the following table 3 illustrates the modification to be done to the existing definition of the sei_payload as currently defined in the standard h . 264 / svc . the vui_parameter_sei is defined as being of type 30 . in other embodiments of the invention , it can be any other field which is still made available by the standard h . 264 / svc . the video is coded according to different spatial levels . spatial levels mainly refer to different levels of resolution of the same video . for example , as the input of a scalable video coder , one can have a cif sequence ( 352 per 288 ) or a qcif sequence ( 176 per 144 ) which represent each one spatial level . each of the spatial level is sent to a hierarchical motion compensated prediction module . the spatial level 1 is sent to the hierarchical motion compensated prediction module 2 ″, the spatial level 2 is sent to the hierarchical motion compensated prediction module 2 ′ and the spatial level n is sent to the hierarchical motion compensated prediction module 2 . the spatial levels being coded on 3 bits , using the dependency_id , therefore the maximum number of spatial levels is 8 . once hierarchical motion predicted compensation is done , two kinds of data are generated , one being motion which describes the disparity between the different layers , the other being texture , which is the estimation error . for each of the spatial level , the data are coded according to a base layer and to an enhancement layer . for spatial level 1 , data are coded through enhancement layer coder 3 ″ and base layer coder 4 ″, for spatial level 2 , data are coded through enhancement layer coder 3 ′ and base layer coder 4 ′, for spatial level 1 , data are coded through enhancement layer coder 3 and base layer coder 4 . after the coding , the headers are prepared and for each of the spatial layer , a sps and a pps messages are created and several nsei - vui_sei messages . for spatial level 1 , as represented on fig3 , sps and pps 5 ″ are created and a set of nsei - vui_sei 1 1 , nsei - vui_sei 2 1 , . . . , nsei - vui_sei m * o 1 , are also created according to this embodiment of the invention . for spatial level 2 , as represented on fig3 , sps and pps 5 ′ are created and a set of nsei - vui_sei 1 2 , nsei - vui_sei 2 2 , . . . , nsei - vui_sei m * o 2 are also created according to this embodiment of the invention . for spatial level n , as represented on fig3 , sps and pps 5 are created and a set of nsei - vui_sei 1 n , nsei - vui_sei 2 n , . . . , nsei - vui_sei m * o n are also created according to this embodiment of the invention . the bitstreams encoded by the base layer coding modules and the enhancement layer coding modules are following the plurality of sps , pps and sup sps headers in the global bitstream . on fig3 , 8 ″ comprises sps and pps 5 ″, nsei - vui_sei 1 1 , nsei - vui_sei 2 1 , . . . , nsei - vui_sei m 1 6 ″ and bitstream 7 ″ which constitute all the encoded data associated with spatial level 1 . on fig3 , 8 ′ comprises sps and pps 5 ′, nsei - vui__sei 1 2 , nsei - vui_sei 2 2 , . . . , nsei - vui_sei m 2 6 ′ and bitstream 7 ′ which constitute all the encoded data associated with spatial level 2 . on fig3 , 8 comprises sps and pps 5 , nsei - vui_sei 1 n , nsei - vui_sei 2 n , . . . , nsei - vui_sei m n 6 and bitstream 7 which constitute all the encoded data associated with spatial level n . the different nsei - vui_sei headers are compliant with the headers described in the above tables . fig4 represents a bitstream as coded by the scalable video encoder of fig3 . the bitstream comprises one sps for each of the spatial levels . when m spatial levels are encoded , the bitstream comprises sps 1 , sps 2 and spsm represented by 10 , 10 ′ and 10 ″ on fig4 . in the bitstream , each sps coding the general information relative to the spatial level , is followed by a header 10 of nsei - vui_sei type itself followed by the corresponding encoded video data corresponding each to one temporal level and one quality level . therefore , when one level corresponding to one quality level is not transmitted , the corresponding header is also not transmitted as there is one header nsei - vui_sei corresponding to each level . so , let &# 39 ; s take an example to illustrate the data stream to be transmitted as shown on fig5 . fig5 illustrates the transmission of the following levels . the references indicated in the bitstream correspond to the references used in fig2 . therefore , one can see that not all the different parameters for all the layers are transmitted but only the ones corresponding to the requested layers as they are comprised in the nsei - vui_sei messages and no more in the sps messages .	7
as shown in fig1 - 6 , a surface cleaning apparatus comprises a vacuum cleaner 10 having a filtration apparatus having at least one cyclone . the filtration apparatus may be of any design or configuration . as exemplified , surface cleaning apparatus 10 has a first housing 12 and a second housing 14 . first housing 12 comprises at least one cyclone 16 and a dirt collection chamber 18 and second housing 14 houses the filtration members and the suction motor . dirty air entrained in dirty air inlet 38 travels through the filtration apparatus , through suction motor 26 and exits the surface cleaning apparatus via clean air outlet 60 . as shown in fig7 , a surface cleaning apparatus 10 has a first cyclonic cleaning stage comprising a single cyclone 150 having a dirt collection chamber 152 and a second cyclonic cleaning stage comprising a plurality of second stage cyclones 154 in parallel . it will be appreciated that , surface cleaning apparatus may be a vacuum cleaner , a carpet extractor , a bare floor cleaner or the like . as exemplified , the surface cleaning apparatus is hand held . however the surface cleaning apparatus may be configured as an upright vacuum cleaner , a stick vacuum cleaner , a canister vacuum cleaner , a back pack or shoulder strap vacuum cleaner or other configuration known in the art . the surface cleaning apparatus may have a single cyclonic cleaning stage , which may be of any construction known in the art , or a plurality of cyclonic cleaning stages , each of which may be of any construction known in the art , e . g . they may comprise a single cyclone or a plurality of cyclones in parallel . in accordance with this invention , a series of filtration members are positioned in series downstream from the cyclone chamber of cyclone 16 , or alternately downstream from the outlet of the last cyclonic cleaning stage . the filtration members comprise a foam filter 20 , a felt filter 22 downstream from foam filter 20 and a hepa filter 24 downstream from felt filter 22 . preferably , all of these filters are positioned upstream from suction motor 26 . alternately , one or more of these filters may be positioned downstream from suction motor 26 . in particular hepa filter 24 may be downstream from suction motor 26 ( see for example fig7 ). accordingly , a plurality of filtration members , each of which have a finer filtration capacity ( e . g . smaller pores ) than the previous filter , are provided in series in the downstream direction . for example , the foam filter may be an open cell foam made from materials currently used to manufacture foam filters for vacuum cleaners and may be selected to have pore sizes from 0 . 25 - 5 microns and may have a mean pore size of 2 microns . accordingly , the foam will filter particles larger than 5 microns and some of the particles that are between 0 . 25 - 5 microns . the felt filter may be woven or non - woven and may be made from plastic , preferably rayon , nylon , polypropylene or a combination thereof . the felt may be selected to have pore sizes from 0 . 1 - 2 . 5 microns and may have a mean pore size of 1 micron . accordingly , the felt will filter particles larger than 2 . 5 microns and some of the particles that are between 0 . 1 - 2 . 5 microns . hepa filtration is typically defined as removal of 99 . 97 % of particles larger than 0 . 3 microns . in a preferred embodiment , cyclone 16 , or the cyclonic cleaning stages combined ( e . g . cyclone 16 in fig1 or cyclones 150 and 152 in fig7 ), may achieve a separation efficiency for iec dirt as specified as iec 60312 , which is representative of household dirt , of 98 % of particles that are from 3 to 5 microns and at least 96 . 5 % of particles that are from 1 - 2 microns . by removing a high percentage of particles in this size range , the foam will not prematurely clog . similarly , the foam preferably has a separation efficiency of 70 - 85 % of particles that are 1 - 2 microns and 30 - 50 % of particles that are 0 . 3 - 0 . 9 microns . by removing a high percentage of particles in this size range , the felt will not prematurely clog . similarly , the felt preferably has separation efficiency of 70 - 85 % of particles that are 0 . 5 - 0 . 9 microns and 30 - 50 % of particles that are 0 . 3 microns . by removing a high percentage of particles in this size range , the hepa will not prematurely clog . it will be appreciated that each of the foam and the felt may have varying pore sizes as long as each filters a significant amount of particles that would prematurely clog the next sequential filter media . accordingly , the filtration specification of each layer of filtration media is selected to be complimentary to the next sequential layer of filtration media and may essentially remove particles that are larger than those that are within the size range targeted for the next sequential filtration media . in other words , each layer of filtration material is selected to remove a particular size range of particles . accordingly , each upstream layer is selected to remove a particular size range of particles that is larger then that of the next downstream layer of filtration material . in a preferred embodiment , foam filter 20 , felt filter 22 and hepa filter 24 are removably mounted as a unit ( e . g ., they may be mounted in a filter housing or directly secured to each other ). for example , when second housing 14 is opened , e . g ., by opening bottom 66 , foam filter 20 , felt filter 22 and hepa filter 24 may be removed together . alternately , they may be separately removable . in either embodiment , it is preferred that they are separable when removed so that individual filters may be cleaned and / or replaced . alternately , the foam filter 20 , felt filter 22 and hepa filter 24 may be an assembly that is replaceable as a unit , e . g ., a new filter housing containing all three filters may be inserted . it will be appreciated that each of the foam filter 20 , felt filter 22 and hepa filter 24 may comprise a single filter or a plurality of filters . for example , foam filter 20 may comprise a series of layers of foam . preferably , a screen 78 is provided upstream from foam filter 20 and preferably downstream from the cyclone chamber of cyclone 16 , or alternately downstream from the outlet of the last cyclonic cleaning stage . for example , it may be adjacent outlet 52 of outlet or vortex finder 36 , e . g ., connected thereto , or positioned in the air flow path , e . g ., filtration chamber 80 , such that air flow is caused to pass therethrough . it will be appreciated that screen 78 may be provided immediately upstream of foam filter 20 , e . g ., it may be provided below foam filter 20 in second housing 14 . optionally , a shroud ( e . g . a perforated or apertured plastic cover ) may be provided surrounding or overlying inlet 50 of outlet 36 . in the exemplified embodiment , cyclone 16 has a dirt outlet 28 and an optional impingement surface 30 spaced from dirt outlet 28 in dirt collection chamber 18 . as shown in fig3 , impingement surface 30 is preferably spaced a distance d from outlet 28 wherein distance d is from 8 to 30 millimeters and , preferably from 12 to 25 millimeters . it will be appreciated that impingement member 30 may be mounted to lid 32 of dirt collection chamber 18 . alternately , impingement member 30 may be mounted to a sidewall of dirt collection chamber 18 and / or cyclone 16 . as exemplified in fig3 , cyclone 16 is an inverted cyclone . accordingly , cyclone 16 has a lower air inlet 34 and a lower air outlet 36 . air inlet 34 is positioned downstream from dirty air inlet 38 of surface cleaning nozzle 40 . surface cleaning nozzle 40 may be any surface cleaning nozzle known in the art . air inlet 34 of cyclone 16 may be in airflow communication with surface cleaning nozzle 40 in any manner known in the art . the exact structure of surface cleaning nozzle 40 and the communication passage between surface cleaning nozzle 40 and air inlet 34 will vary depending on if the surface cleaning apparatus is an upright vacuum cleaner , canister vacuum cleaner or , as exemplified , a portable hand held vacuum cleaner . in operation , air will enter cyclone 16 through inlet 34 and travel upwardly , as exemplified in fig4 . the air will then travel downwardly to exit cyclone 16 via outlet 36 . as shown in fig4 by the hatched arrows , dirt will exit upwardly through outlet 28 and deposit on dirt collection chamber floor 42 . in addition , some of the heavier particulate matter may not be entrained in the air stream and may be deposited on cyclone floor 44 . in an alternate embodiment , it will be appreciated that cyclone 16 need not be inverted . cyclone 16 may be any cyclone with a dirt outlet provided wherein , preferably , impingement member or members are positioned spaced from the dirt outlet . the cyclone may accordingly be an upright cyclone or a cyclone having a single direction of travel of the air . as exemplified , cyclone 16 is a frustoconical cyclone having cylindrical portion 46 and frustoconical portion 48 . alternately , or in addition to the orientation of cyclone 16 , it will be appreciated that cyclone 16 may be cylindrical , entirely frustoconical or any other shape known in the art . as exemplified in fig3 , cyclone outlet 36 of cyclone 16 comprises a vortex finder that extends inwardly into the cyclone chamber defined by cyclone 16 . outlet 36 preferably comprises a generally cylindrical passage , i . e . vortex finder , having an inlet 50 and an outlet 52 . it will be appreciated that , in an alternate embodiment any outlet known in the art for cyclones may be utilized . in some embodiments , inlet 50 may be covered by a screen , shroud or filter as in known in the art . however , it is preferred that vortex finder 36 is unobstructed , i . e ., no screen , shroud or filter is provided on inlet 50 . accordingly , as exemplified in fig3 , vortex finder 36 is not surrounded by a screen , shroud or filter and no physical separation member is positioned in the cyclone chamber of cyclone 16 . accordingly , no filtration or screen member interior of cyclone 16 requires cleaning . elongate material such as hair or fibre can become adhered to a shroud , requiring the shroud to be manually cleaned . if the shroud is inside the cyclone chamber , then the chamber should be openable sufficiently to permit a user to insert their hand to clean the shroud , or to remove the shroud for cleaning . accordingly , it will be appreciated that bottom 44 need not be openable to permit a screen or a shroud or filter associated with inlet end 50 of outlet 36 to be cleaned . preferably , a screen is positioned downstream from cyclone 16 and upstream from the pre - motor filters . for example , a screen 78 is preferably provided . as exemplified in fig1 - 6 , vacuum cleaner 10 comprises a hand held vacuum cleaner . accordingly , vacuum cleaner 10 may be provided with handle 54 , which is affixed to lid 32 and lid 58 of second housing 14 . handle 54 may alternately be affixed to any other portion or portions of vacuum cleaner 10 as is known in the art . optionally , as exemplified , on / off switch 56 may be provided on handle 54 . on / off switch 56 may alternately be provided on any other portion of vacuum cleaner 10 . as exemplified in fig3 , suction motor 26 is positioned in second housing 14 , preferably with a suction fan provided below the electric motor . clean air outlet 60 is provided downstream from suction motor 26 . an optional post - motor filter may be provided downstream from suction motor 26 , such as in post - motor filter housing 62 , which may be accessible via post motor filter housing door 64 , which could be pivotably mounted to second housing 14 . as exemplified , dirt collection chamber 18 surrounds cyclone 16 . accordingly , cyclone 16 may be positioned in dirt collection chamber 18 and , preferably , generally centrally therein . accordingly , vacuum cleaner 10 is preferably configured such that the dirt collected on floor 44 of cyclone 16 is emptied at the same time as dirt collected on floor 42 of dirt collection chamber 18 . accordingly , floor 42 and floor 44 are both movable and connected to each other whereby both floor 42 and 44 are concurrently movable such that dirt collection chamber 18 and cyclone 16 are concurrently emptied . as exemplified in fig5 , floors 42 and 44 may comprise a pivoting bottom 66 of first housing 12 and , alternately , of the filtration apparatus ( e . g . housings 12 and 14 of this embodiment ). accordingly , as seen in fig5 , when floors 42 and 44 are opened , both cyclone 16 and dirt collection chamber 18 may be emptied by holding vacuum cleaner 10 in the upright position ( as shown in fig1 ). accordingly , the dirt will fall out of collection chamber 16 and cyclone 16 and will fall downwardly off of floors 42 and 44 . as shown in fig5 , housings 12 and 14 have a pivoting bottom 66 , which is secured to each of housings 12 and 14 by a pivot 68 . in the closed position exemplified in fig1 and 4 , pivoting bottom 66 is secured in position by latch 70 . latch 70 has a button 72 which , when pressed , causes arm 74 to move outwardly thereby disengaging a flange provided on the bottom end of arm 74 from flange 76 provided on pivoting bottom 66 . a gasket or other sealing member may be provided at the interface of housings 12 and 14 and pivoting bottom 66 to provide an air tight or fluid tight seal . it will be appreciated that bottom 66 may be moveable in any other direction by any other means known in the art and may optionally be removable from housings 12 , 14 . further , bottom 66 may be moveably secured in position by any other means known in the art and need not be connected to surface cleaning apparatus 10 for relative motion thereto . as exemplified in fig5 , outlet 36 is provided as part of floor 42 , and is preferably integrally molded therewith . in an alternate embodiment , it will be appreciated that outlet 36 need not be removable from cyclone 16 with floor 42 . in an alternate embodiment , it will be appreciated that only floors 42 and 44 may be pivotably mounted to housing 12 . in such an embodiment , foam filter 20 may remain sealed when cyclone 16 and dirt collection chamber 18 are emptied . in such a case , the housing that contains foam filter 20 may be separately opened . in an alternate embodiment , a side - by - side design as exemplified in fig1 need not be utilized . in such a case , floor 42 and floor 44 may comprise the entire floor of the filtration assembly . if bottom 66 opens both housings 12 and 14 , then it will be appreciated that dirt positioned on the upstream surface of filter 20 will be emptied when bottom 66 is opened . preferably a screen is provided adjacent outlet 36 and , preferably , in sealing engagement with outlet 52 . screen 78 may be mounted in a housing ( filtration chamber 80 ), having an outer wall all or a portion of which is preferably transparent and positioned downstream from vortex finder 36 . referring to fig3 , screen 78 is positioned spaced from and in sealing engagement with rear surface 84 of floor 44 and overlies outlet 52 . accordingly , air that exits outlet 36 travels through screen 78 . the air then travels through filtration chamber 80 and travels laterally to outlet 86 , which is in air flow communication with headspace 88 below filter 20 . preferably , screen 78 may be an open mesh screen , e . g ., a wire mesh screen or , alternately , a plastic mesh screen . an access door 82 may be provided to permit access to screen 78 such that screen 78 may be cleaned . access door 82 may be any door that is movably mounted in overlying relationship to filtration chamber 80 . as exemplified in fig6 , access door 82 comprises the lower half of filtration chamber 80 and is pivotally mounted by pivot 90 to pivoting bottom 66 , and is secured in position by a latch 120 . latch 120 , for example , may have a button 122 which , when pressed , causes arm 124 to move outwardly thereby disengaging a flange on the bottom end of arm 124 from flange 92 provided on the front end of access door 82 . a sealing gasket or other sealing member known in the art may be utilized to provide an air tight or fluid tight seal for filtration chamber 80 . any other securing member known in the art may be used . further door 82 may be removable and need not be connected to surface cleaning apparatus 10 for relative motion thereto . preferably , screen 78 is mounted and , more preferably , movably mounted and , most preferably , removably mounted to access door 82 . as shown in fig6 , screen 78 is pivotally mounted to the inner surface of access door 82 . accordingly , when a user desires to clean screen 78 , it may be pivoted in the direction shown by arrow a in fig6 to an open or cleaning position . it will be noticed that access door 82 may be opened independently of pivoting bottom 66 . in an alternate embodiment , it will be appreciated that a pivoting bottom 66 need not be provided . preferably , at least a portion of and , more preferably , all of access door 82 , which as exemplified is the outer wall of filtration chamber 80 , is transparent . accordingly , a user may lift the vacuum cleaner , invert the vacuum cleaner or tilt the vacuum cleaner on its side to view screen 78 and determine whether screen 78 requires cleaning or , alternately , replacement . the use in a vacuum cleaner of a foam filter , a felt filter and a hepa filter in series , preferably with a screen upstream of the foam filter , may be used alone or in combination with one or more of the spacing of an impingement surface , an access door to permit cleaning or replacement of the screen , the screen being positioned downstream of a cyclone outlet and mounted in a housing which is transparent , a configuration to allow a cyclone chamber and a surrounding dirt collection chamber to be emptied concurrently , a bottom door that opens to expose the foam filter and permit the filters to be removed such that one or more of them may be cleaned or replaced , or any particular combination or sub - combination thereof . it will also be appreciated that any of the aforementioned embodiments may be used singly or in any particular combination or sub - combination of the remaining features listed above . although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof , if is evident that many alternatives , modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art . accordingly , it is intended to embrace all such alternatives , modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims . in addition , citation or identification of any reference in this application shall not be construed as an admission that such reference is available as prior art to the present invention .	0
reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings , wherein like numerals indicate similar elements throughout the views . fig1 - 6 disclose an exemplary embodiment of a space - saving cookware 10 according to the present invention . such an embodiment saves space within storage cabinets and permits multiple cookware pieces to be neatly stacked and stored within the cabinets . the exemplary cookware 10 includes a receptacle 20 and an articulating handle assembly 40 . receptacle 20 may include a sidewall 24 , bottom wall 26 , a reservoir 22 formed by sidewall 24 and bottom wall 26 , and a hinge assembly receiving device 28 connected to the sidewall . hinge assembly receiving device 28 may be connected to sidewall 24 by any conventional device or method known to one of ordinary skill in the art , including but not limited to a rivet , screw , bolt , welding , brazing , etc . it is understood that receptacle 20 may comprise , but is not limited to , pots , pans , boilers , woks , griddles or any other cookware as known to one of ordinary skill in the art . in addition , receptacle 20 may be fabricated from any conventional materials used in cookware such as metals , metals coated with non - stick material and / or other materials as known to one of ordinary skill in the art . as shown in fig2 , cookware 10 may include a hinge assembly 30 that is connected to sidewall 24 of receptacle 20 using a fastener 32 that connects hinge assembly 30 to hinge assembly receiving device 28 . it is understood that hinge assembly 30 may be connected to sidewall 24 by any conventional device or method known to one of ordinary skill in the art , including but not limited to a rivet , screw , bolt , welding , brazing , etc . in the exemplary embodiment , fastener 32 is a screw that is threadingly received into hinge assembly receiving device 28 . the exemplary hinge pin shown in fig2 , 5 and 6 includes two detents 36 and 38 spaced approximately 90 degrees apart from each other along the circumference of hinge pin 34 , permitting handle assembly 40 to be locked into a substantially horizontal position ( e . g ., fig1 and 5 ) or a substantially vertical position ( fig3 ), respectively . it is understood that hinge pin 34 may include multiple detents in order to permit handle assembly 40 to lock into multiple positions along the hinge pin . handle assembly 40 is configured such that when connected to receptacle 20 via hinge assembly 30 , it may rotate about hinge pin 34 . for example , in the exemplary embodiment , handle assembly 40 rotates about hinge pin 34 between the substantially horizontal position ( e . g ., fig1 and 5 ) or the substantially vertical position ( fig3 ). handle assembly 40 includes a locking lever 42 , a locking cam 44 connected to locking lever 42 , an upper clamp 60 , a lower clamp 70 rotatably connected to upper clamp 60 , a clamp actuator 50 , and a handle grip 80 attached to an underside 66 of upper clamp 60 . lower clamp 70 includes a first lower clamp end 72 , a lower clamp hole 74 , and a protrusion 75 . lower clamp 70 is formed such that a portion of its body substantially confirms to the shape of hinge pin 34 and that protrusion 75 extends inwardly from an inside surface 73 of clamp 70 . protrusion 75 is configured to engage detents 36 and 38 in order to stop and / or lock handle assembly 40 into the substantially horizontal and vertical positions , upper clamp 60 includes a first upper clamp end 62 and a hollow 64 disposed within upper clamp 60 . at first clamp end 62 , upper clamp 60 is formed to substantially conform to the shape of hinge pin 34 . upper clamp 60 and lower clamp 70 are rotatably connected to each other at upper and lower first ends 62 and 72 using clamp pin 78 such that they encompass hinge pin 34 in order to rotatably connect handle assembly 40 to receptacle 20 . clamp actuator 50 , in the exemplary embodiment , includes a first actuator end 54 at one end and a head 52 at an end opposite the first actuator end . clamp actuator 50 and head 52 may comprise a bolt and head , respectively . it is understood that other devices may be used for clamp actuator 50 and head 52 as known to one of ordinary skill in the art . locking lever 42 includes a hinge pin hole 48 disposed near cam 44 . locking lever 42 is rotatably connected to clamp actuator 50 and upper clamp 60 within hollow 64 using a lever hinge pin 46 that is disposed through pin hole 48 and actuator first end 54 and connects the lever to upper clamp 60 . in addition , clamp actuator 50 is disposed through an aperture ( not shown ) in upper clamp aperture 60 within hollow 64 and through lower clamp hole 74 such that head 52 engages an outer surface 76 of lower clamp 70 . as such , clamp actuator 50 causes upper clamp 60 and lower clamp 70 to substantially encompass hinge pin 34 . in operation , when lever 42 is moved to the unlock position as shown in fig6 , cam 44 moves actuator 50 such that head 52 disengages outer surface 76 , permitting the upper and lower clamps to move apart or partially separate . when upper and lower clamps 60 and 70 , respectively , move apart , protrusion 75 disengages detents 36 and / or 38 , which permits handle assembly 40 to rotate about hinge pin 34 . for example , if handle assembly 40 is locked in a substantially horizontal position shown in fig1 , lever 42 may be moved up and away from upper clamp 60 to the unlocked position , and handle assembly 40 may be rotated to the vertical position shown in fig3 . once in the substantially vertical position , lever 42 may be moved back toward upper clamp 60 into the locked position , wherein the upper and lower clamps close , tighten around , and / or clamp onto hinge pin 34 . this closing of upper and lower clamps 60 and 70 cause protrusion 75 to engage detent 38 , locking the handle assembly in the substantially vertical position . alternatively , the process may be repeated to cause protrusion 75 to engage detent 36 , locking handle assembly 40 into the substantially horizontal position . it is understood that hinge assembly 30 , handle assembly 40 and any or all of their components may be fabricated from a variety of conventional materials , including but not limited to metals , plastics , ceramics , composite materials , any combinations thereof , or any other materials as known to one of ordinary skill in the art . in one exemplary embodiment , the upper clamp , lower clamp , and actuator are fabricated from aluminum , the locking lever is fabricated from stainless steel , and the handle grip is fabricated from plastic . referring now to fig7 - 9 , an exemplary embodiment of a nested arrangement of stacked cookware according to the present invention is shown as 90 . nested arrangement 90 may include multiple cookware pieces having articulated handles as described herein . the exemplary embodiment includes nine ( 9 ) cookware pieces ( 100 , 200 , 300 , 400 , 500 , 600 , 700 , 800 and 900 ), wherein the size , e . g ., the diameter of the receptacle , may increase in ascending order . thus , in the exemplary , cookware piece 100 is the smallest ( e . g ., smallest diameter ), cookware piece 200 is slightly larger in size compared to piece 100 ( e . g ., larger diameter than cookware piece 100 ) and so on . the nested arrangement is assembled such that each correspondingly smaller cookware piece fits within and is placed within the next correspondingly larger cookware piece . for example , piece 100 is placed within the receptacle of piece 200 , which is placed within the receptacle of piece 300 , which is placed within the receptacle of piece 400 and so on until the nested arrangement includes all nine ( 9 ) pieces . as set forth above , a plurality of the cookware pieces includes articulated handle assemblies ( e . g ., handle assemblies 102 , 202 , 302 , 402 , 502 , 602 , 702 , 802 and 902 ) that when rotated to the substantially vertical position may fit within the next correspondingly larger cookware piece &# 39 ; s receptacle as shown in fig7 and 8 . such a configuration reduces the overall height ( h ) of nested arrangement of cookware pieces 90 but also the length ( l ) and width ( w ). the height ( h ) of the exemplary is approximately 336 mm , the length ( l ) is approximately 360 mm , and the width is approximately 313 mm . in other words , nested arrangement 90 occupies a volume of space less than 0 . 04 m 3 , in another exemplary less than or equal to 0 . 0379 m 3 . the present invention saves shelf space and provides for a user to neatly stack a plurality of cookware pieces having a variety of sizes and shapes . while specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail , it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure . the presently preferred embodiments described herein are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any and all equivalents thereof .	8
with reference now to the drawings , and in particular to fig1 to 5 thereof , a new and improved jewelry closet embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described . more specifically , it will be noted that the jewelry closet 10 essentially comprises a first section 11 pivotally mounted to a second section 12 wherein the second section 12 is pivotally mounted to a third section 13 that includes a rear support plate 14 that may include typical mounting hooks 15 on a rear surface thereof for securement to a vertical support surface , such as a wall . the first section 11 includes a first rectangular frame 16 including a forward wall 17 formed at the outermost edges of the first frame 16 . the forward wall 17 includes a grasp knob 18 extending orthogonally outwardly thereof . a first pivot latch 19 is pivotally mounted to a forward side wall 23 of the first rectangular frame 16 and is latchable to a first pivot pin 20 that is mounted to a forward side wall 37 of the second section 12 . the rear side wall 21 of the first rectangular frame 16 has mounted thereto a first elongate hinge 22 extending substantially coextensively with a forward edge of the rear side wall 21 and a rear edge of the rear side wall 31 of the second section 12 . extending orthogonally and slidingly through the forward side wall 23 are a series of three ring posts 24 , each including an enlarged head extending exteriorly of the side wall 23 , with an elongate body 24a , each extending through the interior of the first section 11 and received within securement apertures 25 formed through the rear side wall 21 to maintain the ring post 24 in parallel relationship relative to one another . each of the ring post bodies include an orthogonally and outwardly extending projection 24b positioned adjacent the enlarged head of each ring post received within a keyhole aperture 24c formed within the forward side wall 23 wherein the ring post 24 must be first rotated relative to the side wall 23 and then reciprocatably withdrawn relative to the side wall 23 to remove the ring post and enable access to each of the rings that are mounted upon the ring post body 24a . pivotally mounted above the ring post 24 is an earring support panel 26 formed with plural pairs of apertures therethrough for receiving earring posts therethrough . the support panel 26 is formed with a support panel hinge 26a formed adjacent the forward wall 17 adjacent the forward edge of the rear side wall 21 to enable the earring support panel 26 to be pivoted outwardly relative to the interior of the first section 11 to enable access to the various pairs of earrings that may be positioned through the apertures formed within the panel 26 . positioned underlying the series of ring posts 24 is a resilient cushion 27 to receive various stick pins therewithin for storage of such pins in a safe and readily accessable orientation relative to the first section 11 . the first section 11 further includes a first section rear containment wall 28 of a height substantially equal to a spacing between the resilient cushion 27 and the floor of the first rectangular frame 16 to define a first compartment therein and enable containment of various unsecured portions of jewelry for storage . the second section 12 includes a second perimeter framework 29 with a second section panel 30 of equal cross - sectional configuration to the interior of the rectangular framework 29 fixedly mounted medially of the framework 29 . the second rectangular framework 29 includes a second elongate hinge 32 substantially coextensive with the second section rear side wall 31 and mounted to a rear edge of the side wall 31 and to a forward edge of the third section rear side wall 42 . the second section panel 30 includes a matrix of second section threaded bores 33 to receive &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped hooks 34 formed with elongate threaded legs for threaded reception within the threaded bores 33 . the second section forward wall 35 is mounted to forward edges of the floor and lowermost portions of the second rectangular framework 29 to define a second compartment between the forward wall 35 and a forward face of the second section panel 30 . a second section rear wall 36 extends upwardly from the floor and is secured to the lowermost portions of the rear edges of the framework 29 to define a third compartment positioned between a rear face of the second section panel 30 and the wall 36 . pivotally mounted to the forward wall 37 of the second section is a second pivot latch 38 cooperating with a second pivot pin 39 extending orthogonally outwardly from the forward side wall 40 of the third rectangular framework 41 of the third section 13 . the third section 13 further includes the support plate 14 secured to the rear edges of the third rectangular framework 41 . further , the forward face of the support plate 14 defined within the perimeter of the third rectangular framework 41 includes third section threaded bores 44 to receive &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped hooks 34 therewithin . in the second and third sections 12 and 13 respectively and more specifically within the second section panel 30 and the support plate 14 , there are defined a matrix of the aforenoted threaded bores 33 and 44 of a number to exceed the number of the &# 34 ; l &# 34 ; shaped hooks 34 to enable repositioning of the hooks 34 , as desired , for securement of various bracelets , pendants , necklaces , and the like of various lengths and therefore requires the repositioning ability of the hooks 34 within various portions of the panel 30 and the support plate 14 , as noted . a forward wall 54 is secured to forward edges of the floor of the third rectangular framework 41 and to lowermost edge portions of the rear and forward side walls 42 and 40 respectively to define a third section compartment at a lowermost portion of the third section 13 . accordingly , when an individual has positioned jewelry as desired within the first , second , and third sections of the jewelry closet 10 , the jewelry closet is pivotally closed to an orientation , as illustrated in fig1 wherein the first and second pivot latches 19 and 38 are secured to the respective first and second pivot pins 20 and 39 to provide a secure and enclosed jewelry closet , as illustrated . it should be further understood that the first rectangular framework 16 , the second rectangular framework 29 , and the third rectangular framework 41 are of equal geometric configurations to enable secure confinement of the interior of the jewelry closet 10 when in an enclosed orientation . the embodiment illustrating first section 11a set forth in fig6 notes the use of a ring cabinet 43 of a triangular prismoidal configuration formed with cushioned and fabric covered ring receiving slots 44 coextensively and traversely formed about an upper surface of the ring cabinet 43 and of a depth to receive a series of rings therein for storage . it is contemplated at least four such slots 44 be utilized . a pin cushion area 46 is provided underlying the ring cabinet 43 for reception and storage of various pins , broaches , and the like . fig7 notes the use of debris shielding curtains 45 secured to upper interior cavity portions of the second section 12a and the third section 13a to assist in the separation and integrity of jewelry items contained within the respective sections . in use the curtains are merely draped over and descend from respective upper surfaces of each respective sections . to gain access to interior portions of the sections , the curtains are merely manually repositioned by a user . invention , the same should be apparent from the above disclosure and accordingly no further discussion relative to the manner of usage and operation of the instant invention shall be provided . with respect to the above description then , it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention , to include variations in size , materials , shape , form , function and manner of operation , assembly and use , are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art , and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention . therefore , the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention . further , since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art , it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described , and accordingly , all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to , falling within the scope of the invention .	0
in the following , embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings . [ 0030 ] fig2 is a block diagram showing an example of a semiconductor device to which an internally reduced potential generation circuit of the present invention is applied . although fig2 shows a semiconductor memory device as an example of such a semiconductor device , the semiconductor device of the present invention is not limited to a semiconductor memory device . a semiconductor memory device 20 of fig2 includes an input / output interface 21 , an address decoder 22 , a data control 23 , a memory core 24 , and a power supply circuit 25 . the input / output interface 21 receives address signals , input data signals , and control signals from the exterior of the device , and supplies output data signals to the exterior of the device . the supplied - address signals are decoded by the address decoder 22 . the memory core 24 includes memory cells , word lines , bit lines , sense amplifiers , etc . in the case of a data read operation , a word line is activated in response to a row address decoded by the address decoder 22 , and data are read from the corresponding memory cells to be supplied to the sense amplifiers via the bit lines . data is read from the sense amplifiers corresponding to a column address decoded by the address decoder 22 , and is then supplied to the exterior of the device through the data control 23 and the input / output interface 21 . in the case of a data write operation , a word line is activated in response to a row address decoded by the address decoder 22 , and data are read from the corresponding memory cells to be supplied to the sense amplifiers via the bit lines . thereafter , data is written through the data control 23 in a sense amplifier corresponding to a column address decoded by the address decoder 22 , followed by the data of the sense amplifiers being stored or restored in the memory cells . the power supply circuit 25 includes an internally reduced potential generation circuit of the present invention , and supplies predetermined power supply potentials to various parts of the semiconductor memory device 20 . the reduced potential that is generated by the internally reduced potential generation circuit of the power supply circuit 25 is supplied to the memory core 24 , for example , and is used as a cell plate potential and as a precharge potential for precharging the bit lines . the input / output interface 21 asserts the low - power - consumption - mode entry signal ulp when control signals supplied from the exterior of the device indicate entry into the low power consumption mode . in response to the assertion of the low - power - consumption - mode entry signal ulp , the power supply circuit 25 attends to processing such as suspending the supply of power to predetermined units whose operations are suspended among various units of the semiconductor memory device 20 . [ 0036 ] fig3 is a circuit diagram showing the configuration of the internally reduced potential generation circuit according to the present invention . the internally reduced potential generation circuit 30 of fig3 includes pmos transistors 31 through 34 , nmos transistors 35 through 38 , pmos transistors 41 through 44 , nmos transistors 45 through 47 , an inverter 51 , a pmos transistor 52 , an nmos transistor 53 , and resistors r 1 through r 3 . the resistors r 1 through r 3 are connected in series , thereby forming a potential divider that divides the potential between a potential vf and a potential vss . the potential vf is generated from an external power supply potential vdd , and is a fixed potential independent of vdd . the potential divider generates a lower - limit reference potential vl as a lower limit of the reduced potential and an upper - limit reference potential vu as an upper limit of the reduced potential . the pmos transistors 31 through 34 and the nmos transistors 35 through 38 together constitute an nmos - type current mirror circuit that functions as a comparator . the nmos - type current mirror circuit has an input node that is the gate of the nmos transistor 35 , which receives the lower - limit reference potential vl from the potential divider . the pmos transistors 41 through 44 and the nmos transistors 45 through 47 together constitute a nmos - type current mirror circuit that serves as a comparator . the gate of the nmos transistor 45 serves as the input node of the nmos - type current mirror circuit , and receives the upper - limit reference potential vu from the potential divider . in this manner , the present invention employs an nmos - type current mirror circuit not only on the lower - limit side but also on the upper - limit side . the nmos - type current mirror circuit on the lower - limit side produces an output that is supplied to the gate of the pmos transistor 52 . the output of the nmos - type current mirror circuit on the upper - limit side is supplied to the gate of the nmos transistor 53 . the pmos transistor 52 and the nmos transistor 53 are connected with each other at their drains , and a reduced potential vp is output from the joint point between these transistors . the generated reduced potential vpr is supplied to internal circuitry of the semiconductor device , and is also fed back to the nmos - type current mirror circuit on the lower - limit side and the nmos - type current mirror circuit on the upper - limit side . the nmos - type current mirror circuit on the lower - limit side compares the generated reduced potential vpr with the lower - limit reference potential vl . if the reduced potential vpr is below the lower - limit reference potential vl , the nmos transistor 35 becomes conductive to pull down the potential of a node n 0 to low . this results in the pmos transistor 52 being conductive to pull up the reduced potential vpr . if the reduced potential vpr is above the lower - limit reference potential vl , the nmos transistor 35 becomes nonconductive so as to keep the potential of the node n 0 at high , thereby making the pmos transistor 52 nonconductive . the nmos - type current mirror circuit on the upper - limit side compares the generated reduced potential vpr with the upper - limit reference potential vu . if the reduced potential vpr is above the upper - limit reference potential vu , the nmos transistor 45 becomes nonconductive so as to keep the potential of a node n 1 at high . this results in the nmos transistor 53 being conductive to pull down the reduced potential vpr . if the reduced potential vpr is below the upper - limit reference potential vu , the nmos transistor 45 becomes conductive so as to pull down the potential of the node n 1 to low , thereby making the nmos transistor 53 nonconductive . a signal ulp becomes high when the semiconductor device is set in the low power consumption mode . when the low - power - consumption - mode entry signal ulp turns to high , the pmos transistors 41 and 43 become nonconductive . as a result , the nmos - type current mirror circuit on the upper - limit side stops operating . when this happens , it is possible that the potential at the node n 1 does not sufficiently come down to the low level because of the effect of resistance of the nmos transistor 47 . in the present invention , the nmos transistor 54 is made conductive in response to the high level of the low - power - consumption - mode entry signal ulp so as to bring the potential at the node n 1 sufficiently down to the low level , thereby turning off the nmos transistor 53 . this prevents a leak current from running from the reduced potential vpr to the ground potential vss . by the same token , the pmos transistors 31 and 34 are turned on , and the nmos transistor 38 is turned off . this changes the potential at the node n 0 to high , thereby making the pmos transistor 52 nonconductive . in the nmos - type current mirror circuit on the upper - limit side , it is preferable to make the nmos transistor 53 completely nonconductive when the reduced potential vpr is lower than the upper - limit reference potential vu . in order to achieve this , the potential at the node n 1 needs to be brought down to the vss level . in the internally reduced potential generation circuit 30 of the present invention shown in fig3 the nmos transistor 47 is implemented with such characteristics that the nmos transistor 53 becomes fully nonconductive when the reduced potential vpr is lower than the upper - limit reference voltage vu . by operating as described above , the internally reduced potential generation circuit 30 produces and controls the reduced potential vpr such that the reduced potential vpr falls between the upper - limit reference potential vu and the lower - limit reference potential vl . the configuration of the present invention uses an nmos - type current mirror circuit on the upper - limit side in addition to the lower - limit side , so that the nmos transistors 45 and 46 can be fully conductive even when the difference between the upper - limit reference potential vu and the power supply potential vdd becomes small as a result of lowering of the external power supply potential vdd . accordingly , the nmos - type current mirror circuit on the upper - limit side can exert a sufficient gain even when the external power supply potential is set to a relatively low potential for the purpose of reducing power consumption . [ 0047 ] fig4 a through 4c are charts showing characteristics of the nmos - type current mirror circuit and the pmos - type current mirror circuit . [ 0048 ] fig4 a shows frequency characteristics of the gains of the nmos - type current mirror circuit and the pmos - type current mirror circuit . the solid line illustrates the gain of the nmos - type current mirror circuit , and the dotted line shows the gain of the pmos - type current mirror circuit . as shown in fig4 a , these two current mirror circuits exhibit substantially the same gains over the entire frequency range . [ 0049 ] fig4 b shows a case in which the external power supply potential vdd is 2 . 5v . the solid line illustrates frequency characteristics of the gain of the nmos - type current mirror circuit , and the dotted line shows frequency characteristics of the gain of the pmos - type current mirror circuit . as shown in fig4 a and fig4 b , the gain of the pmos - type current mirror circuit slightly drops in the high frequency region when the power supply potential vdd is lowered . in comparison with the nmos - type current mirror circuit , however , no more than a slight degradation is observed . [ 0050 ] fig4 c shows a case in which the external power supply potential vdd is 1 . 6v . the solid line illustrates frequency characteristics of the gain of the nmos - type current mirror circuit , and the dotted line shows frequency characteristics of the gain of the pmos - type current mirror circuit . as shown in fig4 c , the gain of the pmos - type current mirror circuit substantially drops across the entire frequency region in comparison with the nmos - type current mirror circuit when the power supply potential vdd is lowered . in such condition of the power supply potential , the internally reduced potential generation circuit 10 of fig1 cannot properly operate to produce an adequate reduced potential vpr . the internally reduced potential generation circuit of the present invention uses an nmos - type current mirror circuit for both the upper - limit side and the lower - limit side . with this provision , the internally reduced potential generation circuit can properly operate to produce a reduced potential vpr even when the external power supply potential vdd drops to around 1 . 6 v as shown in fig4 c . further , the present invention is not limited to these embodiments , but various variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention . the present application is based on japanese priority application no . 2001 - 364683 filed on nov . 29 , 2001 , with the japanese patent office , the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference .	6
the present invention focuses on the processes and materials utilized to produce circuit components such as electronic elements , components , devices and circuit interconnection insitu on monolithic ceramic compound substrate or body or of a film thereof , deposited on a support substrate . these circuit components are formed by direct conversion of selected areas of the substrate or film by laser synthesis , producing conductor , semiconductor and insulative areas insitu thereon . referring now to the drawings , there is shown in fig1 an arrangement for practicing the present invention , including a laser system 10 consisting of a laser device 12 and a laser beam focussing lens 14 . a focussed laser beam 16 is shown impinging upon a monolithic substrate 18 of a crystalline or polycrystalline ceramic compound material having a rectangular configuration . the top surface of substrate 18 is designated by reference 20 , and has an area 22 depicted thereon that has been converted to a semiconductor material by laser beam 16 with a small circular hole or via 24 intersecting therewith that extends through substrate 18 from semiconductor 22 by laser drilling and conversion , to a surface 25 on the reverse side of substrate 18 where it terminates in a conductive connection . the terminal ends and inner exposed surface of via 24 has been converted to an electroconductor material by laser beam 16 as it drills through substrate 18 between surface 22 and 25 . on the reverse side of substrate 18 on surface 25 there is depicted an area on surface 25 that has been converted to an conductor pad 26 that is formed by laser beam 16 , which is connected to conductor via 24 , where it terminates at surface 25 . a conductor pad 26 has been formed on surface 25 by rotating substrate 18 so that surface 25 is exposed to direct laser beam 16 interaction for direct conversion of pad 26 to a conductor material in accordance with the teachings of the present invention continuing with the description of fig1 there is shown a conductor strip 3o connected to an edge of semiconductor area 22 on surface 20 and extending therefrom to the edge of substrate 18 and thence along a substrate surface 32 and thence along surface 25 , terminating thereon with an electroconductor tab 28 . both conductors 30 and tab 28 have been produced by direct laser beam 16 conversion . referring now to fig2 - 4 , there is shown a plurality of substrates that have had certain sections thereof converted directly into elements and components of electronic devices by laser beam synthesis in accordance with the teachings of the present invention . shown in fig2 is a monolithic substrate 41 of crystalline or polycrystalline ceramic compound material that is responsive to conversion by laser beam 16 exposure . more specifically , substrate 41 and a main body thereof may be a crystalline or polycrystalline ceramic compound material from the group including aluminum nitride ( aln ), silicon carbide ( sic ) or boron nitride ( bn ), for examples , as disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 145 , 741 , dated sep . 8 , 1992 , issued to applicant , the foregoing materials are known to be convertible directly by laser beam inscription , from insulative to semiconductive to resistive and to conductive materials . however , applicant knows of no prior art that has utilized such technology to produce devices such as , sensors , diodes , transistors and circuitry containing such devices insitu on selected monolithic ceramic substrates as taught by the present invention . as can readily be appreciated the present invention provides simpler processes , with fewer processing steps , fewer pieces of processing equipment and a reduction , if not the elimination , of environmental pollants and contaminants heretofore associated with the prior art to produce such devices , as diodes , transistors , sensors and the like , as examples . referring again to fig2 substrate body 40 is depicted as an insulative crystalline or polycrystalline ceramic compound material , such as aln , sic and bn , as examples . a resistor section 42 is formed on substrate body 40 , having a resistive value in the range of 10 - 2 - 10 - 6 pair of electrical conductors 44 and 46 are formed on substrate 40 , disposed on opposite sides of and connected to resistor section 42 , to thereby produce a resistor insitu on substrate body 40 . another electrical conductor 48 is formed on the reverse side 50 of substrate body 40 . as shown a portion of substrate body 40 , designated 52 and delineated by a broken line 52 , is disposed between electrical conductors 46 and 48 , to form a capacitor . referring now to fig3 there is shown a crystalline or polycrystalline ceramic compound substrate 56 , of sic , chemically doped with aluminum ( al ) forming a p - type carrier ( electron holes ) semiconductor material . by laser beam synthesis , conductor 58 is formed on a surface 60 of substrate 56 , and an n - type carrier ( electrons ) semiconductor 62 is formed at a surface 64 of substrate 56 by laser beam chemical doping with phosphorus ( p ), and an electroconductor 66 is formed on a reverse side 64 of substrate 56 and is electrically connected to n - type carrier 62 . the foregoing formed device is capable of operating as a diode in an external circuit by connecting conductors 58 and 66 to external leads 68 and 70 , respectively , or as a insitu diode when connected to other components which may be formed on substrate 56 and connected to terminals 58 and 66 . referring to fig4 there is shown a device 76 , that may operate as various types of sensors , such as thermoresistive , piezoresistive or chemoresistive , depending the electroresistive properties of a ceramic compound substrate body 78 . there are reverse surfaces 80 and 82 on substrate body 78 , that have conductors 84 and 86 formed on surfaces 80 and 82 , respectively , to which external conductor terminals 88 and 90 respectively are provided for external connections . it should be noted that devices of the type shown in fig4 operate primarily on the principal of change in resisitivty ( ohm - cm ) of the laser beam synthesized ceramic , and therefore , are uniquely adaptable to hostile environmental operations , such as with automobile and aircraft engines that are made of ceramic components . as examples , the temperature , physical changes or distortion and the presence of chemicals occurring in or near an engine , can be monitored at selected sections of the engines by depositing a film of crystalline or polycrystalline ceramic compound , directly onto the engine body at selected sections and subsequently laser beame synthesizing such films to produce a thermoresistive , piezoresistive or chemoresistive device from the deposited film alternately , the surface of ceramic engine components comprised of may be made of aln , sic or bn can be directly converted to these types of sensors . also there are situations where the engine may have a component part made of ceramic , and it may be desirable to monitor such component and therefore , the senors of the present invention may be disposed thereon and used to monitor such components . such devices would consist of resistive areas disposed between a pair of laser synthesized electroconductor tabs , where the tabs are used for external connections . it has been experimentally determined that crystalline or polycrystalline ceramic compounds , such as ( aln ), ( sic ) and ( bn ), may be deposited upon ceramic materals of which automotive and aircraft engines are made , by means of known vapor or thermal spray deposition techniques , without debonding therebetween when operating at elevated temperatures of such engines . thus , such selectively disposed devices can be used for remote monitoring of the changes in the engines readily and simply on a real time basis , when compared with the prior art techniques . it should be noted that these sensor devices may be characterized as passive or active devices , that is , when an electrical bias is applied the device they are active and without the bias they are passive . the device depicted in fig5 illustrates one of several arrangements for elements for a transistor type device . there is shown a crystalline or polycrystalline ceramic substrate 90 of p - type carrier material designated 92 that has a n - type carrier section laser beam synthesized on reverse sides of the substrate designated 94 and 96 . over of these n - type carriers are conductors 98 and 100 , respectively formed by laser synthesis on each layer of n - type carrier sections 94 and 96 . on a surface of substrate section 92 there is formed by laser synthesis a conductor 102 . conductors 98 and 100 each have terminal conductors 104 and 106 , respectively connected thereto for external connections . the device just described may be utilized as a traditional transistor connected to external circuits or as an insitu device on a monolithic substrate as part of a circuit thereon . in fig6 there is shown an alternate arrangement for a diode , similar to that shown in fig3 where a substrate body 57 is a crysalline or polycrystalline ceramic material that is responsive to laser conversion and it has had p - type carrier and n - type carrier adjacent sections formed thereon by laser synthesis . this arrangement is the traditional configuration for junction diodes known in the prior art , and may be part of an external circuit or as a device of an insitu circuit that may be formed on a monolithic substrate in accordance with of the present invention . referring to fig7 there is shown a ( p - n - p - type transistor having a configuration different from the ( n - p - n - type transistor shown in fig 5 . as shown , there is depicted a n - type substrate 150 with two p - type carrier sections 152 and 154 separated from one another , each p - type sections has a conductor 162 and 164 connected , respectively thereto and an conductor 160 disposed on a reverse surface of substrate 150 . a conductor 162 is connected to conductor 156 that function as a drain terminal of the device , while a conductor 164 is connected to conductor 158 that function as a source terminal of the device . a conductor 166 is attached to conductor 160 that is also connected to conductor 164 the source terminal . the resultant device is characterized as a traditional ( p - n - p )- type transistor . fig8 shows a device similar to the device shown in fig7 with the addition of a dielectric layer 165 formed on the surface of substrate 150 and disposed between p - type carriers 152 and 158 . deposited on top of dielectric layer 165 is a conductor layer 167 to which a conductive lead 169 is attached for external connections as a gate terminal for the device . the resulting device is characterized as a n - type carrier channel transistor . referring now to fig9 there is shown a processing arrangement including laser 12 , focussing lens 14 and laser focused beam 16 , such as that shown in fig1 and it operates in a similar manner . also shown is a chamber 170 , including an airtight laser beam transmission window 172 disposed for transmitting beam 16 therethrough into the chamber . chamber 170 has an inlet and valve combination 174 and outlet and valve combination 176 connected to the side wall of the chamber , for injecting and removing gases into and therefrom , respectively . the chamber is dispose on a support member 178 forming an airtight seal therewith . also shown in fig9 there is a substrate 180 upon which a dielectric layer 165 is formed and a conductive layer 167 is deposited on top of dielectric layer 165 . substrate 180 is a material such as substrate 150 shown in fig7 and 8 . the arrangement shown in fig9 is used to convert or add to the surface of substrates placed therein . as shown , dielectric layer 165 and conductor 167 are of the type shown in fig8 so as to complete the formation of an n - type carrier channel transistor . to accomplish the unique results derived from the teachings of the present invention , it is necessary to consider some of the detail processing steps and procedures thereof . in various sections of the disclosure and claims the phrases &# 34 ; laser synthesis &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; laser synthesized &# 34 ; have been used to broadly mean or define , the use of a selected laser beam impinging ( inscribing or writing or drilling ) onto or into the body of a crystalline or polycrystalline substrate or body to thereby cause rapid thermal heating for melting and the rapid cooling for solidification in selected exposed areas , causing chemical and physical changes to occur to the substrate areas exposed to the laser beam . such exposure to the laser beam may be accompanied by the use of gases , such as air , oxygen or other gas / vapor mixtures , that may be a co - operant in the process for causing such changes . use of these phrases is consistent with the teachings of u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 145 , 741 and 5 , 391 , 841 , noted herein and both issued to applicant . continuing with the disclosure of the present invention , attention is directed to the various laser devices used to perform laser synthesis as envisioned herein . the table i entitled &# 34 ; typical laser types &# 34 ;, setforth below , list three ( 3 ) laser types which have been found satisfactory for practicing the present invention . a second table ii entitled &# 34 ; laser processing parameters &# 34 ;, shown below discloses eight ( 8 ) parameters for each of the three ( 3 ), sample laser types , namely , nd : yag , frequency double nd : yag and excimer lasers , that are useful for laser synthesis processes . these lasers are capable of laser synthesis and / or conversion of insulating and semiconducting crystalline or polycrystalline ceramics and to material combinations necessary to fabricate and produce the various electronic devices and circuits taught by the invention . the parameters shown have been diligently arrived at after extensive test and evaluation and have been selectively used to produce the various devices and circuits in accordance with the teachings of the present invention and claims . table i______________________________________typical laser types sic sic untreated resistivity converted resistivity laser types ohm - cm ohm - cm______________________________________nd : yag 10 . sup . 11 5 . 1 × 10 . sup .- 3 wavelength : 1064 nm excimer 10 . sup . 11 1 . 2 × 10 . sup .- 3 wavelength : 248 nm frequecy double 10 . sup . 11 1 . 9 × 10 . sup .- 3 nd : yag wavelength : 532 nm______________________________________ table ii______________________________________laser processing parameters______________________________________ pulse pulse energy beam diameter energy density duration laser type ( j ) ( cm ) ( j / cm . sup . 2 ) ( nsec ) ______________________________________ nd : yag 0 . 0081 0 . 025 12 . 5 70 1064 nm krf excimer 0 . 0034 0 . 085 2 . 2 30 248 nm nd : yag 0 . 0011 0 . 002 339 . 5 100 532 nm______________________________________ peak pulse conversion intensity scan velocity energy ( w / cm ) ( cm / sec ) passes ( j / cm . sup . 3 ) ______________________________________ nd : yag 1 . 8 × 10 . sup . 8 0 . 3 2 1 . 2 × 10 . sup . 9 1064 nm krf excimer 7 . 3 × 10 . sup . 7 0 . 053 1 1 . 4 × 10 . sup . 9 248 nm nd : yag 3 . 4 × 10 . sup . 9 2 1 1 . 67 × 10 . sup . 9 532 nm 2 2 3 . 35 × 10 . sup . 9 40 1 8 . 35 × 10 . sup . 7 40 2 1 . 67 × 10 . sup . 8______________________________________ the ceramic materials taught by the present invention may be of a crystalline or polycrystailine structure and are representive of several hundred possible types from which to choose . for example , silicon carbide , in the beta - sic ( zincblende structure ) or 6h - sic ( 6 bilayers along the hexagonal crystal direction ) are only two of many types of material structures sic can have as a convertible ceramic . similarly , many structural types exist for laser convertibility , including sic , aln and bn which have been the focus of the disclosure and teaching in accordance with the present invention . however , it is understood that these ceramics , may be considered preferred among others which may be selected . as can be appreciated by those skilled in this art , the practice of the present invention is strongly influenced by a working knowledge of material science and the unique properties of crystalline or polycrystalline ceramic materials known in the field of such science . consequently , teachings herein are directed toward known factors derived from extensive experimental and proven results within such science . continuing , the selected ceramics , as examples , namely , sic , aln and bn have been used to readily change their initial electrical properties by &# 34 ; chemical doping &# 34 ; as by means of laser synthesis or conversion . for example , doping of beta - sic ceramic material with phosphorous generates n - type carrier ( electrons ), and with aluminum generates p - type carrier ( holes ) semiconductive materials . shown herein below is table iii entitled &# 34 ; dopants and materials generated by laser synthesis &# 34 ;. as shown in table iii , materials such as , sic and aln , as examples , may be laser synthesized with dopants , as examples , shown to produce the resultant materials . as shown , the dopants may be in the form of gases , and the chemical doping therefrom may be accomplished by the use of a system arrangement illustrated in fig9 hereof . the process for doping within chamber 70 of fig9 occurs by laser beam 16 illuminating the selected areas of a substrate body by inscribing or writing thereon , while simultaneously causing a gas therein to chemically disassociate and diffuse into the laser exposed areas of the substrate body to thereby cause chemical , electrical and physical changes in the properties of the substrate body where the laser has selectively scribed . table iii__________________________________________________________________________dopants and materials generated by laser synthesis resultant resultant materials materials ( no oxygen present ) ( no oxygen present ) dopant source dopant aluminum nitride silicon carbide__________________________________________________________________________di - borane boron boron boron ( p - type ) boron nitride ( s ) boron carbide ( i ) aluminum boride silane silicon silicon ( s ) silicon ( s ) silicon nitride ( i ) silicon carbides ( s ) phosphine phosphorous phosphorous phosphorous ( n - type ) aluminum - phosphide ( s ) boron titanium tetra chloride titanium titanium ( c ) titanium ( s ) titanium ethoxide titanium nitride ( c ) titanium silicide ( s ) titanium - aluminide ( c ) titanium carbide ( s ) aluminum sec - butoxide aluminum aluminum aluminum ( p - type ) aluminum nitride ( s ) aluminum carbide tetra carbonyl nickel nickel nickel ( c ) nickel nickel aluminide ( c ) nickel carbidenickel silicide tungsten hexafluoride tungsten tungsten tungsten ( c ) tungsten nitride tungsten - carbide ( c ) tungsten nitrogen nitrogen nitrogen ( n - type ) nitrogen__________________________________________________________________________ the dopants and resultant materials shown in table iii are illustrative of many combinations which could be selected within the scope of the teachings of the present invention . from the foregoing discussions of tables i - iii , it can readily be appreciated that devices and circuits of the type taught and claimed herein can be produced by the appropriate selection of crystalline or polycrystalline ceramic material ; selection of an appropriate type of laser ; operating the laser with appropriate parameters ; and using appropriate dopants . until now , the disclosure primarily has discussed the formation of the devices and circuits on substrate bodies , suggesting that the substrates are in a non - film structure . however , it is understood that the substrates envisioned by the invention includes film structures of appropriate thickness to accommodate the formation of the devices and circuits in accordance with the teachings hereof . more particularly , the substrates 44 , 56 , 75 , 90 and 150 depicted in the various figures may be substrate films . various crystalline or polycrystalline ceramic materials having properties substantially identical as those of substrates 44 , 56 , 76 , 90 and 150 , and others may be readily formed on a support or carrier substrate through the use of a laser synthesis and chamber depicted in fig9 for example , by means of known vapor deposition techniques . once a layer of film has been formed on a support substrate it may be processed in a similar manner as the substrates depicted in fig1 - 8 , in accordance with the teachings of the invention to produce devices and integrated circuits . successive film layers may be formed and processed to produce a multi - layer structure , that represents a unique feature for using films , to create a three dimensional structure . conductive interconnections between selected layers , devices and circuits may be made by use of conductive vias such a via 24 depicted in and discussed in connection with fig1 . the present disclosure has herein above emphasized the electrical properties of various devices , components and circuits that may be produced , however , it should be noted that another equally important and unique property or feature of the electrical conductive tab , pads , vias , and interconnection wiring leads , that they are all connectable to or bondable to traditional external electrical circuits by means of molten metals or metal alloys to which they are readily bonded . more specifically , the various electrical conductive tabs , pads , vias , and interconnection wiring leads , whether on a bulk or film material substrate may be brazed or soldered to external electrical conductors by use of suitable molten metals and metal alloys . the metal bonding features and properties of the tabs , pads , vias and wiring leads or conductors are produced as a result of direct laser scribing , writing etc . as taught by the present invention . since this bondable feature of these laser inscribed electrical conductors are an integral part of the ceramic substrate , the molten bonding may be performed at higher than traditional brazing or soldering temperatures to thereby produce high temperature bonding . this higher bonding temperature will enable the components devices and circuits etc . to operate at higher temperatures without debonding . in addition , since these devices are an insitu part of the substrate that support them , heat is more readily dissipated therefrom owing to the better dielectric constants and higher thermal conductivity of the ceramics of the present invention than those of al 2 o 3 or other prior art substrates . the foregoing disclosure and teachings of the present invention readily and adequately demonstrate that direct laser synthesis and chemical process doping of selected ceramic substrate and film materials , can be utilized to create and produce electronic devices and circuits uniquely within the body of such ceramic materials and in which the thermal coefficient of expansion ( tce ) betveen the devices and circuits are compatible with the substrate of films owing to their inherent relationship as part of the starting material and noting that nothing during the processing of the system has changed their inherent compatibility with respect to tce between the substrate and the circuits and devices formed thereon . in addition to the enhanced tce properties , the present invention provides electron devices and circuit arrangements within the selected ceramic materials that have better dielectric constant and higher thermal conductivity properties than those of al 2 o 3 which is traditionally used as support substrates for electronic devices and circuits of the type addressed by the present invention . it is to be understood that the above described embodiments and teachings of the present invention are only illustrative of the principles applicable . various other arrangements and processing modifications may be envisioned or refined by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . for example , other ceramic materials of hexagonal crystalline structure with certain nitride or carbide compounds , may be adapted to have similar or equivalent processing properties as disclosed herein , and it is inferred that like electrical semiconductive , conductive and insulative properties may be attainable within the spirit and scope of the present invention . consequently , it is understood that the present invention is limited only by the spirit and scope of the disclosure and appended claims .	2
fig1 generally shows a venn diagram 1 having circles that correspond to sets for a sulfate donor 10 , a salt of phosphoric acid 20 , and a salt of sulfamic acid 30 . the intersection of the three sets 10 , 20 , 30 is a set of preferred formulations 40 . the sulfate donor of set 10 can be any suitable sulfate donor that is soluble in water and increases the concentration of hydrogen ions in water , including for example , potassium sulfate , lithium sulfate , and sodium sulfate . preferably , the sulfate donor is sodium bisulfate ( nahso 4 ). the solution preferably contains at least 30 % wt of sodium bisulfate and even more preferably at least 40 % wt of sodium bisulfate . an effective amount of sulfate donor , when mixed with the salt of phosphoric acid and a salt of sulfamic acid in a swimming pool , is that amount necessary to ensure that the ph of the water does not exceed 8 ph , and more preferably 7 . 5 ph . the effective amount of the salt of phosphoric acid , when dispersed in a swimming pool or other vessel , is that amount necessary to lower the hardness by at least 30 %, when used in combination with the other components of the formula . the dry weight ratio between the salt of phosphoric acid and the sulfate donor is preferably 1 : 1 , and the dry weight ratio between the salt of phosphoric acid and the salt of sulfamic acid is preferably 2 : 1 . the dry weight percent of the salt of phosphoric acid is preferably at least 30 wt %, and more preferably at least 40 wt %. all suitable salts of phosphoric acid are contemplated , for example sodium hexametaphosphate ( na 2 op 2 o 5 ), disodium phosphate , or tetrasodium pyrophosphate . preferably , sodium hexametaphosphate is the only phosphoric acid salt , although a combination of salts of phosphoric acids could be used . the salt of sulfamic acid could be any suitable sulfamic acid , for example potassium sulfamic acid , phenyl sulfamic acid , ammonium sulfamic acid , or sodium sulfamic acid . the salt of sulfamic acid is preferably sodium sulfamic acid ( h 2 nso 3 h ), more preferably comprises at least 10 wt % of the solution , and most preferably comprises at least 10 or 20 % wt of the solution . the components of contemplated formulas could be mixed on - site , added individually to the swimming pool or other vessel , or could mixed and packaged in a bottle or capsule to aid in dispersing and measuring . when the components are provided separately , it is preferred that a ratio is enforced between or among the different components . examples of enforcing a ratio include selling individual components with accompanying instructions regarding preferred ratios , providing a website that includes such instructions , or providing a measuring device in a package with the components . in one embodiment , a controlled amount of at least one of sodium bisulfate , sodium hexametaphosphate , or sulfamic acid is added to the pool . as used herein , the term “ controlled amount ” means that the amount is measured in some manner . preferably , the sodium bisulfate , sodium hexametaphosphate , and sulfamic acid are packaged in pre - defined ratios . alternatively , a measuring device , such as a scooper , or a set of instructions describing the controlled amount could be included with the solution or chemical components . preferably , the pre - packaged product is in a solid , granular form and is sprinkled into the swimming pool while the pump is running . the instructions could be made available to the user either in printed form and packaged with the solution or chemicals , or made available electronically via a website . a ratio could also be enforced between the chemical solution and the total volume of liquid in the vessel . this ratio could be maintained in any suitable manner , including for example measuring a predetermined amount of each chemical before adding the chemical to the liquid , or tracking the volume or weight of each chemical as it is pumped or otherwise added to the liquid . the chemical solution is preferably added in or around a pump or mixing device , for example a swimming pool pump , to aid in maximizing the dispersal of the chemical in the liquid container . all suitable solid forms of the contemplated formulas are contemplated , including for example a granular composition or one or more dissolving tablets . a solid block could also be presented that could be broken up into a granular composition prior to adding the product to the pool to increase the effectiveness of the product . all suitable liquid forms are also contemplated , including containers that provide only enough composition for a single treatment , and containers that provide enough composition for multiple treatments . the present invention may be further understood in light of the following examples , which are illustrative in nature and are not to be considered as limiting the scope of the invention . at present , the most preferred embodiment comprises 40 wt % sodium bisulfate , 20 % sulfamic acid , and 40 % sodium hexametaphosphate . in one example , a single liter of this embodiment effectively treated a 15 , 000 gallon pool , reducing a hardness of 1030 ppm to a hardness of 525 ppm within 24 hours . in another example , a single liter of this embodiment effectively treated a 16 , 000 gallon pool to reduce the hardness of 600 ppm to a hardness of 300 ppm within 24 hours . it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein . the inventive subject matter , therefore , is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims . moreover , in interpreting both the specification and the claims , all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context . in particular , the terms “ comprises ” and “ comprising ” should be interpreted as referring to elements , components , or steps in a non - exclusive manner , indicating that the referenced elements , components , or steps may be present , or utilized , or combined with other elements , components , or steps that are not expressly referenced . where the specification claims refers to at least one of something selected from the group consisting of a , b , c . . . and n , the text should be interpreted as requiring only one element from the group , not a plus n , or b plus n , etc .	2
fig1 is an exemplary cross sectional schematic view of a reactor having inserts disposed therein . a reactor 10 comprises a shell 12 housing one or more reactor tubes 20 . a first tube plate 14 is disposed concentrically within the shell and is coupled to the tubes 20 to provide lateral support for the tubes . similarly , a second tube plate 16 is coupled to another portion of the tubes 20 to provide lateral support therefor . one or more inlets , such as inlets 22 , 24 , are formed in the reactor 10 to allow reactants to enter the reactor . one or more outlets , such as outlet 26 , are formed in the reactor 10 to allow a resulting product to exit the reactor . temperature control inlet 28 and outlet 30 allow cooling / heating fluid to enter and exit , the reactor 10 , respectively . the reactor 10 can be divided into a heating zone 32 , a reaction zone 34 , and a cooling zone 36 . the order , size , and existence of the zones and inlets / outlets can vary depending on whether the reaction is endothermic or exothermic , the speed of the reaction , flow rate , and other factors . a catalyst is generally disposed within the reactor tubes 20 in the reaction zone 34 . one or more , and generally all , of the reactor tubes 20 have one or more inserts 38 disposed therein . while it is feasible for a mixture of inserts to be used for a single reactor , for economical and practical reasons , it may be desired that all inserts will be the same in a single reactor . in some embodiments , such as shown in fig1 , one set of inserts 38 can be disposed in an upstream portion of the reactor tubes 20 and another set of inserts 40 can be disposed in a downstream portion of the reactor tubes . further , it is possible for certain tubular reactors , such as those utilised in the catalytic conversion of ethylene and oxygen to ethylene oxide , that an efficient usage of the inserts proposed by the present invention is to have one size of insert in the upstream portion of a reactor tube 20 and a different size of insert in the downstream portion . in such situations , the upstream insert 38 would suitably be of shorter length than the downstream insert 40 , and very suitably it would be approximately half the length of the downstream insert . for example , the upstream insert 38 may have a length of from 1 to 10 %, or from 1 to 5 %, of the total length of the reactor tube , and the downstream insert 40 may have a length of from 2 to 20 %, or from 2 to 10 %. an inside heat transfer coefficient of the inserts according to the present invention is suitably from 800 to 4000 wm − 2 k − ( watt per m 2 per degree kelvin ), based on inner tube surface area , when measured at reynolds numbers in the range of from 10 , 000 to 50 , 000 , based on void tube dimensions and superficial velocity . the pressure drop along a portion of the reactor tube 20 occupied by the inserts 38 , 40 according to the present invention is suitably from 50 to 20 , 000 pa per metre , also when measured at reynolds numbers in the range of from 10 , 000 to 50 , 000 , based on void tube dimensions and superficial velocity . fig2 is a longitudinal cross sectional schematic view of one exemplary insert . an insert 50 can be disposed into a reaction tube 20 . the insert according to the present invention can have various shapes . the insert 50 shown in fig2 can have a core 51 with a substantially cylindrical shape . the insert 50 is preferably hollow , and closed on at least one end 52 , more preferably at both ends , 52 , 54 . a cross - sectional external dimension “ a ” of the core 51 defines a cross - sectional external surface area of the core 51 . a cross - sectional dimension “ a ” of an inside surface 58 of the reaction tube defines a cross - sectional internal surface area of the reactor tube portion in which the insert 50 is disposed . generally , the cross - sectional external surface area of the core 51 can be from about 20 to 90 % of the cross - sectional internal surface area of the reactor tube 20 . the insert 50 can comprise surface protrusions 56 , such as rings , bars , helices , other shaped protrusions , or a combination thereof , extending circumferentially or longitudinally along the length of the insert . the protrusions generally contact the inside surface 58 of the reactor tube 20 and secure the insert in position inside the reactor tube . fig3 is a longitudinal cross sectional schematic view of another embodiment of an insert . similar to fig2 , an insert 50 with surface protrusions 56 can be disposed within a reactor tube 20 . the insert 50 can have a conical shape . the cone can also be preferably hollow , and closed at one end 54 . the insert 50 can have an upstream taper 53 . the insert can also have a downstream taper ( not shown ). it is to be understood that the insert shape can vary and can be any geometric shape as is appropriate to the purposes of the invention . fig4 is a longitudinal cross sectional schematic view of another embodiment of the insert . an insert 50 is shown disposed in a reactor tube 20 on an inside surface 58 of the tube . the insert 50 can have an elongated core 51 . as one example , the core 51 can have a cross - sectional external surface area of from about 20 to 90 %, for example about 20 to 80 % of the cross - sectional internal surface area of the reactor tube . the core 51 can comprise one or more surface protrusions 56 , such as wire mesh , brush bristles , longitudinally positioned smooth or corrugated plates , fins or wings of any shape and direction , or a combination thereof . generally , at least some of the protrusions contact the inside surface 58 of the reactor tube 20 and secure the insert in position inside the reactor tube . in some embodiments , the surface areas and / or thicknesses of the individual protrusions 56 can increase from an outer periphery 62 of the protrusion 56 towards a base 64 of the protrusion 56 and the outer circumference of the core 51 . fig5 is an exemplary end view of an insert 56 disposed in a reactor tube 20 . it will be appreciated that in at least some embodiments , it is not necessary for each and every protrusion to contact the reactor tube 20 , but merely that sufficient contact from the one or more protrusions secure the inset in position during use . for example , extended protrusions 56 a can contact the reactor tube 20 and other protrusions 56 b may not contact the reactor tube . fig6 - 8 are cross sectional schematic views of another embodiment of the insert . fig6 is a longitudinal cross sectional schematic view of one or more expandable protrusions of an insert in a retracted position . fig7 is a longitudinal cross sectional schematic view of the expandable protrusions in an expanded position . fig8 is a cross sectional schematic end view of the insert and reactor tube of fig6 . fig6 - 8 will described concurrently with each other . to place an insert 50 into a reactor tube 20 , it can be useful that the associated protrusions 56 do not contact the inside surface 58 of the reactor tube until after the insert is positioned in the tube . to assist contact of one or more protrusions 56 , shown in fig1 - 5 , against the inside surface 58 of a reactor tube 20 once in place , a very useful embodiment is one wherein the insert 50 can be adjusted once in position to force the protrusions against or towards the inside surface of the reactor tube . a number of methods and systems can be used for expanding the protrusions can be used , including , but not limited to threaded engagements , slip engagements , cams , beveled surfaces , gas and hydraulic activation , and other methods , as would be apparent to those with ordinary skill in the art , given the understanding provided by the description of the invention contained herein . for example and without limitation , the insert 50 can include a translatable member 70 that can have a twist point 72 at one end . the twist point 72 can engage a beveled surface 74 on the protrusion 56 . the twist point 72 can be turned , once the insert 50 is in position , such that the projections 56 are expanded within the reactor tube 20 and the protrusions contact the inside surface 58 or are brought into closer proximity to the inner surface of the reactor tube . although not shown , it is to be understood that the insert itself or its core can also be expanded in addition to or in lieu of the protrusion to achieve a similar result , that is , expansion of at least some member of the insert toward the reactor tube 20 . fig9 is a longitudinal cross sectional schematic view of another embodiment of the insert . fig1 is a cross sectional schematic end view of the insert and reactor tube of fig9 and will be described concurrently with fig9 . an insert 56 can be disposed in a reactor tube 20 . the insert 56 can have a rod - shaped , but core - less , form , such as a quantity of wire mesh . the insert 56 can be sized to fit with its periphery adjacent to the tube &# 39 ; s inside surface and so fit snugly into the reactor tube . for example , the wire mesh can include longitudinal members 56 and lateral members 82 . the insert 56 can be formed into an appropriate shape and size to fit within the reactor tube 20 . regardless of the particular shape and configuration , preferably each insert is made of a metal or an alloy which is sufficiently conductive to heat and resistant to corrosion under the reaction conditions , such as carbon steel or stainless steel . the metal / alloy of choice may vary depending upon the reaction carried out in the tubular reactor . exemplary to the operation of a process according to the present invention is the epoxidation of ethylene . the processes for the catalytic production of ethylene oxide in the vapour phase from ethylene and molecular oxygen are broadly divided according to the source of oxygen used , into those using pure oxygen and those using air — but the differences with regard to heat transfer requirements are not fundamental and the present invention can be applied in both cases . whether pure oxygen or air is used in the oxidation of ethylene , the reaction gas mixture in both cases comprises , besides ethylene and oxygen , an excess of diluents such as carbon dioxide , nitrogen , argon , methane and ethane , and a small quantity of a halide reaction moderator such as ethyl chloride , vinyl chloride or dichloroethane . for example , the reaction gas may contain by volume 1 - 40 % of ethylene , 3 - 12 % of oxygen , 0 - 3 % of ethane , 0 . 3 - 50 ppm chlorohydrocarbon moderator and balance argon and / or methane . the inlet reaction gas pressure is in the range of from atmospheric to 4000 kpa , preferably from 1000 to 3000 kpa . it is important that the insert according to the invention does not cause a substantial pressure drop over the length of reactor tube which they occupy . preferably the pressure drop is less than about 2 % of the inlet pressure . the reaction ( catalyst ) temperature is in the range of from 150 to 350 ° c ., preferably from 220 to 300 ° c . the volume hourly space velocity ( vhsv ) of the reaction gas mixture is in the range of from 1000 to 10000 h − 1 ( m 3 per m 3 · h of packed catalyst ) and preferably from 2000 to 8000 h − 1 ( m 3 per m 3 · h of packed catalyst ), measured at standard temperature and pressure conditions . vhsv is typically expressed in units of hour − 1 , cubic meter per cubic meter - hour , cubic meter of gas per cubic meter of reactor volume ( eg packed catalyst volume )- hour , or other like volume per volume - time units . the o 2 conversion level is 10 - 60 % and the eo production ( work rate ) 30 - 400 kg / m 3 catalyst / hr . when a hydrocarbon is used as the heat - exchange fluid surrounding the reactor tubes , its pressure is generally between 100 and 1500 kpa , preferably between 200 and 800 kpa , more preferably between 200 and 600 kpa . when the heat - exchange fluid is water , its pressure is between 1500 and 8000 kpa . the temperature of the heat - exchange fluid on leaving the reactor is generally between 200 and 350 ° c ., preferably between 220 and 300 ° c . in examples 1 and 2 , two illustrative embodiments of inserts according to the present invention are given . in examples 3 to 5 , the theoretical / calculated performance , in terms of effect on heat transfer , pressure drop and turbulence respectively , of the ( gaseous ) fluid flowing through a tubular reactor , was determined on the basis of : inserts according to examples 1 and 2 respectively , made of carbon steel having a specific conductivity of 45 wm − 1 k − 1 , a 35 cm bed of particulate catalyst material , i . e alpha silver - impregnated alpha alumina rings ( outer diameter 8 . 40 mm , inner diameter 2 . 97 mm , height 8 . 55 mm ), and a void reactor tube . fig1 is a schematic cross sectional end view of an insert . the insert 50 included a construction of 32 bent fins as protrusions 56 , welded individually around a central core 51 or annulus , which is a hollow cylinder , closed at one end or both ends and having an outside diameter of 25 mm . the thickness of the fin material is 1 mm and the total height of each bent fin is 8 . 1 mm . the outer diameter of the construction is 38 . 5 mm and its length 35 cm . fig1 is a schematic cross sectional end view of an insert . the insert 50 included a construction of a 1 mm stainless steel plate formed into protrusions 56 , that is , the plate was corrugated with corrugation length of 5 mm and a corrugation height of 6 . 75 mm , bent around the core 51 , similar to such in example 1 . the outer diameter of the construction is 38 . 5 mm and its length 35 cm . a reactor tube is used , having an internal diameter of 38 . 5 mm and a length of about 35 cm , that being about 3 % of the total length of a typical commercial reactor tube . the reactor tube is charged with the inserts of examples 1 and 2 ( each also having a length of 3 % of the total length of a typical commercial reactor tube ), with the ring - formed particles , or left void , and is heated to 250 ° c . a gaseous mixture of methane ( 50 %), ethylene ( 40 %) and oxygen ( 10 %) enters the reactor tube at a superficial velocity of 1 ms − 1 , 2000 kpa and 150 ° c . the heat transfer inside the tube charged with the inserts of examples 1 and 2 and the heat transfer inside the void tube is determined according to the heat transfer relations of v . gnielinski , “ chem .- ing .- techn .”, 61 , ( 1989 ), 160 / 61 , assuming a state steady heat transfer , a constant heat transfer coefficient at the surface of the insert , a homogeneous material of the insert , no heat production , no resistance in heat conduction between the tube wall and the insert , and no radial temperature gradients in the fluid . the heat transfer inside the tube charged with ring - shaped particulates (“ packed bed ”), is determined according to p . c . borman , et al ., chem . engng . commun ., vol 114 , pp . 17 to 47 , under the same set of assumptions . fig1 is a graph showing the results determined from example 3 . the results show the calculated fluid temperature as a function of distance from the reactor tube entrance for a void tube , a tube with a packed bed of catalyst rings , and tubes with the exemplary inserts described in examples 1 and 2 . the x - axis represents a distance in meters from the entrance of the reactor tube . the y - axis shows the fluid temperature in degrees celsius to indicate the heat transfer along the length of the reactor tube . the lower curve 4 for the void tube has the lowest rate of heat transfer . the temperature increase is about 10 ° c . through the reactor or about a 7 % increase from the starting temperature of about 150 ° c . the next higher curve 3 , using a packed bed , shows the rate of heat transfer of about 50 ° c . or about a 33 % increase . the next higher curve 1 , using the insert constructed according to example 1 , shows a greater heat transfer ability by increasing the temperature by about 80 ° c . or about a 53 % increase . the final curve 2 , using the insert constructed according to example 2 , shows the largest heat transfer ability by increasing the temperature by about 85 ° c . or about a 57 % increase . the same experimental conditions as specified in example 3 are maintained . the pressure drop , calculated per metre length , is determined for the tube charged with the inserts in examples 1 and 2 and for the void tube according to karman - nikuradze , see j . nikuradze , vdi - vorschungsheft ( 1950 ) 361 . the pressure drop for the tube charged with the ring - formed particles is determined according to s . ergun , chem . eng . prog ., 48 , 89 , 1952 . for the void tube : 5 pa per metre for the ring - formed particles : 18000 pa per metre for the insert in example 1 : 870 pa per metre for the insert in example 2 : 485 pa per metre . the same experimental conditions as specified in example 3 are maintained . the turbulence inside the tubular reactor at a superficial fluid velocity of 1 m / s was calculated , expressed in the reynolds numbers as follows . for the void tube : 30516 , for the ring - formed particles : 9720 , for insert in example 1 : 10681 , for insert in example 2 : 5148 . from these results it is clear that , under the condition of high fluid velocity used , the inserts decrease rather than increase the turbulence inside the reactor tube . in particular it is shown here that the increased heat transfer , found in example 3 for the two inserts according to the invention ( compared to the ring - formed particles ) is not due to an increased turbulence .	1
referring now more particularly to the drawings , and to fig1 in particular , a pipe end connecting structure 100 includes a floater 110 received in a pipe 112 . floater 110 can be made of plastic , and pipe 112 can be made of metal such as steel or other materials , including plastics . it should be understood that the connecting structure of the present invention can be used advantageously with a variety of different materials including various plastics and metals for each of the components to be described herein . the connecting structure can be used when various components are of different materials and when the various components are of similar materials . pipe 112 includes a cylindrical wall defining an axial bore 114 and first and second diametrically opposed holes 116 , 118 near one end of pipe 112 , spaced inwardly from an end edge 119 of pipe 112 . pipe 112 is open at the end thereof to which the connection is to be completed . floater 110 is received in and locker to pipe 112 . floater 110 includes a head 120 and axially extending , transversely curved first and second legs 122 , 124 each having a protrusion 126 , 128 respectively thereon . head 120 defines a circumferential shoulder 130 of larger diameter than the diameter of axial bore 114 in pipe 112 . the transverse curvature of legs 122 , 124 corresponds to the curvature of axial bore 114 so that legs 122 , 124 will fit against axial bore 114 . accordingly , floater 110 can be installed in the end of pipe 112 by inserting legs 122 , 124 into axial bore 114 . the dimensions of floater 110 and the structure of pipe 112 are selected so that protrusions 126 , 128 are received in holes 116 , 118 with circumferential shoulder 130 engaged against the distal end edge 119 of pipe 112 . legs 122 , 124 are resiliently deflectable to bend inwardly slightly and rebound outwardly . during assembly , legs 122 , 124 yield inwardly so that protrusions 128 , 130 enter axial bore 114 and slide along the inner surface thereof . floater 110 can be inserted into the end of pipe 112 without aligning protrusions 126 , 128 with holes 116 , 118 . when floater 110 is fully inserted so that shoulder 130 is engaged against end edge 119 , floater 110 can be rotated until protrusions 126 , 128 align with and snap into holes 116 and 118 as legs 122 , 124 rebound outwardly . to facilitate the insertion and necessary inward deflection of legs 122 , 124 each of legs 122 , 124 and protrusions 126 , 128 can be provided with a ramp portion , angular lead - in surface 132 , 134 , 136 , 138 , respectively . head 120 defines an end opening therethrough , including a center aperture 140 and diametrically opposed slots 142 , 144 contiguous with center aperture 140 . ramp stops 146 , 148 are provided adjacent slots 142 , 144 , respectively , on the outer face of head 120 . the outer surfaces of ramp stops 146 , 148 adjacent slots 142 , 144 define angular ramps 150 , 152 terminating at rotation stoppers 154 , 156 formed as substantially axially oriented surfaces . in a completed assembly for pipe end connecting structure 100 , a locking device 160 is connected to floater 110 . it should be understood that locking device 160 can be a portion of a structure or device to be connected to the pipe , or can itself be in independent part connected to another object by suitable means . locking device 160 is provided with a locking head 162 for engaging floater 110 . locking device 160 can be made of plastic , metals and other suitable materials either the same as or different from either floater 110 or pipe 112 . locking head 162 defines an annular inner step or shoulder 164 to receive and surround floater head 120 and a circumferential outer portion of end edge 119 radially outward of shoulder 130 on floater 110 . accordingly , head 162 receives therein and surrounds an end portion of pipe 112 with floater 110 installed therein . locking head 162 further includes a post 166 and wings 168 , 170 configured and arranged to be inserted into center aperture 140 and opposed slots 142 , 144 , respectively . during assembly , post 166 and wings 168 , 170 are inserted through aperture 140 and slots 142 , 144 until shoulder 164 engages end edge 119 and floater head 120 . fig1 and 2 illustrate , respectively , locking device 160 positioned for insertion and fully inserted . with reference now to fig3 and 4 , it can be observed how the locking device of the present invention is locked to secure locking device 160 to both floater 110 and pipe 112 . fig3 illustrates from another angle the fully inserted position depicted in fig2 , with wings 168 , 170 of locking device 160 within floater 110 . from the position shown in fig3 , locking device 160 is rotated through some suitable distance , approximately 90 ° in the exemplary embodiment shown , so that wings 168 , 170 are aligned with and radially inward of legs 122 , 124 . proximal ends 172 , 174 of wings 168 , 170 ride against angular ramps 176 , 178 on the inside of floater 110 to draw locking head 162 tightly against floater 110 and pipe 112 . rotation of locking device 160 relative to floater 110 is terminated when a stopper 180 , 182 is encountered , depending on the direction that locking devices 160 is rotated relative to floater 110 . head 162 is further provided with one or more deflectable anti - rotation snap 184 for riding over ramps 150 , 152 while deflecting outwardly and rebounding inwardly thereafter against stops 154 , 156 of ramp stops 146 , 148 . in the second , locked position of locking head 162 , floater 110 , pipe 112 and locking device 160 are compacted tightly together . floater 110 is secured in pipe 112 by the engagement of protrusions 126 , 128 in holes 116 , 118 . floater 110 can not be dislodged easily from pipe 112 in that wings 168 , 170 backed by post 166 there between are aligned between and against legs 122 , 124 so that the legs cannot be deflected inwardly to disengage protrusions 126 , 128 from holes 116 , 118 in pipe 112 . a continuous , structure is provided between legs 122 , 124 via wings 168 , 170 and post 166 there between . locking device 160 is secured to floater 110 by the engagement of wing proximal ends 172 , 174 against ramps 176 , 178 so that locking device 160 can not be pulled outwardly away from floater 110 . rotation of locking device 160 away from the second , locked position toward the first , inserted position is inhibited by anti - rotation snap 184 lodged against either stop 154 or stop 156 . fig1 and 11 illustrate another embodiment of a floater 210 . structures and features of floater 210 that are similar to structures and features of floater 110 are identified with numbers in the “ 200 ” series corresponding to the numbers in the “ 100 ” series used for floater 110 . accordingly , floater 210 includes a head 220 and legs 222 , 224 with protrusions 226 , 228 which are similar to head 120 , legs 122 , 124 and protrusions 126 , 128 of floater 110 . head 220 defines a circumferential shoulder 230 similar to circumferential shoulder 130 . angular lead - in surfaces 232 , 234 , 236 , 238 are provided on legs 222 , 224 and protrusions 226 , 228 . a center aperture 240 and diametrically opposed slots 242 , 244 are provided in head 220 . ramp stops 246 , 248 provided at the outer ends of slots 242 , 244 are provided with angular ramps 250 , 252 terminating at rotation stoppers 254 , 256 . the inside of head 220 defines engaging ramps 257 with stops 259 , only one of which is visible in the drawings . a locking device 260 ( fig1 - 15 ) includes a locking head 262 defining an inner step or shoulder 264 , a post 266 and wings 268 , 270 . wings 268 , 270 are t - shaped in cross section , having elongated outer portions 269 , 271 respectively . proximal ends 272 , 274 of wings 268 , 270 ride against angular engaging ramps 257 . head 262 is provided with two deflectable anti - rotation snaps 284 , 286 for riding over ramps 250 , 252 and engaging rotation stoppers 254 , 256 . the elongated outer surfaces of outer portions 269 , 271 provide increased contact area against legs 222 , 224 . the connecting structures and devices shown and described herein , including floaters 110 , 210 and locking devices 160 , 260 can be used for a variety of different purposes including simple physical attachment of a device or structure to a cylindrical object such as a pipe . however , those skilled in the art will readily understand that with the use of appropriate ports through the floater and locking device as well as gaskets or the like between mating components a connection can be made so as to transfer fluids between the pipe , locking device and another structure . the connections made can be accomplished easily by hand , without tools or complicated processes , and are suitable for use with components of a variety of different materials . variations and modifications of the foregoing are within the scope of the present invention . it is understood that the invention disclosed and defined herein extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text and / or drawings . all of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the present invention . the embodiments described herein explain the best modes known for practicing the invention and will enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention . the claims are to be construed to include alternative embodiments to the extent permitted by the prior art . various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims .	5
unless otherwise specified , all structures , layers , steps , methods , etc . may be formed or accomplished by conventional steps or methods known in the prior art . the first and second embodiments of the fusible link device ( fuse ) of the present includes a silicide layer formed over a polysilicon ( poly ) layer and has a first unprogrammed resistance . the fuse is selectively doped using a special n + or p + implant layout to dope the poly layer on either side of , and spaced apart from , the silicide agglomeration area . the portion of the poly layer within the silicide agglomeration area is undoped . doped and undoped poly layer portions are combined for optimal performance . a predetermined programming potential is then applied across the silicide layer which agglomerates at the silicide agglomeration area to form an electrical discontinuity such that the resistance of the fusible link device can be selectively increased to a second programmed resistance . the doped and undoped areas used in the embodiments of the present invention take advantage of the advantages of doped n +/ p + fuses ( i . e . smaller and better pre - programmed resistance ) and undoped intrinsic poly fuses ( i . e . larger post - programmed resistance ) while avoiding their drawbacks . one skilled in the art will recognize that the side views of fig1 to 4 are common to both the fig5 plan view of the more preferred first embodiment fuse device 100 and the fig6 plan view of the preferred second embodiment fuse device 102 . fig1 illustrates a side view common to the first and second embodiments of silicide agglomeration fuse devices 100 , 102 , respectively , of the present invention . fig5 taken along line 5 — 5 of fig4 illustrates the first , more preferred embodiment silicide agglomeration fuse device 100 that concentrates the current gradient , while fig6 taken along line 6 — 6 of fig4 illustrates the second embodiment silicide agglomeration fuse device 102 that does not concentrate the current gradient . the fuse devices 100 , 102 includes silicide layer 16 over polysilicon ( poly ) layer 14 and is disposed over a semiconductor substrate 10 and is usually part of a larger integrated circuit device . silicide layer 16 may be comprised of a wide range of silicides such as cosi 2 , tisi x or nisi y . silicide layer 16 has a sheet resistance of preferably from about 2 to 10 ohms per square , and more preferably from about 3 to 7 ohms per square . poly layer 14 has a thickness of preferably from about 1000 to 4000 å and more preferably from about 1500 to 2000 å for the first embodiment fuse device 100 and a thickness of preferably from about 1000 to 4000 å and more preferably from about 1500 to 2000 å for the second embodiment fuse device 102 . optionally , silicide layer 16 and poly layer 14 are formed by the same processing steps used to produce the polysilicon and silicide gate layers of other devices on the integrated circuit device . an optional oxide layer 12 may be formed between the fuse device 100 , 102 . optional oxide layer 12 has a thickness of preferably from about 3000 to 4000 å for the first embodiment fuse device 100 and a thickness of preferably from about 3000 to 4000 å for the second embodiment fuse device 102 . fuse devices 100 , 102 include silicide discontinuity area 18 ( not necessarily shown to scale in the figs . ), within fuse region 19 , that indicates the area where silicide layer 16 will agglomerate and form a discontinuity during programming which significantly increases the resistance of the fuse devices 100 , 102 from about 100 ohm to about 1000 ohm , for example . this increase in resistance is caused because , before programming , the resistance of the fuse devices 100 , 102 is determined by the lower resistance of the continuous silicide layer 16 ( the path of least resistance ), while after programming the resistance of the fuse devices 100 , 102 is determined by the much higher resistance of the selectively doped poly layer 14 . ( please note that for a current flow direction 50 , 60 as shown in fig5 and 6 for the first and second embodiments of the present invention , respectively , discontinuity area 18 , and subsequently discontinuity 36 , will be generally located within region a , b , respectively .) in a key step of the invention and as shown in fig2 poly layer 14 is selectively doped using a special n + or p + implant layout to dope poly layer 14 on either side of , and spaced apart from at 24 , the silicide discontinuity area 18 . one side of the silicide agglomeration fuse devices 100 , 102 may be n + doped with the other respective sides being p + doped . for example and as shown in fig2 mask 20 is formed over silicide layer 16 masking silicide discontinuity area 18 and extending on either side of silicide discontinuity area 18 by from about 1000 to 10 , 000 å and more preferably from about 0 . 1 to 0 . 3 μm for the first embodiment fuse device 100 ; and from about 1000 to 10 , 000 å and more preferably from about 0 . 1 to 0 . 3 μm for the second embodiment fuse device 102 . mask 20 may comprise patterned photoresist ( pr ) as shown in fig2 for example . n + or p + ions are then implanted as at 22 into poly layer 14 to form doped poly layer portions 26 , 28 on either side of silicide discontinuity area 18 and spaced apart form discontinuity area 18 by a distance 24 , leaving undoped poly layer portion 29 . the distance 24 by which the doped poly layer portions 26 , 28 are separated from the silicide discontinuity area 18 is determined by : ( 1 ) the post - program resistance ; ( 2 ) the process tolerance ; and ( 3 ) the programming tolerance . the doped poly layer portions 26 , 28 may extend into the fuse region 19 . n + or p + ions are implanted to a concentration of preferably from about 1e15 to 8e15 atoms / cm 3 and more preferably from about 3e15 to 6e15 atoms / cm 3 for the first embodiment fuse device 100 , and from about 1e15 to 8e15 atoms / cm 3 and more preferably from about 3e15 to 6e15 atoms / cm 3 for the second embodiment fuse device 102 . the selective n +/ p + doping of poly layer 14 achieves a sheet resistance of preferably from about 150 to 250 ohms per square , and from about 1000 to 10 , 000 ohms per square for the undoped poly layer 14 ′. optionally , the n + or p + doping may be accomplished before formation of silicide layer 16 over poly layer 14 in which case mask 20 is formed over poly layer 14 . as shown in fig3 contacts 30 , 32 are then formed over the structure and in electrically communication with silicide layer 16 . the contacts 30 may be formed before the n + or p + doping of poly layer 14 . contacts 30 , 32 are preferably formed of tungsten ( w ), aluminum ( al ) or copper ( cu ) and are more preferably comprised of tungsten ( w ). the number of contacts 30 , 32 may vary . the nine contacts 30 , 32 shown in fig5 and 6 are for illustrative purposes only . fuse devices 100 , 102 are programmed after completing the process and after the functionality is tested . which fuses should be programmed is based upon certain algorithms . the programming could be performed by function testers or other devices however the programming should be done by electrical programming . as shown in fig4 a programming potential is applied across contacts 30 , 32 to cause current to flow form one end of the fuse device 100 , 102 to the other through the silicide layer 16 . this current causes the silicide layer 16 to heat up and the silicide itself to agglomerate as indicated at 34 within silicide discontinuity region 18 . a discontinuity 36 is thus formed in silicide layer 16 with silicide discontinuity region 18 . as discussed above , this markedly increases the resistance of the fuse devices 100 , 102 as any current applied across contacts 30 , 32 must now pass through undoped poly layer portion 29 . as noted above , undoped poly layer portion 29 provides an even greater increased post - program resistance than if that portion 29 comprised doped poly . further , by spacing doped poly layer portions 26 , 28 apart from silicide discontinuity area 18 in accordance with the present invention , a maximum increase in pre - programmed resistance : post - programmed resistance of the fuse devices 100 , 102 may be achieved . the increase in the pre - programmed resistance : post - programmed resistance of the fuse devices 100 , 102 may be adjusted / fine tuned by adjusting the distance 24 between the silicide discontinuity area 18 and the doped poly layer portions 26 , 28 . fig5 is taken along line 5 — 5 of fig4 and illustrates a plan view of the more preferred first embodiment fuse device 100 that concentrates the current gradient due to tapered transitional region 104 . the geometry of the transition region 104 between the contacts 30 , 32 and the fuse region 19 contributes to the low programming voltage by focusing the current density flowing through the fuse device 102 into the fuse region 19 . the programming potential may be a low as preferably from about 0 . 5 to 2 volts and is more preferably about 1 volts . fig6 is taken along line 6 — 6 of fig4 and illustrates a plan view of the preferred second embodiment fuse device 102 that does not concentrate the current gradient . the programming potential may be a low as preferably from about 0 . 5 to 2 volts and is more preferably about 1 volts . the present invention will provide smaller and better control pre - program resistance . while particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described , it is not intended to limit the invention , except as defined by the following claims .	7
fig1 illustrates a perspective view of a posterior intraocular lens package 10 , the present invention including a base 12 , a configured cavity 14 positioned on the upper surface 13 of the base 12 and a lens retainer cap 16 which secures over and about the configured cavity 14 to retain and contain a posterior chamber intraocular lens as later described in detail . a lens is placed in and rests in the lens cavity 18 and is secured in the cavity by a almost flat conically shaped disc 20 integral to the lens retainer cap 16 . flanges 22 - 26 in the lens retainer cap 16 engage and secure within corresponding ramped catches 28 , 30 and 32 integral to raised annular rim 34 to secure the lens retainer cap 16 to the configured cavity 14 and retain an iol within the lens cavity 18 as later described in detail . a rectangular data placard surface 36 positions on the upper surface of the base 12 . fig2 illustrates a top view of the configured cavity 14 positioned on an upper surface 13 of the base 12 where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described . ramped catches 28 , 30 and 32 position on the inner side walls of the raised annular rim 34 . the underneath sides of the catches are ramped upwardly each containing a series of notches 38 , 40 and 42 positioned on the ramped surface . a circular support member 44 much resembling a washer positions above the plane of the base 12 and within the raised annular rim 34 and extends inwardly from the inner walls of the raised annular rim 34 to support the outer portions of a segmented disc 46 including sections 46a , 46b , 46c and 46d . semi - tubular struts 48a , 48b , 48c and 48d extend inwardly from the inner radius of the circular support member 44 and between respective segmented disc 46 sections to support the edges of the segmented disc 46 and to support a central configured rim 50 as also illustrated in fig5 . the upper surfaces of the segmented disc 46 are ramped and slope downwardly towards the center and inwardly towards the lens cavity 18 to accommodate lens loops as described later in detail . beveled top rounded support posts 52a , 52b , 52c and 52d position vertically on the inner portion of the segmented disc sections 46a - 46d and are extensions of the upper portion of the central configured rim 50 . inwardly and downwardly beveled and radiused support seats 54a , 54b , 54c and 54d position on the inner surface and just below the top of the support post 52a - 52d to support an intraocular lens in the lens cavity 18 as also illustrated in fig5 and 6 . fig3 illustrates a top view of the lens retainer cap 16 where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described . the retainer cap includes a circular raised fluted gripping rim 56 for actuation of the lens retainer cap 16 over and about the configured cavity 14 . a circular support member 58 somewhat resembling a washer shape and having a finite width extends inwardly from the lower portion of the circular gripping rim 56 to form an inner circular edge 60 . an annular ring 62 extends downwardly from the inner circular edge 60 . flanges 22 - 26 extend downwardly and outwardly from the lower suface of the annular ring 62 to subsequently engage with the ramped catches 28 , 30 and 32 for securement of the lens retainer cap 16 to the configured cavity 14 . three rectangular like mold processing holes 58a , 58b and 58c position over flanges 22 - 26 . flanges 22 - 26 include flange bars 64 , 66 and 68 and flange support struts 70a , 70b , 72a , 72b , 74a and 74b respectively . locking teeth 76 , 78 and 80 position on the upper surface of flanges 22 - 26 for engagement with series of notches 38 - 42 in ramped catches 28 - 32 . a shallow conically shaped member 20 extends inwardly and downwardly toward the center and contains a hole 82 with a rounded smooth lower smoothed lower edge 82a . rounded edge 82a provides a contact surface for high g - loadings if required to retain an iol between the lens retainer cap 16 and the lens cavity 18 as illustrated in fig6 but does not normally come in contact with the iol . fig4 illustrates a side view of the lens retainer cap where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described . lens retainer cap 16 is positioned above the configured cavity 14 prior to iol insertion and is rotated for sake of clarity of illustration and symmetry showing flange positioning . shown in particular is the flat circular mating surface 84 adjacent to the annular ring 62 and the placement of locking tooth 80 on flange 26 , as well as other corresponding locking teeth and flanges . fig5 illustrates a cross - sectional side section view of the configured cavity 14 taken along line 5 -- 5 of fig2 where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described . shown in particular is the lens cavity 18 and an end - on view of the ramped catch 28 . a cavity mating surface 86 assuming the shape of a circle is formed by the upper edge of the raised annular rim 34 and mates with plat circular mating surface 84 of the lens retainer cap 16 . fig6 best illustrates the mode of operation and illustrates a view in cross section of the intraocular lens package 10 with the lens retainer cap 16 engaged over and about the configured cavity 14 and retaining an iol 88 within lens cavity 18 where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described . an iol 88 engages and rests on and in appropriately sized beveled and radiused support seats 54a - 54d and within lens cavity 18 as also illustrated in fig7 . vaulted iol loops 90a and 90b position as illustrated over portions of the segmented disc 46 . the exact segments of which they overlay are determined by a plurality of orientation schemes of the lens and its placement in the lens cavity 18 and is not construed to be limiting in nature . the surface of the shallow conically shaped disc 20 conforms to the vaulted iol loops 90a and 90b and an inner lower annular surface 20a of the conically shaped disc 20 adjacent to hole 82 positions touching the upper surfaces of the support posts 52a - 52d to contain the iol 88 in the lens cavity 18 . the rounded smooth lower edge 82a at the edge of hole 82 retains and comes in close proximity to but does not engage in contact with the planar surface or any other surface of the iol 88 . for purposes of illustration lens retainer cap 16 is shown with locking flange 22 engaged within ramped catch 28 as would other like locking flanges within their respective locking catches . the lens retainer cap 16 is turned clockwise to engage locking flange 22 and like flanges fully into the ramped catch 28 and respective catches . the locking tooth 76 of flange 22 engages against the notched ramped under surface of ramped catch 28 utilizing spring like qualities of the flange 22 as it is depressed downwardly by the under surface of the ramped catch 28 to press and engage the locking tooth 76 into a notch of notch series 38 and rotationally securing the lens retainer cap 16 in a fixed position over and above the configured cavity 14 . locking flanges 22 - 26 operate in unison within respective ramped catches 28 - 32 to secure the plat circular mating surface 84 to the cavity mating surface 86 securing the iol 88 as illustrated within the lens cavity 18 . fig7 illustrates a posterior iol 88 within lens cavity 18 of configured cavity 14 where all numerals correspond to those previously described . iol 88 rests in the beveled and radiused support seats 54a - 54d located in beveled top rounded support posts 52a - 52d . as illustrated vaulted iol loop 90a positions between support post 52a and 52b and in a similar fashion vaulted iol loop 90b positions between support posts 52c and 52d . rotational movement of the iol 88 is limited by the spacing between any two adjacent beveled top rounded support posts 52 between which the vaulted iol loops 90a - 90b are positioned . of course the vaulted iol loops 90a and 90b can be positioned between other adjacent pairs of beveled top rounded support posts 52 and is not construed to be limiting as to the number of support posts utilized . vaulted iol loops 90a and 90b ends can position above opposing pairs of segmented disc 46 as illustrated in fig7 on sections 46 b and 46d and below conically shaped disc surface 20 of the lens retainer cap 16 fig8 illustrates a cutaway view of a locking flange engaging a ramped catch along line 8 -- 8 of fig6 where all numerals correspond to those previously described . ramped catch 28 is shown in engagement with flange 22 where the near side of the raised anular rim 34 has been cut away exposing and leaving the ramped catch 28 exposed . for brevity and clarity of illustration other notches and flanges are not illustrated in fig8 . as the lens retainer cap 16 is turned clockwise , locking tooth 76 and flange 22 are sprung downwardly against the notched ramped surface of the ramped catch 28 and against the inherent spring qualities of flange 22 and flange bar 64 to provide a pressure fit of the locking tooth 76 in one of the notches of notch series 38a - 38n thus locking the lens retainer cap 16 and preventing it from working loose by action of outside forces such as vibration . fig9 illustrates an alternative embodiment top view of configured cavity 100 for an anterior chamber lens where all numerals correspond to those previously described . raised annular rim 102 being similar to raised rim 34 , ramped notched catches 104 - 108 correspond and are similar to ramped notched catches 28 - 32 and circular support member 110 corresponds to circular support 44 . lens retainer cap 16 functions in a similar manner and fits over and about the configured cavity 100 as in previously described figures . portions of the configured cavity 100 inboard of circular support member 110 form a support for an anterior chamber iol 112 as illustrated in a cutaway view of the lens where the segmented disc halves 114a and 114b position centrally within and are ramped downwardly and outwardly from the center to the inner radius portion 110a of circular support member 110 . semi - tubular struts 116a and 116b position between the circular support member 110 and the configured central ring 118 and support the edges of the sloping segmented disc halves 114a and 114b therebetween . a lens cavity 120 is formed by the upper regions of the configured central ring 118 including a circular radiused support seat 122 . pairs of vertical beveled haptic locating posts 124a - 124b and 124c - 124d position as illustrated on the surfaces of segmented disc halves 114a and 114b and above the upper edge of the configured central ring 118 . the upper beveled surface of haptic locating posts 124a - 124d function as stops as do beveled top rounded sipport posts 52a - 52d for the shallow conically shaped disc 20 of lens retainer cap 16 . semi - elliptical flat topped configured iol positioner members 126 and 128 position on the surfaces of segmented disc halves 114a and 114b respectively . the flat side wall portion of configured iol positioner members 126 and 128 adjacent to the configured central ring 118 position the anterior cavity iol 112 within the lens chamber 120 . haptics 126a and 126b position over haptic locating posts 124a - 124b and 124c - 124d respectively to preclude rotation of the optic of the anterior chamber iol 112 about its vertical axis when engaged in the lens package . haptics 126a and 126b position over the downwardly sloping surfaces of segmented disc halves 114a and 114b . fig1 illustrates a sectional view of the anterior chamber lens configured cavity 100 taken along line 10 -- 10 of fig9 where all numerals correspond to those previously described . shown in particular is a portion of an anterior chamber lens 112 on the circular radiused support seat 122 of lens cavity 120 and the configuration of the downwardly ramped segmented disc halves 114a and 114b supporting the configured central ring 118 . fig1 illustrates an alternative embodiment top view of a configured cavity 150 for an intraocular lens having no haptic vaulting , where all numerals correspond to those previously described . raised rim 152 is similar and corresponds to raised annular rim 34 and ramped notched catches 154 - 158 , and are similar and correspond to ramped catches 28 - 32 . lens retainer cap 16 functions in a similar manner and fits over and about the configured cavity 150 as in previously described figures . a circular support member 160 much resembling a washer positions above the plane of the base 12 and within the raised annular rim 152 and extends inwardly from the inner walls of the raised rim 152 to support the outer portions of a segmented disc 162 including sections 162a , 162b , 162c and 162d . semi - tubular struts 164a , 164b , 164c and 164d extend inwardly from the inner radius of the circular support member 160 and between respective segmented disc 162 sections to support the edges of the segmented disc 162 and to support a central configured ring 166 as also illustrated in fig1 . the upper surfaces of the segmented disc 162 are horizontal and extend from the inner radius of the circular support member 160 towards the lens cavity 168 to accommodate non - vaulted lens loops as described later in detail . beveled top rounded support posts 170a , 170b , 170c and 170d position vertically on the inner portion of the segmented disc sections 162a - 162d and are extensions of the upper portion of the central configured ring 166 as shown in fig1 . inwardly and downwardly beveled and radiused support seats 172a , 172b , 172c and 172d position on the inner surface and just below the top of the support post 170a - 170d to support an intraocular lens 174 in the lens cavity 168 as also illustrated in fig1 . fig1 illustrates a cross - section view of fig1 taken along line 12 -- 12 , where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described . shown in particular is a portion of a unvaulted intraocular lens 174 resting on radiused appropriately sized support seats 172a - 172d and within lens cavity 168 , as also illustrated in fig1 . straight non - vaulted loops 176a - 176b position as illustrated over portions of the segmented disc 162 , but may overlay other segments as determined by a plurality of orientation schemes of the lens and its placement in the lens cavity 168 . the surface of the shallow conically shaped disc 20 positions as previously described touching the upper surfaces of support posts 170a - 170d to contain the non - vaulted loop 174 in the lens chamber 168 . lens 174 is illustrated as plano - convex , but other shaped lens optics such as bi - convex or meniscus shaped lenses may be accommodated within lens chamber 168 with various and minor modifications to the support structures and is not construed to be limiting in scope or nature of the invention . various modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the apparent scope thereof .	0
fig1 schematically depicts an embodiment of a lithographic apparatus , that can be or include an embodiment of the invention . the apparatus includes an illumination system ( illuminator ) il configured to condition a radiation beam b ( e . g . euv radiation ); a support structure or patterning device support ( e . g . a mask table ) mt constructed to support a patterning device ( e . g . a mask or a reticle ) ma and connected to a first positioner pm configured to accurately position the patterning device ; a substrate table ( e . g . a wafer table ) wt constructed to hold a substrate ( e . g . a resist - coated wafer ) w and connected to a second positioner pw configured to accurately position the substrate ; and a projection system ( e . g . a reflective projection lens system ) ps configured to project a pattern imparted to the radiation beam b by patterning device ma onto a target portion c ( e . g . including one or more dies ) of the substrate w . the illumination system may include various types of optical components , such as refractive , reflective , magnetic , electromagnetic , electrostatic or other types of optical components , or any combination thereof , for directing , shaping , or controlling radiation . the support structure mt holds the patterning device ma in a manner that depends on the orientation of the patterning device , the design of the lithographic apparatus , and other conditions , such as for example whether or not the patterning device is held in a vacuum environment . the support structure can use mechanical , vacuum , electrostatic or other clamping techniques to hold the patterning device . the support structure may be a frame or a table , for example , which may be fixed or movable as required . the support structure may ensure that the patterning device is at a desired position , for example with respect to the projection system . the term “ patterning device ” should be broadly interpreted as referring to any device that can be used to impart a radiation beam with a pattern in its cross - section such as to create a pattern in a target portion of the substrate . the pattern imparted to the radiation beam may correspond to a particular functional layer in a device being created in the target portion , such as an integrated circuit . the patterning device may be transmissive or reflective . examples of patterning devices include masks , programmable mirror arrays , and programmable lcd panels . masks are well known in lithography , and include mask types such as binary , alternating phase - shift , and attenuated phase - shift , as well as various hybrid mask types . an example of a programmable mirror array employs a matrix arrangement of small mirrors , each of which can be individually tilted so as to reflect an incoming radiation beam in different directions . the tilted mirrors impart a pattern in a radiation beam which is reflected by the mirror matrix . the term “ projection system ” may encompass any type of projection system , including refractive , reflective , catadioptric , magnetic , electromagnetic and electrostatic optical systems , or any combination thereof , as appropriate for the exposure radiation being used , or for other factors such as the use of an immersion liquid or the use of a vacuum . it may be desired to use a vacuum for euv or electron beam radiation since other gases may absorb too much radiation or electrons . a vacuum environment may therefore be provided to the whole beam path with the aid of a vacuum wall and vacuum pumps . as here depicted , the apparatus is of a reflective type ( e . g . employing a reflective mask ). alternatively , the apparatus may be of a transmissive type ( e . g . employing a transmissive mask ). the lithographic apparatus may be of a type having two ( dual stage ) or more substrate tables ( and / or two or more mask tables ). in such “ multiple stage ” machines the additional tables may be used in parallel , or preparatory steps may be carried out on one or more tables while one or more other tables are being used for exposure . referring to fig1 , the illuminator il receives a radiation beam from a radiation source so . the source so may be part of a radiation system 3 ( i . e . radiation generating unit 3 ). the radiation system 3 and the lithographic apparatus may be separate entities . in such cases , the radiation system 3 is not considered to form part of the lithographic apparatus and the radiation beam is passed from the source so of radiation system 3 to the illuminator il with the aid of a beam delivery system including , for example , suitable directing mirrors and / or a beam expander . in other cases , the source may be an integral part of the lithographic apparatus the source so of the radiation system 3 may be configured in various ways . for example , the source so may be a laser produced plasma source ( lpp source ), for example a tin lpp source ( such lpp sources are known per se ) or a discharge - produced plasma source ( dpp source ). the source so may also be a different type of radiation source . the illuminator il may include an adjuster for adjusting the angular intensity distribution of the radiation beam . generally , at least the outer and / or inner radial extent ( commonly referred to as σ - outer and σ - inner , respectively ) of the intensity distribution in a pupil plane of the illuminator can be adjusted . in addition , the illuminator il may include various other components , such as an integrator and a condenser . the illuminator may be used to condition the radiation beam , to have a desired uniformity and intensity distribution in its cross - section . the radiation beam b is incident on the patterning device ( e . g ., mask ) ma , which is held on the support structure ( e . g ., mask table ) mt , and is patterned by the patterning device . after being reflected from the patterning device ( e . g . mask ) ma , the radiation beam b passes through the projection system ps , which focuses the beam onto a target portion c of the substrate w . with the aid of the second positioner pw and position sensor if 2 ( e . g . an interferometric device , linear encoder or capacitive sensor ), the substrate table wt can be moved accurately , e . g . so as to position different target portions c in the path of the radiation beam b . similarly , the first positioner pm and another position sensor if1 can be used to accurately position the patterning device ( e . g . mask ) ma with respect to the path of the radiation beam b . patterning device ( e . g . mask ) ma and substrate w may be aligned using mask alignment marks m 1 , m 2 and substrate alignment marks p 1 , p 2 . the depicted apparatus could be used in at least one of the following modes : 1 . in step mode , the support structure ( e . g . mask table ) mt and the substrate table wt are kept essentially stationary , while an entire pattern imparted to the radiation beam is projected onto a target portion c at one time ( i . e . a single static exposure ). the substrate table wt is then shifted in the x and / or y direction so that a different target portion c can be exposed . 2 . in scan mode , the support structure ( e . g . mask table ) mt and the substrate table wt are scanned synchronously while a pattern imparted to the radiation beam is projected onto a target portion c ( i . e . a single dynamic exposure ). the velocity and direction of the substrate table wt relative to the support structure ( e . g . mask table ) mt may be determined by the ( de -) magnification and image reversal characteristics of the projection system ps . 3 . in another mode , the support structure ( e . g . mask table ) mt is kept essentially stationary holding a programmable patterning device , and the substrate table wt is moved or scanned while a pattern imparted to the radiation beam is projected onto a target portion c . in this mode , generally a pulsed radiation source is employed and the programmable patterning device is updated as required after each movement of the substrate table wt or in between successive radiation pulses during a scan . this mode of operation can be readily applied to maskless lithography that utilizes programmable patterning device , such as a programmable mirror array of a type as referred to above . combinations and / or variations on the above described modes of use or entirely different modes of use may also be employed . fig2 schematically shows a further embodiment of an euv lithographic apparatus , having a principle of operation that is similar to the operation of the apparatus shown in the embodiment of fig1 . in the embodiment of fig2 , the apparatus includes a source - collector - module or radiation unit 3 ( also referred to herein as a radiation system ), an illumination system il and a projection system ps . according to an embodiment , radiation unit 3 is provided with a radiation source so , preferably a laser produced plasma (“ lpp ”) source . in the present embodiment , the radiation emitted by radiation source so may be passed from the source chamber 7 into a chamber 8 via a gas barrier or “ foil trap ” 9 . in fig2 , the chamber 8 includes a radiation collector 10 . fig2 depicts the application of a grazing incidence collector 10 . however , the collector may be a normal incidence collector , particularly in the case the source is a lpp source . in yet another embodiment , the collector may a schwarzschild collector ( see fig4 ), and the source may be a dpp source . the radiation may be focused in a virtual source point 12 ( i . e . an intermediate focus if ) from an aperture in the chamber 8 . from chamber 8 , the radiation beam 16 is reflected in illumination system il via normal incidence reflectors 13 , 14 onto a patterning device ( e . g . reticle or mask ) positioned on support structure or patterning device support ( e . g . reticle or mask table ) mt . a patterned beam 17 is formed which is imaged by projection system ps via reflective elements 18 , 19 onto wafer stage or substrate table wt . more elements than shown may generally be present in the illumination system il and projection system ps . one of the reflective elements 19 may have in front of it a numerical aperture ( na ) disc 20 having an aperture 21 therethrough . the size of the aperture 21 determines the angle α i subtended by the patterned radiation beam 17 as it strikes the substrate table wt . in other embodiments , the radiation collector is one or more of a collector configured to focus collected radiation into the radiation beam emission aperture ; a collector having a first focal point that coincides with the source and a second focal point that coincides with the radiation beam emission aperture ; a normal incidence collector ; a collector having a single substantially ellipsoid radiation collecting surface section ; and a schwarzschild collector having two radiation collecting surfaces . also , in another embodiment , the radiation source so may be a laser produced plasma ( lpp ) source including a light source that is configured to focus a beam of coherent light , of a predetermined wavelength , onto a fuel . for example , fig3 shows an embodiment of a radiation source unit 3 , in cross - section , including a normal incidence collector 70 . the collector 70 has an elliptical configuration , having two natural ellipse focus points f 1 , f 2 . particularly , the normal incidence collector includes a collector having a single radiation collecting surface 70 s having the geometry of the section of an ellipsoid . in other words : the ellipsoid radiation collecting surface section extends along a virtual ellipsoid ( part of which is depicted by as dotted line e in the drawing ). as will be appreciated by the skilled person , in case the collector mirror 70 is ellipsoidal ( i . e ., including a reflection surface 70 s that extends along an ellipsoid ), it focuses radiation from one focal point f 1 into another focal point f2 . the focal points are located on the long axis of the ellipsoid at a distance f =( a2 - b2 ) 1 / 2 from the center of the ellipse , where 2a and 2b are the lengths of the major and minor axes , respectively . in case that the embodiment shown in fig1 includes an lpp radiation source so , the collector may be a single ellipsoidal mirror as shown in fig3 , where the light source so is positioned in one focal point ( f 1 ) and an intermediate focus if is established in the other focal point ( f 2 ) of the mirror . radiation emanating from the radiation source , located in the first focal point ( f 1 ) towards the reflecting surface 70s and the reflected radiation , reflected by that surface towards the second focus point f 2 , is depicted by lines r in the drawing . for example , according to an embodiment , a mentioned intermediate focus if may be located between the collector and an illumination system il ( see fig1 , 2 ) of a lithographic apparatus , or be located in the illumination system il , if desired . fig4 schematically shows a radiation source unit 3 ′ in accordance with an embodiment of the invention , in cross - section , including a collector 170 . in this case , the collector includes two normal incidence collector parts 170 a , 170 b , each part 170 a , 170 b preferably ( but not necessarily ) having a substantially ellipsoid radiation collecting surface section . particularly , the embodiment of fig4 includes a schwarzschild collector design , preferably consisting of two mirrors 170 a , 170 b . the source so may be located in a first focal point f 1 . for example , the first collector mirror part 170 a may have a concave reflecting surface ( for example of ellipsoid or parabolic shape ) that is configured to focus radiation emanating from the first focal point f 1 towards the second collector mirror part 170 b , particularly towards a second focus point f 2 . the second mirror part 170 b may be configured to focus the radiation that is directed by the first mirror part 170 a towards the second focus point f 2 , towards a further focus point if ( for example an intermediate focus ). the first mirror part 170 a includes an aperture 172 via which the radiation ( reflected by the second mirror 170 b ) may be transmitted towards the further focus point if . for example , the embodiment of fig4 may beneficially be used in combination with a dpp radiation source . the source so may be a lpp source , that is associated with a laser source configured to generate a laser beam of coherent light , having a predetermined wavelength . the laser light is focused onto a fuel ( the fuel for example being supplied by a fuel supplier , and for example including fuel droplets ) to generate radiation there - from , in a laser produced plasma process . the resulting radiation may be euv radiation , in this embodiment . in a non - limiting embodiment , the predetermined wavelength of the laser light is 10 . 6 microns ( i . e . μm ). for example , the fuel may be tin ( sn ), or a different type of fuel , as will be appreciated by the skilled person . the radiation collector 70 may be configured to collect radiation generated by the source , and to focus collected radiation to the downstream radiation beam emission aperture 60 of the chamber 3 . for example , the source so may be configured to emit diverging radiation , and the collector 70 may be arranged to reflect that diverging radiation to provide a converging radiation beam , converging towards the emission aperture 60 ( as in fig3 and 4 ). particularly , the collector 70 may focus the radiation onto a focal point if on an optical axis o of the system ( see fig2 ), which focal point if is located in the emission aperture 60 . the emission aperture 60 may be a circular aperture , or have another shape ( for example elliptical , square , or another shape ). the emission aperture 60 is preferably small , for example having a diameter less than about 10 cm , preferably less than 1 cm , ( measured in a direction transversally with a radiation transmission direction t , for example in a radial direction in case the aperture 60 has a circular cross - section ). preferably , the optical axis ox extends centrally through the aperture 60 , however , this is not essential . the radial fixation of an optical element 1 in a collector , such as collector 70 or collector 170 described above , may be performed by using an embodiment of a mount that includes a plurality of resilient members 2 as shown in fig5 and 6 . the mount may be a so - called dual stage spring nest . the mount includes the plurality of resilient members 2 that at one end are subdivided into smaller resilient members 4 ′, 4 ″, 4 ′″. fig5 depicts three resilient members 2 according to an embodiment , each of which includes three resilient subsection 4 ′, 4 ″, 4 ′″ at one end thereof . the optical element 1 may be a lens or a mirror . in an embodiment , the optical element 1 may be a collector mirror that is configured to condition radiation generated by an extreme ultraviolet radiation source , as described above . as illustrated , each resilient member 2 may comprise a leaf spring having an elongated body having a length that is greater than its width , and a thickness that is less than its width . the elongated body may be plate - like in its configuration and substantially flat , or may be formed to have a curvature across its width that corresponds to the radius of the optical element 1 that it is configured to support . at least one end of the resilient member 2 may be subdivided into at least two subsections by any suitable method , such as machining , etching , etc . although three subsections are illustrated , more or less subsections may be used . the illustrated embodiment is not intended to be limiting in any way . the resilient member 2 may be made out of any suitable material that has the desired properties for being in a high heat environment and exposed to extreme ultraviolet radiation . the resilient members 2 are constructed and arranged to deliver the desired force / stiffness to the optical element 1 so that the optical element 1 may be mounted in the source module 3 , more specifically , the collector 70 , 170 . the stiffness of the resilient member 2 may be selected to provide the desired force to the optical element 1 so that the optical element 1 may be held in a constant location , while handling effects of natural frequency and global deviations from normal , such as radial tolerancing and homogenous thermal expansion effects . the resilient subsections 4 ′, 4 ″, 4 ′″ are constructed and arranged to attend to local radial irregularities , inhomogenous thermal expansion , and hertzian contact stress distribution . the desired dimensioning of the resilient subsections 4 ′, 4 ″, 4 ′″ is determined by minimizing hysteresis effects . for example , the radial stiffness times the friction coefficient is desirably larger than the tangential stiffness . using a large amount of resilient members 2 may improve reproducibility of the lithographic process during operation , and may also decrease the sensitivity for irregularities along the optical element 1 that is held by the resilient members 2 that are included in the mount . although specific reference may be made in this text to the use of lithographic apparatus in the manufacture of ics , it should be understood that the lithographic apparatus described herein may have other applications , such as the manufacture of integrated optical systems , guidance and detection patterns for magnetic domain memories , flat - panel displays , liquid - crystal displays ( lcds ), thin - film magnetic heads , etc . although specific reference may have been made above to the use of embodiments of the invention in the context of optical lithography , it will be appreciated that the invention may be used in other applications , for example imprint lithography , and where the context allows , is not limited to optical lithography . the terms “ radiation ” and “ beam ” used herein encompass all types of electromagnetic radiation , including ultraviolet ( uv ) radiation ( e . g . having a wavelength of or about 365 , 355 , 248 , 193 , 157 or 126 nm ) and extreme ultra - violet ( euv ) radiation ( e . g . having a wavelength in the range of 5 - 20 nm ), as well as particle beams , such as ion beams or electron beams . while specific embodiments of the invention have been described above , it will be appreciated that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as described . for example , the invention may take the form of a computer program containing one or more sequences of machine - readable instructions describing a method as disclosed above , or a data storage medium ( e . g . semiconductor memory , magnetic or optical disk ) having such a computer program stored therein . the descriptions above are intended to be illustrative , not limiting . thus , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the invention as described without departing from the scope of the claims set out below . it is to be understood that in the present application , the term “ including ” does not exclude other elements or steps . also , each of the terms “ a ” and “ an ” does not exclude a plurality . any reference sign ( s ) in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims .	6
referring first to fig1 there is depicted one embodiment of the present invention , as it may be utilized for handling urine samples . it comprises a main body 10 made from resilient material , such as polyethylene , which is substantially impermeable to water and stable chemically to the substances to which it is to be exposed . as such , it may be made to be normally biased outward in the expanded condition of maximum volume of its internal chamber , but may be collapsed by the application of pressure from the outside so as to reduce the volume of a chamber in the interior of the bulb described by the walls of the bulb . at one end of the bulb 10 , a hollow tip 12 is formed , to form a pathway from the exterior of the bulb into the interior chamber . attached to the tip 12 is a conduct member 14 which , preferably for this application , is a transparent plastic tube which may be bonded to the bulb chemically or by the application of adhesives , or may be pressure fit on the tip , or may even be formed as part of the tip . the opposite end of the bulb 10 is formed into an opening 16 extending from the outside of the bulb into the interior chamber , the surrounding bulb portion of which is adapted for substantially pressure tight contact with an associated receptacle body 18 ; in this case , a centrifuge tube . the particular form of adaptation may , of course , by varied appropriately to accomodate the configuration of the opening into the particular kind of receptacle to be used , but in any event should be such that a substantially pressure - tight juncture may be effected for reasons which will be apparent from the description which follows . thus , as will be apparent from fig1 in this particular adaptation for joining to a centrifuge tube as shown , the endmost portion 20 is formed so as to have an outside diameter substantially equal to or slightly larger than the inside diameter of the access opening 22 of the centrifuge tube 18 . adjacent the portion 20 , a shoulder 24 may be formed by the portion 26 of the bulb being somewhat larger in diameter than the endmost portion 20 . thus , the shoulder 24 may be made to serve as an abutment and / or additional pressure seal through cooperative interaction with the outermost surface 28 at the opening 22 of the receptacle 18 . fig2 illustrates a manner of using the embodiment of this invention shown in fig1 wherein a urine sample is to be taken . the endportion 20 of the bulb 10 has been inserted into the opening 22 of the centrifuge tube 18 , with a pressure - tight fit due to its outside diameter being at least as large as the inside diameter of the opening 22 . the open end 31 of the tube 14 is inserted in urine 32 which has been collected in a bedpan or other receptacle 30 . by keeping the end 31 off the floor of the pan 30 , it is possible to get a sample which does not contain concentrations of heavier constituents that have settled out , and which therefore is more nearly representative as a sample of the mass of material per se . in operation , upon the bulb 10 being squeezed and released a partial vacuum will be set up in the tube 14 because the pressure - tight connection between the end portion 20 of the bulb 10 and the interior of the opening 22 of the receptacle 18 in effect causes the receptacle to prevent the vacuum induced thereby from being relieved , thus causing urine to be sucked up through the tube 14 and into the cavity in the interior of the bulb 10 . however , since the cavity communicates with the outside of the bulb 10 via the opening 16 , liquid drawn into the cavity will not be retained in it , but will be passed through directly into the tube 18 . it should be noted that this operation takes place without direct contact between the operator and the material so collected , and without contact between the material and surfaces which may not be sterile or which may contain contaminating matter . it should also be noted that by this means , samples of material may be passed directly into a container , such as a centrifuge tube , which , as shown in fig2 a , may be immediately marked with the patient &# 39 ; s indentification on a label 36 , and may be capped with a sterile plastic cap 34 . fig3 illustrates another method for utilization of embodiments of the present invention . as shown , the end 20 of the bulb 10 may be inserted into the top of a container 50 of liquid , such as saline solution , medication or the like , or powders , such as anti - biotics , which may be aerated so as to render them capable of being air borne . when so inserted and inverted so that the bulb opening 16 faces upward , the material in the container 50 will pass by gravity into the central cavity of the bulb 10 , from whence manual collapsing of the bulb 10 against its natural bias toward openness will cause the material to be propelled through the tube , for example into an opening 52 in the surface of a patient &# 39 ; s skin . by this means , exact dosages may be administered without fear of contamination . it should be noted that embodiments of this invention are particularly suited to being rendered into disposable form , and that as such the components may be made from durable , chemically stable , strong plastic materials which may be easily sterilized and packaged . it will also be apparent that structural variations may also be desirable in certain instances . for example , the aperture 16 , whether or not as part of a neck - like extension 10 of the main body of the bulb 10 , may be adapted for surrounding contact of the outside of the container to which it is to be interconnected , rather than vice versa as shown in fig1 and 3 . further , this aperture may be located at points on the bulb other than at the opposite end of the bulb 10 from the tip 12 . for example , it might be located at one side of the bulb , even though , as will be obvious from fig2 and 3 particularly , locating the aperature at the end of the bulb opposite the tip 12 helps greatly to ensure that all materials pass through the bulb rather than some part of them becoming trapped inside it . thus , it is to be understood that the embodiments of this invention described and illustrated herein are by way of illustration and not of limitation , and that other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the arts without departing materially from the spirit or scope of this invention .	1
in accordance with the present invention , a nerve - derived enzyme of 55 - kda , identified as a member of the transglutaminase family , was found in elevated levels in regenerating fish optic nerves and to be involved in dimerization of il - 2 . dimerization might play an important role after axonal injury as a mechanism for changing the activity of factors so as to satisfy the injury - induced conditions needed for regeneration . for example , postinjury cytotoxicity to oligodendrocytes may be of importance in eliminating mature oligodendrocytes , known to inhibit axonal growth and elongation . accordingly , injury - induced elevation of an enzyme that can alter il - 2 activity , thereby enhancing its cytotoxicity to oligodendrocytes , might be one of the factors to explain the results observed here . the transglutaminases , a protein family of wide tissue distribution , are reportedly associated with stabilization of proteins , thereby increasing their resistance to chemical , enzymatic and physical degradation . enzymes of this family were found in plasma and extracellular fluids , and proteins modified by these enzymes were detected in the fibrin network of blood clots , in cell membranes , in extracellular matrices and in cornified features ( greenberg et al ., 1991 ). the transglutaminase enzyme tg n of the present invention was found under nerve injury conditions and , for the first time , was purified from the nervous system . purification was achieved by affinity chromatography with antibodies directed against a well - conserved epitope , i . e ., the active site known transglutaminases from other tissues and species . it thus seems that the fish nerve - derived transglutaminase also possesses this conserved sequence , or at least a closely homologous sequence , thus explaining its activity on human - derived proteins , i . e ., hil - 2 . variations in sequence beyond the active site cannot be excluded at this stage , and might be unique to the nervous system , but transglutaminase of other origins and species may be active as well and are also encompassed by the invention . up to now , the most effective approach used circumvent the oligodendrocyte inhibitory effect has involved the use of antibodies specific to the inhibitors ( schnell and schwab , 1990 ). the availability of tg n opens the way to the preparation of a factor cytotoxic to oligodendrocytes of all species , by incubation of recombinant il - 2 of any species with the enzyme tg n . it is possible that mammals are deficient not in il - 2 itself , but in the enzyme needed for its posttranslational modification . the enzymatically - produced dimeric il - 2 , corresponding to the oligodendrocyte cytotoxic factor , seems to be the reactive form needed in order to eliminate oligodendrocytes from a mature nerve after injury , thereby making the nerve more conducive to axonal growth . thus , according to the invention , evidence is provided for a mechanism in which an active factor ( il - 2 ) is converted into a form ( enzymatically - produced il - 2 dimer ) having a different type of activity . in order to check whether the structure of the dimerized protein plays a role in its conversion into an active factor , or whether any configuration of the dimer ( linear , for example ) would do , we constructed a defective vital vector of herpes simplex virus ( hsv1 ) that expresses high levels of linear dimerized il - 2 protein . in contrast to the enzymatically - synthesized dimeric il - 2 , in which the monomeric protein is converted into a dimeric form by posttranslational modification , the linear dimeric il - 2 protein thus constructed was designed at the transcriptional level and was thus a product of translation . using this approach , we were able to obtain high levels of a linear dimeric il - 2 protein that was released into the medium following its synthesis , even though the defective virus itself remains in the cells and continues to express the inserted protein . the linear il - 2 dimer has a different structure from that of the il - 2 dimer produced enzymatically and was then used to show that the cytotoxic property of the protein is a function of its structural conformation . the linear dimeric il - 2 produced by genetic engineering technique retained the biological activity of monomeric il - 2 , but failed to exhibit the oligodendrocyte cytotoxic activity exerted by il - 2 dimerized enzymatically , indicating that the conversion of il - 2 into a dimeric form exhibiting a specific type of activity is structurally dependent . in addition , tg n itself can cause regenerative growth within the nerve &# 39 ; s own environment in transacted nerves of mammalian cns leading to functional recovery . although the example given here is of a transglutaminase derived from fish optic nerve , it is intended that all transglutaminases , particularly nerve - derived transglutaminases are encompassed by the invention . the invention will now be illustrated by the following non - limiting examples . conditioned medium of injured fish optic nerve can modify il - 2 with respect to its molecular weight since oligodendrocyte cytotoxic factor is present in media conditioned by injured fish optic nerve , and oligodendrocyte cytotoxic factor was found to be an il - 2 - like molecule of molecular weight of about 28 kd , whose cytotoxic activity is neutralized by anti - il - 2 antibodies , it was then examined whether the fish injured nerve carries a substance , probably an enzyme , that can modify mammalian il - 2 of low molecular weight to a high molecular weight form of il - 2 . media conditioned by regenerating fish optic nerves were examined for the presence of a mechanism for the posttranslational modification of exogenously added il - 2 . accordingly , human recombinant il - 2 ( hil - 2 ) was incubated with the conditioned media ( cm ) in the presence of 5 mm ca 2 + or in its absence , and the resulting products were subjected to western blot analysis with the aid of antibodies directed against il - 2 . for this purpose , cm of regenerating fish optic nerves was prepared as previously described by eitan et al ., 1992 . briefly , carp were anesthetized with 0 . 05 % 3 - aminobenzoic acid ethyl ester ( sigma ) and the right optic nerves were crushed with forceps ( for 30 sec ), excised 6 - 7 days later and incubated in serum - free medium ( 1 . 5 hours at 25 ° c ., 4 nerve segments in 300 μl medium ). the resulting media ( cm ) were collected and their protein content determined by the bradford method . aliquots of 6 μg cm were incubated overnight with hil - 2 , while being gently shaken with 5 mm cacl 2 . the mixture was subjected to sds - page ( 12 % acrylamide ). the gel was blotted onto nitrocellulose for 2 hours at 200 ma , and the nitrocellulose incubated overnight at 4 ° c . with phosphate - buffered saline ( pbs ) containing 5 % ( wt / vol ) milk , and then washed in pbs . the blot was incubated with il - 2 antibodies for 2 hours at 37 ° c ., then washed three times for 5 min in pbs containing 0 . 05 % tween - 20 , and finally with horseradish peroxidase ( hrp )- conjugated goat anti - rabbit igg for 2 hours at room temperature . visualization of the immunoreactive bands was accomplished by ecl ( amersham ). the results are shown in fig1 wherein : lane 1 , cm incubated with hil - 2 in the presence of ca 2 + ; lane 2 cm incubated with hil - 2 in the absence of ca 2 + . lane 3 , cm only in the presence of ca 2 + ; lane 4 , hil - 2 only in the absence of ca 2 + . molecular weight markers were electrophoresed on the same gel and their positions are indicated . in the slot containing only hil - 2 , one immunoreactive band of 15 kda was found . following incubation with cm , an additional il - 2 immunoreactive band having a molecular weight twice as high as that of the original il - 2 compound could be detected . these results raised the possibility that the regenerating nerve possesses the machinery to dimerize il - 2 . the high molecular weight il - 2 immunoreactive band was not observed when ca 2 + was omitted from the incubation mixture ( fig1 lane 2 ), suggesting that the dimerization process is mediated by a ca 2 + - dependent enzyme . in view of these findings , we considered the possibility that the agent responsible for modifying the il - 2 is an enzyme that is selectively elevated after injury , and that the effect of the enzyme is to achieve dimerization of the il - 2 molecule . the enzyme transglutaminase was considered as a potential candidate , as it is known to be involved in cross - linking of proteins ( greenberg et al ., 1991 ); moreover , in the regenerating fish optic nerve it was proposed that an activity reminiscent of transglutaminase is elevated ( chakrabarty et al ., 1987 ). antitransglutaminase antibodies were elicited in rabbits against each of a synthetic peptide of 10 and 14 amino acids bound to bovine serum albumin . the peptides , of the sequence correspond to known sequences of transglutaminases of other species and tissues . the 14 - mer peptide represents the active site of transglutaminases . western blot analysis confirmed the presence of a 55 - kda transglutaminase - immunoreactive band in the regenerating fish optic nerve . the gel was blotted as described in example 1 . cm ( 20 μg ) and high speed supernatant of regenerating optic nerves ( hss - c ; 16 μg ) and high speed supernatant of normal non - injured nerves ( hss - n ; 20 μg ) were electrophoresed on sds - page ( 10 % acrylamide ). the blot was incubated with antibodies prepared against the above - mentioned conserved 14 - mer peptide for 2 hours at room temperature , and then washed three times for 5 min in pbs containing 0 . 05 % tween - 20 . finally , the blot was incubated for 2 hours at 37 ° c . with hrp - conjugated goat anti - rabbit antibodies . visualization was accomplished by ecl ( amersham ). the results are shown in fig2 wherein : lanes : 1 , cm ; 2 , hss - c ; 3 , hss - n . the 55 - kda immunoreactive band was observed in cm and in hss . densitometric analysis revealed that the intensity of the 55 - kda immunoreactive band is 3 - fold higher in hss - c than in hss - n . in order to verify that this transglutaminase - immunoreactive protein is responsible for the observed modification of il - 2 , it was purified as follows : carp ( cyprinus carpio ) optic nerves ( n = 60 ) were excised 6 - 7 days after crush injury and homogenized in a buffer of 10 mm tris - hcl , ph 7 . 4 , containing 1 . 5 mm cacl 2 , 1 mm spermidine , 25 μg / ml aprotinin , 25 μg / ml leupeptide and 5 μg / ml pepstatin . sucrose was added to the homogenate to obtain a final concentration of 0 . 25m . the high speed supernatant ( hss ) was collected after centrifugation for 1 h at 4 ° c . at 150 , 000 g , and its protein content was determined by the bradford method . the hss was then eluted through an affinity column of poly - l - lysine ( pll ) coupled to agarose , and the resultant eluate ( eluate pll ) was subjected to an additional affinity column of the affinity - purified rabbit antibodies prepared as described above against the conserved 14 - mer peptide of transglutaminase . bound substances were eluted from the column with 0 . 2m glycine , ph 2 . 7 , neutralized with 1m tris , ph 8 . 0 , and their protein content determined ( eluate tg ab ). the purification steps are summarized in table 1 . table 1______________________________________purification of fish optic nerve transglutaminasepurification steps yield / mg purification degree______________________________________crude homogenate 14 1eluate pll 1 . 8 7 . 8eluate tg ab 0 . 004 3500______________________________________ the proteins eluted from the transglutaminase affinity column were subjected to 10 % sds - page to verify their purity . fig3 is sds - page showing the stepwise purification of fish optic nerve transglutaminase ( tg n ). following each step , the resulting preparation was subjected to sds - page , and the gel was stained for visualization of the analyzed proteins by silver staining . lanes : 1 , hss ; 2 , elu - pll ; 3 , elu - tgab . as shown , a single band of 55 kda is obtained after the last step of purification . the enzyme tg n can be purified also from the conditioned medium of regenerating fish optic nerve by applying it to an affinity column of pll coupled to agarose , followed by subjecting the eluate to an additional affinity column of the antibodies and elution , as described above for the homogenate . the incorporation of radioactive putrescine to a carrier protein is an assay characteristic of enzymes of the transglutaminase family . any carrier protein that has lysine residues may be used in the assay , such as casein , bovine serum albumin , etc . in this example , activity characteristic of the nerve - derived transglutaminase was measured by incorporation of 14 c ! putrescine into n , n - dimethylcasein ( chakrabarty et al ., 1987 ). the purified tg n enzyme eluted from the tg - ab affinity column with glycine in example 3 was dialyzed for 2 hours in the presence of n , n - dimethylcasein ( 1 mg / ml ), before being added to the reaction mixture . the reaction was initiated by addition of crude tg n ( 07 - 10 ng ), followed by incubation for 20 min at 37 ° c . and terminated by the addition of ice - cold trichloroacetic acid ( tca ; final concentration , 5 %). specific activity value of tg n is 502000 ± 115000 ( 14 c ! putrescine / μg protein ; cpm ) ( n = 3 , two purifications , three assays ). the enzyme activity was titrated with respect to temperature and ph and substrate concentration . as shown in fig4 a and 4b , respectively , the optimal activity of tg n was found at ph around 9 and at 56 ° c . the k m was calculated from the titration of activity as a function of substrate concentration and was found to be 5 . 5 × 10 - 7 m . titration was carried out by measuring incorporation of 14 c ! putrescine to caseine in the presence of tg n . the ability of the purified enzyme of example 3 to dimerize il - 2 was examined . human recombinant il - 2 ( hil - 2 ) was incubated as described in example 1 , except that in this experiment purified tg n was used rather than the crude cm . as controls , hil - 2 or the purified enzyme tg n were incubated separately in the same buffer . all incubations were carried out in the presence of 5 mm ca 2 + and 0 . 3 % heat - inactivated fetal calf serum ( fcs ). following the incubation the mixture was applied to analysis by western blot . separation was carried out on sds - page ( 12 % acrylamide ) followed by blotting onto nitrocellulose for 2h at 200 ma . the nitrocellulose was then washed in pbs , first incubated overnight at 4 ° c . in pbs containing 5 % milk , and then further incubated for 2 h at 37 ° c . with rabbit antibodies directed against human il - 2 , followed by 3 washes in pbs containing 0 . 05 % tween - 20 . after the last wash , further incubation for 1 1 / 2 h was carried out at room temperature with goat anti - rabbit antibodies conjugated to horseradish peroxidase ( hrp - garb ), followed by three washes with pbs containing tween - 20 and incubation for 1 min in the western blotting detection reagent ( ecl , amersham ), air drying and exposure to film . the results are shown in fig5 wherein : lanes : 1 , purified tg n plus hil - 2 ; 2 , hil - 2 only ; 3 , tg n only . as shown in fig5 in addition to the original il - 2 , a high molecular weight il - 2 immunoreactive band of 30 kd was obtained . densitometric analysis revealed that about 25 % of the il - 2 was dimerized under these conditions . to ascertain the biological significance of the dimerization , we examined whether the resulting dimeric il - 2 possessed cytotoxic activity against oligodendrocytes . hil - 2 ( at 100 u / ml or 10 u / ml ) was incubated with the purified tg n enzyme and the reaction mixture was then applied to enriched cultures of rat brain oligodendrocytes . control cultures consisted of untreated oligodendrocytes as well as oligodendrocytes exposed separately to hil - 2 at 100 u / ml of 10 u / ml and to the purified enzyme . enriched oligodendrocyte cultures derived from neonatal rat brains were prepared as described by bottenstein and sato , 1979 , and seeded in wells coated with pll ( 20 μg / μl ) ( sigma ). after 72 hours , the seeded cells were treated with various preparations containing either tg n alone , hil - 2 preincubated with tg n , or hil - 2 alone . hil - 2 at two different concentrations , 10 u / ml and 100 u / ml , were incubated with a constant amount of tg n . cytotoxic activity ( in terms of the number of surviving cells ) was assessed by the colorimetric mtt assay ( sigma ) ( t . mosmann , 1983 , j . immunol . meth . 65 : 55 - 63 ). after incubation for 48 hours with the various preparations , mtt ( 10 μl , 5 mg / ml ) was added for 3 hours ; the medium was then removed , and 100 μl of 0 . 04m hcl in isopropanol was added . the cells were gently shaken until all crystals had dissolved . their absorbance was recorded at 540 nm against absorbance at 630 nm as reference . the results are shown in fig6 a - d . the micrographs show the various treated cultures after mtt staining . b , cultures treated with hil - 2 only ( 100 u / ml ); c , cultures treated with tg n only ; d , cultures treated with the mixture of hil - 2 ( 100 u / ml ) and tg n containing the enzymatically - produced dimeric hil - 2 . as can be seen in fig6 only those oligodendrocyte cultures that were treated with the reaction mixture containing the enzymatically - produced dimeric il - 2 exhibited cytotoxicity . from the results shown in fig5 it appears that in the reaction mixture containing dimeric il - 2 , 25 % of the il - 2 is dimeric and the rest is in a monomeric form . it thus seems that 25 u / ml of il - 2 in the dimeric form is sufficient to exert cytotoxicity under conditions where 100 u / ml of monomeric il - 2 are not cytotoxic . for the preparation of enriched oligodendrocyte cultures , neonatal rat brains ( 2 days old ) were excised 2 brains in 2 ml of leibowitz medium ( l - 15 ); gibco ! and chemically dissociated by 3 × 10 4 u / ml trypsin ( sigma ) in dmem ( ca 2 + and mg 2 + free ). containing 1 mm ethylene - diaminetetraacetic acid ( edta ). mechanical dissociation was carried out prior to 10 min incubation at 37 ° c . with the trypsin solution . the cells were then transferred into 15 ml conical tubes containing 1 ml of solution of 74 u / ml dnase ( sigma ), 5200 u / ml soybean trypsin ( sigma ) and 3 mg bsa , incubated for 1 min at room temperature , added to 10 ml of medium , and subsequently washed 3 times in dmem . after the last wash , the cells were suspended in 10 ml dmem containing 5 - 10 % fetal bovine serum ( fbs ; sigma - heat inactivated at 56 ° c . for 30 min ), passed through mesh and seeded in 85 mm 2 flasks ( nunc ), previously coated overnight at 37 ° c . with 20 μg / ml poly - l - lysine ( pll , mw 100000 ; sigma ). the medium was changed first twenty - four hours after cell seeding and then once every 2 - 3 days thereafter . on the 8th day after seeding , the cells were incubated with shaking for 4 - 6 h , the supernatant was removed and the remaining cells further incubated in 10 ml medium ( dmem plus 5 - 10 % fbs ) for several hours followed by an overnight shaking . the cells that were removed by the shaking were collected and centrifuged , and the pelleted cells were then resuspended in 1 - 2 ml of serum - free medium . the thus obtained enriched oligodendrocyte cultures recovered cells were seeded on 96 - well plates previously coated with pll ( 20 μg / ml ). cells were seeded with 100 μl of defined medium ( raff &# 39 ; s modification to bottenstein &# 39 ; s and sato &# 39 ; s defined medium ). after 48 - 72 h , the seeded cells were treated as described above . tg n treatment can cause functional recovery of transected adult rat optic nerves electrodes were implanted in the visual cortex of 30 adult ( 12 - 14 week old ) sprague - dawley ( spd ) rats for on - line monitoring of changes in the visual pathway , before and after injury . anesthetized rats ( rumpon , vetalar ) were placed in a small animal stereotaxic instrument , and two holes were drilled in the exposed skull , with the dura kept intact to minimize cortical damage . one hole , drilled above the nasal bone , was used as reference point . the second hole was in area oc1 , with coordinates bregma - 8 mm and lateral 3 mm . the electrodes were gold contact pins ( wire - pro , inc .) connected to screws , which were screwed into the holes and cemented to the skull with acrylic cement . the field potential , recorded first in intact nerves and then after injury was evoked by stroboscopic stimulation ( xenon flash tube 4w / sec , 1 - 2 msec duration , 0 . 3 hz ), amplified 1000 times ( am systems , microelectrode ac amplifier , model 1800 ) and digitized ( 12 bits , 500 samples / sec ) ( national instruments , board mi016 - 9 and labview 2 . 2 . 1 data acquisition and management system ). during recording of the visual evoked potential ( vep ) response , the contralateral eye was always covered . one week after the electrodes were implanted , the left optic nerve was exposed by opening of the perineural sheath . the nerve fibers were dissected 2 mm from the globe , without damaging the nerve vascularization , with the aid of a specially designed glass probe with a 200 - μm tip and a smooth blunt edge . the nerve was completely transected , and 2 μl of a buffer solution without or with tg n . ( designated control and tg n - treated , respectively ) was injected into the injury site via a glass pipet . for surgery , treatment and recording , a double - blind protocol was followed . the tg n employed was purified tg n prepared from cm according to example 3 . one week after injury eight out of the 30 animals exhibiting residual vep activity , probably reflecting incomplete transection , were withdrawn from the experiment and 10 tg n - treated and 12 control animals were left for the rest of the experiment . six weeks after injury , the vep response was again recorded from the remaining 22 animals . the vep response is characterized by two parameters : latency and amplitude of the first negative peak response . in this on - line experiment seven of the 10 tg n - treated injured nerves , which remained for the follow - up as they had no response at 1 week , showed functional recovery ( table 2 ). in the 12 control animals which were left after 1 week , no recovery was detected 5 weeks later ( table 2 ). peaks of activity in most cases in tg n - treated injured nerves seemed to be shifted , relative to those of uninjured nerves with significant difference between them in terms of both amplitude and latency ( table 3 ). the amplitude in tg n - treated injured nerves , while always smaller than in intact nerves , was higher than expected , possibly because of arborization to vacant sites in the primary target ( the lateral geniculate nucleus ) or changes in the nature and amount of neurotransmitters involved in the evoked response . fig7 a - c show typical results of on - line recording of functional activity in a tg n - treated injured nerve of a spd rat . vep responses were recorded before the injury ( panel a ) and 1 and 6 weeks after injury ( panels b and c , respectively ). one week after injury , no yep response was detectable . six weeks later , however , positive vep activity was recorded . the peaks are shifted relative to the preinjured state , thus having longer latencies and smaller amplitudes . fig8 a - c present a typical recording from a control ( buffer - treated ) animal . the figure shows vep response acivities in a representative animal recorded before the injury ( panel a ) and 1 and 6 weeks after injury ( panels b and c , respectively ). no vep response could be detected 6 weeks after injury . table 2______________________________________vep response of individual tc . sub . n - treated injured and controlanimals . the vep response of each animal was recorded 6 weeksafter injury . the latency and amplitude of the first negativepeak response are presented . all of these animals showed acomplete absence of vep activity 1 week after injury . treatment latency ( msec ) amplitude ( μv ) ______________________________________tg . sub . n 0 0tg . sub . n 56 28tg . sub . n 0 0tg . sub . n 78 44tg . sub . n 57 46tg . sub . n 0 0tg . sub . n 51 24tg . sub . n 53 38tg . sub . n 57 42tg . sub . n 79 27control ( n = 12 ) 0 0______________________________________ table 3______________________________________characteristics of vep response in tg . sub . n - treated injured andintact nerves . the mean latency and amplitude of the firstnegative peak of activity are presented . anova , one - factoranalysis yielded . * df = 1 , f = 34 . 018 , p = 0 . 0001 . ** df = 1 , f = 93 . 101 , p = 0 . 0001 . comparisonaccording to fisher revealed significance at 95 %. latency * amplitude ** number ( msec ) ( μv ) ofgroup ( mean ± se ) ( mean ± se ) animals______________________________________tg . sub . n - treated 61 . 6 ± 4 . 5 35 . 6 ± 3 . 4 7injured nerveintact nerve 39 . 7 ± 1 . 4 131 . 8 ± 8 . 7 13______________________________________ this experiment demonstrates recovery of function in adult transected mammalian cns nerves after treatment that presumably facilitates growth within their own degenerative environment ( lavie et al ., 1990 ). other studies have achieved growth of cns axons within their own environment , so far without physiological recovery . thus , for example , it was shown that the use of hybridoma cells producing antibodies against myelin - associated inhibitors of mammals promotes regrowth within the spinal cord ( schnell and schwab , 1990 ). likewise , millipore implants coated with embryonic astrocytes promoted growth of crushed dorsal root axons into the grey matter of the adult mammalian spinal cord ( rudge et al ., 1990 ). physiological activity of newly growing mammalian axons has been demonstrated , not as a result of a growth within the nerve &# 39 ; s own environment , but after the nerve &# 39 ; s own growth - hostile environment was replaced by an implanted peripheral nerve bridge ; this resulted in a growth of axons along the length of the implant , all the way to the brain . superior colliculus synapses were found but the axons penetrated only to a limited distance within the target cns tissue ( kirstead et al ., 1990 ; aguayo et al ., 1990a and 1990b ). in this experiment , functional recovery followed local application of the tg n enzyme , which is elevated after injury in a spontaneously regenerating nervous system . this enzyme , which was isolated from regenerating fish optic nerves , dimerizes il - 2 in vitro , thus altering its properties in such a way as to render it cytotoxic to oligodendrocytes . in the present experiment , tg n was applied in vivo , on the assumption that the active il - 2 dimer is formed in vivo , and that elimination of mature oligodendrocytes by the enzymatically - produced dimeric il - 2 soon after injury , at least in the immediate vicinity of the injury site , might facilitate growth , but other mechanisms of activity of the enzyme tg n should not be eliminated . the vep response is an objective physiological parameter indicative of the integrity of the visual system from the retina to the . cortex . in . view of our finding that no vep activity was detectable 1 week after injury but significant activity was recorded 5 weeks later , it is reasonable to assume that the vep response is the result of axonal growth and reconnection . moreover , in most of the tg n - treated nerves the latency was prolonged relative to intact nerves , further supporting the notion that the response might be the result of newly growing ( unmyelinated ) axons which reinnervate the target . a linear dimeric il - 2 protein was constructed by the use of a viral expression vector , thus enabling large amounts of the linear il - 2 dimer to be expressed in the medium of the infected cells . human lymphocytes were isolated and stimulated to maximize the amount of il - 2 mrna . peripheral venous blood was collected in 60 - ml heparinized syringes and diluted with an equal volume of phosphate - buffered saline ( pbs ). the mixture was then layered on top of a 1 . 077 g / ml percoll solution ( 49 . 2 % percoll , 150 mm nacl ) and centrifuged at 400 × g for 25 min at 4 ° c . lymphocyte - rich buffy coats were collected with a glass pasteur pipette and washed twice in pbs . lymphocytes were plated at 2 × 10 6 cells / ml and incubated for 3 days in the presence of 1 μg / ml peanut hemagglutinin ( pha ; sigma ) in complete medium consisting of rpmi - 1640 ( gibco ), 2 % heat - inactivated fetal calf serum ( ifcs ), 100 u / ml penicillin and 0 . 1 mg / ml streptomycin ( sigma ), and 5 × 10 - 5 m β - mercaptoethanol . cells were then washed and plated onto new flasks at 2 × 10 6 cells / ml in complete medium and stimulated with 1 μg / ml pha and 10 ng / ml phorbol 12 - myristate 13 - acetate ( pma ) for 3 hr . total cellular rna was isolated by the rnazol b method ( chomczynski and sacchi , 1987 ) with the aid of the biotec laboratories kit , and quantified by absorbance at 260 / 280 nm . pcrs were carried out with the aid of the geneamp kit ( cetus , usa ). total human lymphocyte rna ( 1 μg ) was subjected to a reverse transcriptase reaction at 42 ° c . for 15 min with pcr buffer ( 1 ×, final ), 5 mm mgcl 2 , 1 u / μl rnase inhibitor , 50 pmol specific downstream primer and 1 mm of each dntp in a total reaction volume of 20 μl . following heat inactivation of the reverse transcriptase , the reaction mixture was made up to 100 μl by the addition of 50 pmol downstream primer , 100 pmol upstream primer , pcr buffer ( 1 ×, final ), 2 mm mgcl 2 solution and 2 . 5 u taq dna polymerase . the first pcr cycle was carried out for 1 min at 45 ° c ., 1 min at 72 ° c ., and 1 min at 94 ° c . this was followed by 30 cycles each of 30 sec at 55 ° c . 1 min at 72 ° c . and 1 min at 94 ° c . an extra 5 min at 72 ° c . was added at the end of the 30 cycles to ensure that the ends of the cdnas were completely filled in , thus promoting proper digestion with restriction enzymes ( if reactions were started from an amplified dna , each of 30 cycles lasted for 1 min at 94 ° c . and 1 . 5 min at 72 ° c ., so that nonspecific amplified bands could be eliminated ). the pcr products were ligated to an appropriately digested bluescript ks - vector . each of the dnas to be ligated ( 10 ng ) was heated to 65 ° c . for 5 min , and then incubated for 15 min at room temperature with ligation buffer ( 1 ×, final ; stratagene ) and 5 u of t4 dna ligase ( stratagene ) in a total reaction volume of 10 μl . ligation took place during overnight incubation at 15 ° c . the recombinants were cloned ( to epicurian coli , sure competent cells ; stratagene ) and plated for overnight growth on plates containing ampicillin . positive clones were defined according to the alkali method for miniscale dna preparations ( sambrook et al ., 1989 ), followed by restriction enzyme analysis and gel electrophoresis . positive clones were sequenced by the sanger dideoxy chain termination technique with the aid of the sequenase kit ( usb ). rabbit skin ( rs ) cells and african green monkey kidney ( vero ) cells were grown in dulbecco &# 39 ; s modified eagle &# 39 ; s medium ( dmem ) supplemented with 10 % ifcs , 1 % glutamine , and 1 % penicillin - streptomycin . rs cells were transfected with 20 μg of pcb - il - 2 dimer ( described hereinafter ) by the calcium phosphate method ( graham and van der eb , 1973 ) with subsequent glycerol shock ( parker and stark , 1979 ). transfection efficiencies , ranging between 10 and 20 %, were determined on the basis of the number of blue cells / total cells per plate , by histochemical detection of bacterial β - galactosidase ( sanes et al ., 1986 ), in cells cotransfected with 10 μg of the pcb - il - 2 dimer and 10 μg of x - gal plasmid dna . following overnight incubation at 37 ° c . and 5 % co 2 , the medium was removed and cells were superinfected with the temperature - sensitive hsv1 ( graham and van der eb , 1973 ) tsk strain ( davison et al ., 1984 ), at a multiplicity of infection ( mol ) of 0 . 1 plaque - forming units ( pfu )/ cells . following incubation for 1 . 5 hr at 31 . 5 ° c ., cells were washed twice with pbs supplemented with 1 % ifcs and incubated at the same temperature in dmem / 1 % ifcs / 1 % penicillin - streptomycin / 1 % glutamine . viral stocks were harvested when all of the cells exhibited a cytopathic effect , usually 2 days after superinfection . rounded cells in the medium were pelleted at 1000 g for 5 min , and the pellets were resuspended in 1 ml of virus buffer ( 150 mmnacl / 20 mm tris , ph 7 . 5 ). suspensions were rapidly frozen at - 70 ° c . and thawed to 37 ° c . ( repeated three times ), and were then used to infect vero cells at different dilutions of the defective virus . following overnight incubation at 37 ° c . ( a nonpermissive temperature for tsk ), the medium containing the released synthesized protein was collected and the cells were extracted by incubation for 2 hr at 4 ° c . in 10 mm tris , ph 7 . 5 , 150 mm nacl , 1 % triton , 1 mm edta , 1 mm spermidine , and protease inhibitors ( 25 μg / ml leupeptine and 5 μg / ml pepstatin ), after which the supernatants were collected . the resulting products were subjected to western blot analysis ( eitan et al ., 1992 ) to verify the expression of il - 2 dimeric protein in the medium / extracts of the infected cells . the il - 2 cdna sequence derived from human lymphocytes ( taniguchi et al ., 1983 ) was run through a primer designer program which assists in the choice of optimal primers for pcr . in parallel , the sequence was run through a clone manager program , which yielded a restriction map that allowed us to detect restriction sites not present in the il - 2 gene . these sites were added to the ends of the primers . we then ran two pcrs : reaction a produced a copy of the il - 2 cdna that included all translated codons , but stopped immediately before the last translated codon , so that there was no stop codon ; the product of reaction b started with the first translated codon but ended beyond the stop site , so that the stop codon was included . the two sets of primers and pcrs are illustrated in fig9 . the restriction sites engineered on the downstream primer for reaction a and the upstream primer for reaction b were the same , thus allowing the construction of a dimerized cdna by fusion of the products of a and b in frame and in the appropriate orientation . since a restriction site was added , there were six bases between the last codon of product a and the first codon of product b , which resulted in the addition of two amino acids at the junction . we anticipated that the contribution of the two extra amino acids to each of the il - 2 monomeric molecules in the dimer would be minimal . since the pcr products were used in expression experiments , it was important to verify that no mutations had been introduced during the pcr process . three positive appropriately digested clones ( as described in 8 . 2 above ) of each pcr type were chosen for sequence analysis in which one of each set of clones was found to express the right sequence , with no mutations . these two clones were chosen for construction of the linear il - 2 dimer . 8 . 6 construction of the linear il - 2 dimer in the defective viral vector the prototype of the defective viral vector used herein ( pcb ; fig1 ) includes a fragment from prb3119 containing the hsv1 cleavage / packaging signal ( hsva ), a fragment containing an hsv origin of dna replication ( hsv ori ), and a fragment from pcdnalac containing the cytomegalovirus ( cmv ) promoter , lacz gene , and simian virus 40 polyadenylation signal poly ( a )+ signal !. these sequences were inserted into the ampicillin - resistant plasmid pt7 - 3 , which contains a β - lactamase gene ( amp r ) and a bacterial origin of dna replication ( col el ori ). as a first step , the lacz gene was cut out of the vector . this was done by linearization of the vector with hindiii , followed by its partial digestion with psti and extraction of the right vector band from an agarose gel with the aid of the geneclean ii kit ( bio 101 ). the two pcr products were ligated , in a triple ligation , into the resulting vector ( their correct direction , a followed by b , was determined by the previously designed complementary restriction sites of the two products , as discussed in 8 . 4 above ). the resulting construct , pcb - il - 2 dimer , was double - checked by restriction enzyme analysis , followed by large - scale dna preparation ( cscl ) ( sambrook et al ., 1989 ), and transfected into the rabbit skin ( rs ) cells . harvested viral stocks were used to infect african green monkey kidney ( vero ) cells , as discussed in 8 . 3 above . since il - 2 protein is known to be released into the medium of growing cells , the medium of the infected vero cells obtained in example 8 . 6 above was collected and used as a source of the linear dimeric il - 2 protein . in parallel , cell extracts were prepared and examined under the same conditions in order to determine whether the synthetic protein was retained in the infected cells . the two suspensions were subjected to western blot analysis by the use of monoclonal antibodies directed against human il - 2 ( fig1 , left panel ). two dilutions ( 1 : 3 , lanes 1 , 3 , 5 , and 1 : 9 , lanes 2 , 4 , 6 ) of cell supernatants ( lanes 1 , 3 ) and extracts ( lanes 2 , 4 ), and of supernatant ( lane 5 ) and cell extract ( lane 6 ), obtained from cells infected by the defective virus only , were analyzed . in contrast to the cells infected only with the defective virus ( lanes 5 , 6 ), where no il - 2 immunoreactive band could be detected , all four lanes ( 1 - 4 ) containing either supernatants ( 1 , 3 ) or cell extracts ( 2 , 4 ) expressed bands of about 37 kd that immunoreacted with the specific il - 2 monoclonal antibodies . the commercial human monomeric il - 2 protein has a molecular weight of 14 kd and the dimeric protein synthesized from the commercial monomeric il - 2 by the nerve - derived transglutaminase as described hereinbefore , has a molecular weight of 28 kd ( fig1 , right panel , lanes 2 and 1 , respectively ). the difference in size between the dimeric il - 2 produced by the two different procedures may be explained by posttranslational modifications of the linear dimerized protein in the infected cells , in contrast to the dimer synthesized in vitro by transglutaminase and monomeric il - 2 . the supernatants ( lanes 1 , 3 ) contained an extra band of about 44 kd . this extra band can also be explained in terms of posttranslational modifications , such as glycosylation or phosphorylation , which may have occurred during the release of the protein into the medium . we then attempted to find out whether this linear human il - 2 dimer could mimic the transglutaminase - dimerized human il - 2 of the invention with respect to in vitro cytotoxicity . to investigate this possibility , aliquots from the same samples and the same dilutions of the supernatants as those used in example 9 for western blot analysis were applied to cultures of rat oligodendrocytes . enriched oligodendrocyte cultures derived from neonatal rat brain were prepared as described ( bottenstein and sato , 1979 and seeded on glass coverslips previously coated with poly - l - lysine ( pll )( eitan et al . 1992 ). after 48 hr , the seeded cells were treated with the aliquots of the linear dimeric il - 2 protein and the extent of cytotoxicity was determined by the number of surviving cells assessed colorimetrically ( eitan et a1 ., 1992 ). the numbers of mature oligodendrocytes , asssayed by the colorimetric method , were not reduced relative to untreated cells used as control ( 100 %) in any of the dilutions of the linear dimer or tsk used as a control ( fig1 , left panel ). no reduction could be detected even at high protein concentrations ( fig1 , left panel ). on the other hand , soluble substances derived from regenerating fish optic nerves in which the il - 2 - like cytotoxic factor was identified ( eitan et al ., 1992 ), as well as human dimeric il - 2 enzymatically synthesized in vitro , caused significant reductions in the numbers of mature oligodendrocytes ( fig1 , right panel ). detection of il - 2 biological activity in the linear dimeric il - 2 using an il - 2 - dependent t cell line to exclude the possibility that lack of cytotoxicity of the linear dimer on oligodendrocytes is not caused by loss of activity of the il - 2 protein as a result of expression via the hsv1 vector , we assayed the activity of the linear dimer and assessed its ability to mimic the monomeric i1 - 2 as a mitogen on t cell line ( ctll - 2 ). thus ctll - 2 cells were seeded in multiwell culture plates ( 2 × 10 3 cells / 100 μl of rpmi containing 10 % ifcs , 2 mm glutamine and 0 . 05 mm β - mercaptoethanol ). after 2 - 3 hr , aliquots from the same samples and the same dilution ( 1 : 9 ) of the supernatant as those used for western blot analysis and for the cytotoxicity assay were applied to the cells for an overnight incubation at 37 ° c . one μci of 3 h ! thymidine was added to each well , for an additional 4 - h incubation . at the end of the incubation , cells were harvested and thymidine incorporation was detected by cpm . measurement of thymidine incorporation ( cpm ) showed that , in contrast to tsk used as a control , the addition of different concentrations of the linear dimer caused cell proliferation in a dose - dependent manner ( fig1 , left panel ). the observed proliferation was even higher than that caused by the commercial monomeric il - 2 used as a control ( fig1 , right panel ). this experiment shows that the resulting linear dimeric il - 2 , being a translational product , differs from the enzymatically produced dimer , which is a posttranslational modification of il - 2 , with respect to citotoxicity to oligodendrocytes . the linear dimer , while retaining the known il - 2 activity of monomeric il - 2 with respect to mitogenicity on t cells , was not cytotoxic to oligodendrocytes , suggesting that the lack of oligodendrocyte cytotoxicity of the linear dimeric il - 2 is not caused by a loss of biological activity during its preparation , but is related to its conformational structure , which evidently does not meet the requirements for oligodendrocyte cytotoxicity . aguayo , a . j ., g . m . bray , m . rasminsky , t . zwimpfer , d . a . carter and m . vidal - 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the steel alloys of the invention exhibit various physical characteristics and processing capabilities . these characteristics and capabilities were established as general criteria , and subsequently the combination of elements and the processing steps appropriate to create such steel alloys to meet these criteria were identified . fig1 is a system flow - block diagram which illustrates the processing / structure / properties / performance relationships for alloys of the invention . the desired performance for the application ( e . g . aerospace structures , landing gear , sports equipment , tools , etc .) determines a set of alloy properties required . alloys of the invention exhibit the structural characteristics that can achieve the desired combination of properties and can be assessed through the sequential processing steps shown on the left of fig1 . following are the criteria for the physical properties and the processing capabilities or characteristics for the alloys . this is followed by a description of the analytical and experimental techniques relating to the discovery and examples of the alloys that define , in general , the range and extent of the elements , physical characteristics and processing features of the present invention . the physical characteristics or properties of the most preferred embodiments of the invention are generally as follows : corrosion resistance equivalent to 15 - 5ph ( h900 condition ) as measured by linear polarization . strength equivalent to or better than 300 m alloy , i . e . : ultimate tensile strength ( uts ) ≧ 280 ksi . yield strength ( ys ) ≧ 230 ksi . elongation ( el ) ≧ 8 %. reduction of area ( ra ) ≧ 30 %. stress corrosion cracking resistance ( k isee ) ≧ 15 ksi { square root }{ square root over ( in )}. surface hardenable to ≧ 67 rockwell c ( hrc ) for wear and fatigue resistance . optimum microstructural features for maximum fatigue / corrosion fatigue resistance . a principal goal of the subject invention is to provide alloys with the objective physical properties recited above and with processability that renders the alloys useful and practical . with a number of possible processing paths associated with the scale of manufacture and the resulting cleanliness and quality for a given application , compatibility of the alloys of the subject invention with a wide range of processes is desirable and is thus a feature of the invention . a primary objective for and characteristic of the alloys is compatibility with melting practices such as vacuum induction melting ( vim ), vacuum arc remelting ( var ), and electro - slag remelting ( esr ) and other variants such as vacuum electro - slag remelting ( vsr ). alloys of the subject invention can also be produced by other processes such as air melting and powder metallurgy . of importance is the behavior of the alloys to exhibit limited solidification microsegregation under the solidification conditions of the above processes . by selection of appropriate elemental content in the alloys of the subject invention , the variation of composition that results from solidification during processing across a secondary dendrite can be minimized . allowable variation results in an alloy that can be homogenized at commercially feasible temperatures , usually at metal temperatures in excess of 1100 ° c . and up to the incipient melting of the alloy , and for reasonable processing times , typically less than seventy - two hours and preferably less than thirty - six hours . alloys of the subject invention also possess reasonable hot ductility such that hot working after homogenization can be accomplished within temperature and reduction constraints typical of current industrial practice . typical hot working practice for alloys of the subject invention should enable cross - sectional reduction ratios in excess of three to one and preferably in excess of five to one . in addition , initial hot working of the ingot should be possible below 1100 ° c ., and finish hot working to the desired product size should be possible at temperatures below 950 ° c . objectives regarding solution heat treatment include the goal to fully dissolve all primary alloy carbides ( i . e . m x c where x & gt ; 2 ) while maintaining a fine scale grain refining dispersion ( i . e . mc ) and a small grain size , generally equal to or smaller than astm grain size number 5 in accordance with astm e112 [ astm , astm e112 - 96 , west conshohocken , pa ., 1996 ] which is incorporated herewith . thus with the alloys of the invention , during solution heat treatment into the austenite phase field , coarse scale alloy carbides that formed during prior processing are dissolved , and the resulting carbon in solution is then available for precipitation strengthening during tempering . however , during the same process the austenite grains can coarsen , thereby reducing strength , toughness and ductility . with alloys of the invention , such grain coarsening is slowed by mc precipitates that pin the grain boundaries and , as solution heat treatment temperature increases , the amount of this grain refining dispersion needed to avoid or reduce grain coarsening increases . alloys of the subject invention generally thoroughly dissolve all coarse scale carbides , i . e . m x c where x & gt ; 2 , while maintaining an efficient grain refining dispersion at reasonable solution heat treatment temperatures in the range of 850 ° c . to 1100 ° c ., preferably 950 ° c . to 1050 ° c . after the solution heat treatment , components manufactured from the alloys of the subject invention are typically rapidly cooled or quenched below temperatures at which martensite forms . the preferred result of this process is a microstructure that consists of essentially all martensite with virtually no retained austenite , other transformation products such as bainite or ferrite , or other carbide products that remain or are formed during the process . the thickness of the component being cooled and the cooling media such as oil , water , or air determine the cooling rate of this type of process . as the cooling rate increases , the risk of forming other non - martensitic products is reduced , but the distortion in the component potentially increases , and the section thickness of a part that can be processed thus decreases . alloys of the subject invention are generally , fully martensitic after cooling or quenching at moderate rates in section sizes less than three inches and preferably less than six inches when cooled to cryogenic temperatures , or preferably to room temperature . after cooling or quenching , components manufactured using alloys of the subject invention may be tempered in a temperature range and for a period of time in which the carbon in the alloy will form coherent nanoscale m 2 c carbides while avoiding the formation of other carbide products , i . e . m 2 c where x & gt ; 2 . during this aging or secondary hardening process the component is heated to the process temperature at a rate determined by the power of the furnace and the size of the component section and held for a reasonable time , then cooled or quenched to room temperature . if the prior solution treatment has been ineffective in avoiding retained austenite , the tempering process may be divided into multiple steps where each tempering step is followed by a cool or quench to room temperature and preferably a subsequent cool to cryogenic temperatures to form martensite . the temperature of the temper process would typically be between 200 ° c . to 600 ° c ., preferably 450 ° c . to 540 ° c . and be less than twenty - four hours in duration , preferably between two to ten hours . the outcome of the desired process is a martensitic matrix ( generally free of austenite ) strengthened by a nanoscale m 2 c carbide dispersion , devoid of transient cementite that forms during the early stages of the process , and without other alloy carbides that may precipitate if the process time becomes too long . a significant feature of alloys of the invention is related to the high tempering temperatures used to achieve its secondary hardening response . although a specific goal is to avoid cadmium plating for corrosion resistance , many components made from an alloy of the invention may require an electroplating process such as nickel or chromium during manufacture or overhaul . electroplating processes introduce hydrogen into the microstructure that can lead to embrittlement and must be baked out by exposing the part to elevated temperatures after plating . alloys of the invention can be baked at temperatures nearly as high as their original tempering temperature without reducing the strength of the alloy . since tempering temperatures are significantly higher in alloys of the invention compared to commonly used 4340 and 300 m alloys , the bake - out process can be accomplished more quickly and reliably . certain surface modification techniques for wear resistance , corrosion resistance , and decoration , such as physical vapor deposition ( pvd ), or surface hardening techniques such as gas or plasma nitriding , are optimally performed at temperatures on the order of 500 ° c . and for periods on the order of hours . another feature of alloys of the subject invention is that the heat - treating process is compatible with the temperatures and schedules typical of these surface coating or hardening processes . components made of alloys of the subject invention are typically manufactured or machined before solution heat treatment and aging . the manufacturing and machining operations require a material that is soft and exhibits favorable chip formation as material is removed . therefore alloys of the subject invention are preferably annealed after the hot working process before they are supplied to a manufacturer . the goal of the annealing process is to reduce the hardness of an alloy of the subject invention without promoting excessive austenite . typically annealing would be accomplished by heating the alloy in the range of 600 ° c . to 850 ° c ., preferably in the range 700 ° c . to 750 ° c . for a period less than twenty - four hours , preferably between two and eight hours and cooling slowly to room temperature . in some cases a multiple - step annealing process may provide more optimal results . in such a process an alloy of the invention may be annealed at a series of temperatures for various times that may or may not be separated by an intermediate cooling step or steps . after machining , solution heat treatment and aging , a component made of an alloy of the subject invention may require a grinding step to maintain the desired final dimensions of the part . grinding of the surface removes material from the part by abrasive action against a high - speed ceramic wheel . damage to the component by overheating of the surface of the part and damage to the grinding wheel by adhesion of material needs to be avoided . these complications can be avoided primarily by lowering the retained austenite content in the alloy . for this and the other reasons stated above , alloys of the subject invention exhibit very little retained austenite after solution heat treatment . many components manufactured from alloys of the subject invention may require joining by various welding process such as gas - arc welding , submerged - arc welding , friction - stir welding , electron - beam welding and others . these processes require the material that is solidified in the fusion zone or in the heat - affected zone of the weld to be ductile after processing . pre - heat and post - heat may be used to control the thermal history experienced by the alloy within the weld and in the heat - affected zone to promote weld ductility . a primary driver for ductile welds is lower carbon content in the material , however this also limits strength . alloys of the subject invention achieve their strength using very efficient nanoscale m 2 c carbides and therefore can achieve a given level of strength with lower carbon content than steels such as 300 m steel , consequently promoting weldability . the alloy designs achieve required corrosion resistance with a minimum cr content because high cr content limits other desired properties in several ways . for example , one result of higher cr is the lowering of the martensite ms temperature which , in turn , limits the content of other desired alloying elements such as ni . high cr levels also promote excessive solidification microsegregation that is difficult to eliminate with high - temperature homogenization treatments . high cr also limits the high - temperature solubility of c required for carbide precipitation strengthening , causing use of high solution heat treatment temperatures for which grain - size control becomes difficult . thus , a feature of the alloys of the invention is utilization of cr in the range of greater than about 6 % and less than about 11 % ( preferably less than about 10 %) by weight in combination with other elements as described to achieve corrosion resistance with structural strength . another feature of the alloys is to achieve the required carbide strengthening with a minimum carbon content . like cr , c strongly lowers m s temperatures and raises solution temperatures . high c content also limits weldability , and can cause corrosion problems associated with cr carbide precipitation at grain boundaries . high c also limits the extent of softening that can be achieved by annealing to enhance machinability . both of the primary features just discussed are enhanced by the use of co . the thermodynamic interaction of co and cr enhances the partitioning of cr to the oxide film formed during corrosion passivation , thus providing corrosion protection equivalent to a higher cr steel . co also catalyzes carbide precipitation during tempering through enhancement of the precipitation thermodynamic driving force , and by retarding dislocation recovery to promote heterogeneous nucleation of carbides on dislocations . thus , c in the range of about 0 . 1 % to 0 . 3 % by weight combined with co in the range of about 8 % to 17 % by weight along with cr as described , and the other minor constituent elements , provides alloys with corrosion resistance and ultrahigh strength . the desired combination of corrosion resistance and ultrahigh strength is also promoted by refinement of the carbide strengthening dispersion down to the nanostructural level , i . e ., less than about ten nanometers in diameter and preferably less than about five nanometers . compared to other strengthening precipitates such as the intermetallic phases employed in maraging steels , the relatively high shear modulus of the m 2 c alloy carbide decreases the optimal particle size for strengthening down to a diameter of only about three nanometers . refining the carbide precipitate size to this level provides a highly efficient strengthening dispersion . this is achieved by obtaining a sufficiently high thermodynamic driving force through alloying . this refinement provides the additional benefit of bringing the carbides to the same length scale as the passive oxide film so that the cr in the carbides can participate in film formation . thus the carbide formation does not significantly reduce corrosion resistance . a further benefit of the nanoscale carbide dispersion is effective hydrogen trapping at the carbide interfaces to enhance stress corrosion cracking resistance . the efficient nanoscale carbide strengthening also makes the system well suited for surface hardening by nitriding during tempering to produce m 2 ( c , n ) carbonitrides of the same size scale for additional efficient strengthening without significant loss of corrosion resistance . such nitriding can achieve surface hardness as high as 1100 vickers hardness ( vhn ) corresponding to 70 hrc . toughness is further enhanced through grain refinement by optimal dispersions of grain refining mc carbide dispersions that maintain grain pinning during normalization and solution treatments and resist microvoid nucleation during ductile fracture . melt deoxidation practice is controlled to favor formation of ti - rich mc dispersions for this purpose , as well as to minimize the number density of oxide and oxysulfide inclusion particles that form primary voids during fracture . under optimal conditions , the amount of mc , determined by mass balance from the available ti content , accounts for less than 10 % of the alloy c content . increasing ni content within the constraints of the other requirements enhances resistance to brittle fracture . refinement of m 2 c particle size through precipitation driving force control allows ultrahigh strength to be maintained at the completion of m 2 c precipitation in order to fully dissolve fe 3 c cementite carbides that precipitate prior to m 2 c and limit fracture toughness through microvoid nucleation . the cementite dissolution is considered effectively complete when m 2 c accounts for 85 % of the alloy c content , as assessed by the measured m 2 c phase fraction using techniques described by montgomery [ montgomery , j . s . and g . b . olson , m 2 c carbide precipitation in af1410 , gilbert r . speich symposium : fundamentals of aging and tempering in bainitic and martensitic steel products , iss - aime , warrendale , pa ., 177 - 214 , 1992 ], which is incorporated herewith . precipitation of other phases that can limit toughness such as other carbides ( e . g . m 23 c 6 , m 6 c and m 7 c 3 ) and topologically close packed ( tcp ) intermetallic phases ( e . g . σ and μ phases ) is avoided by constraining the thermodynamic driving force for their formation . in addition to efficient hydrogen trapping by the nanoscale m 2 c carbides to slow hydrogen transport , resistance to hydrogen stress - corrosion is further enhanced by controlling segregation of impurities and alloying elements to prior - austenite grain boundaries to resist hydrogen - assisted intergranular fracture . this is promoted by controlling the content of undesirable impurities such as p and s to low levels and gettering their residual amounts in the alloy into stable compounds such as la 2 o 2 s or ce 2 o 2 s . boundary cohesion is further enhanced by deliberate segregation of cohesion enhancing elements such as b , mo and w during heat treatment . these factors promoting stress corrosion cracking resistance will also enhance resistance to corrosion fatigue . all of these conditions are achieved by the class of alloys discovered while maintaining solution heat treatment temperatures that are not excessively high . martensite m s temperatures , measured by quenching dilatometry and 1 % transformation fraction , are also maintained sufficiently high to establish a lath martensite microstructure and minimize the content of retained austenite which can otherwise limit yield strength . the alloys can be produced via various process paths such as for example casting , powder metallurgy or ingot metallurgy . the alloy constituents can be melted using any conventional melt process such as air melting but more preferably by vacuum induction melting ( vim ). the alloy can thereafter be homogenized and hot worked , but a secondary melting process such as electro slag remelting ( esr ) or vacuum arc remelting ( var ) is preferred in order to achieve improved fracture toughness and fatigue properties . in order to achieve even higher fracture toughness and fatigue properties additional remelting operations can be utilized prior to homogenization and hot working . in any event , the alloy is initially formed by combination of the constituents in a melt process . the alloy may then be homogenized prior to hot working or it may be heated and directly hot worked . if homogenization is used , it may be carried out by heating the alloy to a metal temperature in the range of about 1100 ° c . or 1110 ° c . or 1120 ° c . to 1330 ° c . or 1340 ° c . or 1350 ° c . or , possibly as much as 1400 ° c . for a period of time of at least four hours to dissolve soluble elements and carbides and to also homogenize the structure . one of the design criteria for the alloy is low microsegregation , and therefore the time required for homogenization of the alloy is typically shorter than other stainless steel alloys . a suitable time is six hours or more in the homogenization metal temperature range . normally , the soak time at the homogenization temperature does not have to extend for more than seventy - two hours . twelve to eighteen hours in the homogenization temperature range has been found to be quite suitable . a typical homogenization metal temperature is about 1240 ° c . after homogenization the alloy is typically hot worked . the alloy can be hot worked by , but not limited to , hot rolling , hot forging or hot extrusion or any combinations thereof . it is common to initiate hot working immediately after the homogenization treatment in order to take advantage of the heat already in the alloy . it is important that the finish hot working metal temperature is substantially below the starting hot working metal temperature in order to assure grain refinement of the structure through precipitation of mc carbides . after the first hot working - step , the alloy is typically reheated for continued hot working to the final desired size and shape . the reheating metal temperature range is about 950 ° c . or 960 ° c . or 970 ° c . to 1230 ° c . or 1240 ° c . or 1250 ° c . or possibly as much as 1300 ° c . with the preferred range being about 1000 ° c . or 1010 ° c . to 1150 ° c . or 1160 ° c . the reheating metal temperature is near or above the solvus temperature for mc carbides , and the objective is to dissolve or partially dissolve soluble constituents that remain from casting or may have precipitated during the preceding hot working . this reheating step minimizes or avoids primary and secondary phase particles and improves fatigue crack growth resistance and fracture toughness . as the alloy is continuously hot worked and reheated the cross - sectional size decreases and , as a result , the metal cools faster . eventually it is no longer possible to use the high reheating temperatures , and a lower reheating temperature must be used . for smaller cross - sections the reheating metal temperature range is about 840 ° c . or 850 ° c . or 860 ° c . to 1080 ° c . or 1090 ° c . or 1100 ° c . or possibly as much as 1200 ° c . with the preferred range being about 950 ° c . or 960 ° c . to 1000 ° c . or 1010 ° c . the lower reheating metal temperature for smaller cross - sections is below the solvus temperature for other ( non - mc ) carbides , and the objective is to minimize or prevent their coarsening during reheating so that they can quickly be dissolved during the subsequent normalizing or solution heat treatment . final mill product forms such as , for example , bar stock and forging stock are typically normalized and / or annealed prior to shipment to customers . during normalizing the alloy is heated to a metal temperature above the solvus temperature for all carbides except mc carbides , and the objective is to dissolve soluble constituents that may have precipitated during the previous hot working and to normalize the grain size . the normalizing metal temperature range is about 880 ° c . or 890 ° c . or 900 ° c . to 1080 ° c . or 1090 ° c . or 1 100 ° c . with the preferred range being about 1020 ° c . to 1030 ° c . or 1040 ° c . a suitable time is one hour or more and typically the soak time at the normalizing temperature does not have to extend for more than three hours . the alloy is thereafter cooled to room temperature . after normalizing the alloy is typically annealed to a suitable hardness or strength level for subsequent customer processing such as , for example , machining . during annealing the alloy is heated to a metal temperature range of about 600 ° c . or 610 ° c . to 840 ° c . or 850 ° c ., preferably between 700 ° c . to 750 ° c . for a period of at least one hour to coarsen all carbides except the mc carbide . a suitable time is two hours or more and typically the soak time at the annealing temperature does not have to extend for more than twenty - four hours . typically after the alloy has been delivered to a customer and processed to , or near , its final form and shape it is subjected to solution heat treatment preferably in the metal temperature range of about 850 ° c . or 860 ° c . to 1090 ° c . or 1100 ° c ., more preferably about 950 ° c . to 1040 ° c . or 1050 ° c . for a period of three hours or less . a typical time for solution heat treatment is one hour . the solution heat treatment metal temperature is above the solvus temperature for all carbides except mc carbides , and the objective is to dissolve soluble constituents that may have precipitated during the preceding processing . this inhibits grain growth while enhancing strength , fracture toughness and fatigue resistance . after solution heat treatment it is important to cool the alloy fast enough to about room temperature or below in order to transform the microstructure to a predominantly lath martensitic structure and to prevent or minimize boundary precipitation of primary carbides . suitable cooling rates can be achieved with the use of water , oil , or various quench gases depending on section thickness . after quenching to room temperature the alloy may be subjected to a cryogenic treatment or it may be heated directly to the tempering temperature . the cryogenic treatment promotes a more complete transformation of the microstructure to a lath martensitic structure . if a cryogenic treatment is used , it is carried out preferably below about − 70 ° c . a more preferred cryogenic treatment would be below about − 195 ° c . a typical cryogenic treatment is in the metal temperature range of about − 60 ° c . or − 70 ° c . to − 85 ° c . or − 95 ° c . another typical cryogenic treatment is in the metal temperature range of about − 180 ° c . or − 190 ° c . to − 220 ° c . or − 230 ° c . normally , the soak time at the cryogenic temperature does not have to extend for more than ten hours . a typical time for cryogenic treatment is one hour . after the cryogenic treatment , or if the cryogenic treatment is omitted , immediately following quenching , the alloy is tempered at intermediate metal temperatures . the tempering treatment is preferably in the metal temperature range of about 200 ° c . or 210 ° c . or 220 ° c . to 580 ° c . or 590 ° c . or 600 ° c ., more preferably about 450 ° c . to 530 ° c . or 540 ° c . normally , the soak time at the tempering temperature does not have to extend for more than twenty - four hours . two to ten hours in the tempering temperature range has been found to be quite suitable . during the tempering treatment , precipitation of nanoscale m 2 c - strengthening particles increases the thermal stability of the alloy , and various combinations of strength and fracture toughness can be achieved by using different combinations of temperature and time . for alloys of the invention with lower ms temperatures , it is possible to further enhance strength and fracture toughness through multi - step thermal treatments by minimizing retained austenite . multi - step treatments consist of additional cycles of cryogenic treatments followed by thermal treatments as outlined in the text above . one additional cycle might be beneficial but multiple cycles are typically more beneficial . an example of the relationship between the processing path and the phase stability in a particular alloy of the invention is depicted in fig2 a and 2b . fig2 a depicts the equilibrium phases of alloy 2 c of the invention wherein the carbon content is 0 . 23 % by weight as shown in table 1 . fig2 b then discloses the processing sequence employed with respect to the described alloy 2 c . after forming the melt via a melt processing step , the alloy is homogenized at a metal temperature exceeding the single phase ( fcc ) equilibrium temperature of about 1220 ° c . all carbides are solubilized at this temperature . forging to define a desired billet , rod or other shape results in cooling into a range where various complex carbides may form . the forging step may be repeated by reheating at least to the metal temperature range ( 980 ° c . to 1220 ° c .) where only mc carbides are at equilibrium . subsequent cooling ( air cool ) will generally result in retention of primarily mc carbides , other primary alloy carbides such as m 7 c 3 and m23c 6 and the formation of generally a martensitic matrix . normalization in the same metal temperature range followed by cooling dissolves the m 7 c 3 and m 23 c 6 primary carbides while preserving the mc carbides . annealing in the metal temperature range 600 ° c . or 610 ° c . to 840 ° c . or 850 ° c . and cooling reduces the hardness level to a reasonable value for machining . the annealing process softens the martensite by precipitating carbon into alloy carbides that are too large to significantly strengthen the alloy yet are small enough to be readily dissolved during later solution treatment . this process is followed by delivery of the alloy product to a customer for final manufacture of a component part and appropriate heat treating and finishing . typically the customer will form the alloy into a desired shape . this will be followed by solution heat treatment in the mc carbide temperature range and then subsequent rapid quenching to maintain or form the desired martensitic structure . tempering and cooling as previously described may then be employed to obtain strength and fracture toughness as desired . a series of prototype alloys were prepared . the melt practice for the refining process was selected to be a double vacuum melt with la and ce impurity gettering additions . substitutional grain boundary cohesion enhancers such as w and re were not considered in the making of the first prototype , but an addition of twenty parts per million b was included for this purpose . for the deoxidation process , ti was added as a deoxidation agent , promoting tic particles to pin the grain boundaries and reduce grain growth during solution treatment prior to tempering . the major alloying elements in the first prototype are c , mo , and v ( m 2 c carbide formers ), cr ( m 2 c carbide former and oxide passive film former ), and co and ni ( for various required matrix properties ). the exact alloy composition and material processing parameters were determined by an overall design synthesis considering the linkages and a suite of computational models described elsewhere [ olson , g . b , “ computational design of hierarchically structured materials ”, science 277 , 1237 - 1242 , 1997 ], which is incorporated herewith . the following is a summary of the initial prototype procedure . selected parameters are indicated in fig3 - 6 by a star ( ). the amount of cr was determined by the corrosion resistance requirement and a passivation thermodynamic model developed by campbell [ campbell , c , systems design of high performance stainless steels , materials science and engineering , evanston , ill ., northwestern 243 , 1997 ], which is incorporated herewith . the amount of c was determined by the strength requirement and an m2c precipitation / strengthening model according to the correlation illustrated in fig3 . based on the goal of achieving 53 hrc hardness , a c content of 0 . 14 % by weight was selected . the tempering temperature and the amounts of m2c carbide formers mo and v were determined to meet the strength requirement with adequate m2c precipitation kinetics , maintain a 1000 ° c . solution treatment temperature , and avoid microsegregation . fig4 and 5 illustrate how the final v and mo contents were determined . final contents by weight of 1 . 5 % mo and 0 . 5 % v were selected . the level of solidification microsegregation is assessed by solidification simulation for the solidification cooling rate and associated dendrite arm spacing of anticipated ingot processing . amounts of co and ni were determined to ( 1 ) maintain a martensite start temperature of at least 200 ° c ., using a model calibrated to m s temperatures measured by quenching dilatometry and 1 % transformation fraction , so a lath martensite matrix structure can be achieved after quenching , ( 2 ) maintain a high m2c carbide initial driving force for efficient strengthening , ( 3 ) improve the bcc cleavage resistance by maximizing the ni content , and ( 4 ) maintain the co content above 8 % by weight to achieve sufficient dislocation recovery resistance to enhance m 2 c nucleation and increase cr partitioning to the oxide film by increasing the matrix cr activity . fig6 shows that , with other alloy element amounts and the tempering temperature set at their final levels , optimization of 10 the above four factors results in the selection of co and ni amounts of about 13 % and 4 . 8 % by weight , respectively . the material composition and tempering temperature were fine - tuned by inspecting the driving force ratios between m 2 c and other carbides and intermetallic phases with reference to past studies of other precipitation hardened ni — co steels . the composition of the first design prototype designated 1 is given in table 1 along with later design iterations . the initial design included the following processing parameters : a double vacuum melt with impurity gettering and ti deoxidation ; a minimum solution treatment temperature of 1005 ° c ., where this temperature is limited by vanadium carbide ( vc ) formation according to thermodynamic equilibrium ; and a tempering temperature of 482 ° c . with an estimated tempering time of three hours to achieve optimum strength and toughness . evaluation of the first prototype ( entry 1 in table 1 ) gave promising results for all properties evaluated . the most significant deficiencies were a lower than desired m s temperature by 25 ° c . to 50 ° c . and a strength level 15 % below objectives . a second series of designs denoted 2 a , 2 b and 2 c in table 1 were then evaluated . all three second - iteration prototypes gave satisfactory transformation temperatures , and the best mechanical properties of the second iteration were exhibited by alloy 2 c . based on the latter base composition , a third - iteration series of alloys designated 3 a , 3 b and 3 c in table 1 explored minor variations in grain - refining mc carbides , comparing tic , ( ti , v ) c , and nbc . principal parameters were mc phase fraction and coarsening resistance at solution temperatures , subject to the constraint of full mc solubility at homogenization temperatures . selecting ( ti , v ) c as the optimal grain refining approach , a fourth - iteration design series designated 4 a through 4 g in table 1 examined ( a ) refinement of martensitic transformation kinetics to minimize retained austenite content , ( b ) increased stability of competing m 2 c carbides to promote full dissolution of cementite during m 2 c precipitation strengthening in order to enhance fracture toughness and ( c ) utilized lower temperature iron ( fe ) based m 2 c precipitation strengthening to completely avoid the precipitation of cementite and enhance cleavage resistance . modification of carbide thermodynamics and kinetics in the latter two series included additions of w and si . a fifth series of alloys , designated 5 b through 5 f in table 1 , examined the limits of ni that can be added to the alloy to improve fracture toughness by lowering the ductile to brittle transition temperature . while the alloy m s for these compositions falls below room temperature as the ni content reaches to about 10 percent by weight , it was found that tempering the alloy in multiple steps with cryogenic cooling between each step was able to convert the majority of the retained austenite to martensite . this allows good strength properties to be achieved in combination with high ni content to control ductile fracture behavior even in alloys that are fully austenitic after quenching . although multiple tempering has been commonly used to minimize retained austenite in steels , it was unexpected that the technique could be used effectively in alloys with such high ni contents and high austenite contents . the sixth series of alloys , designated 6 a through 6 m in table 1 , was determined to incorporate the features represented in the first five series and are considered preferred embodiments of the invention . thus , appropriate processing of the described alloys provides an essentially martensitic phase . alloy 1 in table 1 was vacuum induction melted ( vim ) to a six inch diameter electrode which was subsequently vacuum arc remelted ( var ) to a eight inch diameter ingot . the material was homogenized for seventy - two hours at 1200 ° c ., forged and annealed according to the preferred processing techniques described above and depicted in fig2 a and 2b . dilatometer samples were machined and the m s temperature was measured as 175 ° c . by quenching dilatometry and 1 % transformation fraction . test samples were machined , solution heat treated at 1025 ° c . for one hour , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature and tempered at 482 ° c . for eight hours . the measured properties are listed in table 2 below . alloy 2 a in table 1 was vacuum induction melted ( vim ) to a six inch diameter electrode which was subsequently vacuum arc remelted ( var ) to a eight inch diameter ingot . the ingot was homogenized for twelve hours at 1190 ° c ., forged and rolled to 1 . 500 inch square bar starting at 1120 ° c ., and annealed according to the preferred processing techniques described above and depicted in fig2 a and 2b . dilatometer samples were machined and the m s temperature was measured as 265 ° c . by quenching dilatometry and 1 % transformation fraction . test samples were machined from the square bar , solution heat treated at 1050 ° c . for one hour , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , tempered at 500 ° c . for five hours , air cooled , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature and tempered at 500 ° c . for five and one - half hours . the measured properties are listed in table 3 below . the reference to the corrosion rate of 15 - 5ph ( h900 condition ) was made using a sample tested under identical conditions . the average corrosion rate for 15 - 5ph ( h900 condition ) for this test was 0 . 26 mils per year ( mpy ). tensile samples were machined from the square bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ° c . for seventy - five minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , multi - step tempered at 496 ° c . for either four hours or six hours with liquid nitrogen ( ln 2 ) treatments for one hour in between the temper steps . the measured tensile properties are listed in table 4 below . alloy 2 b in table 1 was vacuum induction melted ( vim ) to a six inch diameter electrode which was subsequently vacuum arc remelted ( var ) to a eight inch diameter ingot . the ingot was homogenized for twelve hours at 1190 ° c ., forged and rolled to 1 . 000 inch diameter round bar starting at 1120 ° c . and annealed according to the preferred processing techniques described above and depicted in fig2 a and 2b . dilatometer samples were machined and the m s temperature was measured as 225 ° c . by quenching dilatometry and 1 % transformation fraction . test samples were machined from the round bar , solution heat treated at 1100 ° c . for 70 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature and tempered at 482 ° c . for twenty - four hours . the measured properties are listed in table 5 below . alloy 2 c in table 1 was vacuum induction melted ( vim ) to a six inch diameter electrode which was subsequently vacuum arc remelted ( var ) to a eight inch diameter ingot . the ingot was homogenized for twelve hours at 1190 ° c ., forged to 2 . 250 inch square bar starting at 1120 ° c . and annealed according to the preferred processing techniques described above and depicted in fig2 a and 2b . dilatometer samples were machined and the m s temperature was measured as 253 ° c . by quenching dilatometry and 1 % transformation fraction . test samples were machined from the square bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ° c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , tempered at 498 ° c . for eight hours . the measured properties are listed in table 6 below . test samples were machined from the square bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ° c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , tempered at 498 ° c . for twelve hours . the measured properties are listed in table 7 below . corrosion test samples were machined from the square bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ° c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , tempered at 498 ° c . for eight hours , air cooled and tempered at 498 ° c . for four hours . the measured properties are listed in table 8 below . the reference to the corrosion rate of 15 - 5ph ( h900 condition ) was made using a sample tested under identical conditions . the average corrosion rate for 15 - 5ph ( h900 condition ) for this test was 0 . 26 mils per year ( mpy ). tensile samples were machined from the square bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ° c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , multi - step tempered at 496 ° c . for either four hours or six hours with liquid nitrogen ( ln 2 ) treatments for one hour in between the temper steps . the measured tensile properties are listed in table 9 below . alloy 3 a in table 1 was vacuum induction melted ( vim ) to a six inch diameter electrode which was subsequently vacuum arc remelted ( var ) to a eight inch diameter ingot . the ingot was homogenized for twelve hours at 1260 ° c ., forged to 2 . 250 inch square bar starting at 1090 ° c . and annealed according to the preferred processing techniques described above and depicted in fig2 a and 2b . dilatometer samples were machined and the m s temperature was measured as 250 ° c . by quenching dilatometry and 1 % transformation fraction . test samples were machined from the square bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ° c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , tempered at 510 ° c . for five hours . the measured properties are listed in table 10 below . test samples were machined from the square bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ° c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , multi - step tempered at 510 ° c . for four hours followed by liquid nitrogen ( ln 2 ) treatment for one hour and finally tempered at 510 ° c . for an additional four hours . the measured properties are listed in table 11 below . corrosion test samples were machined from the square bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ° c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , and tempered at 200 ° c . for one hour . the measured properties are listed in table 12 below . the reference to the corrosion rate of 15 - 5ph ( h900 condition ) was made using a sample tested under identical conditions . the average corrosion rate for 15 - 5ph ( h900 condition ) for this test was 0 . 20 mils per year ( mpy ). corrosion test samples were machined from the square bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ° c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , and tempered at 510 ° c . for eight hours . the measured properties are listed in table 13 below . alloy 3 b in table 1 was vacuum induction melted ( vim ) to a six inch diameter electrode which was subsequently vacuum arc remelted ( var ) to a eight inch diameter ingot . the ingot was homogenized for twelve hours at 1260 ° c ., forged to 2 . 250 inch square bar starting at 1090 ° c . and annealed according to the preferred processing techniques described above and depicted in fig2 a and 2b . dilatometer samples were machined and the m s temperature was measured as 240 ° c . by quenching dilatometry and 1 % transformation fraction . test samples were machined from the square bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ° c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , and finally tempered at 510 ° c . for five hours . the measured properties are listed in table 14 below . test samples were machined from the square bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ° c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , multi - step tempered at 510 ° c . for four hours followed by liquid nitrogen ( ln 2 ) treatment for one hour and finally tempered at 510 ° c . for an additional four hours . the measured properties are listed in table 15 below . alloy 4 a in table 1 was vacuum induction melted ( vim ) to a four inch diameter electrode which was subsequently vacuum arc remelted ( var ) to a five inch diameter ingot . the ingot was homogenized for twelve hours at 1250 ° c ., hot rolled to two inch round corner square using frequent reheats at 1015 ° c ., hot rolled to 0 . 750 inch thick by 2 . 250 inch wide rectangular bar , normalized and annealed according to the preferred processing techniques described above and depicted in fig2 a and 2b . dilatometer samples were machined and the m s temperature was measured as 275 ° c . by quenching dilatometry and 1 % transformation fraction . corrosion test samples were machined from the rectangular bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ° c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , and tempered at 510 ° c . for twelve hours . the measured properties are listed in table 16 below . the reference to the corrosion rate of 15 - 5ph ( h900 condition ) was made using a sample tested under identical conditions . the average corrosion rate for 15 - 5ph ( h900 condition ) for this test was 0 . 20 mils per year ( mpy ). corrosion test samples were machined from the rectangular bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ° c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , and tempered at 510 ° c . for twenty - four hours . the measured properties are listed in table 17 below . alloy 4 b in table 1 was vacuum induction melted ( vim ) to a four inch diameter electrode which was subsequently vacuum arc remelted ( var ) to a five inch diameter ingot . the ingot was homogenized for twelve hours at 1250 ° c ., hot rolled to two inch round corner square using frequent reheats at 1015 ° c ., hot rolled to 0 . 750 inch thick by 2 . 250 inch wide rectangular bar , normalized and annealed according to the preferred processing techniques described above and depicted in fig2 a and 2b . dilatometer samples were machined and the m s temperature was measured as 285 ° c . by quenching dilatometry and 1 % transformation fraction . corrosion test samples were machined from the rectangular bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ° c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , and tempered at 510 ° c . for twelve hours . the measured properties are listed in table 18 below . the reference to the corrosion rate of 15 - 5ph ( h900 condition ) was made using a sample tested under identical conditions . the average corrosion rate for 15 - 5ph ( h900 condition ) for this test was 0 . 20 mils per year ( mpy ). alloy 4 c in table 1 was vacuum induction melted ( vim ) to a four inch diameter electrode which was subsequently vacuum arc remelted ( var ) to a five inch diameter ingot . the ingot was homogenized for twelve hours at 1250 ° c ., hot rolled to two inch round corner square using frequent reheats at 1015 ° c ., hot rolled to 0 . 750 inch thick by 2 . 250 inch wide rectangular bar , normalized and annealed according to the preferred processing techniques described above and depicted in fig2 a and 2b . dilatometer samples were machined and the m s temperature was measured as 310 ° c . by quenching dilatometry and 1 % transformation fraction . test samples were machined from the rectangular bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ° c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , multi - step tempered at 200 ° c . for two hours followed by liquid nitrogen ( ln 2 ) treatment for one hour and finally tempered at 200 ° c . for an additional two hours . the measured properties are listed in table 19 below . alloy 4 d in table 1 was vacuum induction melted ( vim ) to a four inch diameter electrode which was subsequently vacuum arc remelted ( var ) to a five inch diameter ingot . the ingot was homogenized for twelve hours at 1250 ° c ., hot rolled to two inch round corner square using frequent reheats at 1015 ° c ., hot rolled to 0 . 750 inch thick by 2 . 250 inch wide rectangular bar , normalized and annealed according to the preferred processing techniques described above and depicted in fig2 a and 2b . dilatometer samples were machined and the m s temperature was measured as 300 ° c . by quenching dilatometry and 1 % transformation fraction . test samples were machined from the rectangular bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ° c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , multi - step tempered at 200 ° c . for two hours followed by liquid nitrogen ( ln 2 ) treatment for one hour and finally tempered at 200 ° c . for an additional two hours . the measured properties are listed in table 20 below . corrosion test samples were machined from the rectangular bar , solution heat treated at 1000 ° c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , and tempered at 510 ° c . for twelve hours . the measured properties are listed in table 21 below . the reference to the corrosion rate of 15 - 5ph ( h900 condition ) was made using a sample tested under identical conditions . the average corrosion rate for 15 - 5ph ( h900 condition ) for this test was 0 . 20 mils per year ( mpy ). alloy 4 e in table 1 was vacuum induction melted ( vim ) to a four inch diameter electrode which was subsequently vacuum arc remelted ( var ) to a five inch diameter ingot . the ingot was homogenized for twelve hours at 1250 ° c ., hot rolled to two inch round corner square using frequent reheats at 1015 ° c ., hot rolled to 0 . 750 inch thick by 2 . 250 inch wide rectangular bar , normalized and annealed according to the preferred processing techniques described above and depicted in fig2 a and 2b . dilatometer samples were machined and the m s temperature was measured as 300 ° c . by quenching dilatometry and 1 % transformation fraction . alloy 4 f in table 1 was vacuum induction melted ( vim ) to a four inch diameter electrode which was subsequently vacuum arc remelted ( var ) to a five inch diameter ingot . the ingot was homogenized for twelve hours at 1250 ° c ., hot rolled to two inch round corner square using frequent reheats at 1015 ° c ., hot rolled to 0 . 750 inch thick by 2 . 250 inch wide rectangular bar , normalized and annealed according to the preferred processing techniques described above and depicted in fig2 a and 2b . dilatometer samples were machined and the m s temperature was measured as 300 ° c . by quenching dilatometry and 1 % transformation fraction . test samples were machined from the rectangular bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ° c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , multi - step tempered at 200 ° c . for two hours followed by liquid nitrogen ( ln 2 ) treatment for one hour and finally tempered at 200 ° c . for an additional two hours . the measured properties are listed in table 22 below . corrosion test samples were machined from the rectangular bar , solution heat treated at 1000 ° c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , and tempered at 510 ° c . for twelve hours . the measured properties are listed in table 23 below . the reference to the corrosion rate of 15 - 5ph ( h900 condition ) was made using a sample tested under identical conditions . the average corrosion rate for 1 5 - 5ph ( h900 condition ) for this test was 0 . 20 mils per year ( mpy ). alloy 4 g in table 1 was vacuum induction melted ( vim ) to a four inch diameter electrode which was subsequently vacuum arc remelted ( var ) to a five inch diameter ingot . the ingot was homogenized for twelve hours at 1250 ° c ., hot rolled to two inch round corner square using frequent reheats at 1015 ° c ., hot rolled to 0 . 750 inch thick by 2 . 250 inch wide rectangular bar , normalized and annealed according to the preferred processing techniques described above and depicted in fig2 a and 2b . dilatometer samples were machined and the m s temperature was measured as 320 ° c . by quenching dilatometry and 1 % transformation fraction . alloy 5 b in table 1 was vacuum induction melted ( vim ) to a four inch diameter electrode which was subsequently vacuum arc remelted ( var ) to a five inch diameter ingot . the ingot was homogenized for twelve hours at 1250 ° c ., hot rolled to two inch round corner square using frequent reheats at 1015 ° c ., hot rolled to 0 . 750 inch thick by 2 . 250 inch wide rectangular bar , normalized and annealed according to the preferred processing techniques described above and depicted in fig2 a and 2b . dilatometer samples were machined and the m s temperature was measured as 200 ° c . by quenching dilatometry and 1 % transformation fraction . test samples were machined from the rectangular bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ° c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , multi - step tempered at 468 ° c . for twenty - four hours followed by liquid nitrogen ( ln 2 ) treatment for one hour and finally tempered at 468 ° c . for an additional twenty - four hours . the measured properties are listed in table 24 below . test samples were machined from the rectangular bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ° c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , multi - step tempered at 468 ° c . for thirty - six hours followed by liquid nitrogen ( ln 2 ) treatment for one hour and finally tempered at 468 ° c . for an additional thirty - six hours . the measured properties are listed in table 25 below . alloy 5 c in table 1 was vacuum induction melted ( vim ) to a four inch diameter electrode which was subsequently vacuum arc remelted ( var ) to a five inch diameter ingot . the ingot was homogenized for twelve hours at 1250 ° c ., hot rolled to two inch round corner square using frequent reheats at 1015 ° c ., hot rolled to 0 . 750 inch thick by 2 . 250 inch wide rectangular bar , normalized and annealed according to the preferred processing techniques described above and depicted in fig2 a and 2b . dilatometer samples were machined and the m s temperature was measured as 180 ° c . by quenching dilatometry and 1 % transformation fraction . test samples were machined from the rectangular bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ° c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , multi - step tempered at 468 ° c . for sixteen hours followed by liquid nitrogen ( ln 2 ) treatment for one hour and finally tempered at 468 ° c . for an additional sixteen hours . the measured properties are listed in table 26 below . alloy 5 d in table 1 was vacuum induction melted ( vim ) to a four inch diameter electrode which was subsequently vacuum arc remelted ( var ) to a five inch diameter ingot . the ingot was homogenized for twelve hours at 1250 ° c ., hot rolled to two inch round corner square using frequent reheats at 1015 ° c ., hot rolled to 0 . 750 inch thick by 2 . 250 . inch wide rectangular bar , normalized and annealed according to the preferred processing techniques described above and depicted in fig2 a and 2b . dilatometer samples were machined and the m s temperature was measured as 240 ° c . by quenching dilatometry and 1 % transformation fraction . test samples were machined from the rectangular bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ° c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , multi - step tempered at 468 ° c . for twenty - four hours followed by liquid nitrogen ( ln 2 ) treatment for one hour and finally tempered at 468 ° c . for an additional twenty - four hours . the measured properties are listed in table 27 below . test samples were machined from the rectangular bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ° c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , and finally tempered at 468 ° c . for twenty - eight hours . the measured properties are listed in table 28 below . test samples were machined from the rectangular bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ° c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , and finally tempered at 468 ° c . for seventy - two hours . the measured properties are listed in table 29 below . alloy 5 e in table 1 was vacuum induction melted ( vim ) to a four inch diameter electrode which was subsequently vacuum arc remelted ( var ) to a five inch diameter ingot . the ingot was homogenized for twelve hours at 1250 ° c ., hot rolled to two inch round corner square using frequent reheats at 1015 ° c ., hot rolled to 0 . 750 inch thick by 2 . 250 inch wide rectangular bar , normalized and annealed according to the preferred processing techniques described above and depicted in fig2 a and 2b . dilatometer samples were machined and the m s temperature was measured as 165 ° c . by quenching dilatometry and 1 % transformation fraction . test samples were machined from the rectangular bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ° c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , multi - step tempered at 468 ° c . for sixteen hours followed by liquid nitrogen ( ln 2 ) treatment for one hour and finally tempered at 468 ° c . for an additional sixteen hours . the measured properties are listed in table 30 below . test samples were machined from the rectangular bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ° c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , multi - step tempered at 468 ° c . for twenty - four hours followed by liquid nitrogen ( ln 2 ) treatment for one hour and finally tempered at 468 ° c . for an additional twenty - four hours . the measured properties are listed in table 31 below . test samples were machined from the rectangular bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ° c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , multi - step tempered at 468 ° c . for fourteen hours followed by liquid nitrogen ( ln 2 ) treatment for one hour and finally tempered at 468 ° c . for fourteen hours . the measured properties are listed in table 32 below . alloy 5 f in table 1 was vacuum induction melted ( vim ) to a four inch diameter electrode which was subsequently vacuum arc remelted ( var ) to a five inch diameter ingot . the ingot was homogenized for twelve hours at 1250 ° c ., hot rolled to two inch round corner square using frequent reheats at 1015 ° c ., hot rolled to 0 . 750 inch thick by 2 . 250 inch wide rectangular bar , normalized and annealed according to the preferred processing techniques described above and depicted in fig2 a and 2b . dilatometer samples were machined and the m s temperature was measured to be lower than 25 ° c . by quenching dilatometry and 1 % transformation fraction . test samples were machined from the rectangular bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ° c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , multi - step tempered at 468 ° c . for sixteen hours followed by liquid nitrogen ( ln 2 ) treatment for one hour and finally tempered at 468 ° c . for an additional sixteen hours . the measured properties are listed in table 33 below . test samples were machined from the rectangular bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ° c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , and finally tempered at 468 ° c . for twenty - eight hours . the measured properties are listed in table 34 below . test samples were machined from the rectangular bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ° c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , and finally tempered at 468 ° c . for forty - eight hours . the measured properties are listed in table 35 below . important to the alloy design is the achievement of efficient strengthening while maintaining corrosion resistance and effective hydrogen trapping for stress - corrosion resistance . all of these attributes are promoted by refinement of the strengthening m 2 c carbide particle size to an optimal size of about three nanometers at the completion of precipitation . fig7 shows the atomic - scale imaging of a three nanometer m 2 c carbide in the optimally heat treated alloy 2 c using three - dimensional atom - probe microanalysis [ m . k . miller , atom probe tomography , kluwer academic / plenum publishers , new york , n . y ., 2000 ] which is incorporated herewith , verifying that the designed size and particle composition have in fact been achieved . this image is an atomic reconstruction of a slab of the alloy where each atom is represented by a dot on the figure with a color and size corresponding to it &# 39 ; s element . the drawn circle in fig7 represents the congregation of alloy carbide formers and carbon which define the m 2 c nanoscale carbide in the image . as a consequence , the alloys discovered have a range of combinations of elements as set forth in table 36 . preferably , impurities are avoided ; however , some impurities and incidental elements are tolerated and within the scope of the invention . thus , by weight , most preferably , s is less than 0 . 02 %, p less than 0 . 012 %, o less than 0 . 015 % and n less than 0 . 015 %. the microstructure is primarily martensitic when processed as described and desirably is maintained as lath martensitic with less than 2 . 5 % and preferably less than 1 % by volume , retained or precipitated austenite . the microstructure is primarily inclusive of m 2 c nanoscale carbides where m is one or more element selected from the group including mo , nb , v , ta , w and cr . the formula , size and presence of the carbides are important . preferably , the carbides are present only in the form of m 2 c and to some extent , mc carbides , without the presence of other carbides and the size ( average diameter ) is less than about ten nanometers and preferably in the range of about three nanometers to five nanometers . specifically avoided are other larger scale incoherent carbides such as cementite , m 23 c 6 , m 6 c and m 7 c 3 . other embrittling phases , such as topologically close packed ( tcp ) intermetallic phases , are also avoided . the martensitic matrix in which the strengthening nanocarbides are embedded contains an optimum balance of co and ni to maintain a sufficiently high m s temperature with sufficient co to enhance cr partitioning to the passivating oxide film , enhance m 2 c driving force and maintain dislocation nucleation of nanocarbides . resistance to cleavage is enhanced by maintaining sufficient ni and promoting grain refinement through stable mc carbide dispersions which resist coarsening at the normalizing or solution treatment temperature . alloy composition and thermal processing are optimized to minimize or eliminate all other dispersed particles that limit toughness and fatigue resistance . resistance to hydrogen stress corrosion is enhanced by grain boundary segregation of cohesion enhancing elements such as b , mo and w , and through the hydrogen trapping effect of the nanoscale m 2 c carbide dispersion . alloy composition is constrained to limit microsegregation under production - scale ingot solidification conditions . the specific alloy compositions of table 1 represent the presently known preferred and optimal formulations in this class of alloys , it being understood that variations of formulations consistent with the physical properties described , the processing steps and within the ranges disclosed as well as equivalents are within the scope of the invention . these preferred embodiments can be summarized as seven subclasses of alloy compositions presented in table 37 . subclass 1 is similar in composition to alloys 2 c , 3 a and 3 b of table 1 and is optimal for a secondary hardening temper at about 400 ° c . to 600 ° c . to precipitate cr — mo base m 2 c carbides providing a uts in the range of about 270 ksi to 300 ksi . subclass 2 is similar in composition to alloys 4 d and 4 e of table 1 and includes additions of w and / or si to destabilize cementite and provide greater thermal stability with a secondary hardening temper at about 400 ° c . to 600 ° c . to precipitate cr — mo — w base m 2 c carbides . for applications requiring higher fracture toughness , subclass 3 is similar in composition to alloys 1 , 2 a and 2 b in table 1 and provides an intermediate uts range of about 240 ksi to 270 ksi . subclass 4 is similar in composition to alloys 4 f and 4 g of table 1 and is optimal for low - temperature tempering at about 200 ° c . to 300 ° c . to precipitate fe - base m 2 c carbides without the precipitation of cementite . alloy subclass 5 is a most preferred embodiment of subclass 1 . subclass 6 is similar in composition to alloys 5 b through 5 f and 6 a through 6 k . subclass 6 provides optimal toughness due to the higher ni content but may require multiple tempering treatments with cryogenic treatments between steps in order to avoid significant amounts of retained austenite in the final microstructure . subclass 7 is a farther optimization of fracture toughness and is similar to alloys 6 l and 6 m where the lower co content lowers the ductile to brittle transition temperature of the alloy . therefore , the invention including the class of ultrahigh - strength , corrosion resistant , structural steel alloys and the processes for making and using such alloys is to be limited only by the following claims and equivalents thereof .	2
1 . elongating both the pinned and the pinning layers at the back side . the increased length is about 0 . 05 microns . 2 . a conductor is added and abutted to the pinned and / or pinning layers . the result of these features is that the bias current is forced to flow from the top conductor down through free layer and spacer and then to turn at the pinned layer , running out at the back side and entering the conducting lead . thus only a portion of the bias current flows because of its high resistance . since the current flows in the elongated pinned layer , it has a longer interaction distance and therefore , dr is increased . since the current bypasses the high resistance ( parasitic ) portion of the head circuit , total r is reduced , thereby increasing dr / r . in some prior art , a highly conductive layer is inserted between the magnetic shield and the afm layer in order to direct current flow . however , this increases the total gmr height , making a very small shield - to - shield spacing impossible . the larger pw50 ( pulse width at 50 % amplitude ) that is thereby induced will exclude it from very high linear density applications . in the present invention , the conductor is removed to the back side , enabling us to maintain a small shield - to - shield spacing . we will now describe a process for manufacturing the present invention . said description will also make clear the structure of the present invention . referring now to fig3 b , the process of the present invention begins with the provision of a substrate ( not shown ) onto which is deposited bottom magnetic shield layer 11 . optionally , dielectric layer 41 is deposited onto shield 11 . this dielectric layer is typically of alumina or silica and is between about 10 and 50 angstroms thick . if it is elected to omit this layer , the structure will then be as seen in fig3 a . now follows the formation ( on either dielectric layer 41 or bottom shield 11 ) of a cpp stack that is made up of free layer 12 , spacer layer 13 , pinned layer 34 and pinning layer 35 . as seen in fig3 a or 3 b , the width of this stack is then made to be less than that of the bottom shield 11 by etching down to layer 11 ( or 41 if used ), there being a centrally located photoresist mask on layer 12 ( not shown , but having a width between about 3 and 10 microns ). using a fresh photoresist mask that is narrower than the cpp stack ( being between about 0 . 15 and 3 microns wide ), the unprotected parts of the cpp stack are removed down as far as pinning layer 35 . then , as a key feature of the invention , layer 36 of conductive material is deposited onto the exposed portions of pinning layer 35 . layer 36 is typically any good conductor such as cu , au , al , or alcu and it is between about 100 and 300 angstroms thick . following this the photoresist mask is removed together with all conductive material that was deposited thereon , giving the structure the appearance illustrated in fig4 . a third photoresist mask narrower than the previous mask ( having a width between about 0 . 05 and 0 . 15 microns ) is then used to define the read track width , following which the unprotected parts of the cpp stack are removed down to the level of the pinned layer . as can be seen in fig5 , a method , such as ion beam milling or etching , is used so that the remaining stack ( layers 12 and 13 ) is given sloping sidewalls . these are necessary for the opposing longitudinal bias layers to be effective , as will be seen a little later . at this point in the process of the invention the structure has the appearance shown in isometric projection in fig6 . proceeding with the standard process , layer of dielectric material 83 is deposited on all exposed surfaces , including the above - mentioned sidewalls , layer 83 is alumina or silica and is between about 50 and 300 angstroms thick . this is followed by the deposition of longitudinal bias layer 82 on dielectric layer 83 . as illustrated in fig8 . finally , after removal of the photoresist , top magnetic shield layer 16 is deposited , giving the completed structure the appearance illustrated in fig7 , with a shield to shield separation of 0 . 06 microns or less . in summary then , starting at the bottom of fig5 , the structure of the present invention begins with lower magnetic shield layer 11 . optionally , in contact with all of layer 11 is insulating layer 41 ( which may be seen in fig3 b ). layer 41 serves to minimize current flow 37 away from the layers above it . afm layer 35 lies on insulating layer 41 ( if this option was used ) and its outside ends do not extend out as far as 11 does , being between about 3 and 10 microns long . pinned layer 34 lies on afm layer 35 and does not extend for the full length of 35 ( being instead between about 0 . 15 and 0 . 3 microns long ) the remaining space being taken up by conductive layer 36 that abuts the right edge ( in the figure ) of pinned layer 34 . conductive layer 36 normally ( but not necessarily ) has the same thickness as 34 ( between about 100 and 2 , 000 angstroms ). typical materials for layer 36 include ( but are not limited to ) cu , au , al , and alcu . non - magnetic spacer layer 13 lies on pinned layer 34 . its length is less than that of 34 , being the conventional length normally associated with this layer ( between about 0 . 1 and 0 . 25 microns ) as seen in the prior art examples fig1 and 2 . the remainder of the structure is also of a conventional nature - - - free layer 12 and top magnetic shield 16 which also serves as the top conductor lead . however , as a result of this design , the separation between the upper and lower magnetic shields has been reduced to less than about 0 . 06 microns . once the process described earlier has been completed the structure is divided into two equal halves whose ( formerly common ) ends are then polished to a high degree of planarity to become air bearing surfaces ( abs ). this is best seen in fig6 and 7 . note that , for reasons of improved presentation , the longitudinal bias leads shown in fig8 are not shown in these figures even though they are part of the actual finished product .	6
in the drawings , as noted above , fig1 a and 1b are a pair of photographs of gel electrophoresis . fig1 a shows cross - linking of α - 32 p - gtp to cef . 2 μg of cef was incubated with 50 μm ( 1 μci ) of either α - 32 p - gtp ( lane 1 , 2 , 5 , 6 ) or α - 32 p - atp ( lanes 3 , 4 ) in 50 mm tris ph 7 . 6 , 5 mm dtt in the presence ( lane 1 , 3 - 6 )) or absence ( lane 2 ) of 5 mm mg 2 + . the sample was cross - linked using uv irradiation ( 254 nm ), boiled for 5 min , and subjected to denaturing gel electrophoresis . products were analyzed and quantified using photostimulable plates and a fujiimager . bacteriophage t4 dna ligase served as a positive control ( lane 5 ). the f25a variant of cef was purified under the same conditions as those of wild - type cef . upper panels show the comassie - blue stained gels , and lower panels the corresponding autoradiographic analysis . fig1 b shows competition of ribavirin 5 ′- triphosphate with gtp for covalent binding to cef . cef was incubated during 10 min with increasing concentrations of ribavirin 5 ′- triphosphate ( 0 - 50 - 250 - 500 - 750 - 1000 μm , lanes 1 - to 6 , respectively ) before addition of α - 32 p - gtp to the reaction mixture and further incubation for 20 min . the mixture was boiled for 5 min , subjected to denaturing gel electrophoresis , and the gel analyzed and quantified as in panel a . upper panels show the comassie - blue stained gels , and lower panels the corresponding autoradiographic analysis . ribavirin : ribavirin 5 ′- triphosphate ; lig : bacteriophage t4 dna ligase . fig2 a is a schematic representation of the crystal structure of cef in complex with sahc and gdpmp . a ball - and - stick representation is used for both sahc and gdpmp molecules , whereas cef is drawn as a ribbon . the core of cep ( residues 71 to 222 , colored in gold ) consists of a seven - stranded b - sheet ( b1 to b7 ), surrounded by 5 helices ( a1 to a5 ). this fold is shared by a number of sam - dependent methyltransferases . appended to the n - terminus of the core is the 70 residue modular extension ( colored in red ) responsible for the binding of the gtp analogue . the actual interactions with the base and ribose of the nucleotide are made by an helix - turn - helix motif ( helices a1 and a2 ). the c - terminal part of cef ( residues 223 to 264 , colored in cyan ) folds against the n - terminal region ( helix a5 packs against a1 , and strand b4 makes hydrogen bonds with b1 ). the figure was generated using molscript ( 28 ) and rendered using raster3d ( 29 ). fig2 b is three sequence listings of the cef of three flaviviruses . specifically , seq id no . 1 is the four lines designated d2v , seq id no . 2 is the four lines designated wnv , and seq id no . 3 is the four lines designated yfv . the sequence listings are also more particularly set forth as follows : seq id no . 1 — dengue virus type 2 gtgnigetlgekwksrlnalgksefqiykksgiqevdrtlakegik rgetdhhavsrgsaklrwfvernlvtpegkvvdlgccrggwsyycgglknvr evkgltkggpgheepipmstygwnlvrlqsgvdvffippercdtllcdigesspn ptveagrtlrvlnlvenwlsnntqfcvkvlnpymssvtekmealqrkfggal vrnplsrnsthemywvsnasgnivssvnmisrmlinrftmrhkkatyepdvdl gsgtrn structure - based alignment colored according to the ribbon representation of cef . cef domains from dengue virus type 2 new guinea isolate ( d2v ), west nile virus new york isolate ( wnv ), and yellow fever 17d ( yfv ) were aligned using clustalw and rendered using espript . secondary structures ( a - helices and b - strands ) of subdomains 1 , 2 , and 3 are indicated above the alignment and colored in red , gold , and cyan , respectively . helices and strands are named using greek letters inside the core domain ( subdomain 2 ), and roman letters outside ( subdomains 1 and 3 ). amino acids involved in nucleoside 5 ′- triphosphate binding are indicated by a star below aligned sequences ( see text ). fig2 c is a schematic representation of the surface potential of cef . regions of the surface exhibiting negative and positive net charge are colored in red and blue , respectively . the figure was generated using grasp ( 30 ). both sahc and gdpmp are displayed in sticks in the cleft bisecting the surface of cef . fig3 a is a ball - and - stick representation of the nucleotide binding site of cef . experimental ( fo - fc ) difference map ( 2 . 8 å ) contoured at 3s in the vicinity of f25 in a gdpmp - soaked crystal . although the electron density corresponding to the methylene bond bridging the b and g phosphates of gdpmp is weak , the a , b , and g phosphate positions are well defined ( 6s in the initial difference fourier map ). residues interacting with gdpmp are shown in ball - and - stick . main - chain carbon atoms are colored in dark blue except for the carbonyl oxygens colored in red ; side - chains are colored according to atom - type . for clarity , non - interacting side - chains of residues 17 , 19 , and 20 are not shown . dotted lines indicate hydrogen bonds . fig3 b is a schematic diagram showing guanine with cef residues . dotted lines indicate hydrogen bonds . fig4 a is a ball - and - stick representation of ribavirin nucleotide bound to cef . a refined density map is around the ribavirin nucleotide at 2 . 4 å resolution . a cef crystal was soaked in a solution containing 4 mm ribavirin 5 ′- triphosphate . the b and g phosphate densities are absent from the initial difference fourier map . shown is the ( 3fo - 2fc ) electron density map , contoured at is around the refined ribavirin 5 ′- monophosphate molecule . dotted lines indicate hydrogen bonds . fig4 b is a schematic diagram showing the ribavirin pseudo - base with cef residues . dotted lines indicate hydrogen bonds . fig5 a is a graph showing the binding of cef to gtp as a function of increasing concentrations of gtp . fig5 b is a graph showing the relative inhibition of cef binding to gtp as a function of increased concentrations of acyclovir 5 ′- triphosphate . fig6 concerns the mtase activity . ( a ) assay of the mtase activity . the extent of methyl transfer from ado [ methyl - 3 h ] met to three different rna substrates ( pppaccccc , gpppaccccc and 7me gpppaccccc ) by 5 μg of cef is plotted as a function of time . data points represent averages of three independent experiments and are presented as percentage of [ methyl - 3 h ] incorporation . the plateau of 100 % incorporation represents a concentration of 1 . 5 μm transferred methyl groups in the reaction at the final reaction time . ( b ) identification of the nucleoside methylated by cef . rnas incubated in the presence of ado [ methyl - 3 h ] met and purified recombinant cef were treated with phosphodiesterase and alkaline phosphatase , and analyzed using thin - layer chromatography . the experiment was performed independently twice . the figure shows a qualitative analysis of one chromatogram . indicated positions of marker nucleosides ( n7 - methylated guanosine ( 7me g ), guanosine ( g ), adenosine ( a ) and 2 ′- o - methylated adenosine ( a 2 ′ 0me )) were determined under uv light . the capping enzyme of flaviviridae , designated cef , is a thirty - three kda n - terminal domain of the rna - dependent rna polymerase of the dengue virus type 2 ( new guinea ). the cef was produced in a soluble form in e . coli and purified . this domain possesses several signature sequences typical of sam - binding proteins ( 14 ). we discovered that it is a 2 ′- o - methyltransferase ( 13 ). however , when α - 32 p - gtp is incubated in the presence of cef and subsequently uv - irradiated , the radiolabel remains bound to the protein whether or not magnesium is present in the reaction ( as shown in fig1 a , lanes 1 , 2 , and 5 ). α - 32 p - atp is unable to label cef significantly under similar conditions ( lanes 3 and 4 ). the amino acid substitution f25a abolishes uv - mediated labeling , thereby indicating that f25 might play a role in gtp - binding ( lanes 5 and 6 ). in the presence of magnesium , cef can be labeled without uv - irradiation , although to a lesser extent (≈ 13 - fold ) ( as shown in fig1 b , lane 1 ). this labeling is resistant to various chemical treatments as well as to boiling in sds - containing buffer , indicating that the observed binding might be covalent . interestingly , the presence of ribavirin 5 ′- triphosphate is able to decrease gtp - binding to cep , indicating that this analogue might compete for the gtp binding site ( lanes 1 - 6 ). this labeling depends on the presence of magnesium . these results suggest that cef is the dengue virus guanylyltransferase . the enzymatic mtase activity of ns5mtase dv was assayed by following the transfer of a radiolabeled methyl group from adomet to various rna substrates using a filter - binding assay . capped and non - capped short rna substrates ( gpppaccccc , 7me gpppaccccc and pppaccccc ) were used as methyl acceptors . as shown in fig4 a , the protein is able to transfer a methyl group from adomet to the capped rna subtrates gpppaccccc and 7me gpppaccccc , but not to the non - capped substrate pppaccccc . methyltransfer to capped rna occurs even when the n7 - position of the guanine is already methylated . to characterize the methylated nucleoside ( s ), the reaction mixture was treated with phosphodiesterase which cleaves both rna and cap structure , and alkaline phosphatase to render the nucleoside components . separation of the reaction products using thin - layer chromatography shows ( fig6 b ) that most of the radioactivity co - migrates with 2 ′- o - methylated adenosine ( a 2 ′ 0me ), and not with n7 - methylated guanosine ( 7me g ). these results demonstrate that , under our experimental conditions , methylation occurs exclusively at the 2 ′- o - position of the second nucleotide . they do not exclude , however , that the n7 - position of the guanine would be methylated by ns5mtase dv under conditions found in the replication complex in vivo . we conclude that ns5mtase dv is the 2 ′ omtase of the dengue virus . the physical coupling of this domain to the polymerase domain is relevant to coordinating the initiation of genomic (+) rna synthesis and rna capping . the crystal structure of cef was determined by the multi - wavelength anomalous dispersion ( mad ) method using a bound hg ion as the anomalous scatterer ( table 1 ). crystals were grown at room temperature in hanging drops . 1 μl of the protein solution ( 12 mg / ml ) was mixed with 1 μl of a reservoir solution containing 0 . 1 m sodium citrate , ph 5 . 8 , 1 . 2 m lithium sulfate , and 0 . 5 m ammonium sulfate , and allowed to equilibrate by vapor diffusion over one week . crystals were cryoprotected in the same solution containing 20 % glycerol , and flash - frozen in a nitrogen stream . crystals grew in space group p3 1 21 ( a = 111 . 5 å , c = 56 . 3 å ). data were collected at the esrf on beamlines id14 - 2 , id14 - 3 and bm14 using charge - coupled device detectors ( adsc q4 or mar 165 ). images were processed using denzo ( 22 ), and intensities were merged with scala ( 23 ). mad datasets were collected using a hg ( cn ) 2 - soaked crystal . phases were calculated using mlphare ( 23 ). solvent flattening and phase extension to 2 . 4 å were performed using dm ( 24 ). residues 10 to 261 could be built and assigned unambiguously in the initial density map . several rounds of slow - cooled torsion molecular dynamics refinement and model improvement were carried out using cns ( 25 ) and turbo ( 26 ). rfree ( 27 ) was calculated using 5 % of the unique data . residues 7 to 264 were defined in the structure and constitute the final model using dengue ns5 sequence numbering . cef presents an overall globular structure made of three subdomains ( as shown in fig2 a and 2 b ). they are a n - terminal module ( subdomain 1 , residues 1 to 70 ), a sam - binding core ( subdomain 2 , residues 71 to 222 ), and a c - terminal sequence ( subdomain 3 , residues 223 to 264 ) located between subdomains 1 and 2 , and forming the bottom of a narrow cleft . subdomain 1 has no known homologue out of the flaviviruses , nor does it share a common structural feature with any protein structure deposited in the protein data bank as determined using the dali server ( 15 ). it starts with a helix a1 - turn - helix a2 motif and constitutes one side of the cleft separating subdomain i from the core domain of cef . the core subdomain 2 folds like a typical sam - dependent methyltransferase domain homologous to that of reovirus λ2 ( 5 ) and vaccinia virus vp39 enzyme ( 16 ). this core is comprised of a twisted mixed b - sheet comprising 7 b - strands ( b1 to b7 ) and 5 helices ( a1 to a5 ). this structural homology allows one to superimpose the core of cef onto the related vp39 nucleoside - 2 ′- o - methyltransferase domain in complex with both sam and mrna cap ( 17 ). an additional density was found in the difference fourier map within cef subdomain 2 in the vicinity of the cleft . the superimposition of vp39 and cef showed that this density is located in the sam - binding pocket of the vp39 methyltransferase . it was identified and refined as a bound s - adenosyl - l - homocysteine ( sahc ) molecule , the product of the methyl transfer reaction , which probably originated from e . coli and co - purified with cef . the adenine base of the sahc molecule is held tightly in a pocket lined by 4 b - strands as found in other sam - dependent methyltransferases . the sulfur atom of sahc points toward the cleft . the cef cleft occupies the same location as the rna - binding cleft seen in the vp39 nucleoside - 2 ′- o - methyltransferase structure . surface potential analysis shows that the bottom of the cef cleft is positively charged , indicating that it might also accommodate the negatively charged phosphates of the 5 ′- mrna end ( as shown in fig2 c ). the applicant demonstrated that this surface potential and the topological similarity with vp39 support that cef might be a nucleoside - 2 ′- o - methyltransferase acting to produce a cap 1 structure . examination of the crystal packing showed that there is enough space in the crystals for diffusion of small molecules such as nucleotides . when soaked in a solution containing b , g - methylene gtp ( gdpmp ), a non - hydrolysable gtp analogue , no obvious rearrangement occurred in the crystal packing . a calculated difference fourier map showed an additional density corresponding to the gtp analogue molecule bound to subdomain 1 ( as shown in fig3 a ). the base , ribose hydroxyl , and a - phosphate moieties of the gtp analogue contact mainly helices a1 and a2 . curiously , the sequence of the turn between a1 and a2 shares 79 % homology with that of a p - loop , a typical nucleotide binding motif ( 18 ). however , the gtp - binding mode to this loop is totally different from that of nucleotides to p - loops because the phosphates of gtp do not contact the loop . instead , phosphates point away from the loop towards the cleft , and they interact with residues belonging to the core domain at the bottom of the cleft . the ribose adopts a northern configuration , and specificity for ribonucleotides is achieved by two hydrogen - bonds with the 2 ′- oh involving lys 14 and asn 18 side - chains , conserved amongst flaviviruses . amino acid side - chains closest to the a - phosphate are those of lys 29 and ser 150 . as the west nile virus protein domain corresponding to cef ( 67 % amino acid identity and 87 % similarity in 296 residues ) has a conserved arginine at position 29 ( as shown in fig2 b ), the chemical mechanism of the guanylyltransferase reaction remains undetermined . the ser 150 side - chain contacts oxygen atoms from both a - and b - phosphate groups . ser 150 belongs to a strand connecting b4 to helix a6 against which packs the gtp - binding site of subdomain 1 . the structural organization of the gtp - binding site is remarkable . it can be viewed as a modular extension ( residues 7 to 70 ) of a conserved sam -/ rna - binding domain ( residues 71 to 222 ). this n - terminal appendage creates a novel gtp - binding site of previously unreported fold , making cef the smallest bifunctional capping enzyme known , and defining a type of guanylyltransferase distinct from both the reovirus 12 guanylyltransferase and those belonging to the covalent nucleotidyl transferase family . as the close association of guanylyltransferase and methyltransferase activities is a characteristic of many viral capping systems , this type of modular extension of sam - irna - binding domain might be found in other viruses for which guanylyltransferases have yet to be identified ( 6 ). there are a number of original structural features of cef that differ from known nucleotide binding site structures , exemplified by the contacts made by the purine base . the guanine specificity is achieved via three specific interactions of main - chain carbonyl groups with the 2 - amino group of guanine ( as shown in fig3 b ). none of these interactions would be possible with adenine . thus , the specificity for guanine vs . adenine binding does not involve specific interactions of the protein with the c6 purine substituent . this type of nucleotide discrimination appears to be novel . the n7 position of guanine points towards the solvent and does not contact any residue . this is different from the vp39 enzyme for which the alkylated base is a determinant of binding specificity ( 19 ). ribavirin 5 ′- triphosphate binds to cef under the same conditions as those used for the gtp analogue , and makes the same contacts as the gtp analogue ( as shown in fig4 a ). interestingly , the carbonyl group of ribavirin does not interact with any residue , but the nh 2 group hydrogen - bonds the same carbonyl groups of leu 17 , asn 18 , and leu 20 as the nh 2 of the gtp analogue ( compare fig3 a and 4 a ). thus , ribavirin does not seem to be structurally discriminated . although the structural resemblance of ribavirin with guanosine originates from the spatial position of both 1 - and 6 - positions , this mimicry is at odds with the binding mode of ribavirin ( compare fig3 b and 4 b ). it is the nh 2 of ribavirin , not its carbonyl group , which adopts a spatially equivalent position to that of the 2 - amino group of guanine . ribavirin 5 ′- triphosphate exhibits cef - binding affinity similar to that of gtp ( fig1 ). in ribavirin - treated cells , the concentration of ribavirin 5 ′- triphosphate is at least about one order of magnitude lower than that of gtp ( 20 ). therefore , the antiviral effect of ribavirin cannot be explained without the down - regulation of the intracellular gtp pool through inhibition of imp - dh by ribavirin 5 ′- monophosphate . since rna capping is essential for various viruses ( 6 ), the structural mechanism for ribavirin inhibition of rna capping presented here might account for the antiviral activity of ribavirin against flaviviruses , but does not exclude the inhibition of additional viral enzymatic activities . for example , ribavirin 5 ′- triphosphate is incorporated into poliovirus during viral rna polymerization ( 21 ). however , in the absence of interferon , ribavirin nucleotides do not exert an antiviral activity against the flaviviridae hepatitis c virus , which has no rna capping activity . thus , the antiviral activity of ribavirin against flaviviruses might be dependent on inhibition cellular imp - dh and , at least , viral capping . together with the adenine / guanine specificity , the ribavirin binding mode has two important consequences in terms of drug design . first , examination of nucleotide - binding protein structures in the protein data bank indicates that no specific recognition of gtp with the purine 2 - position only ( as shown in fig3 b ) has been reported before . cellular ntp - binding enzymes appear to contact at least two of the purine 1 -, 2 -, or 6 - positions . if this holds true , our results explain the apparent lack of significant affinity of ribavirin nucleotides for cellular gtp - binding proteins , a finding consistent with ribavirin antiviral selectivity . the second issue is that of drug - resistance . since only main - chain contacts are involved in the binding of ribavirin , a mere substitution of an amino acid side - chain directly involved in the discrimination of ribavirin relative to gtp is unlikely . consequently , drug - resistance by such a direct mechanism is also unlikely . these structural features provide a unique basis for a rational drug - design against many human pathogens of viral origin , of which the emerging flaviviruses are a timely example . the cef protein and its ability to bind nucleotide analogue , such as ribavirin 5 ′- triphosphate , can be used to probe any inhibitor . the identified inhibitors are useful in treatment of diseases caused by flavivirus infection . the selection of acyclovir 5 ′- triphosphate as an inhibitor is exemplified below . acyclovir is a nucleoside analogue used in the treatment of herpesvirus infections . these viruses encode their own nucleoside kinase able to phosphorylate acyclovir into acyclovir 5 ′- monophosphate . any herpesvirus - infected cell is then able to perform this phosphorylation reaction , whereas an uninfected cell is not , resulting in a good selectivity for activation of the drug . cellular kinases are then able to phosphorylate acyclovir 5 ′- monophosphate up to acyclovir 5 ′- triphosphate , which is a good inhibitor of herpesvirus polymerase . because most viruses ( except herpes viruses ) do not possess the viral nucleoside kinase , acyclovir cannot be activated to the monophosphate state and hence , no acyclovir 5 ′- triphosphate can be produced to inhibit viral growth . acyclovir is thus an inactive drug against these viruses , but it is not known whether the polymerase or any other viral enzyme , such as the capping enzyme of these viruses could be inhibited by acyclovir 5 ′- triphosphate . the cef protein and its ability to bind gtp provides an easy way to determine the potential inhibitory power of any nucleoside acting as a competitive inhibitor of gtp , such as the guanosine analogue acyclovir 5 ′- triphosphate . the binding affinity constant of gtp to cef can be easily determined using a fixed concentration of cef and increasing concentrations of radiolabeled gtp as described in fig1 a . the cef . gtp complex is assayed using uv - crosslinking , and plotted as a function of gtp concentration . this complex becomes saturated at high gtp concentrations , following a hyperbolic saturation function from which a binding affinity constant kd of 52 μm can be determined . in order to determine the binding affinity of acyclovir 5 ′- triphosphate relative to that of gtp , cef is first incubated with about 52 μm of gtp , and increasing concentrations of acyclovir 5 ′ triphosphate are added to the reaction . the cef - gtp complex is then assayed using uv - crosslinking as described above . if acyclovir 5 ′ triphosphate competes with radiolabeled gtp for the cef active - site , acyclovir 5 ′ triphosphate will replace gtp in the active - site . because acyclovir 5 ′- triphosphate is not labeled , one will observe a decreased amount of radiolabeled cef - gtp complex , from which a relative binding affinity constant of about 79 μm for the acyclovir 5 ′- triphosphate binding to cef can be determined ( see fig1 b ). in this case , the important information extracted from this test is that although acyclovir may not be active against a given virus , the triphosphate form of acyclovir is a good inhibitor of the cef enzyme . hence , the information extracted from this test is that any vectorized form of acyclovir 5 ′ monophosphate that might by - pass the first nucleoside kinase activation step , which restricts the antiviral activity to herpesviruses , should result in having acyclovir 5 ′- triphosphate produced in the cell . the acyclovir 5 ′- triphosphate should then inhibit any virus having an essential enzyme such as cef , as determined by the cef - acyclovir 5 ′- triphosphate binding assay . it is clear that this kind of assay can be used with any molecule ( nucleoside or non - nucleoside ) to cef in the gtp binding site . the simplicity , robustness , and the fact that thijs assay can be performed a single - tube are indicative that this cef - binding assay can be used to screen rapidly and efficiently potential inhibitors of enzymes such as the cef protein . the following publications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties . 2 . s . shuman , prog . nucleic acid res . mol . biol . 66 , 1 - 40 ( 2000 ). 4 . k . hakansson , a . j . doherty , s . shuman , d . b . wigley , cell 89 , 545 - 53 ( 1997 ). 5 . k . m . reinisch , m . l . nibert , s . c . harrison , nature 404 , 960 - 7 ( 2000 ). 8 . j . l . patterson , r . fernandez - larsson , rev . infectious dis . 12 , 1139 - 1146 ( 1990 ). 9 . i . jordan , t . briese , n . fischer , j . y . lau , w . i . lipkin , j . infect . dis . 182 , 1214 - 7 ( 2000 ). 10 . j . neyts , a . meerbach , p . mckenna , e . de clercq , antiviral res . 30 , 125 - 32 ( 1996 ). 12 . t . j . chambers , c . s . hans , r . galler , c . m . rice , ann . rev . microbiol . 44 , 649 - 688 ( 1990 ). 13 . the cef encoding gene was cloned from the genomic rna of dengue virus type 2 ( new guinea ) using rt - pcr into the bacterial expression vector pqe30 . the authentic amino acid sequence of ns5 was preceded by the sequence tag mrsg ( h ) 6 to help purification of cef which comprised a total of 306 residues . expression was at 30 ° c ., and cef was purified from the soluble fraction using ni - agarose affinity chromatography followed by anion - exchange chromatography ( sp - column , pharmacia ) in bicine buffer , ph 7 . 5 , 0 . 3 m nacl , 1 mm dtt , 10 % glycerol . cef binds single - stranded rna ( d . benarroch , m . p . egloff , b . selisko , j . l . romette , b . canard , embo j , 21 , 11 , pp2757 - 2768 ( 2002 ). 15 . l . holm , c . sander , j . mol . biol . 233 , 123 - 38 ( 1993 ). 16 . a . e . hodel , p . d . gershon , x . shi , f . a . quiocho , cell 85 , 247 - 56 ( 1996 ). 17 . a . e . hodel , p . d . gershon , f . a . quiocho , mol . cell 1 , 443 - 7 ( 1998 ). 18 . m . saraste , p . r . sibbald , a . wittinghofer , trends biochem . sci . 15 , 430 - 4 ( 1990 ). 19 . f . a . quiocho , g . hu , p . d . gershon , curr . opin . struct . biol . 10 , 78 - 86 ( 2000 ). 20 . a . kornberg , t . a . baker , . ( w . h . freeman & amp ; co ., 1992 ) pp . 54 . 24 . k . cowtan , joint ccp4 and esf - eacbm newsletter on protein crystallography 31 , 34 - 38 ( 1994 ). 25 . a . t . brünger , et al ., acta crystallogr . d 54 , 905 - 921 ( 1998 ). 26 . a . roussel , c . cambillau , in silicon graphics directory s . graphics , ed . ( mountain view , calif ., 1991 ) pp . 97 . 29 . e . a . merrit , m . e . p . murphy , acta crystallogr . d biol . crystallogr . 50 , 869 - 873 ( 1994 ). 30 . a . nicholls , k . a . sharp , b . honig , proteins 11 , 281 - 296 ( 1991 ).	2
fig1 shows an example of embodiment of a 3d navigation system for motor vehicles . the 3d navigation system for motor vehicles includes a setup or combination combining of at least twenty , preferably one hundred motor vehicles according to the motor vehicle indicated by reference 1 . fig2 shows an example of the motor vehicle 1 . the motor vehicle 1 includes a positioning system 23 , e . g . in the form of a gps positioning system , based on signals from satellites 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 for determining the geo location of the motor vehicle 1 . the motor vehicle 1 also includes an environment scanner 20 for generating a 3 - dimensional image i 3 d of an environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 or at least of a part of the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 . the environment scanner 20 includes a sensor 24 and an analyzer 21 . the sensor 24 may include a camera , a stereo camera , a laser scanner , lidar or a radar device , in particular a radar device for determining a differential speed , a distance and an angle between an object and the motor vehicle 1 . a suitable laser scanner may e . g . be ordered from sick ag , sebastian - kneipp - str . 1 , 79183 waldkirch , federal republic of germany . an environment of the motor vehicle 1 in the sense of the invention is in particular an area in front of the motor vehicle 1 or around the motor vehicle 1 that can be scanned by the environment scanner 20 or the sensor 24 . the analyzer 21 is used first to determine the speed of the objects recognized by the sensor 24 in the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 via the speed v of the motor vehicle 1 . depending on the geo location of the motor vehicle 1 , the analyzer 21 prepares , from the objects at rest in the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 , a 3 - dimensional image i 3 d of the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 or at least a part of the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 . a suitable method is e . g . shown in the article “ fusion of realities for vehicle navigation ” by zhencheng hu , keiichi uchimura and hanqing lu which can be retrieved from the internet . the motor vehicle 1 includes also a navigation module 22 . in a simple embodiment the navigation module 22 includes an interface to the bus system 28 through which the speed v of the motor vehicle 1 can be transmitted by a motor vehicle control 29 to the navigation module 22 , and an interface to a communications device 27 . with the communications device 27 a communications connection 15 can be established between the motor vehicle 1 and another motor vehicle indicated by reference 2 for transmitting the 3 - dimensional image i 3 d of the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 or at least a part of the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 to the motor vehicle 2 . in addition , a communications connection 16 can be established via the communications device 27 between the motor vehicle 1 and a stationary base station 5 for transmitting the 3 - dimensional image i 3 d of the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 or at least a part of the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 to the stationary base station 5 . the stationary base station 5 also includes e . g . an antenna indicated by reference 6 . the present example of embodiment also provides that the motor vehicle 1 includes a database 26 of the 3 - dimensional image of an area around the motor vehicle 1 . an area around the motor vehicle 1 may be an environment of the motor vehicle 1 . however , an area around the motor vehicle 1 is in particular an area going beyond the environment of the motor vehicle 1 . an area around the motor vehicle 1 may the borough of a city or an area similar to it , a town or an area similar to it , a county or an area similar to it , a federal state or an area similar to it and / or a country or an area similar to it . in the present example of embodiment the navigation module 22 serves also for administering or for updating the database 26 described in fig3 . according to the present example of embodiment the motor vehicle 1 also includes a display device 25 , an example of which is shown in fig4 , for displaying an image of the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 or at least a part of the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 and / or for displaying an image of an area around the motor vehicle 1 or at least a part of the area around the motor vehicle 1 . the large image displayed here in fig4 by the display device 25 is an example of embodiment of an image of the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 or at least a part of the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 , and the small image displayed in fig4 by the display device 25 is an example of embodiment of an image of an area around the motor vehicle 1 or at least a part of the area around the motor vehicle 1 . fig3 shows the principle of an example of embodiment of the motor vehicle 2 . the motor vehicle 2 includes a positioning system 23 corresponding to the positioning system 33 , a display device 25 corresponding to display device 35 for displaying an image of the environment 9 of the motor vehicle 2 or at least a part of the environment 9 of the motor vehicle 2 and / or for displaying an image of an area around the motor vehicle 2 or at least a part of the area around the motor vehicle 2 depending on the geo location of the motor vehicle 2 and a database 36 of a 3 - dimensional image of an area around the motor vehicle 2 corresponding in principle to the database 26 . the motor vehicle 2 also includes a communications device 37 corresponding in principle to the communications device 27 . via a communications device 37 the communications connection 15 can be established between the motor vehicle 2 and the motor vehicle 1 for transmitting the 3 - dimensional image i 3 d of the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 or at least a part of the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 to the motor vehicle 2 . in addition , a communications connection 17 can be established via a communications device 37 between the motor vehicle 2 and a stationary base station 5 for transmitting a 3 - dimensional image of an area around the motor vehicle 2 or at least a part of the area around the motor vehicle 2 from the stationary base station 5 to the motor vehicle 2 . the motor vehicle 2 includes also a navigation module 22 for controlling the display device 35 depending on the position of the motor vehicle 2 and for updating the database 36 . for this purpose the process outlined in fig5 or in fig6 is implemented in the navigation module 32 . the process pursuant to fig5 begins with a step 40 in which a 3 - dimensional image i 3 d of the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 or at least a part of the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 received by the motor vehicle 1 and / or a 3 - dimensional image of an area around the motor vehicle 2 or at least a part of the area around the motor vehicle 2 is read in . the step 40 is followed by a query 41 as to whether a corresponding 3 - dimensional image of the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 or the part of the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 or the area around the motor vehicle 2 or the part of the area around the motor vehicle 2 is in the database 36 . if such a 3 - dimensional image is in the database 36 , the query 41 is followed by query 42 as to whether the 3 - dimensional image i 3 d of the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 or at least a part of the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 received from the motor vehicle 1 or the 3 - dimensional image of the area around the motor vehicle 2 or at least a part of the area around the motor vehicle 2 received from the stationary base station 5 differs from a corresponding image in the database 36 . if there is no corresponding 3 - dimensional image in the database 36 , the query 41 is followed by query 43 . if the 3 - dimensional image i 3 d of the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 or at least a part of the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 received from the motor vehicle 1 or the 3 - dimensional image of the area around the motor vehicle 2 or at least a part of the area around the motor vehicle 2 received from the stationary base station 5 differs from a corresponding image in database 36 , query 42 is followed by step 43 . in step 43 the database 36 is updated , i . e . the 3 - dimensional image i 3 d of the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 or at least a part of the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 received from the motor vehicle 1 or the 3 - dimensional image of the area around the motor vehicle 2 or at least a part of the area around the motor vehicle 2 received from the stationary base station 5 is added to the database or a corresponding image in the database 36 is replaced , or is replaced in the parts that need updating , with the 3 - dimensional image i 3 d of the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 or at least a part of the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 received from the motor vehicle 1 or the 3 - dimensional image of the area around the motor vehicle 2 or at least a part of the area around the motor vehicle 2 received from the stationary base station 5 . fig6 shows an example of embodiment of another process that can be implemented in the navigation module 32 . here the steps indicated with the references 50 and 53 basically correspond to the steps 40 and 43 and the queries indicated with the references 51 and 562 essentially correspond to queries 41 and 42 . if the 3 - dimensional image i 3 d of the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 or at least a part of the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 received from the motor vehicle 1 or the 3 - dimensional image of the area around the motor vehicle 2 or at least a part of the area around the motor vehicle 2 received from the stationary base station 5 differs from a corresponding image in database 36 , the query 45 as in query 52 is followed by query 54 . query 54 determines whether the received 3 - dimensional image differs from the 3 - dimensional image stored in the database in the same way as a 3 - dimensional image of the same environment recorded ( and transmitted ) by another motor vehicle before the waiting period . the waiting period may be ‘ zero ’ but is preferably longer than 15 min , in particular longer than 60 min . if the received 3 - dimensional image differs from the 3 - dimensional image stored in the database in the same way as a 3 - dimensional image of the same environment recorded ( and transmitted ) by another motor vehicle before the waiting period , the query 54 is followed by step 53 corresponding to step 43 . otherwise the query 54 is followed by a step 55 in which the received 3 - dimensional image or the difference between this 3 - dimensional image and the 3 - dimensional image stored in the database 36 is put into temporary storage . contrary to an updated 3 - dimensional image , the 3 - dimensional image put into temporary storage cannot be displayed via the display device 36 . adjusted accordingly , a process shown in fig5 or a process shown in fig6 for updating the database 26 may also be implemented in the navigation module 22 . in this case the 3 - dimensional image i 3 d of the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 or at least a part of the environment 8 of the motor vehicle 1 scanned by the environment scanner 20 a 3 - dimensional image of the environment of the other motor vehicle or at least a part of the environment of the other motor vehicle received by another motor vehicle and / or a 3 - dimensional image of an area around the motor vehicle 2 or at least a part of the area around the motor vehicle 2 received by the stationary base station 5 is read in step 40 or in step 50 . the steps 43 , 53 , 55 and the queries 41 , 42 , 51 , 52 , 54 are adjusted accordingly to these data . an accordingly adjusted process shown in fig5 or in fig6 for updating a database 66 , shown in fig1 , of the stationary base station 5 may also be implemented in a corresponding navigation module 62 of the stationary base station 5 . in this case a 3 - dimensional image of the environment of this motor vehicle or at least of a part of the environment of this motor vehicle received from a motor vehicle ( e . g . motor vehicle 1 ) is read in step 40 or step 50 . the steps 43 , 53 , 55 and the queries 41 , 42 , 51 , 52 , 54 are adjusted accordingly . motor vehicles such as motor vehicle 1 may be commercial motor vehicles such as taxis but also private vehicles .	6
as mentioned above , there is a need to provide a driver circuit that has a specific impedance matching the impedance of the transmission line , that neither consumes large quantities of power nor decreases maximum signal amplitude . the invention overcomes the conventional problems and provides a driver that matches the necessary impedance with minimum power dissipation and maximum signal amplitude by utilizing a number of resistors in parallel . more specifically , fig3 illustrates one embodiment of the invention . in fig3 , the driver circuit 300 and the resistor switch segments are shown as items 301 - 304 . each switch segment 301 - 304 includes a switch 310 and a resistor 311 . the switches 310 switch between vh and vl and pass the signal through the resistor 311 . while there are a limited number of resistive elements shown in the drawings , one ordinarily skilled in the art would understand that the number of resistive elements is not limited and depend upon the specific design being addressed . the driver consists of a number of switch - resistor combinations with one end connected to the output node of the driver . the opposite end can be switched between a high and low voltage reference level , typically vdd ( vh ) and gnd ( vl ). fig3 and 4 illustrate two implementations of the inventive driver . each driver is composed of n resistor - switch segments ( note : the resistor - switch segments do not have to be identical ; they may have different values of resistance ). the resistor - switch segments in fig3 show a single resistor that is switched between vl and vh . the resistor - switch segments in fig4 show two equal resistors that are switched , one to vh and the second to vl . in general , the resistive elements do not increase power dissipation or decrease signal amplitude because the output impedance of the driver ( z o ) is equal to the parallel combination of all the resistive elements ( z o = 1 /( 1 / r 0 + 1 / r 1 + . . . + 1 / r n ). it does not matter whether a resistive element is switched to either the vh or vl supply input . if all the resistive elements are connected to vh , then vdrive ( max )= vh and if all the resistive elements are connected to vl , then vdrive ( min )= vl . the maximum signal amplitude is therefore vout ( max )= vdrive ( max )− vdrive ( min )= vh − vl . in fig1 , vout ( max ) ( vh − vl )−( v 101 ( min )+ v 102 ). in fig2 , vout ( max )= vamp ( max )− vamp ( min )=( vh − vl )−( v 203 ( min )+ v 204 ( min )). in fig3 and 4 , vout ( max )=( vh − vl ). if vh and vl are fixed then vout ( max ) is reduced by ( v 101 ( min )+ v 102 ) for fig1 , or vout ( max ) is reduced by ( v 203 ( min )+ v 204 ( min )) for fig2 . if vout ( max ) is held constant then vh − vl must be increased by ( v 101 ( min )+ v 102 ) for fig1 , or vh − vl must be increased by ( v 203 ( min )+ v 204 ( min )) for fig2 . this increase in vh − vl results in increased power dissipation . with the invention the parallel combination of all the resistors is equal to the characteristic impedance of the transmission line . since the reference voltage levels represent a virtual ground for ac analysis , the output impedance of the driver is always equal to the parallel combination of all the resistors 1 / r 0 + 1 / r 1 30 1 / r 2 + . . . + 1 / r n + 1 / z 0 the output level of the driver is controlled by switching selected resistors between the high and low reference level such that the parallel - series combination generates the appropriate output voltage . v out = vl +( vh − vl )*[ r h /( r h + r l )] r h r h is the parallel combination of resistors switched to vh . r l is the parallel combination of resistors switched to vl . for example in fig3 , if resistor 311 is connected to vh in resistor - switch segments 301 and 302 , and resistor 311 is connected to vl in resistor - switch segments 303 - 304 . then r h = 1 ( 1 / r 301 + 1 / r 302 ) and rl = 1 /( 1 / r 303 + . . . + 1 / r 304 ). regardless which resistors are connected to vh and which resistors are connected to vl the output impedance of the driver remains the same . 1 / r h + 1 / r l = 1 / r 0 + 1 / r 1 + 1 / r 2 + . . . + 1 / r n = 1 / z 0 1 / r h + 1 / r l =( 1 / r 301 + 1 / r 302 )+( 1 / r 303 + . . . + 1 / r 304 )= 1 / z 0 the values of each resistor can be selected in any way to determine the appropriate resolution and step size of the output voltage . the resistors do not have to be the same value . the conventional structures shown in fig1 and 2 both require the use of transistors in their saturated operating regions since they are used as linear control devices . in one embodiment , the invention uses transistors to implement the switch function ; however these transistors are used in the linear or triode operating regions . the invention is not required to use linear control devices . in other words , the invention is a switch mode driver rather than a linear controlled driver . in fig1 , the amplitude of the signal is controlled by the digital switch settings and the value of the current sources . the sum , of all the current sources times the value of the terminating resistor 111 determines the maximum signal amplitude for the conventional structure shown in fig1 . in fig2 , the amplitude of the signal is controlled by an analog input signal and the gain of the amplifier . if the amplitude of the signal generated by the circuit shown in fig2 is to be controlled with a digital control , then a digital - to - analog converter must be used to generate the analog input signal . to the contrary , with the invention , the maximum signal amplitude is always equal to vh − vl , without the need to scale the value of the current source to match the value of the terminating resistor ( fig1 ) or the need to have a digital - to - analog converter that generates an analog signal that is compatible with the amplifier gain and input levels ( as is needed in the circuit shown in fig2 ). the relative amplitude is controlled by the digital control of the switches , which is an integral part of the driver design . fig4 illustrates another embodiment of the inventive driver 400 that includes resistance elements 401 - 404 . items 401 - 404 represent resistors that each include upper switches 410 and lower switches 420 and are connected to the signal line 120 , 121 . the upper switches 410 connect or disconnect the vh signal ( which is passed through resistors 411 ). similarly , the lower switches 420 pass the vl signal through resistors 421 to the signal line 120 , 121 . the resistor - switch segments in fig3 require only one switch and one resistor . but , the switch must be able to switch the resistor between the two supply rails ( single pole double throw ( spdt ) function ), and the switch must be able to sink and source current . the parasitic capacitance on the switching node is rapidly charged or discharged through the low impedance of the switch . to the contrary , the resistor - switch segments in fig4 require two switches and two resistors . however , the switch is only required to switch the resistor between one supply rail and an open circuit ( single pole single throw ( spst ) function ), and the switch is only required to sink or source current , not both . as a result , the switch design in the embodiment shown in fig4 can be simpler than that shown in fig3 . with the embodiments shown in fig3 and 4 , since there is one resistor associated with each switch , the values of each resistor can be tailored to match the resistance of the respective switch , so that the sum of the resistance of the switch and the resistor combine to achieve the desired value . the parasitic capacitance of the switching node must be charged or discharged through the resistor when the switch is in the open state . this results in lower current peaks than with the circuits shown in fig1 . the resistor - switch segments shown in fig5 - 7 are similar to the resistor switch segments 301 - 304 shown in fig3 and the resistor - switch segments shown in fig8 - 10 are similar to the resistor - switch segments 401 - 404 shown fig4 . more specifically , transistors 501 , 502 connect either the vh signal or the vl signal to an output through a resistor 501 . preferably , the transistors 501 , 502 are of a different type so that a single signal sx can be utilized to simultaneously deactivate one transistor while the other transistor is activated . for example , transistor 501 is shown as a p - type transistor and transistor 502 is shown as a n - type transistor . the resistor - switch segments shown in fig6 are similar to that shown in fig5 except that the ones in fig6 include additional resistors 605 , 606 . these resistors 605 , 606 are selected to balance the resistance of each leg in the segment . for example , the p - type transistor 501 has a different resistance than the n - type transistor 502 and the resistors 605 , 606 are sized to accommodate for this difference . the resistor switch segment shown in fig7 is similar to the previous switch segments and includes buffers 701 , 702 and a balancing resistor 705 . having separate buffers 701 and 702 allows the gate drive signals for 501 and 502 to be optimized so that the signal to turn on one of the transistors is delayed until the other transistor is turned off , thus minimizing shoot - through current spikes that occur when both transistors are simultaneously turned on . the use of resistor 705 is used to balance the switch resistance similarly to resistors 605 and 606 . the resistor - switch segment shown in fig8 is similar to the structure shown in fig6 ; however , in fig8 , the resistor 503 is omitted and the balancing resistors 805 , 806 provide the majority of resistance of the device . the resistor switch segments shown in fig9 are similar to that shown in fig8 but omit the resistors 805 , 806 , relying primarily upon the transistors 501 , 502 to provide a resistance . the resistor switch segment shown in fig1 is similar to that shown in fig8 ; however it includes the drivers 701 , 702 that are discussed above with respect to fig7 . in fig5 - 10 , the resistance of the switching transistors is included in total resistance value of the resistor - switch segment , and the values of the resistor and switch resistance can be optimized for maximum performance . in the limiting case ( see fig9 , r × b ), the switch can provide the total resistance . a switch driver can be included ( see fig1 , r × c and fig7 r × e ) that provides adjustable drive levels to the transistor gates to provide better control of the on resistance of the transistor switches over process and temperature variations . thus , as shown above the invention overcomes the conventional problems and provides a driver that matches the necessary impedance with minimum power dissipation and maximum signal amplitude by utilizing a number of resistors in parallel . while the invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiments , those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims .	7
with reference to the above figures , the reference numeral 1 designates a housing for containing the device , which comprises two uprights 2 and 3 which are inter - connected by two horizontal and parallel rods 4 and 5 lying on a vertical plane . a carriage 6 is slideable on the rods 4 and 5 and two parallel posts 7 and 8 , arranged at right angles to the rods 4 and 5 , are axially guided but prevented from rotating . the posts 7 and 8 are provided with respective racks , with which there meshes a pinion 9 keyed to a shaft 12 which is rotatably supported in the carriage 6 . one end of the post 7 protrudes downwards from the carriage 6 , and an arm 10 is rigidly coupled thereto and supports a set of three equidistant v - shaped blades 11 . likewise , one end of the post 8 protrudes above the carriage 6 and an arm 13 is rigidly coupled thereto supporting two equally v - shaped blades 14 which are co - planar with respect to the interspaces between the blades 11 . a lever 15 is radially rigidly coupled to the shaft 12 , and the stem of a fluid - actuated jack 16 is articulately connected to said lever ; the cylinder of said jack is articulately supported in a bracket ( not shown ) which is fixed to the carriage 6 . the actuation of the jack 16 causes an oscillation of the lever 15 and therefore a rotation of the pinion 9 such as to cause an approach or spacing of the blades 11 and 14 which is sufficient to clamp or release a bar 17 taken from a magazine and meant to be fed to the automatic lathe with which the device is associated . the magazine from which the bar is taken is constituted by an inclined plane 18 which leads between the blades 11 and 14 on the opposite side with respect to the carriage 6 . the bars are deposited side by side on the plane 18 and are released one at a time by means of a known individual selection mechanism ( not shown ). the carriage 6 is moved along the rods 4 and 5 by means of a transmission composed of a chain 19 wound around two pinions 20 and 21 , one of which is motorized . the chain 19 has two ends which are coupled to the carriage 6 and comprises two portions which are parallel to the rods 4 and 5 . a plurality of brackets 22 are slidingly supported on the rods 4 and 5 , along the portion between the upright 2 and the carriage 6 , and bear supports 23 provided with recesses which are open upwards and being v - shaped like the blades 11 . these recesses are substantially aligned along a line a passing through the point where the internal vertices of the blades 11 and 14 coincide when they are moved closer to each other . the line a is coaxial to the rotation axis of the spindle of the lathe to be fed with the bars . the brackets 22 are inter - connected by tie rods 24 slideable therein so as to allow the brackets 22 to stack up against the upright 2 when the carriage 6 moves to the left . vice versa , when the carriage shifts to the right , the tie rods 24 allow the sequential traction of the brackets 22 and their mutual spacing by an extent that is equal to the length of said tie rods . when the carriage 6 is fully shifted to the right , i . e ., when the brackets 22 are spaced one from the other , it is possible to deposit , on the supports 23 and between the blades 11 and 14 , a bar 17 arriving from the plane 18 and released by the individual selection device . the actuation of the jack 16 , and therefore the closure of the blades 11 and 14 to grip the released bar , are controlled by a device which detects beforehand the presence of the bar 17 on the supports 23 . said device comprises a flat plate 25 provided with a sensor 26 and fixed on a vertical shaft 26a which is rotatably supported in the carriage 6 . the upper end of the shaft 26a protrudes upwards from the carriage 6 and an arm 27 , which supports a roller 28 , is coupled to said end . the roller 28 is meant to cooperate with a locator 29 which is fixed to the top of the upright 3 and allows to reset the flat plate 25 once it has been released , as will become apparent hereinafter , to allow the intervention of the elements provided for the advancement of the bar towards the lathe . in order to retain the flat plate 25 in the reset position , i . e ., at right angles to the rods 4 and 5 , there is provided a lever 30 which is pivoted in the carriage 6 below the flat plate 25 . said lever has an arm 31 protruding downwards at an angle and supporting a roller 32 which rotatably engages a straight cam 33 which runs parallel to the bars 4 and 5 below the carriage 6 . the second arm 34 of the lever 30 is adapted to act as retainer for the flat plate 25 . the cam 33 has such a profile as to prevent the flat plate 25 , by means of the arm 34 , from rotating into the position which is parallel to the bars 4 and 5 over a certain extent which lies between the locator 29 and the upright 2 . when the carriage 6 is near the upright 2 , the cam 33 lifts the arm 31 of the lever 30 , causing the arm 34 to move downwards until the flat plate 25 is allowed to rotate freely . with the flat plate 25 in this position , it is possible to act on the bar 17 with a device which feeds the bar into the lathe to perform the intended machining operations . said device includes two shoulders 35 , which protrude from the uprights 2 and 3 and wherebetween a guide 36 for a chain 37 is provided . the chain 37 is closed in a loop about respective toothed pulleys ( not shown ), one of which is motorized . the guide 36 is rotatable with respect to the shoulders 35 and has a longitudinal slot through which a flap 38 protrudes laterally ; a bar pusher 39 is rigidly coupled to said flap , is parallel to a , and is provided with a collet to grip the bar to be fed . the flap 38 is rigidly coupled axially to the chain but it is rotatable thereabout . the guide 36 is supported by a plurality of bushes 40 which are inter - connected by a longitudinal member 41 . the bushes 40 are provided with lateral slots to allow , like the guide , the passage of the flap 38 during the advancement of the bar pusher . an arm 42 is radially rigidly coupled to the longitudinal member 41 and is connected to a jack 43 , whose actuation causes the rotation of the guide through an angle of 90 ° which allows the bar pusher 39 to oscillate from a lowered position below the guide ( fig4 ) to a raised position in which it is aligned with a . assume that the carriage 6 is arranged proximate to the right upright 3 , with the blades 11 and 14 spaced apart , and that the bar pusher 39 is also fully shifted to the right , below the guide 36 , as shown in fig4 . when the carriage 6 is in the indicated position , the brackets 22 are spaced one from the other , so that by actuating the individual selection device it is possible to remove a single bar 17 from the magazine and deposit it on the supports 23 . at this point , the chain 19 is actuated and , by moving the carriage 6 towards the left in the direction f , causes the abutment of the flat plate 25 against the end of the rod which is deposited on the supports 23 . during this step , the flat plate is kept by the lever 30 on a plane which is perpendicular to the carriage advancement direction . by means of the sensor 26 , the jack 16 is then actuated , and by means of the posts 7 , 8 and pinion 9 actuates the closure of the blades 11 and 14 , which grip the bar 17 and insert it in the spindle of the lathe as the stroke of the carriage 6 continues . during the stroke of the carriage 6 , after the blades 11 and 14 have clamped around the bar 17 , the cam 33 actuates the oscillation of the lever 30 into a position for disengagement from the flat plate 25 , which by means of spring means is returned to an arrangement which is parallel to the bars 4 and 5 outside the axial space occupation of the bar . when the carriage 6 has reached the left stroke limit and the brackets 22 have stacked up against the upright 2 , the jack 43 is actuated , causing the oscillation of the bar pusher 39 into a position that is coaxial to the advancement line a . at this point , the bar 17 is inserted in the collet of the bar pusher 39 , again by means of the chain 19 . then , after actuating the jack 16 in the direction for opening the blades 11 - 14 , the bar pusher 39 can act on the bar 17 and push it into the spindle of the lathe for the intended machining steps . during the operation of the bar pusher 39 , the carriage 6 waits in the forward position until said bar pusher returns with the final machining stub of the bar 17 . once the return stroke of the bar pusher 39 has been performed , by actuating the jack 16 in the direction for closing the blades 11 - 14 it is possible to extract the bar stub from the collet of the bar pusher by acting on the chain 19 . the bar pusher 39 can return to the initial position and the carriage 6 , with the stub , is returned to the initial position , which is close to the upright 3 , until the roller 28 engages on the locator 29 . this engagement causes the rotation of the flat plate 25 into the position that lies at right angles to the rods 4 and 5 , where it is retained by the oscillation of the lever 30 allowed by the cam 33 . accordingly , the actuation of the jack 16 causes the opening of the blades and the fall of the bar stub always in the rear position of the loader . it is evident that the described invention perfectly achieves the intended aim and objects . in particular , the grip of the bar by the blades prevents the danger of deformations during the pre - advancement stroke in the loader , prior to insertion in the collet of the bar pusher , furthermore the safe grip of the bar allows to achieve high speeds and to perform sharp braking actions , which would otherwise not be allowed , reducing cycle timings . numerous modifications and variations are possible in the practical embodiment of the invention and all are within the scope of the same inventive concept expressed in the appended claims .	1
various embodiment of the present invention enable designing captchas that require primarily a perceptual task to resolve . such captchas require a task that could be performed without the intelligence associated with human beings , but rather by using human &# 39 ; s perception of motion and ability to process visual cues . human perception and visual processing is tuned to perceive and make sense of motion . one example of this is the old invention of tachyscope . a tachyscope makes still images come alive by attaching them to a cylindrical board and spinning the board , while keeping the eyes on a specific location of the board . similarly , when driving past a fence with vertical openings between the boards , the view of the scenery on the other side of the fence appears uninterrupted until the car is stopped . in psychology , this effect is referred to as anorthoscopic perception . these examples show how human visual systems excel at integrating low resolution or conflicting images into apparently high resolution and complete images over time . this phenomenon is utilized in various embodiments of the invention . fig1 depicts a captcha according to the prior art . as can be seen , the captcha is basically the four letters “ smwm ” depicted in a distorted form . the distortion makes it difficult for ocr algorithm , but is rather simple for humans to decipher . however , various algorithms have been developed that gain some success in resolving such captcha . on the other hand , fig2 a and 2 b illustrate an animated captcha generated according to an embodiment of the invention , wherein a foreground layer partially obstruct the solution . the task in the example of fig2 a and 2 b is also to decipher the letters presented , in this example “ abcd .” however , in this embodiment the letters are not distorted . rather , the captcha is in the form of a looped animation , wherein the foreground always obstruct part of the solution . that is , motion is imparted either to the letters , to the foreground , or to both . in the example illustrated in fig2 a and 2 b , the letters are moving upwards , while the foreground is moving from right to left . that is , fig2 a and 2 b are “ snap shots ” of the captcha animation at two different points in times . as can be understood , when the complete animation is presented to a user in a continuous manner , the user will be able to easily decipher the letters , as at each point in time the user will see part of the solution and will be able to easily integrate the parts to decipher the whole . on the other hand , an ocr algorithm would not be able to decode this captcha , since the letters are never shown in a complete form . also , as can be seen from fig2 a and 2 b , such a captcha is more aesthetically pleasing , as it almost appears as a game . as can be understood , while the example of fig2 a and 2 b show moving bubbles as a foreground , other foregrounds can be used , so long as at each point in time only parts of the letters are shown , while other parts are covered . to illustrate , fig3 a and 3 b depict another example of a motion - based captcha . in this example , the letters “ abcd ” are stationary , but the vertical black lines move from right to left . as can be understood , part of a vertical line will always cover a part of each letter . therefore , none of the letters is ever shown completely exposed . however , when the lines are moving , human can perceive the letters easily . in the depicted example , the letters and moving foreground are shown in black and white . however , for a more pleasing experience , the letters and foreground can be provided in any desired color . still , for best secure results , the foreground and letters should be of the same color . also , while the examples here are given in terms of letters , any typographical character can be used , e . g ., numbers , shapes , symbols , etc . therefore , in this specification we refer to the term “ encoded solution ” as encompassing any of the characters that may be used in the captcha , such as letters , numbers , etc . furthermore , as will be discussed below , the solution need not necessarily be a typographical character , but can be any recognizable image , which also comes under the term “ encoded solution .” as can be understood , the animated captcha are similar to the prior art captchas in that both use characters as the encoded solution . however , prior art captcha &# 39 ; s are of a single - frame , while inventive animated captchas use multiple frames . the motion created by playing the frames makes the message perceptually pop out and it becomes easy to decode for humans . however , since the inventive animated captchas provide more frames that can be machine - processed to solve the problem , more data is available for automatically breaking the animated captcha . accordingly , when generating the animated chaptcha , it is advisable to follow the following guidelines : the set of characters may be a larger class than letters . as noted above , other symbols can be used ; however , the symbols need to be well known for the group of users . a possible class of symbols could consist of easily recognizable items , for example , animals or fruits and vegetables . depending on the level of security that is needed for the system , letters and digits might be a good enough choice . variations can include , arabic numerals , roman numerals , shapes , typographical characters , such as #, & amp ;, @, etc . while the encoded solution or the background alone can be moving , for best results both the foreground / background and the encoded solution should be moving . in addition , distracting elements could be moving in the same direction as the encoded solution . this makes time averaging over the frames and tracking of the message harder . also , while the examples are given in terms of foreground and background , multiple layers can be used , wherein each layer may be moving or stationary . the motion of each layer may be independent of the motion of any other layer . furthermore , the motion can be automatic , i . e ., a continuous loop , or manual in response to a user &# 39 ; s command . a manual motion can be , for example , the clip plays a number of frames in response to a user &# 39 ; s mouse click , or motion is made in response to user &# 39 ; s “ dragging ” of selected layer using a mouse or other input device , or a specific motion that depends on the user &# 39 ; s action , e . g ., foreground moves to left upon left - mouse click and to the right upon right - mouse click . the portions of the encoded solution that are visible should be changing over time . in addition , the sum of all frames can be set as not to give a complete image of the encoded solution . as is known , human perception is very good at “ completing the picture ” even when elements are missing . this is exemplified by the embodiment shown in fig3 c , which is generally the embodiment of fig3 a and 3 b , modified so that parts of the characters are missing throughout the complete animation . that is , the parts are missing even if all of the frames are put together . in this example , the parts are deleted by running two blocking lines 300 across the image ; however , other method can be used . to generalize , the embodiment of fig3 c is generated by presenting the typographical characters in an incomplete form . that is , part of each letter is always missing . the color of the message and the background / foreground should be matched so that the symbols cannot be trivially detected . if several colors are used , the colors should be chosen so that when converting the image to black and white , the colors would be in the same gray nuance . if several layers are used , each of different color , their overlap can be set to provide the same gray nuance as the solution . according to another aspect of the invention , interactive captcha are generated , which are easily solved by a human , but difficult for a machine to solve . interactive captcha requires the user to perform some actions to view or construct a hidden message . the actions can either be mouse input or keyboard input ( for example arrow keys ). an interactive captcha can , for example , ask the user to move the background / foreground to get a different view of the message . this example is illustrated in fig4 a and 4 b . fig4 a depicts the first frame of the interactive captcha . as can be seen , the foreground exposes only part of the encoded solution . in order to view the rest of the encoded solution , the user must take an action , such as move the foreground in the direction of the arrow , so as to expose the other parts of the message as shown in fig4 b . of course , rather than moving the foreground , the user may also be asked to move the encoded solution itself , so that the remainder appears through the openings in the foreground . as can be understood , the embodiment of fig4 a and 4 b can be implemented using animation captcha as well . that is , the embodiment of fig4 a and 4 b can be implemented as an animation clip that requires the user &# 39 ; s input in order to play the sequence . for example , the animation can be generated to move the foreground from left to right , as is shown by the arrow ; however , the animation is not set in motion until the user takes an action , such as click the mouse or press “ enter ” on the keyboard . in this sense , the embodiment of fig2 a and 2 b can be thought of as automatic animation captcha , while that of fig4 a and 4 b a manual captcha . conversely , the embodiments of fig2 a , 2 b , and 3 a - 3 c can be made as an interactive captchas , i . e ., the user must take an action to cause a motion , such as dragging a layer or clicking to set the clip in motion or to play part of the clip . another example is that the captcha asks the user to perform a matching task . such an example is illustrated in fig5 . the example of the interactive captcha of fig5 asks the user to match the letters in the top field with the letters in the bottom field . the matching can be done , e . g ., by selecting and dragging a letter from the top field and placing it on top of its counterpart in the bottom field , or vice versa . as shown in the example of fig5 , the task is made more difficult for a machine to resolve by interchanging the characters attributes , e . g ., capital and lower - case letters on the top and bottom field . other changes can include the use of different font , different attributes , such as size , bold , italic , color , shading , etc . in this manner , the matching is not only of a shape , but requires knowledge of the alphabet and its printable and usage variations . as is also exemplified in fig5 , none of the typographical characters is depicted in a complete form . part of each typographical character is missing . this can be easily overcome by humans , but may present a challenge to a computer to resolve . according to another embodiment , in addition to the user &# 39 ; s solution to the captcha , the user &# 39 ; s actions ( keyboard or mouse input ) can be tracked using conventional means . based on this information , the captcha can determine if the actions correspond to natural human behavior or if they could be computer generated . according to yet another embodiment , video - based captchas are generated . the video - based captchas ask a user to provide a response based on what is presented in a video clip . possible questions could be , for example : what activity is being performed in the video clip ? for enhanced security , the activity should not be deducible from a single frame or pair of frames . when does a person change activities in the video clip ? is this real life or science fiction video clip ? is this object moving forward , backwards , or staying still ? there could be camera motion , object motion , or both . is the segment running forward , backwards , or in fast forward mode ? what emotion are the people in the segment displaying ? fig6 depicts an example of a multi - layer captach wherein the solution is divided and distributed among various layers , in this example , two layers 603 and 605 . in this example there is also a background layer 601 and an obstruction foreground layer 607 . any of the layers can be moving under any of the methods described above , e . g ., closed loop animation , user interaction , etc . the idea here is that in addition to the foreground layer partially obstructing the solution , the layers comprising the solution must also be aligned in order to decipher the solution . in this example , when layers 603 and 605 are aligned , the partial solutions encircled by ovals 602 and 604 form the completed solution “ e ”, while the partial solutions encircled by ovals 606 and 608 form the complete solution “ a .” that is , each layer includes a partial solution that is complementary to a partial solution included in another layer or layers ( i . e ., the solution can be distributed among more than two layers ). fig7 a and 7 b depict an example of a video chaptcha according to an embodiment of the invention . as is shown in fig7 a , a video clip 710 is played , depicting a person running from left to the right side of the screen 700 . a timeline 720 is presented in the form of a bar having empty rectangles therein , which are being filled progressively from left to right as time passes , i . e ., as the playing of the video clip progresses . a caption , 730 , asks the user to perform a task that relies on information conveyed in the video clip . in this example , the user is requested to click on the timeline when the activity on the screen changes . as shown in fig7 b , when the fourth time rectangle has been filled , the person ceased running and is shown seated on a chair . at this time , if the user clicks on the timeline , it is interpreted as a correct solution to the captcha . on the other hand , the user may be allowed to click at any time , as long as the user clicks at the proper location on the time bar , in this example , the fourth filled time rectangle . this allows the user to provide a delayed response . according to yet another embodiment , an element is added to the video , such as a message ( or question , or object , etc .) that changes over time . the user is then asked to type the message ( or answer the question , or identify the object ) that is displayed at the time the user notices a specific semantic feature in the video . the additional element need not be obscured since the main challenge is identifying semantic video features . an example of a video captcha employing the added elements feature is shown in fig8 a and 8 b . fig8 a and 8 b depict an embodiment wherein the element that is shown in the screen is random , and the user is asked to type the element that is shown at the time the subject matter of the video changes . in the example of fig8 a and 8 b , the video clip shows a person running ( e . g ., fig8 a ) and various random words are flashing on the screen , e . g ., “ cat ” in fig8 a . when the subject matter of the video changes , e . g ., the person in the video is seated in fig8 b , the user is asked to type the random word that appeared at the time , here the word “ dog .” one problem with captchas , particularly those based on images , video , or interaction , is that it can be hard to anticipate reasonable human responses . part of the reason that the most deployed captchas are letter based is that the correct response is unambiguous . the desire for an unambiguous label for each captcha severely limits the design space and opens the possibility to easier break the captcha . according to an embodiment of the invention , users are required to solve multiple captchas consisting of two sets , one already vetted captchas and a set of novel captchas . a user does not know which is which and is required to attempt all elements of both sets . the answers to the first set determine whether the entity accessing the site is a human , and that information is used both to allow access to resources and to decide whether to use that entity &# 39 ; s labels for the captchas in the second set . the user &# 39 ; s response to the second set is used to determine reasonable human responses to that captcha and assessing how vulnerable the captcha is for attacks . once a captcha in the second category has been sufficiently vetted , it is moved to the first category . when the captcha is moved to the first category , a solution or a solution set is associated with it . that is , the decision to move the captcha can be made after a statistically significant number of solutions to the second test have been received . then , either the highest scoring solution is chosen as a correct solution , or a set of most commonly received solutions is chosen as the correct solution and a user entering any of the solution from the set , is granted access . while the invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments thereof , it is not limited to those embodiments . specifically , various variations and modifications may be implemented by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the invention &# 39 ; s spirit and scope , as defined by the appended claims . for example , each of the novel types of captchas described can be incorporated in a number of different ways into more complex captchas , like ones that ask the user to determine the odd one out , or the correct sequence , same set or different , topic of a set , etc . similarly , hybrid captchas that combine features from animated , interactive , and video captchas are also possible . additionally , as noted before , the captchas can be made to have multiple layers . fig9 depicts an example of a captcha having multiple layers . one layer comprises generally a background , such as a “ wallpaper ” having diamond shape pattern . another layer includes the encoded solution , e . g ., “ a 2 c 5 ” illustrated in fig9 . yet another layer comprises various obstruction elements , such as “ floating disks ” illustrated in fig9 . any of the layers may be set stationary or movable . also , as in the above examples , it can be set that none of the encoded solution element is ever completely exposed or , conversely , it can be set that each element of the encoded solution is an incomplete element , such as an incomplete letter or numeral character . it should also be appreciated that the usage of “ background ” and “ foreground ” layers is meant for easy understanding of the various embodiments of the invention . however , the various embodiments are not necessarily restricted to usage of layers per se . other methods can be used that do not define layers , but which provide the same functions and results as in the illustrative embodiments . fig1 depicts another example of an embodiment having multiple layers . however , in fig1 the encoded solution is an image , rather than a typographical character . the user is then required to enter a word corresponding to the image . as before , the various layers can be set in motion automatically , such as in an animation clip , or in response to a user input . the user may also “ pick and drag ” any layer or one movable layer in order to properly expose the encoded solution .	6
referring specifically to the drawings , fig1 shows a shelf structure 10 mounted to a support wall or like structure 16 . the shelf structure 10 comprises a horizontal shelf part 12 and a brace part 14 . one end 11 ( the back end ) of the shelf part 12 abuts against the support wall 16 and is removably connected thereto by means of a mounting bracket ( not shown in fig1 ). the brace part 14 which typically has the same width as the shelf part 12 , extends downwardly and rearwardly from the front end 17 of the shelf part 12 . the back end 13 of brace part 14 which rests on wall 16 and provides support for the front end 17 of the shelf part 12 , forms an angle a with the shelf part . the brace part 14 is typically formed integrally with the self part 12 . in a preferred embodiment , the shelf structure is comprised of a frame with top and bottom cover members , 18 and 20 ( see fig2 ). the frame is comprised of a first side frame member 24 and a second side frame member 26 , a shelf end member 30 and a brace end member 28 . the two side frame members , 24 and 26 , are v - shaped having an angle a so that when the shelf structure 10 is constructed therefrom , the shelf part 12 and brace part 14 are provided for . the shelf end member 30 connects the shelf part end of the first side frame member 24 to the shelf part end of second side frame member 26 to form the back end 11 of shelf part 14 . the brace end member 13 connects the brace part end of frame member 24 to the brace part end of frame member 26 thereby forming the brace end 13 of brace part 14 . shelf end member 30 is provided with a slot 32 which will removably engage the shelf mounting means . the frame , after being assembled , is covered with an outer and an inner cover member , 18 and 20 respectively . the outer cover 18 forms the top upward facing surface of the shelf part 12 and wraps around the front end 17 of the shelf part 12 and forms the outer downward facing surface of the brace part 14 . the inner cover 20 forms the bottom downward facing surface of the shelf part 12 and doubles back to form the inner upward facing surface of the brace part 14 . when cover members 18 and 20 are applied to the frame structure described above , a hollow area is defined within the entire shelf structure 10 . the hollow area may be left empty ; however , it preferably contains a honeycomb member 22 which provides increased shelf support and strength without adding substantial to the overall weight . the honeycomb member 22 is typically comprised of a plurality of hexagonally shaped cells , each cell having a hexagonal bore 23 therethrough . the member 22 is sized so that it completely fills the hollow area within the shelf structure 10 and is oriented so that the bores 23 pass from the inner cover 18 to the outer cover 20 . the mounting means in accordance with the present invention is comprised of a v - shaped bracket member 36 having a first leg 37 and a second leg 39 . the legs typically form a mutual angle of about 45 °. the first leg 37 of bracket 36 is attached to wall 16 in any suitable fashion and the second leg 39 extends outwardly and upwardly therefrom . in mounting the shelf 10 to the support wall 16 , a slot 32 formed in shelf end member 30 is slipped over the second leg 39 of the v - shaped bracket 36 , thereby providing support for the back end 11 of shelf part 12 . in addition , the brace end 13 of brace part 14 is allowed to rest against support wall 16 at a position on the wall 16 which is below the location of the mounting bracket thereby providing support for the front end 17 of shelf part 12 . it will be obvious to one skilled in the art that bracket 36 may be fastened to the support wall 16 in many ways ( glue , nails , screws , etc .). typically , however , the bracket of the present invention will be mounted using screw fasteners . as shown in fig2 the v - shaped bracket 36 is provided with a plurality of holes 40 in first leg 37 and a plurality of larger holes 38 in second leg 39 . these holes allow the bracket 36 to be mounted to the support wall 16 with a plurality of fasteners 34 . the second leg holes 38 are sized so that the fasteners 34 may fit entirely therethrough . the first leg holes 40 are sized so that the body fasteners 34 will pass through but the head of fasteners 34 will not . in this way first leg 37 is forced against support wall 16 and the bracket is held in place . in a second embodiment , as shown in fig4 the shelf structure 10 is formed from a solid piece of material rather than a frame structure . like the frame embodiment described above , this embodiment has a shelf part 12 and a brace part 14 which form an angle a with each other . the shelf structure of this embodiment is attached to wall 16 in the same manner as the frame embodiment described above . the angle a formed between the horizontal shelf part 12 and brace part 14 of shelf structure 10 is typically 45 °. this angle is preferred as this provides the optimal distribution of forces by shelf structure 10 onto the support wall 16 . however , it will be clear to one skilled in the art , that this angle may be varied plus or minus several degrees without detrimentally affecting the characteristics of shelf structure 10 of the present invention . the frame of shelf structure 10 may be made from any suitable material such as wood , plastic , or metal that can be cut , bent , or otherwise formed into the desired shape . the frame members may be joined together with nails , glue , solder or the like . the solid embodiment of the present invention may likewise be made of the above - described materials . the inner and outer shelf cover members , 18 and 20 , used in combination with the frame embodiment of the present invention are formed from paper , cardboard , wood , plastic , metal or any other resilient material . the shelf cover members are attached to the frame by gluing , nailing or any other suitable means . the honeycomb material used in combination with the frame embodiment of the invention is any suitably shaped and sized honeycomb material preferable made of paper or cardboard . the bracket 36 and the fasteners 34 are made from any suitable material such as plastic or metal ; however , the preferred material is aluminum .	0
referring now to fig1 of the drawing , the method and apparatus of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated . the preferred embodiment includes an electronic digital signal processing apparatus , referred to as a secure storage device 10 , and configured to physically engage with a pcmcia card slot 12 of a prior art digital camera 14 . although the camera 14 shown is typical in appearance to a still camera , the method and apparatus also applies to motion picture / video cameras . according to the method of the present invention , the device 10 is initially programmed to receive data from a digital camera , without the need of a password / key from the camera , and to perform the required processes to secure the data from the camera 14 . the initial programming of device 10 can be either fixed , one time programming of a rom , and / or it can be a program downloaded by a user from a pc such as pc 16 . this programming data , as well as additional data , can be loaded into device 10 through the pcmcia terminal 18 from a corresponding pcmcia slot 20 in the pc 16 . alternatively , the device 10 can receive data through an input port 22 connected for example with a cable assembly 24 to a compatible port 26 of pc 16 . the device 10 can be programmed to perform any of a variety of processes to secure the data , including encryption of image data , and / or creation of encrypted image authentication data , or watermarking , etc . in operation , the programmed device 10 is inserted in slot 12 of the still / video camera 14 . when the device 10 receives data from the camera 14 , it performs the programmed operations and stores the data . the device 10 is then removed from the camera 14 and inserted into the pcmcia slot 20 of the computer 16 . the device 10 is configured so that the pc 16 recognizes the device 10 as a regular storage device with readable files on the file system level without the need for presenting a password . the secure data is then transferred from the device 10 to the computer 16 . in order for a user to view encrypted data , the computer 16 must be programmed to decrypt the data , generally in response to entry of a password . referring again to fig1 , according to the prior art , a digital camera 14 is connected to a computer 16 by way of a direct cable connection indicated by line 28 making a direct cable connection from the camera connector 29 to the pc connector 26 . in this manner , unsecure camera data is directly transferred to a pc 16 . an unauthorized user could then easily modify the data with the pc 16 . the method and apparatus of the present invention solves this problem by first transferring the camera data to the secure storage device 10 , which automatically secures the data . two alternate embodiments of the present invention are also shown in fig1 . a first alternate embodiment includes a secure data transfer device 30 having an input cable assembly 32 for making a connection from the camera 14 connector 29 to a security device 34 . the security device 34 performs the same or similar operations as those discussed in reference to device 10 for securing the image data , and outputs the data to the pc 16 through an output cable 36 , which in operation is connected to connector 26 of pc 16 . the device 34 is programmable , and can receive additional data in the same manner as device 10 , by connection to a computer through either cable assembly 32 or 36 , or alternatively through a connector 38 , or by way of a pcmcia card through a pcmcia card slot 40 . the second alternative embodiment , also shown in fig1 , includes a wireless secure data transfer device 42 , including a security device 44 that can be connected to a camera 14 by way of a cable assembly 46 . the device 42 is programmable and receives additional data either from a pc through cable assembly 46 or connector 48 , or by way of a pcmcia card through slot 50 . the device 44 includes a transceiver having a modulated infrared transmitter portion for generation of an infrared signal 52 for transmission of data to an infrared transceiver 54 which receives and demodulates the signal , and outputs the data to the computer 16 through a cable assembly 56 . the transceiver properties of device 44 and transceiver 54 in addition allow for programming and other data to flow from pc 16 to device 44 through the wireless infrared connection . in all of the above embodiments , the devices 10 , 30 and 42 present a standard interface to the camera 14 and pc 16 . from the camera &# 39 ; s point of view , the communication appears as if a direct connection is made to the pc . similarly , the pc observes a connection that appears to be directly to the camera . this feature of transparency of the devices 10 , 30 , 42 allows the apparatus and method of the present invention to apply to any digital camera and any pc that is programmed to receive digital camera data . the security is performed inside the device 10 , 30 , 42 and has no effect on the camera or pc . the computer 16 of fig1 represents a destination to which the camera data is being transferred . although a pc is illustrated , this destination can be any computerized network , system , etc . capable of receiving the data . fig1 also shows a second destination 57 with a data input connection 59 . the second destination 57 is shown to illustrate an important alternate embodiment of the method of the present invention , wherein a user can hook the output of device 10 , 30 , or 42 to a first destination 16 to download a first set of data , for example encrypted authentication data , and then to the second destination 57 to download a second set of data , which for example could be authenticated image data . fig2 shows the basic process in block form . block 58 includes the operation of a digital camera writing original digital camera data to a secure storage device without the need for presenting a password . this data is received by the storage device and secured ( block 60 ), a process requiring a pre programmed key . the storage device then writes the secured data ( block 62 ), again without requiring the receipt of a password , which is read by the computer ( block 64 ). in this operation it is assumed that the user has loaded the required operating software into the computer . the user must then present a password / key to the computer in order to decrypt the secure data or perform an authentication operation ( block 65 ). it is important to point out here that the storage device described herein presents an external behavior / interface to the camera that appears to the camera to be the same as the prior art devices into which the camera is designed to download data . a major distinction between the prior art storage devices designed and used for digital cameras and the secure device of the present invention is that the disclosed device upon receiving data / information , performs operations to secure the data . this is done without requiring a password or key from the camera , which is an important feature of the present invention . similarly , a computer can receive the secure data from the storage device without presenting a password / key . once the secure data is loaded in the computer , a key must be presented in order to decrypt the secure data . the advantage of this method is that no special programming or apparatus , other than the secure storage device , is required in order to securely transfer data from a conventional prior art digital camera to a computer . the preferred external physical configuration of the secure storage device is that of a standard pcmcia card , for example device 10 of fig1 without the connection 22 . in this configuration , neither a user nor the camera nor a computer can distinguish the secure storage device from a standard pcmcia card . the device accepts data from a camera , and sends data to a computer using standard protocol as if the device is a regular pcmcia card . the only difference is that the data is secured through any of various means which will be described in the following specification , such as encryption , authentication , etc . a user &# 39 ; s only clue concerning the unique nature of this device is that encrypted data loaded into a computer from the device will not be intelligible until decrypted , a process requiring special software in the computer , including a password and / or key . a point of novelty illustrated in fig2 is that no password or key is required either to download data from the camera to the device , or from the device to a computer , as indicated in blocks 58 , 62 and 64 . this method allows maximum security of data , while allowing use of a standard digital camera and computer for all phases except the find step ( block 65 ), wherein the user must load appropriate software with a key into the computer for decryption of the encrypted data . other physical embodiments of the secure storage device are as illustrated and discussed in reference to fig1 . in addition , the device 10 can alternatively be a ssfdc ( smart media ) card , or flash card , etc . fig3 illustrates typical circuit blocks required within the device 10 . the connector / connection 18 passes data from the camera 14 to a card interface 66 providing the necessary protocol for communication with the camera . bus line 68 interconnects the various circuit blocks as required . this is a memory 70 , which can include a eeprom and / or a rom and ram as required in a particular design . the card storage block 72 indicates the use of a floppy disk , or mini disk , etc for retaining the data for storage and transfer to a computer . card controller 74 performs the standard / usual card operations , with additional processes accomplished by processor 76 , which preferably includes a clock 78 , counter 80 , and facility for receiving additional data ( block 82 ) from a pc through either of connectors 18 or optionally through pc interface controller 84 from connector 22 . the processor also performs image processing activity 86 including security process 88 . the power supply 90 is included as optional in design , including a clock , for example , or where power cannot be obtained from the camera and computer . fig4 illustrates typical circuit block functions for devices 30 and 42 . device 30 includes cable connector assemblies 32 to a camera and 36 to a computer , and security device 34 . device 42 includes the cable connector assemblies 46 and 56 , and security device 44 which includes the circuitry in security device 34 with transceiver circuitry 54 added , and the separate transceiver 54 . the device 34 circuitry includes a camera connection controller 92 , power supply 94 , memory 96 , a removable storage controller 98 providing interface to card connection 50 , a pc interface controller 100 providing interface to cable connector assemblies 48 and 36 , a processor 102 with a clock 104 , counter 106 , additional data 108 , image processing 110 and a security engine 112 . the storage 114 is optional for the data transfer devices 30 and 42 , and is for storing the data to be transferred from a camera to a computer , and can be a floppy disk , mini disk , etc . since the use of the devices 30 and 42 preferably involves connecting to both the camera and destination at the same time , data can normally be transferred quickly enough so that memory 96 can provide adequate storage / buffering . if applications require longer storage , the optional storage 114 can be included in the design . fig5 illustrates the processes of the secure storage devices 10 , 30 , 42 for encryption of original digital camera data . according to the process , the storage device is initially programmed with a security key ( block 126 ). this operation is done as an initial set - up of the device , prior to it &# 39 ; s normal usage . this key programming can be a permanent setting , or it can be programmable . with the devices 10 , 30 , 42 ready for normal use , it is then connected to a camera and receives original digital camera data ( block 128 ). the device then encrypts the original digital camera data ( block 130 ). following this , the device is removed from the camera and connected to a computer loaded with compatible software . the device 10 , 30 , 42 then writes the data to a computer ( block 132 ). a user knowing the security key can then operate the computer to decrypt the encrypted data ( block 134 ). as explained in reference to the method indicated in fig2 , the device 10 , 30 , 42 does not require receipt of a password / key to receive data from a camera , or to download data to a computer . the key is used in the encryption process and is only a factor when a user desires to view the original data through use of the computer . a secure storage device can also be programmed to create authentication data . this is illustrated in fig6 . as in the case of fig5 , the storage device is initially programmed with a security key ( block 136 ) prior to use of the device . the device is then connected to a camera to receive original camera data ( block 138 ). authentication data is then created within the storage device from the original camera data and then encrypted ( block 140 ). any person can then download the camera data , i . e . cause the storage device to write the camera data ( block 142 ), and authentication data / file ( block 144 ) to a computer . this completes the function of the storage device . the user can then proceed to use the computer as indicated in fig7 to verify the authenticity of a set of questionable data . the user first uses appropriate software and the key to create verification authentication data from the questionable image data file ( block 146 ), and decrypts the encrypted original authentication data ( block 148 ). the two sets of data are then compared ( block 150 ). if they are the same , the questionable image data is considered valid , i . e . an accurate replica of the original image data . if the two sets are different , the questionable data is confirmed to be different from the original . fig8 illustrates two similar processes called “ fingerprinting ” and “ annotating ”. fingerprinting is a process wherein additional information is visibly or invisibly inserted into the image data itself . examples of additional information that can be added include the camera serial number , date and time , unique counter , image storage id , and any textual information that is downloaded to the storage device prior to receiving the camera image data . the process of annotation is similar to fingerprinting , except that the information is placed in a non - image area such as the header , rather than in the image data . referring to fig8 , the storage device is connected to a computer and the required data is inputted , i . e . downloaded ( block 152 ). this can be done through connection 18 for a pcmcia card configured device 10 , or through connector 22 of the alternative device 10 . device 42 is configured as indicated in fig4 to receive data through port 48 or through cable assembly 46 or through cable assembly 50 from a pc , or through port 56 from a pc , or through port 50 from a pcmcia card . similarly , device 30 is configured to receive data alternatively through cable assembly 32 or 36 , or connector 38 from a pc , or through port 40 from a pcmcia card . the storage device is then connected to a camera and receives camera data , i . e . camera data is downloaded ( block 154 ). the device then performs programmed processes of either fingerprinting the data or annotating the data file ( block 156 ) depending on the specific programming of the storage device . the storage device is then removed from the camera , connected to a computer , and the data is written , i . e . downloaded to the computer ( block 158 ). as explained above , this is all done without the presentation of a password or key from the camera or computer . once the data is in a computer , however , the original data or authentication requires submission of a password / key . in some cases , it is preferred to keep a signature file or authentication file in a secure , private location , and allow public access only to an authenticated image . these processes are illustrated in fig9 , wherein image data is downloaded from a camera 160 to a secure storage device 162 , which performs the required security functions . the device 162 then downloads the image security data to secure location 164 , and an authenticated image to public access 166 . although the present invention has been described above in terms of a specific embodiment , it is anticipated that alterations and modifications thereof will no doubt become apparent to those skilled in the art . it is therefore intended that the following claims be interpreted as covering all such alterations and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention .	7
the terpolymer according to the present invention is an alkali - neutralized , free - radical - polymerized polymer made up of units derived from ( 1 ) an alpha - beta - unsaturated acid , ( 2 ) an alkylate of an alpha - beta - unsaturated acid , and ( 3 ) allyl alcohol . more particularly , the acid is an alpha - beta - unsaturated acid , and it contains 3 to 4 carbon atoms . included within this group of acids are acrylic acid , methacrylic acid , crotonic acid , and isocrotonic acid , with the first two acids being preferred . the amount of acid employed in preparing the terpolymer of this invention , on the basis of a total of 100 parts by weight , is from about 60 to about 88 parts by weight , and preferably , from about 75 to about 88 parts by weight . the alkylate units contained in the terpolymer of this invention are esters of the acids mentioned above . again , the preferred acids are acrylic acid and methacrylic acid . the alkyl portion of the alkylate monomer contains from 1 to 18 carbon atoms , and more preferably , from 1 to 10 carbon atoms . linear or normal alkyl , branched alkyl , hydroxy alkyl , or cycloalkyl radicals may be used . illustrative of the alkyl groups used are methyl , hydroxymethyl , ethyl , hydroxyethyl , propyl , isopropyl , butyl , 2 - ethylhexyl , cyclohexyl , nonyl , octyl , dodecyl and stearyl . on the basis of 100 parts by weight of the terpolymer , alkylated acid is present in the terpolymer in an amount from about 6 to about 28 parts , and preferably , from about 6 to about 15 parts . the third component in the terpolymer is allyl alcohol , which is present , based on 100 parts , in an amount from about 4 . 5 parts to about 20 parts , and preferably from about 6 to about 15 parts by weight . the terpolymers are prepared by free - radical polymerization in an aqueous medium at a temperature of from just above the freezing point up to the reflux temperature of the aqueous reaction mixture . more practical operating temperatures are in the range of about 50 ° c . to about 100 ° c ., with a range of about 60 ° c . to about 90 ° c . being particularly preferred . polymerization in accordance with this invention may be conducted at atmospheric pressure , or at a higher ( autogenous ) pressure . the polymerization is generally conducted for a period of two to eight hours , a period of three to five hours being very satisfactory . the foregoing details , the initiators discussed below , and other similar details are well known to those skilled in the polymer art , and for the sake of brevity they need not be discussed further . it has been found preferable to prepare an aqueous solution of acid , ester , and alcohol , and then charge the solution incrementally to the reaction vessel , along with incremental additions of an aqueous solution of the initiators , at such a rate so as to maintain the desired reaction temperature evenly . the solids content of the reaction system may range from about 20 to about 50 percent by weight . thirty percent by weight has been found very satisfactory from the point of view of obtaining a viscosity low enough to permit easy handling of the resulting polymer solution . any of the compounds known to generate free radicals and which are soluble at effective concentrations in the aqueous polymerization medium may be used as the polymerization initiator or initiators in practicing this invention . examples of useful polymerization initiators include the alkali - metal and ammonium persulfates , perborates , or percarbonates ; hydrogen peroxide ; organic peroxides such as benzoyl peroxide , cumene hydroperoxide , tertiary butyl peroxide , tertiary butyl perbenzoate , acetyl benzoyl peroxide ; tertiary butyl peracetate ; and tertiary butyl peroxyisobutyrate . ammonium , potassium , and sodium persulfates are particularly preferred . organic peroxides may be used in combination with these inorganic peroxidic catalysts . azonitrile compounds , such as those described in u . s . pat . no . 2 , 472 , 959 , may be used also . generally , the proportion of polymerization initiator is in the range of 0 . 1 % to 8 . 0 %, based on the weight of the acid plus alkylate charged , and preferably from 1 % to 3 %, the foregoing percentages being by weight . the initiator may also be a peroxidic catalyst activated with a reducing agent to provide a redox system . examples of useful reducing agents include water - soluble bisulfites , such as sodium metabisulfite ; sulfites ; hydrosulfites ; and thiosulfates . the redox system may be further activated by the presence of polyvalent metal ions , for example , ferrous ions at concentrations on the order of magnitude of several parts per million , or with tertiary amines which are soluble in the reaction mixture . the proportion of reducing agent included in the polymerization - initiator combination ordinarily ranges up to 3 %, based on the weight of the monomers , and it is preferably in the range of 0 . 02 % to 1 % on this basis . in the inorganic redox system of persulfate and bisulfite , the weight ratio can vary from one to ten parts of persulfate per part by weight of bisulfite . the polymerization product has an acidic ph and can be neutralized with alkaline materials , such as ammonia or ammonium hydroxide ; monoalkylamines or dialkylamines containing 1 to 6 carbon atoms in each alkyl group ; and alkali - metal hydroxides , for example , potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide , that form water - soluble neutralization products . preferably , the neutralizing agent will be ammonia , ammonium hydroxide , potassium hydroxide , or sodium hydroxide . the neutralizing agent is added to the polymer solution until a final ph of about 7 . 5 to about 8 . 5 is obtained . thus neutralized , the polymer solution has improved storage stability , and possible metal - corrosion problems in a storage container are minimized . the resulting polymer solution is adjusted , as necessary , to have a total solids content of polymer of between about 20 and about 50 weight percent . using a lower solids content gives a material of lower viscosity , which may prove to be of advantage in improving the handling characteristics ; on the other hand , it is usually desirable to use a solids content as high as possible , to avoid the cost of shipping and handling water . after having been prepared as described above , the terpolymer is used in a suitable way . it may be added to the reaction mixture of the acidulation step in some amount such as 10 to 500 parts by weight per 1 , 000 , 000 parts by weight of such reaction mixture . usually the terpolymer is added to liquor resulting from the pulping of douglas fir or pine , inasmuch as these are soft wood ( coniferous ) trees , which are commercially available and which contain in their wood a considerable proportion of oil , but the invention is not necessarily limited to the treatment of liquors from the pulping of these woods . wood from other conifers also contains resin or oil . indeed , even the hardwoods contain such resin or oil in a small proportion , and it may be desirable in some cases to use a terpolymer according to the present invention to improve the recovery of tall oil from a liquor resulting from pulping of a hardwood . the following examples are included to illustrate the preparation of the terpolymers of the present invention and the use thereof , but the examples are to be interpreted as illustrative , and not in a limiting sense . unless otherwise noted , all parts are by weight , and all temperatures are in degrees centigrade . a one - liter , three - necked flask equipped with stirrer , thermometer , addition funnels , reflux condenser , and heat - exchange equipment was charged with 236 grams of water . a mixture of 207 grams of acrylic acid , 23 grams of butyl acrylate , and 11 . 5 grams of allyl alcohol ( solution i ) and 115 grams of an aqueous solution containing 6 % of potassium persulfate ( solution ii ) was added concurrently to the water at 80 ° to 85 ° c . over three and a half hours . the reaction product was then neutralized with 175 grams of an aqueous solution containing 28 weight percent of ammonia . a clear viscous solution was obtained , which showed a brookfield viscosity of 1 , 800 centipoises . when used as indicated below in example 5 , the product was effective as an aid for improving the recovery of tall oil in a step of acidulating tall - oil soap . a five - liter , three - necked flask equipped with stirrer , thermometer , addition funnels , reflux condenser , and heat - exchange equipment was charged with 1 , 230 grams of water . a mixture of 1 . 035 grams of acrylic acid , 115 grams of butyl acrylate , and 115 grams of allyl alcohol ( solution i ) and 575 grams of an aqueous solution containing 6 % of potassium persulfate ( solution ii ) was added concurrently to the water at 80 ° to 85 ° c . over a period of three hours . the reaction product was then neutralized with 1 , 150 grams of an aqueous solution containing 50 % of sodium hydroxide . a clear solution having a total active solids content of 30 % was obtained . it exhibited a ph of 7 . 7 , and brookfield viscosity of 3 , 040 centipoises ( spindle no . 4 , 60 revolutions per minute ), and a density of 1 . 25 grams per cubic centimeter . when used as indicated below in example 5 , the product was effective as an aid for improving the recovery of tall oil in a step of acidulating tall - oil soap . following the procedure of example 1 , there was prepared a terpolymer which was based on 82 parts of acrylic acid , 9 parts of methyl methacrylate , and 9 parts of allyl alcohol . the total solids content of the polymer solution was 30 % and the solution was neutralized with an aqueous solution containing 50 % of sodium hydroxide . the solution had a viscosity of 2 , 560 centipoises . when used as indicated below in example 5 , the product was effective as an aid for improving the recovery of tall oil in a step of acidulating tall - oil soap . following again the procedure of example 1 , there was prepared a terpolymer based on 64 parts of acrylic acid , 27 parts of hydroxyethyl methacrylate , and 9 parts of allyl alcohol . the total solids content of the polymer solution was 30 %, and neutralization was conducted as in example 3 . there was thus obtained a solution having a brookfield viscosity of 2 , 648 centipoises . when used as indicated below in example 5 , the product was effective as an aid for improving the recovery of tall oil in a step of acidulating tall - oil soap . this example demonstrates the effective use of the product as a tall - oil acidulation aid . the product of example 2 was added at concentrations ranging from 10 to 75 parts per million of tall - oil soap skimmings from a pulp mill . the samples were treated with sulfuric acid to a ph of 1 . 5 and heated at 90 ° c . for one hour . the amount of tall oil separated was then observed . the results tabulated below indicate an increase in tall - oil separation at addition levels as low as 10 parts per million , and that the effectiveness of the treatment increases when higher concentrations of terpolymer are used . ______________________________________effectiveness of tall oil acidulation additive ( product of example 2 ) - concentration amount of tall oil additional tallof additive , ppm separated , mm oil separated , % ______________________________________none ( control ) 18 010 21 1720 22 2235 23 2850 25 3875 26 44______________________________________ while we have shown and described herein certain embodiments of our invention , we intend to cover as well any change or modification therein which may be made without departing from its spirit and scope .	2
fig1 is a schematic diagram of an untrusted computing system suitable for use with embodiments of the present invention . the untrusted computing system 5 illustrated is a typical computer system such as a pc available today . it should be appreciated that the various components of the computer system are not intended to be in any way limiting and many other configurations and computer system types are equally applicable for use with embodiments of the present invention . the untrusted computing system 5 includes a processing system 10 , an interface 20 , a hard disc 30 , an i / o device 40 and a network device 50 . the network device 50 connects the untrusted computing system 5 to a network 60 such as the internet . a user may use the untrusted computing system 5 to access remote resources 70 such as e - mail or thin - client application servers . fig2 is a schematic diagram of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention . the system 100 includes a carrier media 110 and an interface 120 . the carrier media encodes a boot system 130 , an encrypted computing environment 140 and optionally an encrypted data store 150 . fig3 is a schematic diagram of a system according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention . the system 100 includes a first carrier medium 110 and an interface 120 and a second carrier medium 110 ′. the first carrier medium 110 encodes a boot system 130 , an encrypted computing environment 140 and optionally an encrypted data store 150 . the second carrier medium 110 ′ encodes a further boot system 130 ′. fig4 is a schematic diagram illustrating operation of the embodiment of fig2 when used in conjunction with the untrusted computing system 5 of fig1 . the system 100 connects via its interface 120 to the interface 20 of the untrusted computing system 5 . when the untrusted computing system 5 is powered on , it starts its boot process . the boot system 130 of the system 100 intercepts the boot process and performs an integrity check on the system 100 and the encrypted computing environment 140 . if the integrity check passes , the boot system prompts the user via the untrusted computing system 5 to authenticate themselves . authentication is performed via conventional mechanism such as user name and password inputted to the untrusted computer system 5 and it checked via the system 100 . in an optional embodiment , the system 100 may include some form of biometric device such as a fingerprint reader that may also be used as part of the authentication process . if authentication is unsuccessful then the system 100 either halts the boot process of the untrusted computer system 5 or alternatively returns control of the boot process to the untrusted computer system 5 to boot via its own operating system and resources . in either case , the system 100 blocks access to its resources such as the encrypted computing environment 140 , the data store 150 and the like . if authentication is successful then the boot system 130 decrypts the encrypted computing environment 140 that is encoded on the carrier media 110 of the system 100 and loads this into the volatile memory of the untrusted computer 5 . the computing environment loaded into the memory then provides a secure computing environment for the user based on preconfigured parameters stored on the carrier media 110 of the system 100 . if the system 100 includes the optional data store 150 , this data is accessible from the computing environment and additional data can be written to this data store 150 . where the alternate embodiment of fig3 is used , the untrusted computer system 5 can be booted from the second carrier medium 110 ′ ( for example a cd ). the further boot system 130 ′ intercepts the boot process in the manner discussed above but subsequently transfers control to the system 100 . if necessary , the further boot system 130 ′ may load drivers necessary for the system 100 to be accessed by the untrusted computer system 5 . it will be clear that various configurations can be provided for the secure computing environment . for example , the secure computing environment can be a completely sealed environment without any permitted access to devices such as the i / o device 40 , disc 30 and network device 50 of the untrusted computing system 5 . alternatively , selected device types such as scanners may be enabled for access . in one embodiment , the computing environment may enable predetermined ip addresses to be accessed via an appropriate network device . in this manner , corporate resources 200 could be made accessible via a particular ip address and preferably via a virtual private network 210 to that ip address . appropriate credentials and security certificates can be encoded in an encrypted form on the carrier media 110 such that transparent access to those corporate resources is possible from the computing environment . preferably , the computing environment takes full control of the untrusted computing system 5 to lock down access to itself and to any resources of the untrusted computing system 5 . in particular , the shutdown process may be controlled by the computing environment to ensure that volatile memory is wiped ( for example by repeated over writing of random data ) during the shut down process such that no recoverable footprint is left by the computing environment . optionally , the computing environment may be arranged to monitor the interface 20 of the untrusted computer system 5 such that if the system 100 is removed from the interface 20 , shutdown procedure is automatically initiated and the secure computing environment is wiped from the untrusted computing system 5 . the wiping of the computing environment is preferably achieved in a manner that fully ensures preservation of the application doing the wiping , and its ability to address all of physical memory , i . e . not just the virtual memory mapped by the os . this process is illustrated in the flow diagram of fig5 . in step 300 , a memory wiping process is installed in physical memory . in step 310 , the memory wiping process checks to ensure sure it is the last process running and that memory mapped files are in sync with physical disks . if not , the process waits for a predetermined period in step 320 and loops to step 310 to check again . optionally , the process may ( possibly after a predetermined amount of time has expired ) ask the system to end any other processes still running . these steps are taken to ensure there is no corruption of disk data . in step 330 , the memory wiping process wipes physical memory above and below itself in the memory space . wiping is preferably performed by writing data into the physical memory to overwrite any prior content . fig6 is a flow diagram illustrating step 300 of fig5 in more detail . in step 400 , the memory wiping process creates a virtual / physical memory window . this is done by allocating some virtual memory to hold the wiping process &# 39 ; code and system descriptors in step 410 , locking virtual memory in step 420 to prevent the os from reallocating associated physical pages , obtaining all physical page frame numbers from allocated virtual memory in step 430 and decrypting ( if encrypted ) and loading the wiping process code in the allocated virtual memory in step 440 . a new independent task is then created in step 450 by : creating global descriptor tables ( gdt ) in step 451 ; create interrupt descriptor tables ( idt ) in step 452 ; create task state segment ( tss ) descriptor for a 32 bits flat address space without paging enabled in step 453 ; and , plugging in a physical address ( page frame numbers identified in step 430 ) for gdt / idt descriptors into the tss in step 454 . a hardwired task switch to the tss is then performed in step 460 . this causes the system to switch into flat 32 bit protected mode without paging , and start the wiper code . the approach may be regarded as building a boot process in ‘ reverse ’ by replacing cpu tables by ones specifically developed for this task . making sure the controlling process is the last process to run , prohibiting networking and recovery from the cleanup process . once it is determined that the process is the last running , a ‘ transition ’ page is allocated and set up . clean up is then performed from the protected transition page . optionally , various user profiles may be supported by the system 100 . this may be in the form of different encrypted computer environments 140 stored on the carrier media such that each user profile accesses a different computer environment that may be differently configured or allowed different resources to be used . alternatively , a single computer environment may include different profiles to allow access to different resources , data and the like depending on the trustworthiness of the user . the computing environment or boot system may be arranged to detect whether it is being booted in a virtualized environment and halt the boot process in this eventuality . a serial number associated with the carrier media may be recorded within the computing environment or boot system and again the boot process may be halted if this does not match the serial number of the carrier media being holding the system 100 . the computing environment may be arranged to automatically shutdown after a predetermined period of inactivity . a detection for hub devices may also be performed to prevent the system 100 being used across a possibly compromised hub such as a usb hub . management functionality can also be implemented such as revocation of the system 100 by serial number , username or certificate . in such a situation , the boot system would include a mechanism to check token revocation status . revocation may trigger secure erasure of the computing environment from the carrier media . patching may be performed in a similar manner . various different operating systems and loaded applications may be provided as different computing environments either on the same carrier media or differing carrier media . the memory stick could be arranged to contain multiple encrypted data partitions that could be accessed both with the secure environment and from a trusted machine running an encryption driver . it could also be arranged that there is a clear data partition ( unencrypted data ) and it is only this one normally sees if the device is plugged in to a windows machine not running the above driver — i . e . windows would only pick up the first clear partition from the partition table .	6
fig1 shows an interconnect structure 10 comprising a substrate 12 with device regions 14 following front - end fabrication . in one embodiment , which is illustrate in the attached figures , oxide is used as a first insulator between the substrate 12 and metal lines to be formed overlying the first insulator . in another embodiment , another low - k material could be used instead of oxide , or unity ™ sacrificial polymer could be used as will be described for use in connection with the formation of upper insulator layers . after front - end fabrication is complete a first insulator layer 16 , which is preferrably silicon dioxide , between approximately 500 nm and 1000 nm thick , is deposited over the substrate and cmp planarized to form the dielectric layer between the substrate 12 and a first metal line , which is yet to be formed . a first sacrificial layer 18 is spin coated to a thickness of approximately between 500 nm to 800 nm . in one embodiment , the first sacrificial layer 18 comprises unity ™ sacrificial polymer . the unity ™ sacrificial polymer is available from bfgoodrich , cleveland , ohio . it is a copolymer of butylnorbornene and triethoxysilyl norbornene . the unity ™ sacrificial polymer was dissolved as a 6 - 12 wt % solution in mesitylene for spin coating application . the first sacrificial layer 18 is unity ™ sacrificial polymer , it is preferably soft baked at between approximately 95 ° c . and 120 ° c . for approximately three to five minutes . the soft bake is followed by a curing process . the unity ™ sacrificial polymer are preferably cured under vacuum or nitrogen ambient at between approximately 200 ° c . and 250 ° c . for approximately one to two hours . a nitride hard mask 20 , between approximately 20 nm and 50 nm , is deposited followed by the deposition of an oxide hard mask 22 , between approximately 20 nm and 50 nm , to form a double hard mask atop the first sacrificial layer 18 for self - aligned via formation . this is shown in fig1 . alternatively , the oxide hard mask 22 could be formed first with an overlying nitride hard mask 20 formed thereon although the etch sequence may need to be modified slightly . a first layer of photoresist is deposited over the oxide hard mask 22 and patterned . the oxide hard mask is etched to form a via opening in the oxide hard mask . for ease of description , a single via opening is discussed although a plurality of via openings may be formed simultaneously , as shown in the attached figures . a second layer of photoresist is deposited and patterned to form a trench mask . the nitride hard mask 20 is etched at the via opening formed in the oxide hard mask 22 to form a nitride via opening 24 . the oxide hard mask is then etched to form a trench opening 26 . the resist may be stripped , as shown in fig2 , prior to etching vias and trenches , or it may be left intact and stripped after etching . fig3 shows the planar view of the top of the hard masks following patterning , corresponding to the cross - sectional view of fig2 . the via opening 24 may be oversized in the direction of the trench width , as shown . referring now to fig4 , the first sacrificial layer 18 is etched to form a via 30 where the first sacrificial layer 18 is not protected by either the oxide hard mask 22 or nitride hard mask 20 . the method of etching the first sacrificial layer 18 will depend upon the material chosen for the first sacrificial layer . if unity ™ sacrificial polymer is used for the first sacrificial layer it can be etched using a dry etch process , for example an oxygen plasma etch , or other suitable etch process . referring now to fig5 , in one embodiment , the nitride hard mask 20 is selectively etched using the oxide hard mask 22 to form the trench pattern in the oxide . in one embodiment , the oxide hard mask is removed after the nitride hard mask 20 has been etched , as shown . alternatively , the oxide hard mask 22 could be left intact , and removed during subsequent etch processes . referring now to fig6 , the nitride hard mask 20 is used to etch the first sacrificial layer 18 to form a trench 32 . the first insulator layer 16 is etched extending the via 30 until it reaches the device regions 14 . in another embodiment , the first sacrificial layer 18 acts as a mask while the silicon dioxide is etched , for example a plasma contain c 3 f 8 and argon could be used . other etch chemistries are also available to etch silicon dioxide without etching the first sacrificial layer . then the first sacrificial layer 18 is selectively etched , preferably using a plasma comprising oxygen if unity ™ sacrificial polymer is used as the first sacrificial layer , to form the trench 32 . regardless of the etch sequence or process used , the resulting structure is shown in fig6 , wherein trenches and vias have been formed . referring now to fig7 , barrier metal 40 and copper 42 are deposited and cmp planarized . in one embodiment , the nitride hard mask 20 is also removed . in another embodiment , the first insulator layer is also a sacrificial layer , of for example unity ™ sacrificial polymer . a thin layer of oxide is deposited and cmp planarized . an initial sacrificial layer is then deposited . alternatively , after front - end processing a layer of silicon dioxide between approximately 50 nm and 200 nm is deposited , followed by deposition and cmp planarization of the initial sacrificial layer . a placeholder oxide layer is deposited with a first intra - level sacrificial layer . in one embodiment , following barrier metal and copper deposition , the initial sacrificial layer is interposed between the first copper level and the substrate . following completion of processing , this will produce an air gap between the first copper level and the substrate . referring now to fig8 , a second sacrificial layer 44 is deposited to a thickness between approximately 500 nm and 1500 nm . in one embodiment , the second sacrificial layer is unity ™ sacrificial polymer , which is deposited by spin coating . an etch stop layer 46 is deposited over the second sacrificial layer to a thickness of between approximately 50 nm and 100 nm . the etch stop material is preferably silicon dioxide . a third sacrificial layer 48 , preferably of the same material as the other sacrificial layers although not necessarily the same material , is deposited to a thickness of between approximately 500 nm and 800 nm . if unity ™ sacrificial polymer is used , the interlevel structure 10 is preferably heated to approximately 120 ° c . for approximately 3 minutes to soft cure the unity ™ sacrificial polymer . a double hard mask is then formed overlying the third sacrificial layer 48 . in one embodiment , a second nitride hard mask 50 is deposited to a thickness of between approximately 20 nm and 50 nm , followed by a second oxide hard mask 52 , which is deposited to a thickness of between approximately 20 nm and 50 nm . as discussed above , a third layer of photoresist is deposited over the oxide hard mask 52 and patterned . the oxide hard mask is etched to form a via opening in the oxide hard mask . for ease of description , a single via opening is discussed although a plurality of via openings may be formed simultaneously , as shown in the attached figures . a forth layer of photoresist is deposited and patterned to form a trench mask . the nitride hard mask 50 is etched at the via opening formed in the oxide hard mask 52 to form a nitride via opening . the oxide hard mask is then etched to form a trench opening . the third sacrificial layer 48 is etched to form a partial via 57 . in one embodiment , the second hard oxide mask is removed along with the exposed portion of the etch stop layer 46 to form a via opening in the etch stop layer 46 . the second nitride hard mask and the etch stop act as masks , while the second sacrificial layer is etched to form a second - level via 60 and the third sacrificial layer is etched to form a second - level trench 62 . fig9 shows the interconnect structure 10 following the formation of the second layer of vias and trenches . in another embodiment , the second oxide hard mask is deposited prior to the second nitride hard mask . in this case the third layer of photoresist is deposited over the second nitride hard mask and patterned to allow a via opening to be etched in the second oxide hard mask . a via opening is then etched in the oxide hard mask . a forth layer of photoresist is deposited and a trench mask is patterned into the second nitride hard mask . the third sacrificial layer 48 is then etched down to the etch stop layer 46 . the second nitride hard mask is then removed . followed by removal of the second oxide hard mask and a portion of the etch stop exposed below the via opening . the third sacrificial layer and the second sacrificial layer are then etched to form the via and trench structure shown in fig9 . referring now to fig1 , barrier metal 70 and copper 72 are deposited and cmp planarized . in one embodiment , the second nitride hard mask is also removed . repeating the steps of depositing additional sacrificial layers , etch stops , and hard masks , followed by patterning and selective etching as described above can be used to form additional interconnect levels . as shown in fig1 , at total of three interconnect levels have been formed . additional levels are also possible , by repeating the process . once the final interconnect level is completed , a capping layer 80 of silicon nitride or boron nitride is deposited to a thickness of approximately between 5 nm and 10 nm and patterned , preferably using photoresist , to protect the top copper layer . this capping layer is preferably slightly larger than the trench of the top metal lines , but it is not very dimensionally critical . any remaining photoresist is then stripped . a passivation layer 82 , preferably of oxide , is deposited to a thickness of between approximately 500 nm and 1500 nm . referring now to fig1 , all of the sacrificial layers are decomposed to produce the interconnect structure 10 having air gaps 100 which serve as intra - level insulators and inter - level insulators . in the embodiment where unity ™ sacrificial polymer is used , the interconnect structure 10 is preferably annealed in a nitrogen purged furnace at a temperature between approximately 425 ° c . and 500 ° c . to decompose the unity ™ sacrificial polymer and allow it to permeate through any overlying oxide . following processing as described above , air gaps are formed as both inter - level insulators and intra - level insulators , therefore , the effective dielectric constant shall be very close to 1 when the etch stop / placeholder silicon oxide is very thin . for an integrated circuit with very large number of interconnect layers the thickness of the etch stop / placeholder oxide may have to be increase to enhance the mechanical strength . this will increase the effective dielectric constant of the system . the surface of the top layer copper is protected with nitride . there is no direct silicon oxide to copper contact . therefore , there is no copper diffusion problem . the leakage current between adjacent copper lines and that between copper layers is expected to be very small . the illustration sketches showed two stacks of contact . the left - hand side intended to be a normal interconnects . the right hand side stack is to illustrate the edge shielding which is need for mechanical support of the etch stop / placeholder oxide layer and copper lines . in one embodiment , the edge shielding is distributed around the perimeter of the device to provide additional mechanical support . in another embodiment , the edge shielding is also provided at key points throughout the chip area . the edge shielding can be used as one of the power supply bus lines or ground lines . the etch stop / placeholder silicon oxide is adhered to the metal lines through the barrier metal . therefore , the good adhesion between barrier metal and copper and barrier metal to etch stop / placeholder oxide is preferred . the preferred barrier metals for this application are ti or tin . although preferred embodiments along with some alternatives have been described , the invention is not limited to any specific embodiment . rather , the scope of the invention is determined by the following claims and their equivalents .	7
fig1 shows a list of instructions described in the present embodiment . all of the basic instructions are used for arithmetic operation between registers . branch instructions comprise four instructions , i . e ., an unconditional branch instruction bra , a conditional branch instruction bracc ( where cc indicates its branch condition ), a branch instruction call to a subroutine , and a return instruction rtn from the subroutine . in addition , there are a load instruction load and a store instruction stor . for convenience of description , the data type is limited to 32 bit integer . however , the present invention is not limited to this . further , it is now assumed that an address is allocated every 32 bits ( i . e ., 4 bytes ). further , processing state flag alteration instructions comprise a branch instruction pexb for branching to parallel processing and a branch instruction sexb for branching to successive processing . the branch instruction pexb starts simultaneous readout operations of a plurality of instructions from the instruction of branch destination , activates a plurality of arithmetic units , and turns on the processing state flag . the branch instruction sexb instruction starts readout operation of one instruction from the instruction of branch destination , activates a first arithmetic unit , and turns off the processing state flag . for brevity , the number of instructions is limited as described above . however , this does not limit the present invention . instructions may be further increased so long as the contents can be processed in one machine cycle . fig1 shows the instruction format . every instruction has a fixed length of 32 bits . in the basic instruction , f , s1 , s2 and d fields are a bit indicating whether the result of arithmetic operation should be reflected in the flag , a field indicating a first source register , a field indicating a second source register , and a field indicating a destination register , respectively . fig1 a shows the configuration of the present embodiment . numeral 100 denotes an instruction cashe , 101 a program count arithmetic unit for generating a 32 - bit program count , 102 a latch for holding the value of the program count , 103 a processor status register for holding a processing state flag pe 116 , 143 a selector for increasing the program count by &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; 2 &# 34 ;, 104 a first instruction register having a capacity of 32 bits , 105 a second instruction register having a capacity of 32 bits , 106 a first instruction decoder , 107 a second instruction decoder , 108 a first arithmetic unit , 109 a second arithmetic unit , 110 a register file , 111 a sequencer , 112 a memory address register mar , 113 a memory data register mdr , 114 a memory write register mwr , and 115 a data cashe . in the present embodiment , two instructions are read out in parallel and executed during one machine cycle . fig1 to 15 show the operation of basic pipeline processing in the present embodiment . the pipeline comprises four stages , i . e ., if ( instruction fetch ), r ( read ), ex ( execution ), and w ( write ) stages . by referring to fig1 a again , operation of the present embodiment will now be described . at the if stage , two instructions indicated by the program counter are read out when the value of the processing state flag pe 116 stored in the processor status register 103 is &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;. the two instructions thus read out are set into the first instruction register 104 and the second instruction register 105 via buses 117 and 118 , respectively . when the pc is an even number , an instruction of address pc is stored into the first instruction register , and an instruction of address pc + 1 is stored into the second instruction register . when the pc is an odd number , an nop instruction is set into the first instruction register , and an instruction of address pc is set into the second instruction register . that is to say , the sequencer 111 is a circuit for controlling the program counter . when neither the first instruction register nor the second instruction register contains a branch instruction , a value equivalent to the previous program counter value plus 2 is set into the latch 102 as the program count . at the time of branching , the branch address is calculated and set into the program counter . at the time of conditional branch , it is judged whether branch should be performed or not on the basis of flag information 120 supplied from the first arithmetic unit 108 and flag information 119 supplied from the second arithmetic unit 109 . the program counter arithmetic unit 101 is controlled by branch destination address information 121 and branch control information 122 . operation of the r stage in the basic instruction processing will now be described . at the r stage , contents of the first instruction register 104 are decoded by the first instruction decoder 106 , and contents of the second instruction register 105 are decoded by the second instruction decoder 107 . as a result , contents of a register indicated by a first source register field s1 of the first instruction register 104 and contents of a register indicated by a second source register field s2 are transmitted to the first arithmetic unit 108 through buses 127 and 128 , respectively . further , contents of a register indicated by a first source register field s1 of the second instruction register 105 and contents of a register indicated by a second source register field s2 are transmitted to the second arithmetic unit 109 through buses 129 and 130 , respectively . operation of the ex stage will now be described . at the ex stage , arithmetic operation between data transmitted through the buses 127 and 128 is conducted in the first arithmetic unit 108 in accordance with contents of an operation code of the first instruction register 104 . in parallel therewith , arithmetic operation between data transmitted through the buses 129 and 130 is conducted in the second arithmetic unit 109 in accordance with contents of an operation code of the second instruction register 105 . finally , operation of the w stage will now be described . at the w stage , the result of the arithmetic operation conducted in the first arithmetic unit 108 is stored into a register indicated by a destination field d of the first instruction register through a bus 131 . further , the result of the arithmetic operation conducted in the second arithmetic unit 109 is stored into a register indicated by a destination field d of the second instruction register through a bus 132 . fig1 b is obtained by adding processing state flag alternation means to fig1 a . that is to say , numerals 144 and 145 denote data lines for transmitting flag value data to the processing state flag pe 116 when the pexb and sexb instructions have been executed in the first arithmetic unit and the second arithmetic unit , respectively . numeral 146 denotes a selector required when data are to be written into the processing state flag pe 116 . fig1 shows the flow of consecutive processing of basic instructions . two instructions are processed every machine cycle . in two lines of fig1 representing the processing of two instructions , the upper line represents the processing performed in the first arithmetic unit whereas the lower line represents the processing performed in the second arithmetic unit . further , in this example , the first arithmetic unit and the second arithmetic unit always operate in parallel . fig1 shows the flow of consecutive processing of the load instruction or the store instruction as the first instruction and the basic instruction as the second instruction . when the load instruction is to be executed , contents of a register specified by the s2 field of the first instruction register are transferred to the mar 112 through the bus 128 at the r stage . succeedingly at the ex stage , an operand is fetched from the data cash through a bus 133 . finally at the w stage , the fetched operand is stored into a register specified by the destination field of the first instruction register through a bus 134 . if the high - speed data cashe 115 is provided as shown in fig1 , it is possible to fetch the operand in one machine cycle at the ex stage . this can be easily accomplished especially in case the entire computer shown in fig1 a is integrated on a semiconductor substrate and both the instruction cashe and the data cashe are contained in chips . it is a matter of course that the operand fetch cannot be finished in one machine cycle if the cashe hits by mistake . at such time , the system clock may be stopped and the ex stage may be extended . this is performed in conventional computers as well . when the store instruction is to be executed , contents of a register specified by the first source register field s1 of the first instruction register are transferred to the mwr 114 through a bus 135 as data at the r stage . at the same time , contents of a register specified by the second source register field s2 of the first instruction register are transferred to the mar 112 through the bus 128 as an address . succeedingly at the ex stage , data stored in the mwr 114 is written into the address specified by the mar 112 . as shown in fig1 , the load instruction or the store instruction can be processed together with a basic instruction such as the illustrated add instruction in one machine cycle . that is to say , two instructions can be processed every machine cycle . fig1 b shows the processing flow used when an unconditional jump instruction bra is to be executed as the second instruction . fig1 b is also used for the description of another embodiment which will be described later . if the bra instruction is read out , the sequencer 111 adds the displacement field d to the program count and sets the result into the latch 102 of the program counter at the r stage . during this time , an instruction located at an address succeeding that of the bra instruction and another instruction located at another address succeeding that of the first mentioned instruction ( i . e ., instructions 1 and 2 of fig1 b ) are read out . at the next cycle , two instructions of jump destination are read out . in the present embodiment , hardware capable of executing both the instruction 1 and the instruction 2 is used . that is to say , a waiting cycle is not caused at the time of jump instruction processing as well . this technique is called delayed branch and used in conventional risc computers . in conventional risc computers , however , only one instruction can be executed during address calculation of the jump instruction . in the present embodiment , however , two instructions are simultaneously processed during address calculation of the jump instruction as well . as a result , the processing capability can be further raised . processing of the call and rtn instructions is performed in a similar flow . codes are generated by the compiler so that as effective instructions as possible may be executed during address calculation of a branch instruction . when there is nothing to be done , however , the nop instruction is chosen as the instructions 1 and 2 of fig1 b . at this time , a wait of substantially one machine cycle is caused . since the number of pipeline stages is small , however , overhead at the time of branch can be advantageously made small as compared with cisc computers described before as the prior art . fig1 shows processing flow used when a conditional branch instruction bracc is executed as the second instruction . a flag is set by an instruction denoted by add , f , and it is decided in accordance with that result whether branch should be performed or not . at this time as well , an instruction of an address succeeding that of the bracc instruction , i . e ., instruction 1 of fig1 and another instruction of another address succeeding the address of the first mentioned instruction , i . e ., instruction 2 of fig1 are read out and processed in the same way as the processing of the unconditional branch instruction described before by referring to fig1 b . in the processing flow of these two instructions , the result of arithmetic operation is written into the register file at the w stage , whether the branch condition of the bracc instruction is satisfied or not . fig1 shows processing flow used when an unconditional branch instruction bra is executed as the first instruction . if the bra instruction and the instruction 1 are read out , the sequencer 111 adds the displacement field d to the program count at the r stage and sets the resultant sum into the latch 102 of the program counter . in addition , the sequencer 111 reads the operand of the instruction 1 in parallel . during this time , an instruction 2 located at an address succeeding that of the instruction 1 and another instruction 3 located at another address succeeding that of the instruction 2 are read out . in the present embodiment , the branch instruction and the instruction 1 are executed in parallel , and hardware capable of executing both the instruction 2 and the instruction 3 is used . that is to say , two instructions including a branch instruction are executed in parallel . in addition , two instructions succeeding them are made executable . as for a conventional delayed branch instruction , only one instruction immediately succeeding the branch instruction is executed in parallel . as for a branch instruction in the present embodiment , however , two instructions immediately succeeding the branch instruction are executed in case of fig1 b , and three instructions immediately succeeding the branch instruction are executed in case of fig1 unlike the conventional delayed branch . that is to say , the present embodiment differs from the conventional delayed branch in that m instructions including a delayed branch instruction are executed in parallel and m instructions succeeding them are executed by taking advantage of the branch time . as a result , a high degree of parallel processing can be realized . on the other hand , fig1 shows the processing flow used when the conditional branch instruction bracc is executed as the first instruction . in the same way as the processing flow of fig1 , the bracc instruction and an instruction 1 are executed in parallel . by taking advantage of time to branch to jump destination instructions 1 and 2 , instructions 2 and 3 are executed whether the condition is satisfied or not . as a result , high degree of parallel execution becomes possible . as understood from fig1 and fig1 , two instructions and three instructions immediately succeeding the branch instruction are executed , respectively . in this way , the number of instructions executed at the time of branch differs depending upon whether the branch instruction exists as the first instruction or as the second instruction . when the value of the processing state flag pe 116 of the processor status register 103 is &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, two instructions are processed every machine cycle as previously described with reference to fig1 , 13 , 14b , 15 , 16 and 17 . this results in an advantage that the processing capability is raised to twice at its maximum . when the value of the processing state flag pe 116 of the processor register 103 is &# 34 ; off &# 34 ;, the program counter is so controlled via a control signal 136 as to increase in count by + 1 and the instruction cashe 100 is so controlled by a control signal 137 that one instruction having a 32 - bit length may be read into the first instruction register 104 via the bus 117 . further , the control signal 136 is supplied to the first instruction decoder 106 and the second instruction decoder 107 . as a result , the first instruction decoder functions to process the instruction of the first instruction register 104 in the first arithmetic unit 108 , and the second instruction decoder functions to stop the second arithmetic unit . as a result , successive processing by using the first arithmetic unit can be performed . by referring to fig1 b , pipeline operation conducted when the value of the processing state flag pe 116 of the processor status register 103 is &# 34 ; off &# 34 ; will now be described in detail . at the if stage , one instruction specified by the program counter is read out and set into the first instruction register 104 . when the value of the processing state flag pe 116 is &# 34 ; off &# 34 ;, an effective instruction is not outputted onto the bus 118 . that is to say , the sequencer 111 is a circuit for controlling the program counter . when the first instruction register does not contain a branch instruction , the sequencer sets a value equivalent to the previous program count plus one into the latch 102 as the program count . at the time of branch , the sequencer calculates the branch address and sets it into the program counter . at the time of conditional branch , the sequencer judges whether branch should be performed or not on the basis of flag information 120 supplied from the first arithmetic unit 108 . by using the destination address information 121 and the branch control information 122 , the sequencer controls the program counter arithmetic unit 101 . operation of the r stage at the time of processing of a basic instruction will now be described . at the r stage , contents of the first instruction register 104 are decoded by the first instruction decoder 106 . as a result , contents of a register specified by the first source register field s1 of the first instruction register 104 are transmitted to the first arithmetic unit 108 via the bus 127 and contents of a register specified by the second source register field s2 are transmitted to the first arithmetic unit 108 via the bus 128 . operation of the ex stage will now be described . at the ex stage , arithmetic operation between data transmitted through the buses 127 and 128 is conducted in the first arithmetic unit 108 in accordance with contents of an operation code of the first instruction register 104 . finally , operation of the w stage will now be described . at the w stage , the result of arithmetic operation conducted in the first arithmetic unit 108 is stored into a register indicated by the destination field d of the first instruction register through the bus 131 . fig1 shows the flow of consecutive processing sing of basic instructions . although there is a capability to process two instructions every machine cycle , one instruction is processed every machine cycle . fig1 shows the flow of consecutive processing of the load instruction and the store instruction . when the load instruction is to be executed , contents of a register specified by the s2 field of the first instruction register are transferred to the mar 112 through the bus 128 at the r stage . succeedingly at the ex stage , an operand is fetched to the mdr 113 through the data cashe 115 . finally at the w stage , the operand fetched at the w stage is stored into a register specified by the destination field d of the first instruction register through the bus 134 . when the store instruction is to be executed , the contents of a register specified by the first source register field s1 of the first instruction register are transferred to the mwr 114 through the bus 135 as data at the r stage . at the same time , contents of a register specified by the second source register field s2 of the first instruction register are transferred to the mar 112 through the buses 128 and 131 as an address . succeedingly at the ex stage , data stored in the mwr 114 is written into the address specified by the mar 112 . although there is a capability to process two instructions every machine cycle , one instruction can be processed every machine cycle even if the load instruction and the store instruction are consecutive as shown in fig1 . fig2 shows the processing flow used when the unconditional jump instruction bra is to be executed . if the bra instruction is read out , the sequencer 111 adds the displacement field d to the program count and sets the resultant sum into the latch 102 of the program counter at the r stage . during this time , an instruction located at an address succeeding that of the bra instruction is read out . at the next cycle , the jump destination instruction is read out . in the present embodiment , hardware capable of executing the instruction 1 is used . that is to say , a waiting cycle is not caused at the time of jump instruction processing as well . operation conducted when the value of the processing state flag pe 116 of the processor status register 103 is &# 34 ; off &# 34 ; has heretofore been described . as compared with the operation conducted when the value is &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, instructions 2 and 3 performed in the delayed branch cannot be executed in the present embodiment . in the same way as conventional risc computers , however , one instruction can be executed during address calculation of the jump instruction . there is thus obtained an effect that compatibility with the prior art is kept when the value of the processing state flag pe 116 in the present embodiment is &# 34 ; off &# 34 ;. processing of the call and rtn instructions is performed in a similar flow . codes are generated by the compiler so that as effective instructions as possible may be executed during address calculation of a branch instruction . when there is nothing to be done , however , the nop instruction is chosen as the instruction 1 of fig2 . at this time , a wait of substantially one machine cycle is caused . fig2 shows the processing flow of the conditional branch instruction bracc . a flag is set by an instruction denoted by add , f , and it is decided in accordance with that result , whether branch should be performed or not . at this time as well , an instruction of an address succeeding that of the bracc instruction , i . e ., instruction 1 of fig2 is read out and processed in the same way as the processing of the unconditional branch instruction described before by referring to fig2 . in the processing flow of this instruction , the result of arithmetic operation is written into the register file at the w stage , whether the branch condition of the bracc instruction is satisfied or not . when the value of the processing state flag pe 116 is &# 34 ; off &# 34 ;, one instruction is processed every machine cycle as heretofore described by referring to fig1 to 21 , resulting in an advantage of compatibility with conventional software . an embodiment of the processing means changeover scheme , which has high - degree parallel processing means and successive processing means having compatibility with respect to conventional software and which is based upon the processing state flag has heretofore been described . in the successive processing means of the present embodiment , one instruction is read at a time and executed in the first arithmetic unit . as understood from fig1 b , however , two instruction registers 104 and 105 are present . in alternative configuration , therefore , the program counter is controlled so as to increase its count by + 2 at a time . two instructions are read into the first instruction register 104 and the second instruction register 105 and held therein . the instruction of the first instruction register 104 is executed in the first arithmetic unit 108 . the instruction of the second instruction register 105 is executed in the second arithmetic unit 109 . that is to say , the instruction cashe need only operate once every two cycles with the exception of branch instructions . assuming now that the value of the processing state flag pe 116 of the processor status register 103 is &# 34 ; off &# 34 ;, the operation of &# 34 ; means for reading out m instructions and for performing successive processing &# 34 ; will now be described by referring to fig1 b again . at the if stage , two instructions indicated by the program counter are read out and set into the first instruction register 104 and the second instruction register via the buses 117 and 118 , respectively . when the pc is an even number , an instruction of address pc is stored into the first instruction register , and an instruction of address pc + 1 is stored into the second instruction register . when the pc is an odd number , an nop instruction is set into the first instruction register , and an instruction of address pc is set into the second instruction register . that is to say , the sequencer 111 is a circuit for controlling the program counter . when neither the first instruction register nor the second instruction register contains a branch instruction , a value equivalent to the previous program counter value plus 2 is set into the latch 102 as the program count . at the time of branching , the branch address is calculated and set into the program counter . at the time of conditional branch , it is judged whether branch should be performed or not on the basis of flag information 120 supplied from the first arithmetic unit 108 and flag information 119 supplied from the second arithmetic unit 109 . the program counter arithmetic unit 101 is controlled by the branch destination address information 121 and the branch control information 122 . as described later , respective instructions stored in the first instruction register and the second instruction register are successively processed at later stages . therefore , the instruction cashe need not operate every machine cycle , but need only operate once every two machine cycles . operation of the r stage in the basic instruction processing will now be described . at the r stage , contents of the first instruction register 104 are decoded by the first instruction decoder 106 . succeedingly at the next stage , contents of the second instruction register 105 are decoded by the second instruction decoder 107 . as a result , contents of a register indicated by the first source register field s1 of the first instruction register 104 and contents of a register indicated by a second source register field s2 are transmitted to the first arithmetic unit 108 through the buses 127 and 128 , respectively . succeedingly at the next stage , contents of a register indicated by the first source register field s1 of the second instruction register 105 and contents of a register indicated by the second source register field s2 are transmitted to the second arithmetic unit 109 through the buses 129 and 130 , respectively . operation of the ex stage will now be described . at the ex stage , arithmetic operation between data transmitted through the buses 127 and 128 is conducted in the first arithmetic unit 108 in accordance with contents of the operation code of the first instruction register 104 . succeedingly at the next stage , arithmetic operation between data transmitted through the buses 129 and 130 is conducted in the second arithmetic unit 109 in accordance with contents of the operation code of the second instruction register 105 . finally , operation of the w stage will be described . at the w stage , the result of the arithmetic operation conducted in the first arithmetic unit 108 is stored into a register indicated by the destination field d of the first instruction register through the bus 131 . succeedingly at the next stage , the result of the arithmetic operation conducted in the second arithmetic unit 109 is stored into a register indicated by the destination field d of the second instruction register through the bus 132 . fig2 shows the flow of consecutive processing of the basic instruction add . although there is a capability to process two instructions every machine cycle , one instruction is processed every machine cycle . that is to say , two add instructions are simultaneously fetched , but only the first add instruction executes processing of the r stage . on the other hand , the second add instruction executes processing of the r stage after a wait of one machine cycle . in two lines of fig2 representing the processing of two instructions , the upper line represents the processing performed in the first arithmetic unit whereas the lower line represents the processing performed in the second arithmetic unit . fig2 shows the flow of consecutive processing of the load instruction and the store instruction . when the load instruction is to be executed , contents of a register specified by the s2 field of the first instruction register are transferred to the mar 112 through the bus 128 at the r stage . succeedingly at the ex stage , an operand is fetched from the data cashe through the bus 133 . finally at the w stage , the operand fetched at the w stage is stored into a register specified by the destination field d of the first instruction register through the bus 134 . if the high - speed data cashe 115 is provided as shown in fig1 a , it is possible to fetch the operand in one machine cycle at the ex stage . as for the execution of the store instruction , contents of a register specified by the second source register field s1 of the second instruction register are transferred to the mwr 114 through the bus 135 as data at the r stage after execution of the r stage of the load instruction . at the same time , contents of a register specified by the second source register field s2 of the second instruction register are transferred to the mar 112 through the bus 129 as an address . succeedingly at the ex stage , data stored in the mwr 114 is written into the address specified by the mar 112 . although there is a capability to process two instructions every machine cycle , one instruction can be processed every machine cycle even if the load instruction and the store instruction are consecutive as shown in fig2 . fig2 to 27 show the processing flow used when the unconditional jump instruction bra and an instruction 1 located at an address succeeding that of the unconditional jump instruction bra are to be executed . fig2 and 25 show pipeline processing flow used when the unconditional jump instruction bra exists in the first instruction . fig2 and 27 show pipeline processing flow used when the unconditional jump instruction bra exists in the second instruction . further , fig2 and 26 show the case where the jump destination instruction is located at an address corresponding to the first instruction . fig2 and 27 show the case where the jump destination instruction is located at an address corresponding to the second instruction . if the bra instruction is read out from the instruction register , the sequencer 111 adds the displacement field d to the program count and sets the result into the latch 102 of the program counter at the r stage . during this time , an instruction located at an address succeeding that of the bra instruction is executed at the next cycle . at a cycle succeeding the next cycle , two instructions of jump destination are read out . when the unconditional jump instruction bra is present in the second instruction ( fig2 and 27 ), two instructions including an instruction located at an address succeeding that of the bra instruction are read out from the instruction cashe at the if stage . although the first instruction is executed , the second instruction is not executed but the instruction of jump destination is executed . even if instructions located after an instruction immediately succeeding the branch instruction are held in the instruction register , they are not executed but invalidated . when the jump destination instruction is present in an address corresponding to the second instruction ( fig2 and 27 ), two instructions including the jump destination instruction are read out from the instruction cashe at the if stage . however , the first instruction of jump destination is not executed . only the second instruction of jump destination is executed . even if instructions located before the jump destination instruction are held in the instruction register , they are not executed but invalidated . the call instruction and the rtn instruction are processed in similar flows . fig2 to 31 show processing flows used when the conditional branch instruction bracc and the instruction 1 are executed . fig3 and 31 show processing flows used when the conditional branch instruction bracc is present in the first instruction . fig2 and 29 show processing flows used when the conditional branch instruction bracc is present in the second instruction . further , fig2 and 30 show processing flows used when the jump destination instruction is located at an address corresponding to the first instruction . fig2 and 31 show processing flows used when the jump destination instruction is located at an address corresponding to the second instruction . in fig2 to 31 , a flag is set by an instruction denoted by add , f . in accordance with that result , it is decided whether branch should be performed or not . at this time as well , an instruction 1 located at an address succeeding that of the bracc instruction is executed in the same way as the processing of an unconditional branch instruction described before by referring to fig2 to 27 . at the w stage in the processing flow of the instruction 1 , the result of arithmetic operation is written into the register file whether the branch condition of the bracc instruction is satisfied or not . it is now assumed that the bra instruction exists as the first instruction as shown in fig3 and 31 . if the bracc instruction is read out from the instruction register , the sequencer 111 adds the displacement field d to the program count at the r stage , sets the result into the latch 102 of the program counter , and performs parallel processing for reading out the operand of the instruction 1 . during this time , an instruction located at an address succeeding that of the instruction 1 is executed in the next cycle . two instructions of jump destination are read out in a cycle succeeding the next cycle . when the conditional branch instruction bracc is present in the second instruction ( fig2 and 29 ), two instructions including an instruction located at an address succeeding that of the bracc instruction are read out from the instruction cashe at the if stage . although the first instruction is executed , the second instruction is not executed but the instruction of jump destination is executed . even if instructions located after an instruction immediately succeeding the conditional branch instruction are held in the instruction register , they are not executed but invalidated . further , a conditional branch instruction is executed . when the condition is satisfied , jumping is performed . when the jump destination instruction is present in an address corresponding to the second instruction ( fig2 and 31 ), two instructions including the jump destination instruction are read out from the instruction cashe at the if stage . however , the first instruction is not executed . the jump destination instruction of the second instruction is executed . even if instructions located before the jump destination instruction are held in the instruction register , they are not executed but invalidated . operation of &# 34 ; means for simultaneously reading out m instructions and successively processing the m instructions in m arithmetic units &# 34 ; has heretofore been described . eventually , there is provided means ( successive processing means ) for so controlling the program counter as to increase its count by + 2 at a time , reading out two instructions to store them into the first instruction register 104 and the second instruction register 105 , executing the instruction of the first instruction register 104 in the first arithmetic unit 108 , succeedingly executing the instruction of the second instruction register 105 in the second arithmetic unit 109 . as a result , the instruction cashe need only operate once every two cycles with the exception of branch instructions . an embodiment of the processing means changeover scheme , which has high - degree parallel processing means and successive processing means having compatibility with respect to conventional software and which is based upon the processing state flag has heretofore been described . when the value of the processing state flag pe 116 of the processor status register 103 shown in fig1 a is &# 34 ; on &# 34 ;, two instructions are processed every machine cycle . when the parallel execution processing means of the present embodiment is used , therefore , the processing capability is raised to twice at its maximum . as shown in fig1 to 17 , however , delayed branch instructions are expanded and hence compatibility with respect to conventional software is lost . therefore , a method for maintaining compatibility with respect to a great part of software by providing control means for executing only one instruction succeeding the delayed branch instruction will now be described . fig1 c is obtained by adding a control signal line 147 to fig1 b . when a delayed branch instruction is decoded in the second instruction decoder 107 , a succeeding delay slot instruction is present in the first instruction register 104 . however , an instruction held in the second instruction register 105 is an instruction which must not be executed . when the second instruction decoder 107 has detected a delayed branch instruction , only one instruction succeeding the delayed branch instruction is executed by invalidating the contents of the second instruction register 105 via the control signal line 147 . when the delayed branch instruction is decoded in the first instruction decoder 106 , the succeeding delay slot instruction is being decoded in the second instruction decoder 107 . therefore , parallel execution does not pose a problem . by invalidating the contents of the second instruction register 105 by means of the control signal line 147 as heretofore described , compatibility with respect to a great part of software can be maintained . there will now be described an embodiment of &# 34 ; a scheme capable of correctly executing a great part of conventional software &# 34 ; based upon always performing parallel processing without using the processing state flag . the present embodiment comprises means for processing basically two instructions at a time with respect to processing excluding branch instructions , executing only one succeeding instruction ( i . e ., only instruction 1 in fig1 b - 17 ) with respect to branch instructions , and preventing execution of remaining instructions . fig1 a shows configuration based upon performing always parallel processing . that is to say , addition of + 2 is always performed in the program counter arithmetic unit 101 ( 143 ). by invalidating the contents of the second instruction register 105 by means of the control signal line 147 , however , software compatibility can be maintained . operation of the configuration shown in fig1 a will hereafter be described by referring to fig1 b to 17 . fig1 b has already been used for the description of the above described embodiment . fig1 b shows the processing flow used when the unconditional jump instruction bra is executed as the second instruction . upon reading the bra instruction , the sequencer 111 adds the displacement field d to the program count and sets the result into the latch 102 of the program counter at the r stage . during this time , instructions 1 and 2 located at addresses succeeding that of the bra instruction are read out . in the next cycle , two instructions of jump destination are read out . in the present embodiment , only the instruction 1 is executed and execution of the instruction 2 is prevented . that is to say , control is so exercised that only one instruction succeeding the branch instruction bra may be executed in order to maintain compatibility with respect to conventional software . that is to say , the instruction 2 of fig1 b can be processed by exercising control via the signal line 147 so as to attain processing equivalent to the nop instruction in the second instruction decoder 107 of fig1 a or prevent writing the second instruction into the register file . code is so generated by the compiler that as effective instructions as possible may be executed during address calculation of the branch instruction . when there is nothing to do , the instruction 1 of fig1 b is chosen as the nop instruction . at this time , a wait of substantially one machine cycle is caused . fig1 shows processing flow used when a conditional branch instruction bracc is executed as the second instruction . a flag is set by an instruction denoted by add , f , and it is decided in accordance with that result whether branch should be performed or not . at this time as well , instructions of addresses succeeding that of the bracc instruction , i . e ., instructions 1 and 2 of fig1 are read out in the same way as the unconditional branch instruction described before by referring to fig1 b . in the processing flow of the instruction 1 , the result of arithmetic operation is written into the register file at the w stage , whether the branch condition of the bracc instruction is satisfied or not . on the other hand , execution of the instruction 2 is prevented . that is to say , the instruction 2 of fig1 can be processed by exercising control so as to attain processing equivalent to the nop instruction in the second instruction decoder 107 of fig1 a or prevent writing the second instruction into the register file . at this time , a wait of substantially one machine cycle is caused . fig1 shows the processing flow used when an unconditional jump instruction bra is executed as the first instruction . if the bra instruction and the instruction 1 are read out , the sequencer 111 adds the displacement field d to the program count at the r stage and sets the resultant sum into the latch 102 of the program counter . at the same time , the operand of the instruction 1 is read . during this time , succeeding instructions 2 and 3 are read out . in the next cycle , instructions 1 and 2 of jump destination are read out . in order to attain compatibility with respect to conventional software , the branch instruction bra and the succeeding instruction 1 are executed in parallel . however , execution of the instructions 2 and 3 is prevented . that is to say , the instructions 2 and 3 of fig1 can be processed by exercising control so as to attain processing equivalent to the nop instruction in the first instruction decoder 106 and the second instruction decoder 107 of fig1 a or prevent writing the second and third instructions into the register file . codes are generated by the compiler so that as effective instructions as possible may be executed during address calculation of a branch instruction . when there is nothing to be done , however , the nop instruction is chosen as the instruction 1 of fig1 . at this time , a wait of substantially one machine cycle is caused . fig1 shows processing flow used when the conditional branch instruction bracc is executed as the first instruction . a branch state flag is set by the instruction denoted by add , f , and it is decided in accordance with that result whether branch should be performed or not . at this time as well , the bracc instruction and the instruction 1 located at an address succeeding that of the bracc instruction are simultaneously read out in the same way as the unconditional branch instruction described before by referring to fig1 . in the processing flow of the instruction 1 , the result of arithmetic operation is written into the register file at the w stage , whether the branch condition of the bracc instruction is satisfied or not . the instructions 2 and 3 of fig1 can be processed by exercising control so as to attain processing equivalent to the nop instruction in the first instruction decoder 106 and the second instruction decoder 107 of fig1 a , prevent writing the second and third instructions into the register file , or branch to the jump destination instruction 1 after parallel execution of the instruction 1 in case the branch instruction is the first instruction . by referring to fig1 a , operation of the scheme which makes a great part of conventional software operate normally and raises the operation speed by parallel execution has heretofore been described . eventually , execution of the instruction 2 of fig1 b and 15 as well as the instructions 2 and 3 of fig1 and 17 is prevented . as a result , compatibility of the conventional delayed branch scheme effectively taking advantage of one waiting cycle can be maintained . as for other instructions , two instructions can be fundamentally executed in parallel . therefore , both compatibility with respect to conventional software and improvement of processing performance at a ratio of one to twice are accomplished . laying stress on the branch instruction , parallel execution processing means has heretofore been described . it is a matter of course that the first instruction and the second instruction cannot often be executed simultaneously depending upon the combination of them . this is herein referred to as racing . racing will hereafter be described . 2 . when a register indicated by the destination register field d of the first instruction coincides with a register indicated by the first source register field s1 of the second instruction or a register indicated by the second source register field s2 of the second instruction . the racing described above &# 34 ; 1 .&# 34 ; is a problem peculiar to the present embodiment caused by the fact that a plurality of instructions cannot access the data cashe simultaneously . this problem can be solved by providing the data cashe with two ports , for example . the racing caused by &# 34 ; 2 .&# 34 ; can be solved by comparing the source register field with the destination register field in the first instruction decoder and the second instruction decoder of fig1 a and by changing the second instruction into the nop instruction in case of coincidence . that is to say , when the register indicated by the destination register field d of the first instruction coincides with the register indicated by two source register fields of the second instruction , the second instruction is changed into the nop instruction , and the first instruction and the nop instruction are executed in parallel processing . in the next cycle , the first instruction is changed into the nop instruction , and the nop instruction and the second instruction are executed in parallel . every embodiment of the present invention heretofore described comprises two instruction decoders and two arithmetic units . however , it is evident that no problem is posed even if the number of instruction decoders and arithmetic units is increased to 4 , 8 and so on . the final embodiment of the present invention will now be described . this relates to the processing state flag pe 116 of the processor status register 103 shown in fig1 . originally , in a system needing compatibility with conventional software , the processing state flag pe 116 functions to change over hardware by using switchable means as an information source and an instruction for change - over . in a special purpose system or a system which need only execute newly created software alone , however , only one of the functions is used in some cases when the system is constructed . therefore , the data processing apparatus must comprise both the parallel execution processing means and the successive execution processing means as well as means for incorporating either of these means depending upon the system to be constructed . one of means realizing this function sets the processing state flag pe 116 of the processor status register 103 into either state in response to an instruction at the time of initialization or at the time of resetting . further , in case of an lsi such as a microprocessor , a pin for exchanging signals between the lsi and the outside may be used to select either of the above described two means . the present invention makes all software operating on conventional computers of successive processing type operate normally and allows execution of them at a higher speed by using high - degree parallel processing function . therefore , the processing time can be shortened . further , the present invention makes a great part of conventional software operate normally and allows execution thereof at a higher speed by using high - degree parallel processing function .	6
in the first exemplary embodiment , shown in fig1 of a fuel injection system 1 , a quantity controlled fuel pump 2 pumps fuel 3 out of a tank 4 via a feed line 5 into a central pressure reservoir chamber 6 ( common rail ). from the pressure reservoir chamber 6 , a plurality of pressure lines 7 corresponding in number to the number of individual cylinders of an internal combustion engine to be supplied lead away to the individual injectors 8 . inside each of the injectors 8 ( injection devices ) protruding into the combustion chamber of the engine — in fig1 only one of the injectors 8 is shown —, there is a pressure booster unit 9 . the pressure line 11 can be connected with the aid of a valve unit 10 for triggering the pressure boosting ( 3 / 2 - way valve ) to the pressure line 7 , or can be made to communicate with a leakage line 12 a system pressure of approximately 200 bar to 1000 bar , which is further boosted by the pressure booster unit 9 , can be stored in the pressure reservoir chamber 6 . the pressure means 17 can be subjected to pressure at one end with the aid of the valve unit 10 and the pressure line 7 . a differential chamber 171 is pressure - relieved by means of the leakage line 15 , so that the pressure means 17 can be displaced to reduce the volume of a pressure chamber 13 . the pressure means 17 is moved in the compression direction , so that fuel compressed in the pressure chamber 13 ( first injection pressure ) can be delivered to a control chamber 19 and a nozzle chamber 20 . a check valve 14 prevents the return flow of compressed fuel into the pressure reservoir chamber 6 . by means of a suitable ratio of the areas in a primary chamber 13 ′ and the pressure chamber 13 , a second , higher pressure can be generated in this way . if the primary chamber 13 ′, with the aid of the valve unit 10 , is connected to the leakage line 12 , then the restoration of the pressure means 17 and the refilling of the pressure chamber 13 take place . because of the pressure ratios in the pressure chamber 13 and the primary chamber 13 ′, the check valve 14 opens , so that the pressure chamber 13 is at rail pressure ( pressure of the pressure reservoir chamber 6 ), and the pressure means 17 hydraulically one or more springs can be disposed in the chambers 13 , 13 ′ and 17 ′. by throttling inside one of the valves 10 or 29 , an injection pressure that is variable during the injection and thus a shaping of the course of injection can be achieved by means of a cross - sectional control ; the pressure in the control chamber 19 is varied when the cross section of the valve 29 is controlled , and thus throttling of the injection pressure is attained at the valve sealing face 22 via the valve member 21 . to achieve a continuous cross - sectional control , both piezoelectric actuators and high - speed magnet actuators are conceivable . by providing multi - stage valves , instead of a continuous shaping of the injection pressure , a plurality of different injection pressure levels during injection can be created by means of different throttle positions . in pressure line 18 communicating with the pressure chamber 13 , a pressure builds up that also prevails in the control chamber 19 and the nozzle chamber 20 . the injection takes place via fuel metering with the aid of a pistonlike valve member 21 that is axially displaceable in a guide bore and that has a conical valve sealing face 22 on one end , with which it cooperates with a valve seat face on the injector housing of the injector unit 8 . injection openings are provided at the valve seat face of the injector housing . inside the nozzle chamber 20 , a pressure face pointing in the opening direction of the valve member 21 is exposed to the pressure prevailing there , which is delivered to the nozzle chamber 20 via the pressure line 18 . coaxially to a valve spring 23 , a pressure piece 24 also engages the valve member 21 and with its face end 25 remote from the valve sealing face 22 , the pressure piece defines the control chamber 19 . from the fuel pressure connection stub , the control chamber 19 has an inlet with a first throttle 26 and an outlet to a pressure relief line 27 with a second throttle 28 , which is controlled by a 2 / 2 - way valve 29 . the nozzle chamber 20 continues across an annular gap between the valve member 21 and the guide bore , up to the valve seat face of the injector housing . by way of the pressure in the control chamber 19 , the pressure piece 24 is subjected to pressure in the closing direction . upon actuation ( opening ) of the 2 / 2 - way valve 29 , the pressure in the control chamber 19 can be reduced , so that a consequence the pressure force in the nozzle chamber 20 , exerted in the opening direction on the valve member 21 , exceeds the pressure force exerted on the valve member 20 in the closing direction . the valve sealing face 22 lifts from the valve seat face , and fuel is injected . the pressure relief of the control chamber 19 and thus the stroke control of the valve member 21 can be varied by way of the dimensioning of the throttle 26 and the throttle 28 . the end of injection is initiated by re - actuation ( closure ) of the 2 / 2 - way valve 29 , which decouples the control chamber 19 from the pressure relief line 27 again , so that once again a pressure that can move the pressure piece 24 in the closing direction builds up in the control chamber 19 . the valve units are actuated for opening or closing or switching over by electromagnets . the electromagnets are triggered by a control unit , which is capable of monitoring and processing various operating parameters ( engine rpm , etc .) of the engine to be supplied . in place of the magnet - controlled valve units , piezoelectric final control elements ( actuators ) can also be used , which have a requisite temperature equalization and optionally a requisite force or travel boost . below , in the description of fig2 - 8 , only differences from the fuel injection system of fig1 will be addressed . identical components will not be explained in detail . from fig2 it can be seen that in a modification of the fuel injection system 1 , the pressure booster unit 9 is disposed outside the injector 8 and is now in the region of the pressure reservoir chamber 6 . the structural size of the injector 8 is reduced . the valve 10 can be disposed on the pressure reservoir chamber , and the pressure booster unit can be disposed on the injector . in the fuel injection system of fig3 the pressure reservoir chamber 6 is filled with motor oil or some other suitable pressure fluid 43 from a supply container 44 via the feed line 45 and the pump 42 , in order to trigger the pressure booster unit 9 . the low - pressure side 16 of the pressure means 17 can either be subjected to pressure via the pressure line 47 , or connected to a leakage line 48 . the switchover is attainable by means of the 3 / 2 - way valve 10 . the pressure chamber 13 can be filled with fuel from a further supply container via the check valve 14 , or with the aid of a prefeed pump — as shown — this can be done at a lesser prefeed pressure . the injection takes place as described for fig1 . alternatively to throttling the fuel in the region of the fuel metering , the second system pressure can be generated using a pressure limiting valve in the form of a check valve 50 in the region of the pressure booster unit ( fig4 ). the check valve 50 opens at a pressure of approximately 300 bar . the pressure chamber 13 is filled with fuel from a supply container via the check valve 14 , with the aid of a fuel pump . in this case , at a short stroke of the pressure means 17 , which initially is in its returned position and is then moved in the direction of the bottom of the pressure chamber 13 , the pressure chamber 13 remains in communication with the check valve 50 , so that the pressure in the pressure chamber 13 is limited to 300 bar , so that fuel at this pressure can be carried to the nozzle chamber 20 and the control chamber 19 . the check valve 14 prevents the return flow of compressed fuel in the direction of the fuel pump 2 . at a longer stroke of the pressure means 17 as a consequence of the imposition of pressure on the pressure means 17 with a fluid from the pressure reservoir chamber 6 , the access of the pressure chamber 13 to the leakage line 49 is closed , so that a higher injection pressure is attained . in the main injection , a so - called “ boot injection ” can thus be performed , along with a pre - injection at low pressure . in a modification of the above exemplary embodiments , a pressure - controlled fuel injection system 51 is shown in fig5 . once again , a high - pressure pump 52 pumps fuel 53 out of a supply container 54 via a feed line 55 into a pressure reservoir chamber 56 , which stores the fuel 53 at a pressure of 300 to 800 bar and which communicates with individual injectors 58 via individual pressure lines 57 . from the pressure reservoir chamber 56 , the injection pressure of each injector 58 is generated by means of a respective pressure booster unit 59 disposed inside each injector 58 . by means of a valve unit 60 ( 3 / 2 - way valve ), the injection is done under pressure control . a valve member 61 can move , counter to the closing force of a compression spring 62 , away from the valve seat face 63 of the injector housing when a nozzle chamber 64 is filled with fuel at a suitable pressure . in the currentless state of the valve unit 60 , the pressure booster unit 59 is connected to a leakage line 66 . a pressure chamber 67 can be filled via a check valve 68 . by means of a continuous cross - sectional control of the valve 60 , shaping of the course of injection ( as in fig1 ) can be attained . if multi - stage valves are used , it is likewise possible to attain various injection pressure levels by means of different throttle positions . once again , piezoelectric actuators or magnet actuators are conceivable as actuators . in fig6 the pressure booster unit 59 and the valve unit 60 in a pressure - controlled fuel injection system 51 are located outside the injector 58 , in the region of the pressure reservoir chamber 56 . in the exemplary embodiment of a pressure - controlled fuel injection system 71 in fig7 the generation and boosting of the pressure of fuel 74 delivered from a supply container are achieves with a motor oil as the pressure fluid 72 . the pressure booster unit 73 acts as a coupling element between the fuel delivery and the pressure fluid delivery system . a second system pressure is attained via throttling inside a valve cross section of a valve unit 75 ( see the description of fig1 - 6 as well ). fig8 shows a pressure - controlled fuel injection system 81 which employs a pressure limitation of the fuel compressed in the pressure chamber 82 ( see also the analogous stroke - controlled variant in fig4 ). at a short stroke of the pressure means 83 , the pressure in the pressure chamber 82 of the pressure booster unit 84 is limited to approximately 300 bar , since the pressure chamber 82 communicates with a leakage line 87 via a pressure limiting check valve . upon further motion of the pressure means 83 in the direction of the arrow 85 , this pressure limitation path is closed , and the full injection pressure is generated . this makes a pre - injection at low pressure possible by means of a separate actuation of a valve unit 86 . in a main injection , a boot injection can additionally be generated . the valve unit 86 can be reinforced or triggered directly or hydraulically ( control piston and control chamber ) by means of magnet actuators ( in the event of throttling in the region of the valve seat face , a travel control of the magnet valve must be provided ). by the use of a piezoelectric actuator , shaping of the course of injection ( a boot injection ) in the main injection can also be achieved . this is equally applicable to all the embodiments of the invention . fig9 pertains to a pressure - controlled fuel injection system 91 with an injection nozzle that is modified compared to the exemplary embodiments shown above . once again , via a fuel pump , fuel or alternatively motor oil is pumped into a pressure reservoir chamber at a pressure of approximately 300 to approximately 300 bar . beginning at this pressure reservoir chamber , the injection pressure is generated locally for each cylinder via a pressure booster unit . if motor oil is used as the fluid , the pressure booster unit also acts as a coupler . via a 3 / 2 - way valve 92 with a cross - sectional control or a piezoelectric actuator , the injection is achieved under pressure control . in the currentless state , the low - pressure side of the pressure booster unit is connected to leaking oil and can be filled via a check valve 93 . by means of throttling in the valve seat of the valve 92 , a second injection pressure can be developed . instead of the blind bore or seat bore nozzles shown in the above drawings , a vario - nozzle or vario - register nozzle is used . the opening cross section of the nozzle holes that is available is variable . the course of injection can be adapted still better to the requirements of the engine . in the case of a vario - register nozzle , a plurality of rows of nozzle holes can be opened in stages . the triggering for the hydraulic stroke stop 94 of the nozzle can be done both inside the injector 95 and also centrally for all the injectors simultaneously . the foregoing relates preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention , it being understood that other variants and embodiments thereof are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention , the latter being defined by the appended claims .	5

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