US08711239B2
Program recording medium, image processing apparatus, imaging apparatus, and image processing method
In a first step of a program, data of a plurality of still images generated by continuously imaging still images of a subject using an imaging apparatus is read into a calculating section. In a second step, the calculating section selects a specified image from among an object image group which includes the plurality of still images and in which respective images are continued in a time base direction. In a third step, the calculating section selects a first image to be added from images before the specified image in the time base direction among the object image group. Further, the calculating section determines an addition rate of the first image to be added to the specified image. In a fourth step, the calculating section records data of the addition rate of the first image to be added in association with data of the specified image.
US08711234B2
A system and method for capturing images is provided. In the system and method, preview images are acquired and global local and local motion are estimated based on at least a portion of the preview images. If the local motion is less than or equal to the global motion, a final image is captured based at least on an exposure time based on the global motion. If the local motion is greater than the global motion, a first image is captured based on at least a first exposure time and at least a second image is captured based on at least one second exposure time less than the first exposure time. After capturing the first and second images, global motion regions are separated from local motion regions in the first and second images, and the final image is reconstructed at least based on the local motion regions.
US08711228B2
A method of populating a placeholder of a document as images are captured by one or more image capture devices. A reference image is captured using the image capture device with a first set of capture settings. The reference image is inserted into a placeholder of a document. Target characteristics of a subsequent image to be captured are determined using one of the image capture devices. The target characteristics are determined based the reference image and at least one remaining placeholder in the document. A second set of capture settings are determined based on the determined target characteristics. The second set of capture settings are communicated to at least one of the image capture devices in order to enable the at least one image capture device to capture the subsequent image with the second set of capture settings. A placeholder of the document is populated with the subsequent image.
US08711223B2
System, including method and apparatus, for imaging with a vehicle-mounted camera having an optical axis that is restricted from angular displacement, in response to vibration, by passive stabilization via a set of vibration isolators.
US08711222B2
A laser profiling calibration system includes a light emitting device, a light-reflecting target, and an optical receiver. The light emitting device is configured to project a light and define a light plane. The light-reflecting target is configured to be positioned at multiple positions within the light plane, and has a plurality of non-reflective regions. The optical receiver is oriented to receive light reflected from the target, and further configured to capture a plurality of images, comprising at least one image at each of the target's multiple positions. The system is configured to use the plurality of images to calibrate the optical receiver within the light plane.
US08711218B2
A surveillance system and methods are disclosed. The system of the invention includes computing means connected to memory means, input means and a plurality of sensors, such as video camera and plurality of display screens. The system is adapted to compute for the sensors a 3D coverage space which considers terrain data and man-made objects and specific features of the sensors such as the 3D location and the pan, tilt and zoom (PTZ) of the camera and to establish a data base indicative of the coverage area. The system and method of the invention are also adapted to support tracking of an object within the coverage space of the sensors, either in automatic or manual mode and to provide a user of the system with data indicative of sensors into the coverage space of which a tracked object is about to enter.
US08711215B2
Provided is an imaging device including: a lens optical system L including at least an optical plane area D1 and an optical plane area D2, the optical plane area D2 having an optical property that causes a focusing property of the optical plane area D2 to differ from a focusing property of the optical plane area D1 due to a light beam that has passed through the optical plane area D1; an imaging element N including at least a plurality of pixels P1 and a plurality of pixels P2 which allow light that has passed through the lens optical system L to enter; and an array-shaped optical element K that is arranged between the lens optical system L and the imaging element N and is configured to cause light that has passed through the optical plane area D1 to enter the plurality of pixels P1 and to cause light that has passed through the optical plane area D2 to enter the plurality of pixels P2.
US08711214B2
A position/orientation measurement apparatus comprises an obtaining unit to obtain a range image to the target object; a determination unit to determine a coarse position/orientation of the target object based on the range image; a calculation unit to calculate a variation degree of distance information on a region of the range image, which region corresponds to a predetermined region on the shape model; a sampling unit to sample, for each predetermined region on the shape model, sample-points from the predetermined region to reduce the number of sample-points as the variation degree is smaller; an association unit to associate the sample-points and three-dimensional measurement points obtained by converting two-dimensional measurement points on the range image into three-dimensional coordinates based on the coarse position/orientation; and a position/orientation determination unit to determine the position/orientation of the target object based on a sum total of distances between the sample-points and the three-dimensional measurement points.
US08711213B2
A correction information calculating device calculates correction information representing correspondence relationship between positions of pixels in an image projected onto projection areas of a projection surface from projectors each including an image forming element and positions of pixels in the image forming element. The correction information calculating device includes a correction information calculating unit that calculates the correction information by associating and comparing positions of a plurality of characteristic points defined in original data of the characteristic point patterns that includes the plurality of the characteristic points and is supplied to the projectors and the positions of the plurality of characteristic points inside the photographed image acquired by photographing the characteristic point patterns projected based on the original data based on a correspondence information representing the correspondence relationship between identification patterns on the projection surface and the projectors projecting the identification patterns.
US08711202B2
Providing high availability in videoconferences system. A first plurality of videoconferencing devices of a first type may be monitored. Additionally, a second plurality of videoconferencing devices of a second type may be monitored. During this monitoring, at least one device of the first plurality of videoconferencing devices performs activities corresponding to a respective videoconference and at least one device of the second plurality of videoconferencing devices performs activities corresponding to the respective videoconference. In response to failure of a one of the devices associated with the respective videoconference, failover to a second device of the same type may be performed. After performing failover, the second device performs the activities corresponding to the respective videoconference that the original device was performing.
US08711191B2
An image erasing apparatus includes: a paper feeding tray configured to feed a recording medium; a sensor group including a double-feed detection sensor configured to detect double feed of the recording medium and a media sensor configured to detect the thickness of the recording medium; a recording-medium collecting device, a collection box, or a discharge box configured to collect the recording medium; and a recording-medium conveying device connecting the paper feeding tray, the sensor group, and the recording-medium collecting device, the collection box, or the discharge box on a straight line.
US08711187B2
A definition control method and an image display device using the same are provided. The definition control method includes displaying a first pattern and a second pattern, inputting a control value, and changing a display state of the first pattern according to the input control value, wherein a display state of the second pattern is not changed by the control value.
US08711181B1
A pre-fetching map data system and method identifies a subset of map data to corresponding to one or more points of interest to be displayed on the map. The map data is stored on a remote map database and in the form of map data tiles. The system identifies those map data tiles that correspond to the subset of map data corresponding to the one or more points of interest, where the identified pre-fetch map data tiles are sent from the remote database to a client device for cache storage. The pre-fetch map data tiles are identified using a variable map tile radius, which when extended from the points of interest defines the map tiles that qualify as pre-fetch map data tiles. The tile radius can be fixed or dynamically adjusted and changes across different map zoom levels.
US08711176B2
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for implementing a reality overlay device. A reality overlay device captures information that is pertinent to physical surroundings with respect to a device, the information including at least one of visual information or audio information. The reality overlay device may transmit at least a portion of the captured information to a second device. For instance, the reality overlay device may transmit at least a portion of the captured information to a server via the Internet, where the server is capable of identifying an appropriate virtual billboard. The reality overlay device may then receive overlay information for use in generating a transparent overlay via the reality overlay device. The transparent overlay is then superimposed via the device using the overlay information, wherein the transparent overlay provides one or more transparent images that are pertinent to the physical surroundings. Specifically, one or more of the transparent images may operate as “virtual billboards.” Similarly, a portable device such as a cell phone may automatically receive a virtual billboard when the portable device enters an area within a specified distance from an associated establishment.
US08711173B2
A display pipe unit for processing pixels of video and/or image frames may be injected with dither-noise during processing of the pixels. A random noise generator implemented using Linear Feedback Shift Registers (LFSRs) produces pseudo-random numbers that are injected into the display pipe as dither-noise. Typically, such LFSRs shift freely during operation and the values of the LFSRs are used as needed. By shifting the LFSRs when the values are used to inject noise into newly received data, and not shifting the LFSRs when no new data is received, variations in the delays of receiving the data do not affect the pattern of noise applied to the frames. Therefore, dither-noise can be deterministically injected into the display pipe during testing/debug operation. By updating the LFSRs when new pixel data is available from the host interface instead of updating the LFSRs every cycle, the same dither-noise can be injected for the same received data.
US08711168B2
The color gamut of display devices like digital projectors and digital displays is expanded by incorporating additional passband filters into the optical path of the devices to produce presentations of color components in two different color gamuts. The composite visual effect of the two presentations is a presentation in an expanded color gamut. Special considerations in the modulation of color components of the image can reduce variations in color and brightness, which can otherwise manifest themselves as flicker.
US08711155B2
A pixel processing system and method which permits rendering of complicated three dimensional images using a shallow graphics pipeline including reduced gate counts and low power operation. Pixel packet information includes pixel surface attribute values retrieved in a single unified data fetch stage. A determination is made if the pixel packet information contributes to an image display presentation (e.g., a depth comparison of Z values may be performed). The pixel packet information processing is handled in accordance with results of the determining. The pixel surface attribute values and pixel packet information are removed from further processing if the pixel surface attribute values are occluded. In one exemplary implementation, the pixel packet includes a plurality of rows and the handling is coordinated for the plurality of rows. Any of a number of downstream pipestages may remove the occluded pixel information, and in response thereto, may notify a gatekeeper pipestage of the slack increase so that more pixels can be allowed into the pipeline.
US08711147B2
A method and system for generating and displaying an interactive dynamic graph view of multiply connected objects, is provided. One implementation involves a process implemented in a system for generating a graph view on a user interface in a computing environment, including: at a server, generating coordinate data for a graph representing multiply connected objects; transmitting the coordinate data to a client as lightweight object data; and at the client, based on the lightweight object data, rendering an interactive dynamic graph view of the multiply connected objects on a user interface such as a browser client using vector graphics.
US08711136B2
The present invention provides a voltage transfer function, a luminance transfer function, and a transfer factors (for example, efficiency, critical point, and slope) between these two functions, derives the correlation (based on the condition change in all cases) between an input grayscale voltage and output luminance, and calibrates the input grayscale voltage by a difference between measurement luminance and target luminance using the transfer functions. Therefore, the present invention can respond to change in conditions for all cases, and increase the accuracy, easiness, and generalization of calibration compared to the existing calibration scheme that relies on the lookup table by checking the actual measurement data and readjusting the transfer factors in each calibration stage. Moreover, the present invention can further increase the manufacturing yield by an average of 35% than the existing yield, significantly saving the manufacturing cost.
US08711117B2
An electrophoresis display having a touch screen and a method for driving the touch screen are disclosed. The electrophoresis display includes an electrophoresis panel, an electrophoresis driving circuit, which is drives the electrophoresis panel and write an image to the electrophoresis panel, a touch screen panel mounted on the electrophoresis panel, a touch screen driving circuit which outputs coordinate data of a touch position on the touch screen panel based on a signal received from the touch screen panel, and a host system configured which recognize the coordinate data during a non-operation period of the electrophoresis panel as available data and recognize the coordinate data during an operation period of the electrophoresis panel as unavailable data.
US08711107B2
A signal conversion control circuit comprises an analog-to-digital converter, a first sample-and-hold circuit, a second sample-and-hold circuit, a first switch, a second switch, a third switch, and a fourth switch. The analog-to-digital converter has an input end for receiving an output signal of a touch screen. The first sample-and-hold circuit is configured to provide the analog-to-digital converter with a high-level reference voltage. The second sample-and-hold circuit is configured to provide the analog-to-digital converter with a low-level reference voltage. The first switch connects a supplied voltage to the touch screen. The second switch connects the touch screen to a ground potential. The third switch connects the supplied voltage to the first sample-and-hold circuit through the first switch. The fourth switch connects the ground potential to the second sample-and-hold circuit through the second switch.
US08711100B2
Expression by sign language can be inputted more easily and reliably, and search can be performed therefor as well. A general-purpose keyboard is divided into finger input areas in which shapes of fingers are allotted to respective key tops and upper body input areas in which divided portions of an upper body of a sign language talker are allotted to key tops so that information, which is meant by the sign language, can be inputted by the aid of the keyboard in cooperation of key inputs of the respective areas.
US08711092B2
A pointing device, a display apparatus and a pointing system, and a location data generation method and a display method using the same are provided. The pointing device includes a sensor that detects signals, a storage unit which stores a signal pattern and a controller which generates location data corresponding to a time at which a signal is detected. Using the detected signals, it is possible to more precisely determine a location of the pointing device on a display apparatus, and to minimize errors caused by delays that may occur when the pointing device is wirelessly connected to the display apparatus.
US08711091B2
A method and a computer system are provided for automatically setting the logical positions of multiple screen displays. A computer system may comprise a plurality of display devices, at least one image capturing device, and a controller. The controller may be coupled to the display devices and image capturing devices. The adjustment module may be adapted to adjust the plurality of the display settings.
US08711088B2
A method for driving an electrophoretic display device that includes a display unit having a plurality of pixels and an electrophoretic element provided between a pair of substrates is provided. The method includes displaying on the display unit a third image that includes an image component of a first image and an image component of a second image before changing the first image displayed on the display unit to the second image.
US08711087B2
A method for driving an electrophoretic display device, which includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and an electrophoretic element disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, the method includes: setting a multiplication of a driving voltage and a voltage application time of the electrophoretic element in a unit period, which displays a first gradation with minimum reflectivity, and a multiplication of a driving voltage and a voltage application time of the electrophoretic element in the unit period, which displays a second gradation with maximum reflectivity, so as to be different from each other.
US08711084B2
A device and a method for controlling brightness of an OLED display device are disclosed.The method for controlling brightness of an OLED display device includes the steps of forwarding external brightness control information in a PWM signal or a brightness control data, selecting and normalizing either the PWM signal or the brightness control data into an external brightness adjusting gain, analyzing a received video data to detect a peak brightness value, multiplying the peak brightness value by the external brightness adjusting gain to produce a final peak brightness value, adjusting the R/G/B maximum gamma voltage values according to the final peak brightness value, and generating R/G/B reference gamma voltage sets by using the R/G/B maximum gamma voltage values adjusted thus.
US08711080B2
There is provided a backlight assembly that supplies light to an LCD panel. The backlight assembly includes an LED assembly and a backlight unit. The LED assembly includes at least one LED block region having a plurality of LEDs. The backlight unit driving unit includes a color control unit that determines a representative color of the LED block region using an image signal supplied to the LCD panel, and a dimming control unit that controls the color of the LED block region based on the representative color determined by the color control unit.
US08711079B2
A liquid crystal display having data driving apparatus comprising first and second output switches, a charge sharing line, and first and second charge sharing switches. The first output switch switches an electrical connection between a first amplifier providing a positive gradation voltage and a first data line in response to a control signal. The second output switch switches an electrical connection between a second amplifier providing a negative gradation voltage and a second data line in response to the control signal. The first charge sharing switch switches an electrical connection between the first data line and the charge sharing line in response to the control signal. The second charge sharing switch switches an electrical connection between the second data line and the charge sharing line in response to the control signal.
US08711078B2
A liquid crystal display (“LCD”) includes: a liquid crystal panel, a timing controller which receives previous image data and current image data, corrects or does not correct the current image data according to a reference bit of conversion image data generated using the previous image data, and outputs a display image signal to the liquid crystal panel, and a data driver which receives the display image signal and applies a data voltage corresponding to the display image signal to the liquid crystal panel.
US08711073B2
A display system includes a display panel having a plurality of pixel units, each of the pixel units having first and second divided pixel parts; a first driver for applying a first gate signal to the first divided pixel part; and a second driver for applying a second gate signal to the second divided pixel part, wherein the first and second drivers are integrally formed in the display panel and apply the first and second gate signals to be at least partially time-overlapped through independent driving.
US08711072B2
The present invention relates to a method and a system of reducing motion blur in a liquid crystal cell. A basic idea of the invention is to process, in an LCD system, a luminance component (Y) of a picture frame to provide motion blur reduction, wherein overdrive is applied to the luminance component only. First, a luminance component related to a first picture frame is stored. Thereafter, a luminance component of a subsequent picture frame is acquired. To reduce motion blur in the LCD, a modified luminance component (Y′) is created based on a difference between the value of the luminance component of the subsequent frame and the value of the luminance component related to the first frame. Hence, based on the value of the difference in the luminance components, and color components (U, V) of the subsequent picture frame, a drive voltage is applied to the LC cell.
US08711071B2
A display includes a gravity sensor, a timing controller, a backlight module, a first liquid crystal panel, a liquid crystal driver, and a second liquid crystal panel. The gravity sensor generates a direction signal. The timing controller receives a three-dimensional image, outputs a left eye image and a right eye image of the three-dimensional image in turn, outputs a control signal, and outputs a backlight control signal. The backlight module turns on a backlight. The first liquid crystal panel receives and displays the left eye image and the right eye image of the three-dimensional image. The liquid crystal driver receives the control signal and the direction signal, and outputs a voltage control signal. The second liquid crystal panel rotates liquid crystals within the second liquid crystal panel according to the voltage control signal.
US08711059B2
The present invention relates to a display apparatus comprising front display unit (10), and rear display unit (50) arranged behind the front display unit (10). The front display unit (10) comprise: a display panel (20); a front backlight (30) arranged behind the display panel (20) and including a first light guide plate (36) having a projection window (16) through which an image on the rear display unit (50) is visible, a first light source (38) arranged along the circumference of the first light guide plate (36), and a reflection sheet (39) arranged at the rear surface of the first light guide plate (36) to reflect light and having an image hole (18) formed at the region thereof that corresponds to the projection window (16); and a rear backlight (40) arranged behind the front backlight (30) and including a second light guide plate (42) and second light sources (44), wherein the second light guide plate (42) corresponds to the projection window (16) and is bent into a V-shape, and has a first light guide surface (42a) inclined upwardly as it extends toward the rear thereof, and a second light guide surface (42b) inclined downwardly as it extends from an end of the first light guide surface (42a) toward the rear thereof, and wherein the second light sources (44) are arranged at an upper end and a lower end of the second light guide plate (42), respectively, to illuminate the first light guide surface (42a) and the second light guide surface (42b), respectively. The rear display unit and the front display unit cooperate with one another to display a combined image. The entire screen of the front display unit is capable of displaying a clear image without any disconnection of the image.
US08711047B2
A multi-band antenna array for use in wireless communication devices with up to three simultaneous operating modes with improved antenna efficiency and reduced antenna coupling across a broad range of operative frequency bands with reduced physical size is described. The multi-band antenna array includes at least two loop antenna elements, each of which is orthogonal to, and arranged in an embedded manner, relative to each other. Each loop antenna in the multi-band antenna array may include a corresponding tuning element for tuning to a desired resonant frequency, and be comprised of an upper and lower half with the corresponding tuning element coupled therebetween.
US08711042B2
A mobile communication device equipped with a microphone, a receiver, a first circuit board which is provided with an antenna at the microphone side and a second circuit board opposing to the first circuit board, wherein the antenna has a first antenna part which is extended parallel to the edge of the first circuit board and a second antenna part which is extended from a free end of the first antenna part towards the second circuit board. The end of the second antenna part may also be extended in a direction parallel to the second circuit board so as to form a third antenna part. As a result, even if a user uses the device in a state with the receiver pressed against the ear, the antenna will not be affected by the user body and the antenna characteristics will not deteriorate.
US08711041B2
There is provided a case of an electronic device having an antenna pattern embedded therein, the case including: a radiator frame injection molded so that a radiator including an antenna pattern part formed of a metal sheet is exposed on one surface thereof; a case frame injection molded upward of the radiator frame, such that the radiator is embedded between the radiator frame and the case frame; and a boundary part forming a boundary between the radiator frame and the case frame and having a groove formed inward of the case frame.
US08711039B2
An antenna module includes a base member made of a resin and a copper-foil material, a first ground layer formed on a first surface of the base member, a second ground layer formed on a second surface of the base member, and an inverted-F metal-plate antenna provided on the first surface, formed by punch-cutting and folding a metal plate and including a rectangular conductive plate, a grounding conductor portion connected to the first ground layer, and a feeding conductor portion connected to a feeding point. The rectangular conductive plate is folded at a folding portion extending in a length direction and is divided in a width direction at the folding portion into a first rectangular conductive plate and a second rectangular conductive plate. The first rectangular conductive plate is parallel to the base member whereas the second rectangular conductive plate is inclined to the base member.
US08711033B2
A method for the geolocation of a device transmitting a signal containing at least one message to a plurality of relay satellites in a medium earth orbit, visible from said device, receiving said message and transmitting it to processing means, comprises at least the following steps: determination of the times of reception of the message by the relay satellites; determination of the pseudo-distances between the device and the relay satellites; searching for and acquiring a minimum number N of satellite radio navigation signals; determination of the time lags between the transmission of the radio navigation signals and their reception by the said device; broadcasting by the device of these time lags in the message; and, determination of the position of the device from at least the pseudo-distances, from the time lags and from the positioning coordinates of the relay satellites and of the radio navigation satellites.
US08711031B2
Disclosed are a sensor, the vertical alignment of which can be adjusted, and a vertical sensor-alignment adjustment apparatus using the same. In particular, in order to allow the vertical alignment to be adjusted, the sensor has a construction including a plurality of switchable transmitting antennas or a plurality of switchable receiving antennas or a construction including a tilting motor for adjusting an transmitting angle or a receiving angle. The vertical sensor-alignment adjustment apparatus employing such a sensor determines whether the sensor is misaligned in terms of its vertical alignment, and corrects the vertical misalignment of the sensor by executing variable switching to one of the transmitting antennas, by executing variable switching to one of the receiving antennas, or by controlling the tilting motor, so that the transmitting angle of sensor signals or the receiving angle of reflected waves for the sensor signals can be adjusted.
US08711028B2
A method and system for detecting the presence of subsurface objects within a medium is provided. In some embodiments, the imaging and detection system operates in a multistatic mode to collect radar return signals generated by an array of transceiver antenna pairs that is positioned across the surface and that travels down the surface. The imaging and detection system pre-processes the return signal to suppress certain undesirable effects. The imaging and detection system then generates synthetic aperture radar images from real aperture radar images generated from the pre-processed return signal. The imaging and detection system then post-processes the synthetic aperture radar images to improve detection of subsurface objects. The imaging and detection system identifies peaks in the energy levels of the post-processed image frame, which indicates the presence of a subsurface object.
US08711027B1
An analog-to-digital converter is disclosed comprising a resonant oscillator comprising an input operable to receive an analog input signal and an output operable to output an oscillating signal. A DC offset detector detects a DC offset in the oscillating signal caused by the analog input signal, wherein the DC offset is converted into a digital output signal representing the analog input signal.
US08711024B2
A switched capacitor amplifier having an amplification unit adapted to amplify a differential signal; a first switched capacitor block including a first plurality of capacitors operable to sample a first differential input signal during a first sampling phase and to drive the amplification unit during a first drive phase; and a second switched capacitor block including a second plurality of capacitors operable to sample a second differential input signal during a second sampling phase and to drive the amplification unit during a second drive phase.
US08711000B2
A network device and method for improving performance monitoring capabilities using wide view angle indicators are disclosed. A network device, in one embodiment, includes a first plate, a second plate, and a light source. The first plate has multiple performance indicators situated at a side of the network device. The second plate has multiple performance indicators wherein the second plate is situated at a surface having a predefined angle with respect to the first plate. The light source, which includes at least one light emitting diode (“LED”) and optical element(s), is capable of generating two illuminating beams. The first illuminating beam illuminates a portion of device performance viewable from the first plate and the second illuminating beam illuminates a first portion of device performance viewable from the second plate.
US08710994B2
A flood protection apparatus includes an adjustable base, a first water level detector, and a controller. The adjustable base supports the container and is operable to adjust a height of the container. The first water level detector is mounted on the base. When the first water level detector detects water has reached the first level, the first water level detector outputs a first detection signal. The controller receives the first detection signal to activate the base to heighten the container, until the first detection signal ceases or the base is at a highest point.
US08710980B2
The present invention provides a method for changing a usability status of an asset in a location tracking system. Establishment of a direct device-to-device wireless communication connection between a user tag and an asset tag of the location tracking system triggers a process to change a usability status of the asset associated with the asset tag. In the process, identifiers of the asset tag and the user tag obtained when pairing the asset tag and the user tag are used in order to link the user tag with the asset tag in the process for changing the usability status of the asset.
US08710974B2
A sound producing apparatus for a vehicle notifying a vehicle's approach outside the vehicle comprising an original-tone generating portion generating an original tone of a vehicle's approaching sound for recognition of a vehicle's approach, a modulation-tone generating portion generating a modulation tone from the original tone with a comb filter function which is configured to apply gains to frequency components so that a gain to be applied to a specified frequency component of a times-tone row which has frequencies of n-times of a fundamental frequency is greater than that to be applied to the other frequency component than the specified frequency component of the times-tone row, a sound-pressure setting portion setting a sound pressure of the approaching sound of the modulation tone, and a speaker producing outside the vehicle the vehicle's approaching sound of the modulation tone with the set sound pressure.
US08710968B2
A system for outputting virtual surface textures, related mobile and other devices, and related methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes a first haptic component that is configured to output a first virtual surface texture in response to being provided with an electrical signal. The system further includes a memory device that is capable of storing information, and a processing device coupled at least indirectly to the memory device and the haptic component. The processing device at least indirectly causes the electrical signal to be provided to the haptic component upon determining a first condition to have been satisfied, the electrical signal being based at least in part upon the stored information. Also, at least some of the stored information upon which the electrical signal is based is derived at least indirectly from an additional signal received from either the first haptic component or another haptic component.
US08710966B2
Methods and apparatus to provide haptic feedback are disclosed. One example method includes receiving a goal condition at a mobile device, requesting information from a host device using a first close-proximity communication, receiving the information at a mobile device using a second close-proximity communication, determining a level of haptic feedback based on the received information and the goal condition, and causing a haptic effect on the mobile device based on the level of haptic feedback. Other implementations are possible.
US08710961B2
An anti-fake battery pack and an identification system thereof has a casing and multiple battery cells, each of which as a battery body, an inner identifier mounted outside the battery body, a protection layer mounted around outside of the battery body and the outer identifier formed on the protection layer. An external identifying device has to read a first and second identification codes from the inner and outer identifiers to determine whether the battery cell is authentic or not. In addition, the inner identifier is covered by the protection layer, so the inner identifier can not stolen without breaking the protection layer with the outer identifier. Therefore, the identifying system provides double identifying procedures to increase security of identification and decrease the possibility of copying the first and second identification codes.
US08710960B2
A card comprises an antenna configured to generate and receive radio frequency signals, a chip coupled with the antenna, the chip configured to store sensitive information and communicate the information to an authorized reader via the antenna, and a switching mechanism configured to tune and detune the antenna relative to the chip to enable and disable respectively, the chips ability to communicate the sensitive information via the antenna.
US08710946B2
A rupture resistant system comprises a tank comprising a top member, a sidewall member, and a bottom member, and a component situated within the tank and susceptible to creating increasing pressure within the tank when under a fault condition. At least one of the top, sidewall, and bottom members is connected to another of the top, sidewall, and bottom members in a manner so as to cause an increase in inner volume of the tank under increased pressure conditions.
US08710941B2
A high-order harmonic device of a cavity filter including a base and a lid cover the base is disclosed. The base has a through groove connecting to an upper and a lower portion. The base has a plurality of output terminal with metallic conductor extending into the inner side formed on the surface of the sidewall. The base has resonance space formed indented to receive the metallic conductor and extending to connect to the through groove. The lid has a plurality of threading holes formed corresponding to chambers and partitions received with adjusting elements for height adjustment. The adjusting elements has the resonance bars corresponding to every chamber and the suppressing bars corresponding to every partition. By adjusting suppressing bar and the partition to a predetermined distance, the space of the channel for transmitting the high-order harmonic wave can be reduced to suppress noise produced by high-order harmonic wave.
US08710928B2
A semiconductor power amplifier of an embodiment includes: a plurality of unit FETs disposed in parallel in a direction of a substantially straight line connecting source electrodes of the unit FETs; a first via hole which connects the two source electrodes positioned between adjacent ones of the unit FETs in common and an RF ground electrode; and a second via hole which connects the source electrode on a side having no adjacent unit FET and the RF ground electrode. Each unit FET includes: a gate electrode which connects gate finger electrodes and leads out the gate finger electrodes; a drain electrode which connects drain finger electrodes disposed facing the gate finger electrodes and leads out the drain finger electrodes; and two source electrodes which connects source finger electrodes disposed facing the gate finger electrodes and lead out the source finger electrodes to opposing sides in a widthwise direction thereof.
US08710927B2
A high-frequency power amplifier that amplifies a high-frequency input signal and outputs a signal having one power selected from a plurality of powers includes a high output route that is a circuit, which amplifies the input signal and outputs a signal of a high power, and a medium output route that is a circuit, which amplifies the input signal and outputs a signal of a medium power. The high output route includes a high-output amplifier that amplifies the input signal, an output matching circuit that is connected to an output node of the high-output amplifier, and a switch element that is connected to an output node of the output matching circuit. The medium output route includes a medium-output amplifier that amplifies the input signal and a switch element that is connected between an output node of the medium-output amplifier and an output node of the output matching circuit.
US08710925B2
A radio frequency (RF) power amplifier system adjusts the supply voltage provided to a power amplifier (PA) adaptively, responsive to the measured or estimated power of the RF output signal of the PA. The RF PA system includes a power amplifier (PA) which receives and amplifies an RF input signal to generate an RF output signal at a level suitable for transmission to an antenna. A PA supply voltage controller generates a supply voltage control signal, which is used to control the supply voltage to the final stage of the PA. The supply voltage control signal is generated responsive to the measured or estimated power of the PA RF output signal, and also may be responsive to a parameter indicative of impedance mismatch experienced at the PA output. By controlling this supply voltage to the RF PA, the efficiency of the PA is improved.
US08710917B2
A method for controlling the power supply of an integrated circuit, the power supply comprising a power supply unit powered by a main voltage and possessing several transistor groups, comprising turning on in succession at least two transistor groups in order to deliver, as an output from each group, to at least one part of the integrated circuit, an elementary supply voltage derived from the main voltage, characterized in that the method comprises at least one elementary power phase for supplying power to said at least one part of the integrated circuit, wherein the phase comprises defining voltage thresholds respectively associated with the transistor groups, turning on a first transistor group, the first group delivering a first elementary supply voltage and turning on at least one second group when the first elementary supply voltage is higher than or equal to the voltage threshold associated with the second group.
US08710912B2
A system and method are provided for a more accurate bandgap voltage reference wherein the first and second order errors are corrected simultaneously. By using the components included in the correction of the first order error, the second order errors are corrected, advantageously providing less process variability.
US08710911B2
A charge pump circuit and power-supply method for dynamically adjusting output voltage is related to the charge pump circuit having three power-supply modes with different power conversion efficiencies. When supplying power, a pump unit controls the electrical connecting relations of a first flying capacitor, second flying capacitor, first storage capacitor and second storage capacitor through a first clock and second clock with non-overlapping working phases, to convert a source voltage into a positive output voltage and negative output voltage, thereby providing one of the three power-supply modes.
US08710906B1
An integrated circuit including a substrate, multiple devices, and voltage control devices. The devices may include high threshold, low threshold, and standard threshold voltage devices. The devices and the voltage control devices are distributed across and coupled to the same substrate. Each voltage control device is configured to apply a back bias voltage at one of multiple discrete offset voltage levels. At least one voltage control device applies a first offset voltage level for back biasing high threshold voltage devices and at least one voltage control device applies a second offset voltage level for back biasing low threshold voltage devices. The selection of back biasing is based on relative population density of the different types of devices and varies across the substrate. Fine grain reverse back biasing reduces leakage current while reducing any performance decrease. Fine grain forward back biasing improves performance while reducing any leakage current increase.
US08710903B2
Drive and startup circuits are described particularly suitable for use with a switched capacitor divider. In one example, a drive circuit has a level shifter coupled to a gate of each switch of a switched capacitor drive circuit to couple alternating current into the respective gate, a positive phase low side driver coupled to each level shifter to drive the gates of the top switch path through the respective level shifters, and a negative phase low side driver coupled to each level shifter to drive gates of the bottom switch path through the respective level shifters. A startup circuit, such as a capacitive soft start circuit may be used to slow the application of the current to each switch.
US08710898B1
In one embodiment, a bandgap reference circuit is designed with three trimmable elements to generate a temperature-independent bandgap reference voltage VBG: a VBG adjustment resistance ΔR1, a VBG slope adjustment resistance ΔR2, and a curvature compensation adjustment voltage VCU. Instances of the bandgap reference circuit can be trimmed in two phases: a characterization phase during which a triple-trim process determines design-specific trim values for the VBG slope adjustment resistance ΔR2 and the curvature compensation adjustment voltage VCU and a production phase during which a single-trim process determines instance-specific values for the VBG adjustment resistance ΔR1. Since the characterization phase can be applied to a relatively small number of instances of the bandgap reference circuit, the two-phase trimming technique is suitable for efficient mass production and high production yield.
US08710892B2
A clock distribution circuit is provided with a clock generation circuit configured to generate a clock signal, a clock distribution network in which the clock signal is distributed, and a sequential circuit configured to operate on the clock signal distributed through a branch point of the clock distribution network. The clock distribution circuit is further provided with a clock generation circuit configured to input as a feedback signal the clock signal that has branched from the branch point and to output the clock signal to the clock distribution network based on the inputted feedback signal and a reference clock signal. The branch point is provided at a clock driver near the clock generation circuit, among preceding stage clock drivers of the sequential circuit of the clock distribution network.
US08710886B2
A semiconductor memory device has a duty cycle correction circuit capable of outputting a duty cycle corrected clock and its inverted clock having substantially exactly 180° phase difference therebetween. The semiconductor memory device includes a duty cycle corrector configured to receive a first clock and a second clock to generate a first output clock and a second output clock whose duty cycle ratios are corrected in response to correction signals, and a clock edge detector configured to generate the correction signals corresponding to an interval between a reference transition timing of the first output clock and a reference transition timing of the second output clock.
US08710880B2
A power-on reset circuit is disclosed. The power-on reset circuit includes a first resistor; a first transistor, including a first terminal coupled to a second terminal of the first resistor, and a control terminal for receiving a reference voltage; a second resistor, including a first terminal coupled to a second terminal of the first transistor; a second transistor, including a first terminal coupled to a second terminal of the first resistor, and a control terminal coupled to a second terminal of the second transistor and utilized for receiving an input voltage; and a comparator, including a first input terminal for receiving a comparison voltage, and a second input terminal for receiving the reference voltage, for generating a power-on reset signal according to the comparison voltage and the reference voltage.
US08710878B2
A low-side off-detection signal compares the gate signal of a low-side transistor with a predetermined first level to generate a low-side off-detection signal indicating that the low-side transistor is off. The low-side detection transistor is of the same type as the low-side transistor, with the source connected to the ground terminal, and the gate receiving the low-side transistor gate signal. A first resistor is arranged between the drain of the low-side detection transistor and the power supply terminal. A first bypass circuit is arranged in parallel with the first resistor, and is configured to switch to the conduction state when a control signal is a level which instructs the low-side transistor to switch off, and to switch to the cut-off state when the control signal level instructs the low-side transistor to switch on. The drain signal of the low-side detection transistor is output as the low-side off-detection signal.
US08710853B2
Embodiments related to sensing a capacitance are described and depicted.
US08710849B2
A process for measuring particle concentrations in a gas using an ejector for producing an essentially constant sample flow and for efficient mixing of the particle-containing sample and essentially clean, ionized gas. The invention also relates to an apparatus implementing such process. The process and the apparatus can be utilized for example in measuring particle concentrations in an exhaust system of a combustion engine.
US08710838B2
A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes the data gathering unit gathers magnetic resonance data in a non-contrast manner by applying a first readout gradient pulse having a zero-order moment of 0 and second readout gradient pulse having a zero-order moment of 0 and a first-order moment of a value different from a value of a first-order moment of the first readout gradient pulse to a region of interest including a fluid in motion, and periodically arranging first magnetic resonance data readout with the first readout gradient pulse and second magnetic resonance data read out with the second readout gradient pulse in at least one of a phase encoding direction and a slice encoding direction in a k-space to generate k-space data and reconstructs the k-space data to generate an image in which a fluid image and static part image surrounding the fluid are spatially separated from each other.
US08710832B2
A rotation angle sensor includes a housing, a detected object, a magnetism generation section, a housing cover, a circuit substrate, a sensing IC, and a resin body. The sensing IC includes a magnetism detection element, a molded body, and leads. The magnetism detection element outputs a signal in accordance with a change in a magnetic field due to a rotation of the detected object. The molded body covers the magnetism detection element. One end portion of each lead is electrically coupled with the magnetism detection element and the other end portion of each lead protrudes from the molded body and is electrically coupled with the circuit substrate. The resin body seals a portion of the molded body located between the magnetism detection element and the housing cover, the leads, and the circuit substrate.
US08710825B2
Embodiments of the invention described herein provide a magnetic sensor interface capable of adjusting signal conditioning dynamically such that the true positive and negative peaks of the input signal are maintained for a given target across its entire speed range (0-Max rpm), therefore increasing the signal to noise ratio at low speeds and avoiding clipping or distortion at high speeds. In one aspect, a method comprises receiving an alternating differential voltage signal from a sensor. The alternating differential voltage signal has an amplitude that changes over time. The alternating differential voltage signal is converted to an attenuated single-ended voltage signal that can be dynamically scaled. The attenuated single-ended voltage signal can be scaled by multiplying the attenuated single-ended voltage signal by a scaling factor. The scaling factor is selected relative to a signal-to-noise ratio of the scaled attenuated single-ended voltage signal.
US08710803B2
A charging method and a charging system are introduced for controlling a charging current by a PWM method. A charging IC is controlled to supply the charging current to a battery, and a control unit is used to generate a PWM signal with a duty cycle, and a filter unit is used to convert the PWM signal into a voltage signal to be supplied to the charging IC, and the control unit determines whether a current of a battery detected by the battery status detection unit reaches a regular current, so that a PWM signal with a duty cycle greater than the previous duty cycle by a default increased cycle is provided if the detected current has not reached the regular current. Thus, the feature of the PWM signal is used to set the charging current according to the capacity of the battery automatically.
US08710797B2
Provided is a driving support device and method that includes a charging facility information acquisition unit that acquires information indicating a position and a charging capacity of a charging facility that exists within a predetermined distance from a position of a vehicle and a guidance unit that provides information indicating a charging time period at the charging facility based on the position of the vehicle, a registered position, the position and the charging capacity of the charging facility, and a remaining electric power amount of a battery in the vehicle and information indicating a charging time period at the charging facility that is required for traveling a route from the position of the vehicle to the registered position by electric power of the battery.
US08710786B1
An actuator motor described herein has fast dynamic response capability, high torque density, high efficiency, and improved thermal and mechanical stability at high speed while minimizing weight. According to one aspect of the disclosure provided herein, an actuator motor has a rotor shaft with an array of permanent magnets attached according to a Halbach array configuration. A stator includes windings that induce a torque on the rotor shaft when rotating magnetic fields interact with the optimized magnetic flux distributions of the magnets of the Halbach array. According to various embodiments, the rotor shaft is hollow, reducing weight and rotational inertia, while improving ambient cooling characteristics of the motor.
US08710783B2
A motor control system includes a host ECU and a motor control device. The host ECU controls a wheel driving unit. A power supply to the ECU is halted when an IG switch is turned OFF. The motor control device receives a PWM command signal from the host ECU and controls a motor of a cooling blower. The host ECU modulates a duty ratio of pulses of the PWM command signal by a target rotating speed of the motor, modulates a period of the pulses of the PWM command signal by a continuous operation time of the motor, and transmits the result to the motor control device. The motor control device reconstructs both the target rotating speed and the continuous operation time, and controls rotating speed of the motor from the received PWM command signal. Moreover, the motor control device halts rotation of the motor when a signal-unreceiving time period of the PWM command signal becomes larger than the continuous operation time.
US08710782B2
Multiple inverter motor drives are interconnected in parallel to provide a common output to a motor. Common control circuitry is coupled to all parallel drives via optical cables and provides signals to power layer circuitry of each inverter for generation, at the power layer, of timing for gate drive signals for the respective inverter power electronic switches. The resulting timing exhibits a high degree of synchronicity such that very little imbalance occurs in the outputs of the paralleled drives, resulting in very low circulating currents.
US08710772B2
A lighting system for areal illumination is disclosed which includes a remote driver and a plurality of fixtures including luminaires, control devices, and/or standalone sensors. The luminaires include a light source whose output light level can be adjusted, a light sensor co-located therewith adapted to measure light received from adjacent fixtures, and a microcontroller capable of transmitting the output of the light sensor over wires to the remote driver. The remote driver is capable of bidirectional communication with the luminaires and provides independently controllable power for the light sources of the luminaires. A movable orb region containing luminaires can also be defined and the light levels of individual luminaires can be set according to their location within the orb region.
US08710769B2
A discharge lamp lighting circuit includes a DC/DC converter which generates from an input voltage a drive voltage to be applied to a discharge lamp of a driven object. A first drive voltage generating path has one end to which the input voltage is applied, and at the other end of which is an output capacitor on an output side of the DC/DC converter. A second drive voltage generating path has one end to which the input voltage is applied, and at the other end of which is the output capacitor. The second drive voltage generating path is different from the first drive voltage generating path. A control circuit controls ON/OFF of the first drive voltage generating path. The discharge lamp lighting circuit is arranged so that the voltage of the output capacitor when the first drive voltage generating path is in an ON-state becomes higher than the voltage of the output capacitor when the first drive voltage generating path is not so.
US08710767B2
A voltage converter with a sampling-hold and integrating circuit is provided herein. According to the minimum different value generated by the practical status of each of the illuminant channels in the LED backlight module, the sampling-hold and integrating circuit will generate an superposition voltage and the voltage converter can output different PWM signal to drive each of the illuminant channels in the backlight module. When the sampling-hold and integrating circuit of the voltage converter and the control device with adjusting pulse width function are embedded together to provide to the LED backlight module, the power saving is more convenient.
US08710765B2
An illumination system includes a power supply having a boost converter operating in the discontinuous conduction mode, a flyback converter operating in the critical conduction mode, and a switch coupled to the flyback converter. Several light emitting diodes receive power from the power supply. The boost converter may include a boost inductor (LB) and a boost diode (DB), constructed to perform the boost power factor correction (PFC) function. The flyback converter may includes a flyback inductor (LFB) and a flyback diode (DFB) and the power supply may be constructed to turn on the switch around the point where the current flowing in the flyback inductor reaches zero value.
US08710758B2
A damper circuit is operable to dampen resonance of an electromagnetic interference filter when a phase dimmer activates. The damper circuit includes a capacitor and a bipolar junction transistor (BJT). The capacitor includes a first terminal and a second terminal. The BJT includes a control terminal, a collector terminal, and an emitter terminal. The control terminal of the BJT receives a control signal to make the BJT operate in the amplified area, and the collector terminal of the BJT is electrically connected to the second terminal of the capacitor. The first terminal of the capacitor receives the resonance generated to by the electromagnetic interference filter, and the BJT and the capacitor cooperate to dampen the resonance generated by the electromagnetic interference filter when the BJT operates in the amplified area.
US08710757B2
The present invention relates to a power converter for an LED assembly, the power converter comprising—a switched mode power supply arranged to power the LED assembly, an AC/DC converter arranged to provide a DC supply voltage to the switched mode power supply, a control unit arranged to receive an input signal representing a required load voltage for powering the LED assembly, the control unit being arranged to control the AC/DC converter based on the input signal.
US08710751B2
An LED string with a capability to maintain a current path has multiple LED units electrically connected in series. Each of the LED units has a base, a holder, a bridge device, a cover and an LED device. The base has two conductive pads. The holder and the cover are mounted in the base. The bridge device is mounted in the holder. The LED device is mounted in the cover. The bridge device and the LED device are electrically connected in parallel and contact the conductive pads. When the LED device is damaged, the bridge device still contacts the conductive pads. Hence, the bridge device provides a path that allows a current to flow through the conductive pads.
US08710745B1
The present invention relates to an LED drive circuit, which includes a protection unit, which is connected to an AC power supply; a rectification filter unit, which is electrically connected to the protection unit; a control unit, which has an end electrically connected to the rectification filter unit; an LED driving unit, which includes an LED, a first capacitor, and a transistor, the LED being connected in parallel with the first capacitor, the LED including a positive terminal and a negative terminal, the positive terminal of the LED being electrically connected to the rectification filter unit and the control unit; and a current detection feedback unit, which is arranged between the LED driving unit and the control unit. As such, the current detection feedback unit forms a protection circuit to prevent an increase of power caused by excessively high input voltage from an AC power supply.
US08710743B2
A discharge lamp (1) comprising a discharge vessel (4), at least one electrode (22, 24) arranged within the discharge vessel, wherein at least parts of the electrode (22) are provided with a particle composite coating (32) made up of a matrix layer and particles embedded in the matrix layer, wherein the extinction coefficient k of the material for the matrix layer is less than 0.1 in the spectral range between 600 nm and 2 μm, and wherein the extinction coefficient k of the material for the particles is greater than 0.1 in the spectral range between 600 nm and 2 μm.
US08710741B2
An illuminating device comprises one or more luminescent devices (1). The luminescent device comprises a semiconductor light emitting element (10) emitting a excitation light having an peak within a wavelength range from 350 nm to 430 nm, and a luminescent part (20) comprising a sealing member (22) and a phosphor (21) absorbing the light from the semiconductor light emitting element (10) and emitting a light with different emission spectrum. For the luminescent device (1), an excitation light contribution degree ΔE, an index quantitatively representing what extent of a visible component of the excitation light is involved in color mixing of a combined light of the luminescent device (1), is 0.005 or less, and a mean color rendering index Ra is 70 or more.
US08710735B2
The organic electroluminescent device includes: a first electrode of conductive and light transmissive material; a light emitting layer of organic material on the first electrode; a second electrode of conductive material on the layer; first and second terminal parts placed on first and second ends of the layer in a first direction crossing a thickness direction of the layer and coupled to the first and second electrodes, respectively; and an auxiliary electrode which is on the first electrode and beside the layer in a second direction crossing the thickness direction and the first direction and coupled to the first electrode, and has an elongated shape extending in the first direction, and made of material having specific resistance smaller than the first electrode, and includes portions with different thicknesses such that sheet resistance is increased with an increase in distance from the first terminal part in a lengthwise direction thereof.
US08710732B2
A light panel includes a light source having a generally planar, light emitting surface and a perimeter edge. A backsheet is disposed in substantially parallel relation with the light emitting surface, and an electrical feed-through region extends through the backsheet at a location spaced inwardly from the perimeter. A generally planar, flexible connector cable extends over the backsheet from the perimeter to the electrical feed-through region for establishing electrical connection with the light source. Openings in conductive pads provided in the flexible cable permit a conductive material to be inserted there through and mechanically and electrically interconnect the cable and the light panel.
US08710727B2
A field emission cathode structure includes a first carbon nanotube structure including a plurality of first carbon nanotubes, and a second carbon nanotube structure located on the surface of the first carbon nanotube structure. The second carbon nanotube structure includes a plurality of second carbon nanotubes substantially perpendicular to the first carbon nanotubes structure. The second carbon nanotube structure includes a peak. The heights of the second carbon nanotubes at the peak are tallest. The heights of the carbon second carbon nanotubes gradually decrease along the direction away from the peak. A method for fabricating the field emission cathode structure is also presented.
US08710725B2
A spark plug having improved load life performance and fixing strength of a metallic terminal to an insulator, and which reduces the incidence of breakage of the insulator when the metallic terminal is inserted into the axial hole of the insulator. The spark plug of the present invention is characterized in that the distance ((B−A)/2) between the forward end portion of the metallic terminal and the wall surface of an intermediate diameter portion of the axial hole of the insulator falls within a range of 0.02 mm to 0.2 mm, the shrinkage amount (D−C) of a connecting portion falls within a range of 6 mm to 27 mm, and the Vickers hardness of the metallic terminal at ordinary temperature falls within a range of 100 Hv to 430 Hv.
US08710722B2
An LED lamp includes a heat dissipator, a cap, a module substrate fixed to an end of the heat dissipator and on which an LED chip is mounted, a light diffusing member mounted on an end surface of the heat dissipater so as to be located opposite the LED chip, a lighting circuit incorporated in the heat dissipator, and a glass block having an open end and formed with a recess. The light diffusing member is accommodated in the recess of the block through the open end of the glass block, and the heat dissipator is secured to the block so that the heat dissipator and the cap are exposed outside the block. When the block is placed on a placement surface, the LED lamp stands by itself by weight of the block in such a manner that the cap is prevented from contacting the placement surface.
US08710717B2
Methods are provided for creating a metal or other electrically-conductive member extending from an air-backed cavity of a piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer (pMUT) apparatus defining such an air-backed cavity, through a substrate layer disposed adjacent to the transducer device of the pMUT device, and into electrically-conductive engagement with a first electrode of the pMUT device, such that the electrically-conductive member provides an electrically-conductive engagement between the first electrode and a conformal electrically-conductive layer deposited in the air-backed cavity of the pMUT device. Associated apparatuses are also provided.
US08710716B2
An actuator includes: a diaphragm having a thickness equal to or greater than 0.5 μm and equal to or less than 20 μm; a piezoelectric body layer which is provided on a first surface side of the diaphragm, and receives stress from the diaphragm; a pair of electrodes which is provided on the first surface side of the diaphragm together with the piezoelectric body layer, and is mutually opposing via the piezoelectric body layer; and a stress adjusting layer which is provided on a second surface side of the diaphragm on an opposite side to the first surface of the diaphragm, and receives stress from the diaphragm in a same direction as the stress that the piezoelectric body layer receives from the diaphragm.
US08710715B2
A mesa-shaped piezoelectric resonator element including a resonator section having a thicker thickness than a peripheral section on the board surface of a piezoelectric substrate formed in a rectangular shape, wherein, when the length of the long side of the piezoelectric substrate is x and the board thickness of the resonator section is t, etching depth y of a level-difference section is set to fulfill a relationship in the following equation, based on the board thickness t. y = - 1.32 × ( x t ) + 43 ± 5 ( % )
US08710710B2
A method of fabricating a crystal unit fills an adhesive from a first opening in a front surface of a mask of each of penetration holes in the mask in a state in which the mask is set on a base, into each penetration hole, and heats, by a heating element, a sidewall region defining a second opening in a back surface of the mask, in order to cure a sidewall part of the adhesive in the sidewall region defining each penetration hole in contact with the adhesive filling each penetration hole. A crystal blank is bonded on the base using the adhesive in order to form the crystal unit, after removing the mask from the base.
US08710707B2
An electric motor includes a stator and a rotor rotatably installed in the stator. The stator includes a pair of end caps disposed at opposite ends thereof, and a pair of bearings respectively fixed to outer surfaces of the end caps from outside thereof. The rotor includes a shaft pivotally supported by the bearings.
US08710689B2
A wind energy installation includes a rotor, a generator driven by the rotor, and a converter for generating electrical power which is output into a power supply system via a transformer. The installation also includes an open-loop control system having an open-loop converter control unit. The open-loop control system supplies an actuating signal for a reactive component to the converter. The installation further includes a voltage measurement device arranged on the transformer. The voltage signal of the voltage measurement device is applied to an input of a state-dependent setpoint value shifter, whose output signal is applied to a limitation module for the reactive component acting on the converter. With this configuration, the installation can be better protected and the transformer can be better utilized.
US08710683B2
According to example embodiments, a wafer level mold may be formed by a method including attaching a substrate to a lower side of a wafer on which a semiconductor chip is arranged, applying molding liquid to an upper and at least one lateral side of the semiconductor chip and an upper side of the wafer where the semiconductor chip is not arranged, loading a fiber onto the applied liquid, forming a mold layer by compression-molding and curing the liquid loaded with the fiber, and separating the substrate from the wafer.
US08710679B2
There is a highly reliable semiconductor module having a satisfactory bonding strength in the electrical bonded portion. In the semiconductor module 10, a semiconductor chip 11 is mounted on a circuit board 20. In the circuit board 20, on an insulating ceramic substrate 21 is formed a metal circuit plate 22 on which the semiconductor chip 11 is implemented. The semiconductor chip 11 and metal circuit plate 22 are connected with each other by an aluminum bonding wire 23. In the connected portion between the metal circuit plate 22 and bonding wire 23, a coating layer 24 for excellent conjunction therebetween is mounted. The coating layer 24, as shown in an enlarged diagram, is made up of a nickel (Ni) layer 241, a P-distributed palladium (Pd) layer 242, and an Au layer 243 in increasing order. To the P-distributed Pd layer 242 is added P (phosphorous) and, the P concentration on the Ni layer 241 is higher than that on the Au layer side 243.
US08710674B2
Aspects of the invention provide an internal wiring structure of a power semiconductor device, which is capable of reducing a mutual inductance between two wiring conductors and improving the heat dissipation effect, the two wiring conductors being disposed so as to oppose each other and having currents flowing in the same direction. In some aspects, notches can be formed alternately from side walls of two flat plates, on the flat plates, to obtain two wiring conductors. The two wiring conductors can be disposed so as to oppose each other and in parallel to each other so that currents flow along the notches in directions opposite to each other. Accordingly, in some circumstances, the mutual inductance can be reduced. Further, in some circumstances, the dimensions of the planes of the wiring conductors obtained by forming the notches can be increased to improve the heat dissipation.
US08710672B2
A semiconductor device of an embodiment includes: a substrate; a first catalytic metal film on the substrate; graphene on the first catalytic metal film; an interlayer insulating film on the graphene; a contact hole penetrating through the interlayer insulating film; a conductive film at the bottom portion of the contact hole, the conductive film being electrically connected to the graphene; a second catalytic metal film on the conductive film, the second catalytic metal film being subjected to plasma processing with at least one kind of gas selected from hydrogen, nitrogen, ammonia, and rare gas; and carbon nanotubes on the second catalytic metal film.
US08710669B2
A semiconductor device includes a core substrate, and at least one insulating layer and at least one wiring layer that are disposed on a first surface and a second, opposite surface of the substrate. The semiconductor device includes a via disposed in the insulating layer and in the core substrate, and which connects the wiring layers to one another. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor element mounted on the first surface, forming an electrode terminal that faces up. The semiconductor device includes a connecting portion that penetrates the insulating layer and directly connects the electrode terminal of the semiconductor element and the wiring layer on the first surface. A minimum wiring pitch of this wiring that of any wiring layer on the second surface.
US08710667B2
A semiconductor device includes a first interconnect layer and a second interconnect layer provided above or under the first interconnect layer. The first interconnect layer includes a plurality of first interconnect blocks, and in each of the first interconnect blocks, a first interconnect has a first potential, and extends in at least two or more directions, and a second interconnect has a second potential, and extends in at least two or more directions. The second interconnect layer includes a third interconnect which electrically connects the first interconnect of one of a pair of adjacent first interconnect blocks and the first interconnect of the other of the pair of adjacent first interconnect blocks, and a fourth interconnect which electrically connects the second interconnect of one of the pair of adjacent first interconnect blocks and the second interconnect of the other of the pair of adjacent first interconnect blocks.
US08710661B2
Methods for planarizing layers of a material, such as a dielectric, and interconnect structures formed by the planarization methods. The method includes depositing a first dielectric layer on a top surface of multiple conductive features and on a top surface of a substrate between the conductive features. A portion of the first dielectric layer is selectively removed from the top surface of at least one of the conductive features without removing a portion the first dielectric layer that is between the conductive features. A second dielectric layer is formed on the top surface of the at least one of the conductive features and on a top surface of the first dielectric layer, and a top surface of the second dielectric layer is planarized. A layer operating as an etch stop is located between the top surface of at least one of the conductive features and the second dielectric layer.
US08710654B2
In one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor chip and a second semiconductor chip stacked on the first semiconductor chip. The first and second semiconductor chips are electrically connected via first bump connection parts. Stopper projections and bonding projections are provided at least one of the first and second semiconductor chips. The stopper projections are in contact with the other of the first and second semiconductor chips in an unbonded state. The bonding projections are bonded to the first and second semiconductor chips.
US08710653B2
A semiconductor device, includes: a wiring substrate, a stacked body mounted on the wiring substrate, an underfill layer filled into gaps between respective semiconductor chips of the stacked body; and a molding body made up of a molding resin covered and formed at outside of the stacked body and so on. The underfill layer is made up of a cured product of a resin material containing an amine-based curing agent, and the cured product has a Tg of 65° C. or more and 100° C. or less.
US08710642B2
A semiconductor device includes a first wiring board, a first semiconductor element mounted on the first wiring board, a second wiring board disposed over the first semiconductor element, and a second semiconductor element mounted on the second wiring board. The wiring boards are electrically interconnected by a connecting portion interposed therebetween. A resin layer is formed between the wiring boards such that the first semiconductor element mounted on the first wiring board is sealed and such that the wiring boards having the respective semiconductor elements mounted thereon are bonded together.
US08710638B2
A method for fabricating an integrated circuit device is disclosed. The method includes providing a first substrate; bonding a second substrate to the first substrate, the second substrate including a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device; and bonding a third substrate to the first substrate.
US08710637B2
To suppress a short circuit between neighboring wires which is caused when the loop of a wire is formed into multiple stages in a semiconductor device in which a wiring board and one semiconductor chip mounted over a main surface thereof are electrically coupled with the wire. In a semiconductor device in which a chip is mounted on an upper surface of a wiring board and a bonding lead of the wiring board and a bonding pad of the chip are electrically coupled with wires, a short circuit between the neighboring wires is suppressed by making larger the diameter of the longest wire arranged in a position closest to a corner part of the chip than the diameter of the other wires.
US08710634B2
A method of manufacture of an integrated circuit packaging system includes: providing a substrate having a substrate-interconnect; mounting an integrated circuit above and to the substrate; mounting an internal interconnect to the substrate-interconnect; mounting a structure having an integral-interposer-structure over the substrate and over the integrated circuit with the integral-interposer-structure connected to the internal interconnect; and encapsulating the internal interconnect and the integrated circuit with an encapsulation.
US08710624B2
In a semiconductor device including a capacitor which has an upper electrode, a polycrystalline silicon layer on the upper electrode, and a metallic member on the polycrystalline silicon layer, the polycrystalline silicon layer includes germanium so that an upper portion of the polycrystalline silicon layer is lower than a lower portion thereof in a concentration of germanium.
US08710621B2
A semiconductor device according to the present invention includes a p-type semiconductor substrate, a first n-type collector diffusion layer formed in the p-type semiconductor substrate, a deep trench formed in the p-type semiconductor substrate so as to surround the first n-type collector diffusion layer, a p-type channel stopper layer formed beneath the deep trench, and an n-type diffusion layer formed between a sidewall of the deep trench and the first n-type collector diffusion layer.
US08710608B2
The present invention relates to a solid-state imaging device having good focusing properties, a method for manufacturing such a solid-state imaging device, and an electronic apparatus. The solid-state imaging device has a semiconductor substrate 11 and a photoelectric conversion part formed in the semiconductor substrate 11. In the solid-state imaging device, a laminate including an organic material layer and an inorganic material layer is formed on the semiconductor substrate with at least one stress relaxation layer 22 interposed between the organic and inorganic material layers. This technology is applicable to, for example, solid-state imaging devices having pixels and microlenses placed thereon.
US08710602B2
A method and system provide a magnetic junction usable in a magnetic device. The magnetic junction includes a pinned layer, a nonmagnetic spacer layer, a free layer, at least one insulating layer, and at least one magnetic insertion layer adjoining the at least one insulating layer. The nonmagnetic spacer layer is between the pinned layer and the free layer. The at least one insulating layer is adjacent to at least one of the free layer and the pinned layer. The at least one magnetic insertion layer adjoins the at least one insulating layer. In some aspects, the insulating layer(s) include at least one of magnesium oxide, aluminum oxide, tantalum oxide, ruthenium oxide, titanium oxide, and nickel oxide The magnetic junction is configured such that the free layer is switchable between a plurality of stable magnetic states when a write current is passed through the magnetic junction.
US08710594B2
A semiconductor device includes a first conductive structure and a second conductive structure. The first conductive structure is formed in a first region of a substrate, and includes a first polysilicon layer pattern, a first conductive layer pattern having a resistance smaller than that of the first polysilicon layer pattern, and a first hard mask. The second conductive structure is formed in a second region of the substrate and has a thickness substantially the same as that of the first conductive structure. The second conductive structure includes a second polysilicon layer pattern, a second conductive layer pattern having a resistance smaller than that of the second polysilicon layer pattern and having a thickness different from that of the first conductive layer pattern, and a second hard mask.
US08710588B2
A semiconductor device and a method of fabricating a semiconductor device are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises providing a semiconductor substrate, epitaxially growing a Ge layer on the substrate, and epitaxially growing a semiconductor layer on the Ge layer, where the semiconductor layer has a thickness of 10 nm or less. This method further comprises removing at least a portion of the Ge layer to form a void beneath the Si layer, and filling the void at least partially with a dielectric material. In this way, the semiconductor layer becomes an extremely thin semiconductor-on-insulator layer. In one embodiment, after the void is filled with the dielectric material, in-situ doped source and drain regions are grown on the semiconductor layer. In one embodiment, the method further comprises annealing said source and drain regions to form doped extension regions in the semiconductor layer.
US08710585B1
Aspects of the present disclosure describe high voltage fast recovery trench diodes and methods for make the same. The device may have trenches that extend at least through a top P-layer and an N-barrier layer. A conductive material may be disposed in the trenches with a dielectric material lining the trenches between the conductive material and sidewalls of the trenches. A highly doped P-pocket may be formed in an upper portion of the top P-layer between the trenches. A floating N-pocket may be formed directly underneath the P-pocket. The floating N-pocket may be as wide as or wider than the P-pocket. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
US08710580B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes first to n-th semiconductor layers (n is a natural number equal to or more than 2) being stacked in order from a surface of an insulating layer in a first direction perpendicular to the surface of the insulating layer, the first to n-th semiconductor layers extending in a second direction parallel to the surface of the insulating layer, the first to n-th semiconductor layers being insulated from each other, a common electrode connected to the first to n-th semiconductor layers in a first end of the second direction thereof, and a layer select transistor which uses the first to n-th semiconductor layers as channels and which selects one of the first to n-th semiconductor layers.
US08710579B1
A semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same are provided. In one embodiment, semiconductor device comprises a split charge-trapping region comprising two nitride layers with charge traps distributed therein, the two nitride layers separated by one or more oxide layers. The two nitride layers include a first nitride layer closer to a substrate over which the split charge-trapping region is formed, and a second nitride layer on the other side of the one or more oxide layers. The second nitride layer comprises a majority of the charge traps. Other embodiments are also described.
US08710568B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate that includes a plurality of section having different thicknesses. The sections include a first section having a first thickness and a second section having a second thickness, the second section is the thinnest section among all the sections, and the first thickness is greater than the second thickness. A plurality of isolation trenches penetrates the semiconductor substrate for defining a plurality of element-forming regions in the first section and the second section. A plurality of elements is located at respective ones of the plurality of element-forming regions. The elements include a double-sided electrode element that includes a pair of electrodes separately disposed on the first surface and the second surface, and the double-sided electrode element is located in the second section.
US08710557B2
The present invention discloses a MOS transistor having a combined-source structure with low power consumption, which relates to a field of field effect transistor logic devices and circuits in CMOS ultra-large-scaled integrated circuits. The MOS transistor includes a control gate electrode layer, a gate dielectric layer, a semiconductor substrate, a Schottky source region, a highly-doped source region and a highly-doped drain region. An end of the control gate extends to the highly-doped source region to form a T shape, wherein the extending region of the control gate is an extending gate and the remaining region of the control gate is a main gate. The active region covered by the extending gate is a channel region, and material thereof is the substrate material. A Schottky junction is formed between the Schottky source region and the channel under the extending gate. The combined-source structure according to the invention combines a Schottky barrier and a T-shaped gate, improves the performance of the device, and the fabrication method thereof is simple. Thus, a higher turn-on current, a lower leakage current, and a steeper subthreshold slope can be obtained, and the present application can be applied in the field of low power consumption and have a higher practical value.
US08710555B2
In a semiconductor capable of reducing NBTI and a method for manufacturing the same, a multi-gate transistor includes an active region, gate dielectric, channels in the active region, and gate electrodes, and is formed on a semiconductor wafer. The active region has a top and side surfaces, and is oriented in a first direction. The gate dielectric is formed on the top and side surfaces of the active region. The channels are formed in the top and side surfaces of the active region. The gate electrodes are formed on the gate dielectric corresponding to the channels and aligned perpendicular to the active region such that current flows in the first direction. In one aspect of the invention, an SOI layer having a second orientation indicator in a second direction is formed on a supporting substrate having a first orientation indicator in a first direction.
US08710548B2
A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor layer which is formed above a substrate, a Schottky electrode and an ohmic electrode which are formed on the first semiconductor layer to be spaced from each other and a second semiconductor layer which is formed to cover the first semiconductor layer with the Schottky electrode and the ohmic electrode exposed. The second semiconductor layer has a larger band gap than that of the first semiconductor layer.
US08710546B2
Provided are an avalanche photodiode and a method of fabricating the same. The method of fabricating the avalanche photodiode includes sequentially forming a compound semiconductor absorption layer, a compound semiconductor grading layer, a charge sheet layer, a compound semiconductor amplification layer, a selective wet etch layer, and a p-type conductive layer on an n-type substrate through a metal organic chemical vapor deposition process.
US08710541B2
A bi-directional switch circuit includes a pair of N-type MOS devices connected in series with a common source terminal, and a pair of P-type MOS devices connected in series with a common source terminal. The series connected N-type devices are connected in parallel with the series connected P-type devices in a configuration that includes a first input/output (I/O) point of the switch circuit being connected to a drain of a first one of the N-type devices and a drain of a first one of the P-type devices. The parallel configuration also includes a second I/O point of the switch circuit being connected to a drain of a second one of the N-type devices and a drain of a second one of the P-type devices.
US08710538B2
A light-emitting device having at least one spacer located at a bottom surface is disclosed. In two other embodiments, an electronic display system and an electronic system having such light-emitting device are disclosed. The light-emitting device comprises a plurality of leads, a light source die, and a body. The body encapsulates a portion of the plurality of leads and the light source die. The body has a least one side surface and a bottom surface. The at least one spacer is located at the bottom surface. In use, the light-emitting device is attached to a top surface of a substrate. The spacer is configured to create an air vent between the bottom surface and the top surface of the substrate when the light-emitting device is attached to, and the spacer is in contact with the substrate.
US08710534B2
A semiconductor light-receiving device includes two lenses; and a concave region, a height of the sidewall being higher than a top of the lenses, a distance between a position H and a lower edge of the sidewall vertical to a line segment C1 being grater than following condition: {(r+L)2−(W/2)2}1/2 where: C1 is a line segment connecting centers of the lenses; H is a midpoint of the C1; r is a radius of the lenses; W is an interval between the centers; and C2 is a lines passing through the centers in a direction vertical to the C1, wherein: the lower edge of the concave portion in an outer side of a region between the C2 is concentrically formed so as to have a distance of (r+L) from the center of the lenses; and W is following condition: W<2 (r+L).
US08710518B2
A first device and methods for manufacturing the first device are provided. The first device may comprise a flexible substrate and at least one organic light emitting device (OLED) disposed over the flexible substrate. The first device may have a flexural rigidity between 10−1 Nm and 10−6 Nm, and the ratio of the critical strain energy release rate to the material density factor for the first device may be greater than 0.05 J m/Kg.
US08710517B2
A high-voltage alternating current (AC) light-emitting diode (LED) structure is provided. The high-voltage AC LED structure includes a circuit substrate and a plurality of high-voltage LED (HV LED) chips. Each one of the HV LED chips includes a first substrate, an adhering layer, first ohmic contact layers, epi-layers, a first insulating layer, at least two first electrically conducting plates, at least two second electrically conducting plates, and a second substrate. The HV LED chips manufactured by a wafer-level process are coupled to the low-cost circuit substrate to produce the downsized high-voltage AC LED structure.
US08710513B2
A light-emitting device package and a method of manufacturing the light-emitting device package. The light-emitting device package includes a wiring substrate; a Zener diode mounted on a first region of the wiring substrate; a light-emitting device chip mounted on the first region and a second region of the wiring substrate; and a molding member for fixing at least a portion of the wiring substrate, wherein the Zener diode is embedded in the molding member.
US08710504B2
The present invention proposes to a flat display panel and a method for forming the same. The flat display panel includes a plurality of rows of scan lines, a plurality of columns of data lines and a plurality of blocking lines which are parallel and overlapped to the data lines. The plurality of blocking lines are placed at one side of pixel electrodes one on one and made of the same metallic layer with the plurality of scan lines. Each blocking line made of the same metallic layer with the scan line is wider than a corresponding data line, so that light not blocked by the data line is blocked by the wider blocking line.
US08710503B2
An organic light emitting display (OLED) device is disclosed. The OLED device includes a thin-film transistor (TFT), which includes a gate electrode; an active layer insulated from the gate electrode; source and drain electrodes insulated from the gate electrode and contacting the active layer; and an insulation layer interposed between the source and drain electrodes and the active layer; and an organic light-emitting element electrically connected to the TFT, wherein the insulation layer includes a first insulation sub-layer contacting the active layer; and a second insulation sub-layer formed on the first insulation sub-layer.
US08710500B2
Methods for fabricating bipolar junction transistors with self-aligned emitter and extrinsic base, bipolar junction transistors made by the methods, and design structures for a BiCMOS integrated circuit. The bipolar junction transistor is fabricated using a sacrificial emitter pedestal that provides a sacrificial mandrel promoting self-alignment between the emitter and the extrinsic base. The sacrificial emitter pedestal is subsequently removed to open an emitter window extending to the intrinsic base. An emitter is formed in the emitter window that lands on the intrinsic base.
US08710499B2
It is an object to manufacture a highly reliable display device using a thin film transistor having favorable electric characteristics and high reliability as a switching element. In a bottom gate thin film transistor including an amorphous oxide semiconductor, an oxide conductive layer having a crystal region is formed between an oxide semiconductor layer which has been dehydrated or dehydrogenated by heat treatment and each of a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer which are formed using a metal material. Accordingly, contact resistance between the oxide semiconductor layer and each of the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer can be reduced; thus, a thin film transistor having favorable electric characteristics and a highly reliable display device using the thin film transistor can be provided.
US08710494B2
The organic memory device is a double-gate transistor that successively comprises a first gate electrode, a first gate dielectric, an organic semi-conductor material, a second gate dielectric and a second gate electrode. Source and drain electrodes are arranged in the organic semiconductor material and define an inter-electrode surface. A trapping area is arranged between the organic semiconductor material and one of the gate electrodes and is in electric contact with one of the gate electrodes or the organic semi-conductor material. The trapping area is at least facing the inter-electrode surface.
US08710491B2
It is an object to provide a novel forming agent for a gate insulating film that not only provides high insulating properties for the gate insulating film but also takes account of the electric characteristics of a thin film transistor element. A forming agent for a gate insulating film of a thin film transistor characterized by comprising an oligomer compound or a polymer compound including a structural unit containing a pyrimidinetrione ring having a hydroxyalkyl-containing group as a substituent on a nitrogen atom; a gate insulating film formed by the forming agent; and a thin film transistor.
US08710485B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a fin type stacked layer structure which has first to third semiconductor layers, and first to third layer select transistors to select one of the first to third semiconductor layers. The second layer select transistor is normally on in the second semiconductor layer, and is controlled to be on or off in the first and third semiconductor layers. A channel region of the second semiconductor layer which is covered with a gate electrode of the second layer select transistor has a metal silicide.
US08710482B2
A memory component includes: a first electrode; a memory layer; and a second electrode in this order, wherein the memory layer includes a high resistance layer which includes tellurium (Te) as the chief component among anion components and is formed on the first electrode side; and an ion source layer which includes at least one kind of metal element and at least one kind of chalcogen element among tellurium (Te), sulfur (S) and selenium (Se) and is formed on the second electrode side.
US08710481B2
A non-volatile memory device includes a plurality of non-volatile memory cells. Each of the non-volatile memory cells includes a first electrode, a diode steering element, a storage element located in series with the diode steering element, a second electrode, and a nano-rail electrode having a width of 15 nm or less.
US08710477B1
A radiation protective garment having three layers including an inner layer having a plurality of apertures defined therein, a radiation protective layer and an outer layer, such garment having internal stays for supporting the garment's weight above the shoulders of the wearer with such weight resting on the wearer's waist/pelvic area, with the structure and method including an air movement device disposed on the exterior of the garment for directing an air flow through an air entry aperture formed in the outer layer and radiation protective layer with such air flow then passing through the plurality of apertures formed in the inner layer to cool the wearer of the garment. The air movement device and method can also include an air cooling device.
US08710469B2
In an ion implantation method, ion implantation into a substrate is performed while changing a relative positional relation between an ion beam and the substrate. A first ion implantation process in which a uniform dose amount distribution is formed within the substrate and a second ion implantation process in which a non-uniform dose amount distribution is formed within the substrate are performed in a predetermined order. Moreover, a cross-sectional size of an ion beam irradiated on the substrate during the second ion implantation process is set smaller than a cross-sectional size of an ion beam irradiated on the substrate during the first ion implantation process.
US08710468B2
Stored energy is evaluated for each of segmented regions, and using the evaluated stored energy, an optimal irradiation amount for an electron beam is evaluated by a conjugate gradient method. The evaluated stored energy is used instead of calculating a determinant (Apk) in the procedure that includes calculation of the determinant (Apk) from among repeated calculation procedures that follow the conjugate gradient method and seek to answer a simultaneous linear equation (Ax=b) with a matrix (A) as a coefficient. Thus it is possible to evaluate the optimal irradiation amount for an electron beam with a high processing speed and a high degree of accuracy, and without expressly requiring the calculation of Apk, by managing the giant matrix (A) comprising numerous factors according to reduction of lines of circuitry in a circuit pattern.
US08710467B2
In accordance with one aspect of this invention, a multi charged particle beam writing apparatus includes an aperture member, in which a plurality of openings are formed, configured to form multi-beams by making portions of the charged particle beam pass through the plurality of openings; a plurality of blankers configured to perform blanking-deflect regarding beams corresponding to the multi-beams; a writing processing control unit configured to control writing processing with a plurality of beams having passed through different openings among the plurality of openings being irradiated on the target object at a predetermined control grid interval; and a dose controlling unit configured to variably control a dose of a beam associated with deviation according to a deviation amount when an interval between the plurality of beams irradiated is deviated from the control grid interval.
US08710465B2
A method and system for exposing a target according to pattern data in a maskless lithography machine generating a plurality of exposure beamlets for exposing the target. The method comprises providing input pattern data in a vector format, rendering and quantizing the input pattern data to generate intermediate pattern data, and re-sampling and re-quantizing the intermediate pattern data to generate output pattern data. The output pattern data is supplied to the lithography machine, and the beamlets generated by the lithography machine are modulated on the basis of the output pattern data.
US08710464B2
Separation and the like of an excised specimen from a specimen are automatically performed. Marks for improving image recognition accuracy are provided in a region that becomes an excised specimen in a specimen and a region other than said region, or in a transfer means for transferring the excised specimen and a specimen holder capable of holding the excised specimen, and the relative movement of the excised specimen and the specimen, and the like are recognized with high accuracy by image recognition. In the sampling of a minute specimen using a focused ion beam, the detection of an end point of processing for separation of the excised specimen from the specimen, and the like are automatically performed. Thus, for example, unmanned specimen excision becomes possible, and preparation of a lot of specimens becomes possible.
US08710456B2
A multi-sectional linear ionizing bar with at least four elements is disclosed. First, disclosed bars may include at least one ionization cell with at least one axis-defining linear ion emitter for establishing an ion cloud along the length thereof. Second, disclosed bars may include at least one reference electrode. Third, disclosed bars may include a manifold for receiving gas or air from a source and for delivering same past the linear emitter(s) such that substantially none of the gas/air flows into the ion cloud. Fourth, disclosed bars may include means for receiving the ionizing voltage and for delivering same to the linear emitter(s) to thereby establish the ion cloud. In this way, disclosed ionizing bars may transport ions from the plasma region toward a charge neutralization target without inducing substantial vibration of the linear emitter and without substantial contaminants from the gas/air flow reaching the linear emitter.
US08710453B2
A charged particle source for a focused particle beam system such as a transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), or focused ion beam (FIB) system is disclosed. The source employs a multiplicity of independently-addressable emitters within a small region which can be centered on the axis of the charged particle system. All of the emitters may be individually controlled to enable emission from one or more tips simultaneously. A mode with only one emitter activated corresponds to high brightness, while modes with multiple emitters simultaneously activated provides high angular intensities with lower brightness. Source lifetimes can be extended through sequential use of single emitters. A combined mechanical and electrical alignment procedure for all emitters is described.
US08710444B2
A nanogap device for field enhancement is described, which includes: a film made of an electrically conductive material; and a nanogap formed on the film and having a gap-width between a Thomas-Fermi screening length and a skin depth, the Thomas-Fermi screening length and the skin depth being determined by an electromagnetic wave and the electrically conductive material, and system for nanoparticle detection using the device.
US08710430B2
A mass spectrometry method that corrects the effects from space charge and that achieves both sensitivity and a dynamic range. The mass axis of the mass spectrum is corrected based on the counts of ions accumulated within the ion trap at the point in time each ion was extracted.
US08710423B2
An image pickup device may include an image pickup unit in which a plurality of pixels are arranged, the plurality of pixels outputting a first and second pixel signals, and an analog-to-digital (AD) conversion circuit that outputs a digital difference signal. The AD conversion circuit may include a delay circuit that has a plurality of delay devices, the delay circuit outputting a first and second lower phase signals, a latch unit that latches the first and second lower phase signals, a lower counting unit that generates a first and second lower count signals, the lower counting unit generating and outputting a lower difference signal, and a higher counting unit that generates a higher difference signal, subtracts a predetermined number from the higher difference signal, or adds the predetermined number to the higher difference signal, and outputs the higher difference signal after subtraction or addition processing.
US08710417B2
A stable light source device is provided with a light source, a pinhole constricting optical flux emitted from the light source, a first integrating element inside which optical flux from the pinhole is multiply reflected, a light detection sensor monitoring a light amount, a control section controlling the light source on the basis of the light amount monitored by the light detection sensor and making the light amount consistent, an aperture formed in the first integrating element and emitting light outside the first integrating element, a diffusion-transmission member disposed at a light emission side of the aperture, a branching section disposed at a light emission side of the diffusion-transmission member and branching incident light towards plural light emission portions, and neutral density filters provided at the light emission portions, transmitted light amounts thereof respectively differing such that light amounts at the light emission portions are respectively different.
US08710404B2
A method of maintaining welding current to compensate for deterioration of a welding contact tip includes: monitoring in real time at least one of welding current and welding voltage during welding production; comparing the at least one of the welding current and the welding voltage to a reference value for a given set of parameters; and adjusting one or more welding parameters in real time to increase energy output in response to the comparison so that consistent energy is consumed across the welding arc, whereby the quality of the welding production is maintained as the welding contact tip is consumed.
US08710400B2
The invention relates to a laser cutting method for cutting a C—Mn steel workpiece, characterized in that laser beam generation means comprising at least one silica fiber with an ytterbium-doped core is used to generate the laser beam. Preferably, the ytterbium-based fiber has a wavelength between 1.07 and 1.1 μm, preferably 1.07 μm, the quality factor of the laser beam is between 0.33 and 8 mm.mrad, and the laser beam has a power of between 0.1 and 25 kW. The assistance gas for the laser beam is chosen from nitrogen, helium, argon, oxygen, CO2 and mixtures thereof, and, optionally, it further contains one or more additional compounds chosen from H2 and CH4.
US08710391B2
A sealing mechanism is disposed in a lower-arm insertion portion of a working tank of a wire-cut electric discharge machine, and a pre-sealing unit is attached to the sealing mechanism. The pre-sealing unit includes bellows unit and partition unit which surrounds the sealing mechanism from within the working tank. Further, a supply pipe formed with a plurality of openings directed to the sealing mechanism is located at the upper part of the bellows unit, and a working fluid is introduced into the pre-sealing unit through the openings of the supply pipe.
US08710389B2
An electrode assembly is provided for a vacuum switch, including a vacuum envelope, a fixed contact assembly including a fixed contact disposed within the vacuum envelope, and a movable contact assembly including a movable contact disposed within the vacuum envelope and movable between a closed position in electrical contact with the fixed contact and an open position spaced apart from the fixed contact. The electrode assembly includes at least one electrode bundle having a plurality of electrodes coupled to a corresponding one of the fixed contact assembly and the movable contact assembly. The electrodes extend from at or about a corresponding one of the fixed contact and the movable contact toward the closer of the first end of the vacuum envelope and the second end of the vacuum envelope.
US08710388B2
A switchgear includes an earthing and disconnecting switch which linearly moves and is switchable to a disconnecting and an earthing positions, a vacuum valve which performs closing and breaking of a current in a vacuum container producing vacuum inside, and a solid insulator with which the earthing and disconnecting switch and the vacuum valve are covered, therein the earthing and disconnecting switch and the vacuum valve are electrically connected, and closing and breaking of a current is performed in the vacuum valve.
US08710384B2
The present invention relates to a multifunction switch for a vehicle and provides a multifunction switch for a vehicle in which a user may clearly and intuitively distinguish and recognize a rotating knob on a multifunction switch lever and an operating region of a corresponding rotation knob/mechanism which includes a symbol indicating a manipulating position of the rotating knob and which may enhance visibility that distinguishes respective operating regions of the multifunction switch lever and user convenience thereof. The multifunction switch includes a multifunction switch lever, a rotating knob mounted on the multifunction switch lever, and a lighting module for emitting light to the outside along an interface between a rotating knob operating region including a region where symbols indicating a rotating knob and an operating position of the rotating knob are marked and the rest of the operating regions adjacent to the rotating knob operating region.
US08710381B2
A keyswitch controller includes a housing, a circuit board, a keyswitch module, and a force feedback module. The housing includes a keyswitch hole. The circuit board is disposed in the housing and includes a switch. The keyswitch module disposed on the circuit board and passing out of the keyswitch hole is for turning on the switch by being pressed so as to generate a pressing signal. The force feedback module is coupled to the keyswitch module for vibrating according to the pressing signal.
US08710378B1
A molded portable single-member housing assembly for securing and protecting elongated elements having an aesthetically pleasing design is provided. The molded portable single-member housing assembly having a lid and a depressed housing portion connected via a live hinge. The lid is engaged by a user via an aperture which permits the user to physically manipulate the lid rotatably about a hinge axis. The elongated element is store or housed within the base portion and permitted access out of the housing via at least two indentions. Further, the molded portable single-member housing assembly has at least four legs.
US08710372B2
Some embodiments include a device to facilitate moving an electrical cable of an electric vehicle charging station. Other embodiments of related systems and methods are also disclosed.
US08710370B2
A signal transfer apparatus includes a plurality of input connectors to which a plurality of signals are input from a first electronic device; and a single output connector which is connected to the plurality of input connectors and transfers the plurality of signals to a second electronic device. The length of a plurality of cables connecting the single output connector and the plurality of input connectors differs from each other so that the plurality of input connectors do not overlap each other.
US08710368B2
An adjustable box extender allows an electrical device to be aligned with a dry wall face. The adjustable box extender includes a fixed ring attached to an electrical box and an adjustable ring adjustably attached to the fixed ring. The adjustable ring includes rectangular top and bottom open back pockets. Rectangular blocks reside inside each pocket. Adjusting screws are held by the adjustable ring with screw heads exposed on the face of the adjustable ring, neither advancing nor retreating with respect to the adjustable ring, and free to rotate with respect to the adjustable ring. The screws engage threads in the blocks and advance and retreat the block out of and into the pockets when the screws are turned, thereby extending the adjustable ring away from the fixed ring to adjust for dry wall thickness. Electrical device screws sandwich the adjustable ring between the electrical device and the fixed ring.
US08710351B2
A solar power system with a communications network for reporting the performance status of each solar module in the array. The network includes short range peer-to-peer wireless links between adjacent solar modules along the rows and columns of the array, resulting in a matrix network topology. The wireless links are implemented with modulated magnetic fields.
US08710342B2
A steplessly adjustable cymbal locating device includes a housing having a first receiving space and a notch; a rotating mechanism having a second receiving space and being clamped in the first receiving space with the housing vertically rotatable relative to the rotating mechanism; a rotating pole partially clamped in the second receiving space with the rotating mechanism horizontally rotatable relative thereto; a fixed pole fixedly assembled to one side of the housing; and an adjustable locking subassembly extended into the housing and the rotating mechanism for selectively pressing the housing, the rotating mechanism and the rotating pole against one another to an immovably state or loosening them from one another to allow stepless adjustment of the locating device in two axis directions. Thus, a cymbal mounted on either the rotating or the fixed pole can be adjusted to any horizontal orientation and vertical angle according to a user's need.
US08710337B1
A tone enhancement bracket retrofitted to a guitar. The bracket includes an upper plate, a lower plate, and at least one cylinder mounted therebetween. The bracket may be installed in plurality to the body of a guitar. Once installed, the bracket or brackets increase the velocity of sound produced by the guitar, thereby enhancing and improving the tonal effects thereof. The bracket also allows the retrofitted guitar to produce notes possessing a higher degree of clarity, definition, and sustenance with respect to the pre-retrofitted guitar.
US08710336B1
A novel maize variety designated X13A495 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof, produced by crossing Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. proprietary inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprises crossing hybrid maize variety X13A495 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X13A495 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X13A495, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X13A495. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X13A495.
US08710335B2
The present invention provides an inbred corn line designated NPAA2720, methods for producing a corn plant by crossing plants of the inbred line NPAA2720 with plants of another corn plant. The invention further encompasses all parts of inbred corn line NPAA2720, including culturable cells. Additionally provided herein are methods for introducing transgenes into inbred corn line NPAA2720, and plants produced according to these methods.
US08710334B2
The present invention provides an inbred corn line designated NPAA2675, methods for producing a corn plant by crossing plants of the inbred line NPAA2675 with plants of another corn plant. The invention further encompasses all parts of inbred corn line NPAA2675, including culturable cells. Additionally provided herein are methods for introducing transgenes into inbred corn line NPAA2675, and plants produced according to these methods.
US08710333B2
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the corn variety designated CV577261. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CV577261, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CV577261 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to corn seeds and plants produced by crossing plants of variety CV577261 with plants of another variety, such as another inbred line. The invention further relates to the inbred and hybrid genetic complements of plants of variety CV577261.
US08710331B2
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH367819. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH367819, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH367819 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH367819.
US08710330B2
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH979678. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH979678, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH979678 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH979678.
US08710328B2
The present invention provides an inbred corn line designated LIC7382, methods for producing a corn plant by crossing plants of the inbred line LIC7382 with plants of another corn plant. The invention further encompasses all parts of inbred corn line LIC7382, including culturable cells. Additionally provided herein are methods for introducing transgenes into inbred corn line LIC7382, and plants produced according to these methods.
US08710326B1
A novel maize variety designated PH1CD7 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH1CD7 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH1CD7 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH1CD7 or a locus conversion of PH1CD7 with another maize variety.
US08710313B2
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH336383. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH336383, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH336383 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH336383.
US08710309B2
The present invention is in the field of soybean variety BY0811143 breeding and development. The present invention particularly relates to the soybean variety BY0811143 and its progeny, and methods of making BY0811143.
US08710306B2
The present invention is in the field of soybean variety CL1013665 breeding and development. The present invention particularly relates to the soybean variety CL1013665 and its progeny, and methods of making CL1013665.
US08710291B2
Methods for forming a translucent window on the inner surface of a liquid impermeable breathable film outer cover of an absorbent product, such as a diaper, for viewing a water dispersible ink to indicate when an insult has occurred are disclosed. Additionally, absorbent products having a translucent window and a water dispersible ink are disclosed.
US08710287B2
The present invention relates to a process for producing unsaturated cyclic and/or aromatic compounds from 1,8-cineole, the process comprising pyrolysing 1,8-cineole in the presence of gamma-alumina supported transition metal catalyst.
US08710285B1
A new family of aluminosilicate zeolites designated UZM-44 has been synthesized. These zeolites are represented by the empirical formula. NanMmk+TtAl1-xExSiyOz where “n” is the mole ratio of Na to (Al+E), M represents a metal or metals from zinc, Group 1, Group 2, Group 3 and or the lanthanide series of the periodic table, “m” is the mole ratio of M to (Al+E), “k” is the average charge of the metal or metals M, T is the organic structure directing agent or agents, and E is a framework element such as gallium. The process involves contacting a carbonaceous biomass feedstock with UZM-44 at pyrolysis conditions to produce pyrolysis gases comprising hydrocarbons. The catalyst catalyzes a deoxygenation reaction converting oxygenated hydrocarbons into hydrocarbons and removing the oxygen as carbon oxides and water. A portion of the pyrolysis gases is condensed to produce low oxygen biomass-derived pyrolysis oil.
US08710284B2
The present invention relates to substituted benzo[c]phenanthrene derivatives and to the production and to the use thereof in electronic devices, and to the electronic devices themselves. The present invention relates in particular to benzo[c]phenanthrene derivatives of, e.g., formula (I) or (XV) substituted with at least one aromatic unit or at least one diarylamino unit.
US08710278B1
A process for producing polyols (such as neopentyl glycol) is disclosed which comprises reacting formaldehyde and another aldehyde in the presence of a trialkylamine catalyst and a base promoter to form an Aldol condensation reaction product. The base promoter improves removal of nitrogen containing salts prior to hydrogenation of the hydroxy aldehyde to produce the polyol. The improved process also reduces trialkylamine catalyst usage, improves trialkylamine catalyst recovery, and reduces nitrogen-containing salts prior to hydrogenation.
US08710272B2
The present invention includes compounds, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics having at least one (substituted phenyl)-propenal moiety. The compounds and compositions of the present invention are useful in the treatment or prevention of medical conditions including androgen associated conditions, androgen associated inflammation, a wound (the compounds assist with wound healing), acne, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, rosacea, and alopecia; Kennedy's disease (spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy, or SBMA), polyglutamine-mediated motor neuron degeneration; cancers such as prostate cancer, bladder cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, hepatocellular (liver) cancer, and pancreatic cancer; and other medical conditions described herein. Treatment of such medical conditions includes administering to an individual suffering from a medical condition describe herein, a therapeutically effective amount of any of the disclosed compounds, their derivatives, or pharmaceutical compositions thereof.
US08710271B2
The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of a zeolitic material having a BEA framework structure comprising the steps of: (i) providing one or more zeolitic materials having a BEA framework structure, wherein the BEA framework structure comprises YO2 and X2O3, wherein Y is a tetravalent element, and X is a trivalent element; (ii) subjecting the one or more zeolitic materials provided in step (i) to a procedure for removing at least a portion of X, preferably tetrahedrally coordinated X, from the BEA framework structure; wherein the Y:X molar ratios of the one or more zeolitic materials provided in step (i) are respectively comprised in the range of from 1 to 50.
US08710269B2
The present invention relates to a process for preparing 3-dimethylaminopropylamine (DMAPA) by reacting 3-dimethylaminopropionitrile (DMAPN) with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst, wherein the DMAPN used has a content of 2-(dimethylaminomethyl)glutaronitrile (DGN) of 300 ppm by weight or less, based on the DMAPN used.Furthermore, the present invention relates to mixtures of DMAPN and DGN, wherein the weight ratio of DMAPN to DGN is in the range from 1 000 000:5 to 1 000 000:250.
US08710262B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for producing (meth)acrylic anhydride that provides high yield and high efficiency and can suppress side reactions, in a method for reacting (meth)acrylic acid with a fatty acid anhydride to produce (meth)acrylic anhydride. The method for producing (meth)acrylic anhydride according to the present invention is a method for producing (meth)acrylic anhydride, including reacting a fatty acid anhydride with (meth)acrylic acid to produce (meth)acrylic anhydride, while extracting a fatty acid produced as a by-product, wherein the reaction is performed, while adjustment is performed so that a molar ratio of the (meth)acrylic acid to the (meth)acrylic anhydride in a reaction liquid is 0.3 or more.
US08710261B2
The present invention relates to Compounds having the structure of Formula I: wherein n is an integer from 1 to 5; R1 is optionally substituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, heterocyclyl, heteroaryl, aralkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, alkenyloxy or alkynyloxy; R2 is alkenyl, allcynyl, aryl, heterocyclyl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl, NR4R5, —NHC(═Y)R4, —NHC(═Y)NR5Rχ, —NHC(═O)OR4, —NHSO2R4, C(═Y)NR4R5, C(═O)OR6 [wherein Y is oxygen or sulphur], OR5, —O(C═O)NR4R5, O-acyl, S(O)mR4, —SO2N(R4)2, cyano, amidino or guanidino [wherein R4 is alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, heterocyclyl, heteroaryl, aralkyl, heteroarylalkyl, heterocyclylalkyl or cycloalkylalkyl and m is an integer 0-2; R5 is hydrogen or R4; Rx is R4 or —SO2N(R4)2 and R6 is hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aralkyl, heteroarylalkyl, heterocyclylalkyl or cycloalkylalkyl]; R3 is hydrogen, fluorine, alkyl, cycloalkylalkyl or aralkyl; A is OH, OR4, —OC(═O)NR4R5, O-acyl, NH2, NR4R5, —NHC(═Y)R4, —NHC(═Y)NR5Rx, —NHC(═O)OR4, —NHSO2R4, and to processes for the synthesis of the same. This invention also relates to pharmacological compositions containing the compounds of the present invention, and methods of treating asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, COPD, rhinitis, osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, psoriasis, pulmonary fibrosis pulmonary inflammation, acute respiratory distress syndrome, perodontitis, multiple sclerosis, gingivitis, atherosclerosis, neointimal proliferation, which leads to restenosis and ischemic heart failure, stroke, renal diseases, tumor metastasis, and other inflammatory disorders characterized by over-expression and over-activation of an matrix metalloproteinase, using the compounds.
US08710258B2
By using protonic acids, diesters of dicarbonic acid may be stabilized against thermal and chemical decomposition over a relatively long period. Mixtures of diesters of dicarbonic acid and protonic acids are outstandingly suitable for preserving foods.
US08710251B2
A process is provided for the synthesis of furan and related compounds by vapor-phase decarbonylation of furfural and derivatives, using a palladium/metal aluminate catalyst. The use of such catalysts, which are inherently less acidic than alumina, results in improved lifetime and high productivity. The compounds so produced can be used as starting materials for industrial chemicals for use as pharmaceuticals, herbicides, stabilizers, and polymers such as polyether ester elastomers and polyurethane elastomers.
US08710244B2
Disclosed is a dye having the chemical formula: or a mixture thereof. Each R1 is independently selected from hydrogen, halogen, cyano, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, alkoxyl, alkylthio, alkylamino, dialkylamino, alkylaminocarbonyl, dialkylaminocarbonyl, aryl, heteroaryl, phosphoric acid, or sulfonic acid. Each R2 is independently selected from Each n is independently selected from an integer of 2 to 10.
US08710242B2
The present invention relates to halogen-substituted amide derivatives of the general formula (I) in which R1 to R6, Q1 to Q8, A, V, W, X, Y, n and m are each defined as described in the description—and to a process for preparation thereof and to the use thereof as insecticides and acaricides.
US08710241B2
The present invention relates to a novel anhydrous crystalline form of zofenopril calcium of formula (I), chemically known as (4S)-1-[(2S)-3-(benzoylthio)-2-methylpropionyl]-4-(phenylthio)-L-proline calcium salt or hemi-calcium salt. The present invention further relates to a process for the preparation of the new crystalline form of zofenopril calcium, its use in pharmaceutical compositions and the use of the new crystalline form and compositions in the treatment of hypertension and various other diseases.
US08710240B2
The present invention provides a means which can inhibit release of I2 in production or storage of 1,3-diiodohydantoin compound, and thereby solve decrease in purity of the compound and various problems caused by I2. The present invention provides a production method for 1,3-diiodohydantoin compound comprising a step to prepare a wet body containing a 1,3-diiodohydantoin compound, and (1) a step to dry the wet body by contacting the wet body with heated gas or (2) a step to lyophilize the wet body, a storage method for 1,3-diiodohydantoin compound comprising a step to store a 1,3-diiodohydantoin compound under a temperature condition of 15° C. or lower, and a 1,3-diiodohydantoin compound wherein content of released I2 is 1% by mass or less.
US08710237B2
The present invention relates to compounds of formula Ia or Ib below and their tautomers and/or pharmaceutically acceptable salts and compositions and methods of uses thereof.
US08710235B2
A compound is represented by the following formula (I): wherein N represents a nitrogen atom; C represents a carbon atom; Pt represents a platinum atom; Z1, Z4, Z5, and Z8 represent a carbon atom or a nitrogen atom; Z2, Z3, Z6, and Z7 represent a carbon atom, a nitrogen atom, an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom; Z11 and Z16 represent a carbon atom or a nitrogen atom; Z12, Z13, Z14, Z15, Z17, Z18, Z19, and Z20 represent a carbon atom, a nitrogen atom, an oxygen atom, or a sulfur atom; Y1 and Y2 represent a single bond, an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom, a nitrogen atom; A11 represents a divalent linking group; B1 and B2 represent a single bond or a divalent linking group.
US08710219B2
The invention provides a compound of Formula I, Pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds and the use of such compounds in the treatment of phosphoinositide 3-kinase related diseases and disorders such as cancer. The instant application further relates to the treatment of histone deacetylase related disorders and diseases related to both histone deacetylase and phosphoinositide 3-kinase.
US08710214B2
The present invention relates to cellulose esters having low hydroxyl content for use in optical applications, such as liquid crystal display (LCD) films. Films made with low hydroxyl levels and a given ratio of non-acetyl ester to hydroxyl level have been found to have low intrinsic birefringence. These films can be cast, molded, or otherwise oriented without an appreciable birefringence or optical distortion (i.e. retardation). Such features make these films useful in polarizer, protective, and compensator films as well as molded optical parts, such as lenses. Furthermore, it has also been found that resins of the present invention can also be made to have “+C plate” behavior either by melt or solvent based processing, a characteristic which is not typical of cellulose esters. Such +C behavior allows films to be produced having unique compensatory behavior. Other embodiments of the invention relate to methods melt casting films while minimizing birefringence formation.
US08710199B2
Provided herein are signal activatable molecular constructs for enzyme-assisted delivery of molecules and related components, such as a sensor domain, compositions, methods and systems.
US08710192B2
The present invention provides antibody antagonists against proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9a (“PCSK9”) and methods of using such antibodies.
US08710189B2
The invention provides FGFR3 antibodies, and compositions comprising and methods of using these antibodies.
US08710188B2
The present invention relates to factor IXa complexes and crystals thereof as well as methods for identifying inhibitors of factor IXa.
US08710185B2
The present invention relates to genetically attenuated superantigen toxin vaccines altered such that superantigen attributes are absent, however the superantigen is effectively recognized and an appropriate immune response is produced. The attenuated superantigen toxins are shown to protect animals against challenge with wild type toxin. Methods of producing and using the altered superantigen toxins are described.
US08710183B2
A compound comprising a peptide moiety comprising, consisting essentially of, or consisting of, the peptide sequence of a tyrosine cluster YC of the BY-kinase of a Gram positive or Gram negative bacteria, or a fragment or an analogue thereof, and an adenine peptide analogue PNA(A), whereas the peptide moiety and the PNA are linked together. The compound is useful as an inhibitor of bacterial tyrosine kinase.
US08710177B2
There is provided a conductive polymer having a high electrical conductivity and an excellent heat resistance. Using it as a solid electrolyte, there is provided a solid electrolyte capacitor having a low ESR and a large capacitance with good reliability under a hot condition. A monomer mixture of 2,3-dihydro-thieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxin and 2-alkyl-2,3-dihydro-thieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxin at a mixture ratio of 0.05:1 to 1:0.1 by the molar ratio is polymerized in the presence of an organic sulfonic acid, and the organic sulfonic acid is included as a dopant. As the 2-alkyl-2,3-dihydro-thieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxin, the alkyl portion can be methyl, ethyl, propyl or butyl.
US08710176B2
A method of producing a sulfonated polyarylether block copolymer is provided. The method includes producing a sulfonated polyarylether block copolymer containing a hydrophobic segment having a structural unit represented by formula (5) and a hydrophilic segment having a structural unit having a sulfonic acid groups or derivative thereof incorporated into a structure represented by formula (6). A hydrophilic segment prepolymer having a sulfonic acid group in a potassium salt form and a hydrophobic segment prepolymer are block copolymerized. A proton conductor that includes the sulfonated polyarylether block copolymer is also provided.
US08710166B2
The present discovery shows how to make a self-crosslinking SMP. Shape Memory Polymer (SMP) can be formulated as a castable coating. This process allows the polymer to dissolve in solvent, and as the solvent evaporates the polymers self-crosslink at room temperature in air, creating a copolymer coating wherein the copolymer coating is an SMP. This technology has coating applications where shape memory would be an asset: from shape memory textile and fabric to self-healing coatings for vehicles and morphing skins for aircraft.
US08710157B2
According to the present invention, a contact lens material being excellent in oxygen permeability and transparency, being capable of undergoing injection molding, having no water content and having flexibility is provided. The present invention also relates to a contact lens gel material having excellent oxygen permeability and transparency. Particularly, the present invention relates to a contact lens material comprising a polycarbonate resin derived from a bisphenol compound (A), a polysiloxane-substituted bisphenol compound (B) and a compound forming a carbonic acid ester.
US08710148B2
Propylene-based polymer compositions are provided comprising propylene and from about 5 wt % to about 20 wt % of one or more C2 and/or C4-C12 α-olefins. The polymer compositions have a triad tacticity greater than about 90%, a heat of fusion less than about 75 J/g, and a melt flow rate (MFR) greater than or equal to about 25 g/10 min (230° C., 2.16 kg). Further, the polymer compositions are reactor grade compositions comprising a reactor blend of a first polymer and a second polymer, preferably where both of the first and second polymers are prepared using the same catalyst system. Meltspun nonwoven fabrics, such as meltblown or spunbond fabrics, comprising such polymer compositions are also provided, as well as processes for forming the nonwoven fabrics.
US08710141B2
Polyamide compositions and articles shaped therefrom have good dimensional stability and contain at least one novolac resin and nanometric flake structure filler material; the articles shaped therefrom, e.g., by injection molding, are useful in a various of applications, for example as engineering plastics.
US08710134B2
The present invention provides a (meth)acrylic resin composition comprising a carboxylic acid group produced by heating a (meth)acrylic-based resin (C), wherein the (meth)acrylic-based resin (C) is obtained by polymerizing a monomer mixture (A) containing 80 to 99 wt % of a linear alkyl (meth)acrylate and 1 to 20 wt % of tertiary-butyl (meth)acrylate, in the presence of an acrylic acid ester-based crosslinked elastic particle (B) that is obtained by mixing and polymerizing 0.5 to 5 parts by weight of a polyfunctional monomer having at least two non-conjugated double bonds per molecule, with respect to 100 parts by weight of a monomer mixture containing 50 to 100 wt % of an alkyl acrylate monomer and 0 to 50 wt % of an alkyl methacrylate monomer. This composition can be used to produce a film having excellent chemical resistance (in particular, sun-screening agent resistance).
US08710132B2
Disclosed is a flame-retardant polyamide composition excellent in fluidity during molding and granulation ability on a twin-screw extruder or the like. A molded article produced from the composition is excellent in mechanical properties including stiffness, heat resistance and flame retardancy during a reflow soldering process, and shows low warpage. Specifically disclosed is a flame-retardant polyamide composition comprising 20 to 80 mass % of a specific polyamide resin (A), 1 to 40 mass % of a flame retardant (B), 5 to 60 mass % of a glass fiber (C), and 0.5 to 5 mass % of an auxiliary flame retardant (D), which can be molded in an article having reduced warpage. Preferably, the glass fiber (C) has a cross section having an aspect ratio of greater than 3.
US08710127B2
The present invention relates to flame-protected impact-modified polycarbonate compositions, wherein the compositions are free of rubber-free polyalkyl (alkyl)acrylate. The present invention further relates to the use of the polycarbonate compositions in the production of molded bodies, and to the molded bodies themselves.
US08710126B2
Flame-proofed thermoplastic compositions include organophosphorus compounds as flame retardants; thermoplastic articles shaped therefrom do not experience deterioration of the appearance of the surfaces thereof by corrosion or deposition.
US08710125B2
The invention provides a polyolefin composition comprising: A) a propylene-based polymer having a flex modulus of greater than 1500 MPa and an HDT of greater than 100° C.; B) an ethylene/α-olefin interpolymer having Tg of less than −30° C., a tan delta, measured at 0.1 radians/s at 190° C., of less than 3, an HDT that is greater than, or equal to, the peak melting temperature of the ethylene/α-olefin interpolymer, measured by differential scanning calorimetry; and C) a fiber filler; and D) a nitrogen source and/or a phosphorus source, wherein at least one source is derived from at least one organic compound, or salt thereof; and wherein the weight ratio of the propylene-based polmer:ethylene/α-olefin interpolymer (A:B) is from 9:1 to 6:4.
US08710124B2
The invention relates to a thermoplastic elastomer composition comprising a thermoplastic elastomer and a flame retardant, wherein the flame retardant comprises at least a compound selected from the group consisting of piperazine phosphate, piperazine pyrophosphate and piperazine polyphosphate, and a phosphoric acid compound.
US08710117B2
The present invention relates to crosslinked core/shell polymer particles containing a pigment which are usable in a water-based ink for ink-jet printing and exhibit excellent optical density and gloss and are prevented from suffering from occurrence of bronzing, wherein the polymer particles each include a core portion and a shell portion which are respectively made of a crosslinked polymer, and a weight ratio of the pigment to the pigment-containing crosslinked core/shell polymer particles [(weight of the pigment/weight of the pigment-containing crosslinked core/shell polymer particles)×100] is from 25 to 75. The present invention further relates to a water dispersion and a water-based ink for ink-jet printing which contain the crosslinked core/shell polymer particles and a process for producing crosslinked polymer particles.
US08710097B2
Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major problem in cancer chemotherapy. The best characterized resistance mechanism is the one mediated by the over-expression of drug efflux transporters, permeability-glycoprotein (P-gp), which pump a variety of anticancer drugs out of the cells, resulting in lowered intracellular drug accumulation. A series of flavonoid dimers are developed in this invention, which are linked together by linker groups of various lengths. These flavonoid dimers are found to be efficient P-gp modulators that increase cytotoxicity of anticancer drugs in vitro and dramatically enhance their intracellular drug accumulation. It is found that the flavonoid dimers of this invention is also useful in reducing drug resistance in treating parasitic diseases.
US08710093B2
The invention relates in a first embodiment to a method for the manufacture of esters of the formula I, or especially of amides of the formula II, wherein the symbols have the meanings given in the specification, as well as other intermediates and compounds useful in the synthesis of tryptamines and other substances mentioned in the title. The synthesis methods and intermediates are useful in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals.
US08710087B2
Disclosed herein are new salts and polymorphs of desazadesferrithiocin polyether (DADFT-PE) analogues, as well as pharmaceutical compositions comprising them and their application as metal chelation agents for the treatment of disease. Methods of chelation of iron and other metals in a human or animal subject are also provided for the treatment of metal overload and toxicity.
US08710082B2
The various embodiments relate to a compound comprising: wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, and R12 are each independently hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, heterocyclyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, heteroaryloxy, alkoxycarbonyl, aryloxycarbonyl, heteroaryloxycarbonyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, aminosulfonyl, alkylcarbonyl, arylcarbonyl, heteroarylcarbonyl, acyl, acylamino, amino, alkylamino, dialkylamino, arylamino, carboxylate (—CO2H), cyano, nitro, —CONH2, heteroarylamino, oxime, alkyloxime, aryloxime, amino-oxime or halogen when A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, and Q are carbon, and X is O, NR (where R is hydrogen, alkyl, aryl or acyl), S, SO (sulfoxide), SO2 (sulfone), or C(R)2 (where R=H, alkyl, aryl, alkenyl, alkynyl, or acyl); or wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, and R12 are each independently hydrogen or hydroxyl when A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, and Q are each independently nitrogen, and compositions, combinations, pharmaceutically acceptable salts, esters, and prodrugs thereof. The invention also relates to methods of using such compounds and compositions.
US08710074B2
In one aspect, the invention relates to dihydronaphthyridinyl(organo)methanone analogs, derivatives thereof, and related compounds, which are useful as positive allosteric modulators of the metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGluR5); synthetic methods for making the compounds; pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds; and methods of treating neurological and psychiatric disorders associated with glutamate dysfunction using the compounds and compositions. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention.
US08710070B2
The present invention relates to the field of pain management, and more particularly to synergistic codrugs comprising an opioid and ketamine or norketamine which have been combined to form a single chemical codrug entity. When the codrug is administered it produces a synergistic analgesic response to pain.
US08710065B2
The present invention relates to compounds of formula (I) or pharmaceutical acceptable salts, wherein X, Y, Z, R3 and R4 are defined in the description. The present invention relates also to compositions containing said compounds which are useful for inhibiting kinases such as wee-1 and methods of treating diseases such as cancer.
US08710062B2
This invention relates to piperazinedione compounds shown in the specification. These compounds are tyrosine kinase inhibitors and can be used to treat cancer.
US08710061B2
The present disclosure provides a series of compounds of the formula (I) which modulate β-amyloid peptide (β-AP) production and are useful in the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease and other conditions affected by β-amyloid peptide (β-AP) production.
US08710057B2
The present invention provides protein kinase inhibitors comprising imidazo[1,2-b]pyridazine and pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine compounds of the following structure (I) and (II): or a stereoisomer, prodrug or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein R, R1, R2 and X are as defined herein. Compositions and methods for using the same in the treatment of cancer and other Pim kinase-associated conditions are also disclosed.
US08710052B2
Compounds and compositions for treating injuries caused by exposure to chemical warfare agents are described herein.
US08710047B2
Novel 5-HT3 receptor modulators are disclosed. These compounds are used in the treatment of various disorders, including chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, post-operative nausea and vomiting, and irritable bowel syndrome. Methods of making these compounds are also described in the present invention.
US08710046B2
Novel 5-HT3 receptor modulators are disclosed. These compounds are used in the treatment of various disorders, including chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, post-operative nausea and vomiting, and irritable bowel syndrome. Methods of making these compounds are also described in the present invention.
US08710042B2
A method of reducing the contamination amount of mycotoxin in cereals wherein one or more compounds A selected from the group consisting of ammonium salts, primary to quaternary ammonium salts, alkali metal salts, alkaline earth metal salts and polyvalent metal salts of phosphorous acid and phosphite ester are given to the cereals.
US08710041B2
In various embodiments, the present invention provides compositions and methods for treating and/or preventing cardiovascular-related diseases in subject in need thereof.
US08710026B2
Embodiments of the invention provide methods of preventing or treating detrimental epithelial cell proliferation, loss of epithelial cell differentiation, age-related macular degeneration and/or proliferative vitreal retinopathy in an individual comprising administering to an individual in need thereof an effective amount of miR 204, an effective amount of miR 211, or an effective amount of a mixture of miR 204 and miR 211. A further embodiment of the invention provides a method of facilitating the transport of a substance across an epithelium in an individual comprising administrating to an individual an effective amount of anti-miR 204, an effective amount of anti-miR 211, or an effective amount of a mixture of anti-miR 204 and anti-miR 211. Additional embodiments of the invention include pharmaceutical compositions of miR 204 and/or miR 211 and pharmaceutical compositions of anti-miR 204 and/or anti-miR 211.
US08710020B2
A method for providing antisense therapy which reduces the expression of clusterin to provide therapeutic benefits in the treatment of cancer comprising administering from 40 to 640 mg anti-clusterin antisense oligonucleotide to a patient in need of treatment for a cancer expressing clusterin is provided. The method may include administering chemotherapeutic agent or agents, radiotherapy, and/or hormone ablation therapy. The invention also encompasses pharmaceutical compositions formulated to provide a dosage of 40 to 640 mg, and use of antisense in formulating a medicament.
US08710009B2
The present invention compositions and methods of using at least a portions of an isolated and purified α-crystallin polypeptide that includes one or more β-pleated sheets and that prevents neurotoxicity and amyloidogenesis.
US08710001B2
PEGylated, extended insulins are insulins which, compared with human insulin, has one or more extensions extended from the A1, B1, A21 and/or B30 position(s), said extension(s) consist(s) of amino acid residue(s) and wherein a PEG moiety, via a linker, is attached to one or more of the amino acid residues in the extension(s). PEG is polyethyleneglycol. Such PEGylated, extended insulins have higher bioavailability and a longer time-action profile than regular insulin and are in particular suited for pulmonary administration and can, conveniently, be used to treat diabetes.
US08709998B2
The invention features targeted cytotoxic compounds and methods relating to their therapeutic use for the treatment of neoplasia and other conditions.
US08709993B2
The present invention relates to novel quinazoline compounds and their use in perfume compositions. The novel quinazoline compounds of the present invention are represented by the following formula: an isomer or a mixture of isomers thereof, wherein the broken line represents a single or double bond.
US08709969B2
RuCore—Ptshell nanocatalysts with 1˜3 atomic layers of Pt-shell were developed for enhancing the catalytic activities. Uniform atomic layers of Pt were successfully deposited on the core nanoparticles with high precision. Using such nanocatalysts as the cathode of the dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), the efficiency of DSSC can be significantly increased. For direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) applications, much higher performance can also be achieved by using such RuCore—Ptshell nanocatalysts and the DMFC can be operated at room temperature without the need to raise the cell temperature to above room temperature (such as 80° C.).
US08709968B2
A catalyst composition that is especially useful in the hydroconversion of pitch, micro carbon residue and sulfur contents of a heavy hydrocarbon feedstock without the excessive formation of sediment. The catalyst composition is a reasonably high surface area composition containing alumina and a low molybdenum content with a high ratio of nickel-to-molybdenum. The catalyst composition further has a unique pore distribution that in combination with the special metals loading provide for good conversion of pitch and micro carbon residue without an excessive yield of sediment.
US08709961B2
A method for superconductingly connecting two or more wires (1, 2), each comprising at least one filament (3a-3d) that contains MgB2 or a mixture of Mg and B, wherein a superconducting connection is realized through exposed end regions (4a) of the filaments (3a-3d) via an MgB2 matrix, is characterized in that a bulk boron powder (4) is provided into which the exposed end regions (4a) of the filaments (3a-3d) of the wires (1, 2) project, the boron of the bulk boron powder (4) being present in amorphous modification. The bulk powder (4) is then compacted together with the projecting exposed end regions (4a) of the filaments (3a, 3b) to form a compressed element (8) and the compressed element (8) is infiltrated with molten magnesium (10) from the surface (13) of the compressed element (8). The method improves the quality, in particular, the current-carrying capacity and the critical magnetic field strength of a superconducting connection of MgB2 superconducting wires.
US08709951B2
In accordance with the invention, there are methods of controlling the sidewall angle of a polysilicon gate from batch to batch while maintaining current bottom critical dimension control performance. The method can include generating a correlation between a sidewall angle of a gate and RF bias power and etch time of one or more etch steps during the formation of the gate, developing a statistical model for the sidewall angle as a function of one or more of polysilicon density, polythickness, and etcher, and predicting a sidewall angle using the statistical model for a given polydensity, a given polythickness, and a given etcher. The method can also include comparing the predicted sidewall angle with a target sidewall angle and determining an optimized RF bias power and optimized etch time of one or more etch steps during the formation of the gate using the correlation to match the target sidewall angle.
US08709949B2
According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for removing oxide includes placing a sensor chip assembly having an oxide layer formed on a portion thereof within an enclosed and controlled environment. The portion of the sensor chip assembly is exposed to a reactive gas and a UV light to result in a substantial removal of the oxide layer formed on the portion of the sensor chip assembly.
US08709945B2
Using printing technologies to fill conductor materials into holes in silicon substrate, the preferred embodiments of the present improve cost efficiency of through-hole connections. Using silicon substrate as cathode terminal during electrical plating that fill holes in a silicon substrate with conductors, the preferred embodiments of the present improve alignment accuracy and cost efficiency of through-hole manufacturing processes.
US08709938B2
A method of three-dimensionally integrating elements such as singulated die or wafers and an integrated structure having connected elements such as singulated dies or wafers. Either or both of the die and wafer may have semiconductor devices formed therein. A first element having a first contact structure is bonded to a second element having a second contact structure. First and second contact structures can be exposed at bonding and electrically interconnected as a result of the bonding. A via may be etched and filled after bonding to expose and form an electrical interconnect to interconnected first and second contact structures and provide electrical access to this interconnect from a surface. Alternatively, first and/or second contact structures are not exposed at bonding, and a via is etched and filled after bonding to electrically interconnect first and second contact structures and provide electrical access to interconnected first and second contact structure to a surface. Also, a device may be formed in a first substrate, the device being disposed in a device region of the first substrate and having a first contact structure. A via may be etched, or etched and filled, through the device region and into the first substrate before bonding and the first substrate thinned to expose the via, or filled via after bonding.
US08709937B2
According to example embodiments, a method of forming micropatterns includes forming dummy patterns having first widths on a dummy region of a substrate, and forming cell patterns having second widths on an active line region of the substrate. The active line region may be adjacent to the dummy region and the second widths may be less than the first widths. The method may further include forming damascene metallization by forming a seed layer on the active line region and the dummy region, forming a conductive material layer on a whole surface of the substrate, and planarizing the conductive material layer to form metal lines.
US08709934B2
An electronic system is provided including forming a substrate having a contact, forming a conductive structure over the contact, mounting an electrical device having an external interconnect over the conductive structure, and forming a conductive protrusion from the conductive structure in the external interconnect.
US08709925B2
A method of controlled p-type conductivity in (Al,In,Ga,B)N semiconductor crystals. Examples include {10 11} GaN films deposited on {100} MgAl2O4 spinel substrate miscut in the <011> direction. Mg atoms may be intentionally incorporated in the growing semipolar nitride thin film to introduce available electronic states in the band structure of the semiconductor crystal, resulting in p-type conductivity. Other impurity atoms, such as Zn or C, which result in a similar introduction of suitable electronic states, may also be used.
US08709924B2
Embodiments of the invention provide a novel apparatus and methods for forming a conformal doped layer on the surface of a substrate. A substrate is provided to a process chamber, and a layer of dopant source material is deposited by plasma deposition, atomic layer deposition, or plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition. The substrate is then subjected to thermal processing to activate and diffuse dopants into the substrate surface.
US08709923B2
Provided is a method of manufacturing III-nitride crystal having a major surface of plane orientation other than {0001}, designated by choice, the III-nitride crystal manufacturing method including: a step of slicing III-nitride bulk crystal through a plurality of planes defining a predetermined slice thickness in the direction of the designated plane orientation, to produce a plurality of III-nitride crystal substrates having a major surface of the designated plane orientation; a step of disposing the substrates adjoining each other sideways in a manner such that the major surfaces of the substrates parallel each other and such that any difference in slice thickness between two adjoining III-nitride crystal substrates is not greater than 0.1 mm; and a step of growing III-nitride crystal onto the major surfaces of the substrates.
US08709919B2
A method is for the synthesis of an array of metal nanowires (w) capable of supporting localized plasmon resonances. A metal film (M) deposited on a planar substrate (D) is irradiated with a defocused beam of noble gas ions (IB) under high vacuum, so that, with increasing ion doses a corrugation is produced on the metal film surface, formed by a mutually parallel nanoscale self-organized corrugations (r). Subsequently, the height of the self-organized corrugations peaks is increased relative to the valleys (t) interposed therebetween. Then the whole the metal film is eroded so as to expose the substrate at the valleys, and to mutually disconnect the self-organized corrugations, thereby generating the array of metal nanowires. Finally, the transversal cross-section of the nanowires is reduced in a controlled manner so as to adjust the localized plasmon resonances wavelength which can be associated thereto. The nanowires array constitutes an electrode of an improved photonic device.
US08709918B2
A method for selective deposition of semiconductor materials in semiconductor processing is disclosed. In some embodiments, the method includes providing a patterned substrate comprising a first region and a second region, where the first region comprises an exposed first semiconductor material and the second region comprise an exposed insulator material. The method further includes selectively providing a film of the second semiconductor material on the first semiconductor material of the first region by providing a precursor of a second semiconductor material, a carrier gas that is not reactive with chlorine compounds, and tin-tetrachloride (SnCl4). The tin-tetrachloride inhibits the deposition of the second semiconductor material on the insulator material of the second region.
US08709917B2
A selenium/Group 3a ink, comprising (a) a selenium/Group 3a complex which comprises a combination of, as initial components: a selenium component comprising selenium; a carboxylic acid component having a formula R—COOH, wherein R is selected from a C1-10 alkyl, C1-10 haloalkyl and a C1-10 mercaptoalkyl; a Group 3a complex, comprising at least one Group 3a material selected from aluminum, indium, gallium and thallium complexed with a multidentate ligand; and, (b) a liquid carrier; wherein the selenium/Group 3a complex is stably dispersed in the liquid carrier.
US08709908B2
A system and method of manufacturing a semiconductor device lithographically and an article of manufacture involving a lithographic double patterning process having a dye added to either the first or second lithographic pattern are provided. The dye is used to detect the location of the first lithographic pattern and to directly align the second lithographic pattern to it. The dye may be fluorescent, luminescent, absorbent, or reflective at a specified wavelength or a given wavelength band. The wavelength may correspond to the wavelength of an alignment beam. The dye allows for detection of the first lithographic pattern even when it is over coated with a radiation sensitive-layer (e.g., resist).
US08709906B2
An MIM capacitor includes a first capacitor electrode, which is formed in the surface of a first intermediate dielectric, a second intermediate dielectric, which is formed on the first intermediate dielectric and has an opening that exposes the first capacitor electrode, and a first electrically conducting diffusion barrier layer, which is formed on the surface of the exposed first capacitor electrode. On the diffusion barrier layer and on the side walls of the opening there is also formed a capacitor dielectric and a second capacitor electrode on top.
US08709889B2
A memory cell therein includes a first transistor and a capacitor and stores data corresponding to a potential held in the capacitor. The first transistor includes a pair of electrodes, an insulating film in contact with side surfaces of the electrodes, a first gate electrode provided between the electrodes with the insulating film provided between the first gate electrode and each electrode and whose top surface is at a lower level than top surfaces of the electrodes, a first gate insulating film over the first gate electrode, an oxide semiconductor film in contact with the first gate insulating film and the electrodes, a second gate insulating film at least over the oxide semiconductor film, and a second gate electrode over the oxide semiconductor film with the second gate insulating film provided therebetween. The capacitor is connected to the first transistor through one of the electrodes.
US08709868B2
A method (90) entails placing (124) sensor elements (122) in an array (126) arranged to correspond with locations of controller dies (24) in a controller wafer (94) and encapsulating (128) the array (126) in a mold material (74) to form a panel (130) of the sensor elements (122). The sensor elements (122) include bond pads (42) that are concealed by a material section (116, 118) of the sensor elements (122). The controller wafer (94) is bonded (134) to the panel (130) to form a stacked wafer structure (136). After bonding, methodology (90) entails forming (140) conductive elements (60) on the controller wafer (95), removing material sections (100) from the controller wafer (94) and removing the material sections (116, 118) from the sensor elements (122) to expose the bond pads (42), forming (148) electrical interconnects (56), applying (152) packaging material (64), and singulating to produce sensor packages (20, 76).
US08709864B2
An object is to provide a deposition apparatus for forming a thin film which contains few impurities such as a hydrogen atom or a carbon atom. Further, an object is to provide a method for forming a thin film containing few impurities. Furthermore, an object is to provide a method for manufacturing a highly reliable semiconductor element including an oxide semiconductor film containing few impurities. A deposition apparatus can be provided for forming a thin film which contains few impurities such as a compound containing a hydrogen atom such as H2O, a compound containing a carbon atom, a hydrogen atom, or a carbon atom can be provided. Further, a method for forming a thin film containing few impurities can be provided. Furthermore, a method for forming a highly reliable semiconductor element including an oxide semiconductor film containing few impurities can be provided.
US08709821B2
The present invention relates to a compound having a structure analogous to firefly luciferin. In particular, the invention relates to a heterocycle compound which produces a luminescence at a light wavelength different from that of firefly luciferin in nature. The present invention provides a heterocycle compound of following general formula I. In the above general formula, R1, R2 and R3 can be each independently H or C1-4-alkyl. In the above general formula, X and Y can be each independently C, N, S or O. In the above general formula, the olefin chain part expressed as “n” can be changed to desired length.
US08709819B2
A preparation method and its use of derivatization reagent for detecting L-carnitine or D-carnitine are provided. The present reagent is stable. It can be used for detecting L-carnitine or D-carnitine accurately and sensitively. That is to say, the reagent is applied to detecting the amount of synthesized or natural L-carnitine and the amount of mixing D-carnitine. The compound reagent is used for determining the chiral isomers of chemicals, biological reagents, health care reagents, cosmetic, body fluids and various foods, which contain L-carnitine or/and D-carnitine, and optical isomers of other chiral amino acids.
US08709816B2
The present invention relates to a method for diagnosing, and treating renal disease in a patient by having a test performed for detecting or quantifying one or more renal disease markers present in a test blood sample from the patient; and administering treatment to improve renal function. In particular embodiments, the test performed quantifies cis-aconitate, and the patient is identified as having the renal disease when a concentration of cis-aconitate present in the patient's test blood sample is higher than that of a control. Methods of the present invention can allow diagnosis and treatment of patients with early stage renal disease, such as early stage renal failure. Another aspect of the present invention relates to methods for screening for a prophylactic/therapeutic agent for treating renal disease using one or more renal disease markers.
US08709809B2
A nanofiber is formed by combining one or more natural or synthetic polymeric materials and one or more than one cross-linking agents having at least two latent reactive activatable groups. The latent reactive activatable nanofiber may be used to modify the surface of a substrate by activating at least one of the latent reactive activatable groups to bond the nanofiber to the surface by the formation of a covalent bond between the surface of the substrate and the latent reactive activatable group. Some of the remaining latent reactive activatable group(s) are left accessible on the surface of the substrate, and may be used for further surface modification of the substrate. Biologically active materials may be immobilized on the nanofiber modified surface by reacting with the latent reactive groups that are accessible on the surface of the substrate.
US08709805B2
Provided are a method of producing canine iPS cells, comprising (a) the step of bringing into contact with each other a canine somatic cell and a nuclear reprogramming factor, and (b) the step of culturing the cell in a medium containing at least one substance selected from the group consisting of a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase inhibitor, an activin receptor-like kinase inhibitor, a glycogen synthase kinase inhibitor, a L-type calcium channel agonist and a DNA methylation inhibitor, and a leukemia inhibitory factor, and canine iPS cells that can be obtained by the method.
US08709802B2
A method is provided, including obtaining a population of antigen-presenting cells, enriching a population of stem/progenitor cells within a larger population of cells, activating the population of antigen-presenting cells and, following the activating, inducing at least one process selected from the group consisting of: differentiation, expansion, activation, secretion of a molecule, and expression of a marker, by exposing the enriched stem/progenitor cell population to the population of antigen-presenting cells. Other applications are also described.
US08709782B2
The present invention provides improved polysaccharides (e.g., gellan and diutan) produced by mutant gene M or gene N Sphingomonas strains containing at least one genetic modification that favors slime-forming polysaccaride production. Methods of making the mutant Sphingomonas strains and the culture broth containing such mutant Sphingomonas strains are also provided.
US08709775B2
Provided are hydrolases, including lipases, saturases, palmitases and/or stearatases, and polynucleotides encoding them, and methods of making and using these polynucleotides and polypeptides. Further provided are polypeptides, e.g., enzymes, having a hydrolase activity, e.g., lipases, saturases, palmitases and/or stearatases and methods for preparing low saturate or low trans fat oils, such as low saturate or low trans fat animal or vegetable oils, e.g., soy or canola oils.
US08709772B2
This invention relates generally to enzymes, polynucleotides encoding the enzymes, the use of such polynucleotides and polypeptides and more specifically to enzymes having transferase activity, e.g., transaminase activity, e.g., d-amino-acid transferase activity, and/or oxidoreductase activity, e.g., dehydrogenase activity, e.g., damino-acid dehydrogenase activity, and/or catalyze the transfer of a chemical group, catalyze transamination, catalyze the reaction: D-alanine+2-oxoglutarate<=>pyruvate+D-glutamate, and/or catalyze an oxidation-reduction reaction, catalyze the removal of hydrogen atoms, and/or catalyze the reaction: D-amino acid+H2O+acceptor<=>a 2-oxo acid+NH3+reduced acceptor. Thus, the invention provides enzymes, compositions, methods for production of pharmaceutical compositions, pharmaceutical intermediates, antibiotics, sweeteners, peptide enzymes, peptide hormones, fuel and fuel additive compositions, foods and food additives, beverage and beverage additives, feeds and feed additives, drugs and drug additives, dietary supplements, textiles, wood, paper, pulp, and detergents comprising the polypeptides or polynucleotides in accordance with the invention.
US08709770B2
Provided is a process for the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose to produce glucose from a pretreated cellulosic feedstock. The process comprises providing an aqueous slurry of the pretreated cellulosic feedstock that has a water content that is less than about 140% of the maximum water holding capacity of the pretreated cellulosic feedstock. The aqueous slurry of the pretreated cellulosic feedstock is fed to one or more unmixed hydrolysis reactors and hydrolyzed with cellulase enzymes therein. In the unmixed hydrolysis reactor(s), the cellulase enzymes hydrolyze a portion of the cellulose to produce soluble sugars, thereby producing a mixture of partially hydrolyzed cellulose containing soluble sugars. The hydrolysis of the cellulose to glucose is continued by feeding the mixture of partially hydrolyzed cellulose to one or more mixed hydrolysis reactors. Also provided are systems for carrying out the foregoing enzymatic hydrolysis.
US08709768B2
Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems are described that can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.
US08709760B2
The present invention provides isolated polypeptides isolatable from a Staphylococcus spp. Also provided by the present invention are compostions that include one or more of the polypeptides, and methods for making and methods for using the polypeptides.
US08709749B2
The invention relates to a method for execution upon processing of at least one histological sample that is arranged, in particular after an infiltration process, in a closed cassette (2). The method is characterized in that prior to opening of the cassette (2), the sample is detached from the cover of the cassette (2) and/or isolated.
US08709747B2
The invention relates to compounds of formula (I) wherein the groups A and B represent independently from each other —CH═CH—, or —C≡C—, the terms t, u, v, w represent, independently from each other, values ranging from 0 to 9, the groups Y1 and Y2 can represent independently from each other an alkyl group (linear, branched or substituted) carrying from 1 to 9 carbon atoms, the groups Z1, Z2, Z3, and Z4 can represent independently from each other a chemically reactive group W, such as OH, NH2, SH, the groups Z5 and Z6 represent independently from each other a hydrogen atom, silica nanoparticles functionalized by these compounds, and their use as drugs.
US08709746B2
A reaction medium for the culture and/or detection and/or identification of bacteria of the Legionella genus includes at least one siliceous compound, where the siliceous compound is a nonpolar silica. A method for detecting and/or identifying bacteria of the Legionella genus, includes bringing a sample that may contain bacteria of the Legionella genus into contact with a reaction medium comprising at least one siliceous compound, incubating, and detecting the presence of bacteria of the Legionella genus.
US08709740B2
A device having a substrate and an enzyme attached to the substrate. The substrate has a polymeric surface having at least two conductivity states. A minimum voltage that does not cause a redox reaction in the enzyme may be applied to the polymeric surface to change the conductivity state of the surface. A method of controlling enzyme activity by providing the above substrate with polymeric surface, attaching an enzyme to the substrate, and altering the conductivity state of the polymeric surface. Changing the conductivity of the polymer can change the activity of the enzyme.
US08709737B2
The present invention relates to bitter-taste receptors and their role in bitter taste transduction. The invention also relates to assays for screening molecules that modulate, e.g. suppress or block, bitter taste transduction, or enhance bitter taste response.
US08709725B2
The present invention relates to optical confinements, methods of preparing and methods of using them for analyzing molecules and/or monitoring chemical reactions. The apparatus and methods embodied in the present invention are particularly useful for high-throughput and low-cost single-molecular analysis.
US08709721B2
Provided are a fluorescent on/off switchable compound for a gene analysis, which is highly stable and highly sensitive, and enables amplification and observation of a trace gene signal, and a labeling reagent for detection of a bio-related material, which uses the fluorescent on/off switchable compound. A compound represented by the following formula (I′): wherein X is a hydrogen atom or a carboxylic acid-protecting group, Y is a 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonyl group, a 2-cyano-4-nitrobenzenesulfonyl group or a 5-nitropyridin-2-ylsulfonyl group, R1, R2, R3 and R4 are each independently a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a hydroxyl group, an alkyl group having a carbon number of 1 to 6, an alkoxy group having a carbon number of 1 to 6, an aryl group having a carbon number of 6 to 10, or a cyano group.
US08709720B2
Disclosed herein is a method for identifying single nucleotide polymorphisms of a target nucleic acid for predicting whether a patient suffering from hepatocellular carcinoma will respond to a 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-based combination chemotherapy. In some embodiments, biological sample derived from the patient is processed to determine the presence of a T/T genotype of rs9679162 GALNT14 gene. The presence of the above-identified genotype is an indication that the patient is responsive to the 5-FU-based combination chemotherapy.
US08709717B2
Methods of generating nucleic acid fragments of substantially uniform length from sample nucleic acids comprising linearly stretching the sample nucleic acids over a substrate having a plurality of cleavage regions separated by relatively consistent distances, cleaving the linearly stretched sample nucleic acids at the cleavage regions, and collecting the resulting nucleic acid fragments. The method may further include collecting and concentrating the resultant nucleic acid fragments of substantially uniform length.
US08709716B2
Arrays for genome-wide analysis of methylation are disclosed. IN a preferred aspect arrays comprising a plurality of probes complementary to a plurality of identified CpG islands in the human, mouse and rat genome are disclosed. The arrays may be used to detect methylation within cpG islands in samples from human, mouse and rat genomes.
US08709715B2
The disclosure relates to methods and compositions effective in the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of human hematopoietic cancers. In particular, the disclosure provides tumor-associated genes that encode for cytokine receptors that are differentially expressed in hematopoietic tumor cells of myeloid origin compared with other cells, e.g., normal stem cells.
US08709711B2
This invention provides methods of measuring the viability of cultured cells by detecting one or more cell death-stable proteins or enzyme activities. Methods provided by the invention correlate viability to relative levels of enzyme activity in cell-containing and non-cell-containing fractions of a cell culture.
US08709709B2
The present invention provides a method of evaluating a patient in a hospital prior to discharge to determine if the patient is or is not at risk of early readmission if the patient were to be discharged from the hospital. The invention also provides a method of evaluating and monitoring the condition of a patient after discharge from a hospital. Both methods comprise measuring the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) of a body fluid of the patient, a tissue of the patient of both.
US08709708B2
A method and a device for detecting the presence of a predetermined substance, in which a quantum dot is produced on a substrate. The quantum dot emits a radiation at a predetermined wavelength, and is covered with a surface layer to which the predetermined substance attaches. A deviation of the value of a parameter related to the radiation is produced when the predetermined substance attaches to the surface layer. This deviation can be detected to thereby sense the presence of the predetermined substance.
US08709705B2
The present invention relates to a process for forming metal-containing films by applying a photosensitive metal-containing composition on a substrate, drying the photosensitive metal-containing composition, exposing the photosensitive metal-containing composition to a source of actinic radiation and applying a post-treatment to the metal-containing composition. The process also includes exposing the photosensitive metal-containing composition to a source of actinic radiation through a mask or mold and developing the unexposed portion of the composition. Another embodiment of the invention is a metal-containing film, three-dimensional object or article formed by the process. The invention is useful in producing a directly patterned metal-containing film and a microdevice.
US08709702B2
A method of fabrication and device with holes for electrical conduction made by preparing a photosensitive glass substrate comprising at least silica, lithium oxide, aluminum oxide, and cerium oxide, masking a design layout comprising one or more holes to form one or more electrical conduction paths on the photosensitive glass substrate, exposing at least one portion of the photosensitive glass substrate to an activating energy source, exposing the photosensitive glass substrate to a heating phase of at least ten minutes above its glass transition temperature, cooling the photosensitive glass substrate to transform at least part of the exposed glass to a crystalline material to form a glass-crystalline substrate and etching the glass-crystalline substrate with an etchant solution to form the one or more depressions or through holes for electrical conduction in the device.
US08709697B2
A method of manufacturing a toner including supplying a fluid containing a resin and a coloring agent to a retaining member including a film having multiple discharge orifices, discharging droplets of the fluid from the multiple discharge orifices at a speed of from 2 to 4 m/s by applying a pulse voltage having a trapezoid waveform to a piezoelectric body having a surface provided substantially parallel to the film to move the surface in a direction away from the film relative to a reference position of the surface followed by holding the surface there for a predetermined time, and bringing the surface back to the reference position; and solidifying droplets of the fluid discharged from the multiple discharge orifices to form mother particles.
US08709695B2
A carrier for developing an electrostatic charge image includes a core containing a magnetic material and a coating layer, in which the coating layer includes porous carbon having a volume average particle size of from 0.5 μm to 2 μm and a BET specific surface area of from 1 m2/g to 5 m2/g, and a resin.
US08709692B2
A polyester resin for a toner is a polycondensate of a carboxylic acid component and an alcohol component including rosin diol that is represented by the following formula (1) and has an alicyclic structure (alicyclic alcohol), wherein R1 and R2 each independently represents hydrogen or a methyl group, L1 represents a divalent linking group having an alicyclic structure, L2 and L3 each independently represents a divalent linking group selected from a group consisting of a carbonyl group, a carboxyl group, an ether group, a sulfonyl group, a chain-like alkylene group which may have a substituent, a cyclic alkylene group, a phenylene group, and combinations thereof, and A1 and A2 represent a rosin ester group, provided that a divalent linking group having the alicyclic structure represented by L1 may be a divalent linking group having an alicyclic structure formed through linking with any of R1, R2, L2 or L3.
US08709688B2
An oxide material including gallium, zinc and oxygen, a ratio of the number of atoms of zinc to the number of atoms of gallium (number of atoms of zinc/number of atoms of gallium) being from about 0.01 to about 0.6 and a ratio of the number of atoms of oxygen to the sum of the number of atoms of gallium and the number of atoms of zinc (number of atoms of oxygen/(number of atoms of gallium+number of atoms of zinc)) being from about 1.0 to about 1.6, is disclosed. An electrophotographic photoreceptor including a layer which includes the oxide material is also disclosed. An electrophotographic photoreceptor including a substrate; and a photosensitive layer including gallium, oxygen and zinc is also disclosed.
US08709679B2
Active metal fuel cells are provided. An active metal fuel cell has a renewable active metal (e.g., lithium) anode and a cathode structure that includes an electronically conductive component (e.g., a porous metal or alloy), an ionically conductive component (e.g., an electrolyte), and a fluid oxidant (e.g., air, water or a peroxide or other aqueous solution). The pairing of an active metal anode with a cathode oxidant in a fuel cell is enabled by an ionically conductive protective membrane on the surface of the anode facing the cathode.
US08709676B2
The present invention provides a chemically bonded carbon nanotube-polymer hybrid and the nanocomposite thereof, having the following advantages: functionalizing carbon nanotubes and also effectively having the carbon nanotube covalently bonded with a wide variety of polymers, even for stable and non-reactive polymers, such as commercially available polymers and high performance engineering plastics. The nanocomposite material according to the invention, compared to its matrix polymer, has higher mechanical strength, conductivity, proton conductivity, and heat stability.
US08709674B2
A plurality of tubular solid oxide fuel cells are embedded in a solid phase porous foam matrix that serves as a support structure for the fuel cells. The foam matrix has multiple regions with at least one property differing between at least two regions. The properties include porosity, electrical conductivity, and catalyst loading.
US08709672B2
In a fuel cell stack constituting a fuel cell module, electrolyte/electrode assemblies and separators are alternately laminated. An electrolyte/electrode assembly and a terminal separator are arranged on one end of the fuel cell stack in the lamination direction in this order outwardly, and a dummy electrolyte/electrode assembly and a terminal separator are arranged on the other end of the fuel cell stack in the lamination direction in this order outwardly. The dummy electrolyte/electrode assembly is so formed as to have the same shape as the electrolyte/electrode assemblies, while having conductivity but not having a power generation function.
US08709668B2
A hydrogen generation apparatus 100 of the present invention includes: a reformer 4 for generating a hydrogen-containing gas through a reforming reaction using a raw material gas; a raw material gas supplier 13 for supplying the raw material gas to the reformer 4; a methanator 6 for reducing carbon monoxide contained in the hydrogen-containing gas through a methanation reaction; and a controller for controlling the raw material gas supplier 13 to decrease an amount of the raw material gas supplied to the reformer 4 so as to decrease an amount of generation of the hydrogen-containing gas when a temperature of the methanator 6 increases.
US08709665B2
A nonaqueous electrolyte of nonaqueous secondary battery contains a nitrile group-containing compound at a concentration of 0.05% by mass or more. A positive electrode active material has an average particle diameter of 4.5 to 15.5 μm and a specific surface area of 0.13 to 0.80 m2/g. A positive electrode binder layer contains a silane coupling agent and/or at least one of aluminum, titanium, or zirconium based coupling agent having an alkyl or an alkoxy groups having 1 to 18 carbon atoms at a content of 0.003% by mass or more and 5% by mass or less. Thus nonaqueous secondary battery having a film resistance of the interface between a positive electrode and the electrolyte being less increased, and excellent ion conductivity and charge load characteristics in a low temperature environment is provided.
US08709664B2
A grid network for a battery plate is provided. The grid network includes a plurality of spaced apart grid wire elements, each grid wire element having opposed ends joined to one of a plurality of nodes. Each node includes the juncture of one of the opposed ends of a plurality of the grid wire elements to define a plurality of open spaces in the grid network. At least one of the grid wire elements has a first transverse cross-section intermediate its opposed ends that is a different shape than a second transverse cross-section at at least one of the grid wire element's opposed ends.
US08709663B2
A low cost, high specific energy and long cycle life lead acid battery includes polymer/metal current collectors. For intermediate electrodes, a current collector includes two polymer grids and a metal foil that is disposed between two grids, and for terminal electrodes, a current collector includes a polymer grid, a polymer sheet and a metal foil that is disposed between the polymer grid and sheet. The surfaces of the grids and metal foil are coated by different conductive and corrosion-resistant composites. The current collectors can be configured as monopolar or bipolar electrodes.
US08709660B2
A non-aqueous electrolyte battery including a negative electrode including metal lithium or a lithium alloy as a negative electrode active material, a positive electrode including a fluorinated graphite as a positive electrode active material, a separator provided between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and a non-aqueous electrolyte. The concentration ratio [F]/[C] of fluorine atoms to carbon atoms on the surface of the fluorinated graphite is 1.0 or more and less than 1.8. This improves the large-current discharge characteristics particularly in a low temperature environment.
US08709650B2
Disclosed herein is a cathode active material for a secondary battery, which includes a combination of one or more selected from compounds represented by Formula 1, one or more selected from compounds represented by Formula 2, and one or more selected from compounds represented by Formula 3, (1-s-t)[Li(LiaMn(1-a-x-y)NixCoy)O2]*s[Li2CO3]*t[LiOH] (1) Li(LibMn(2-b)O4 (2) (1-u)LiFePO4*uC (3) In these formulae 0
US08709649B2
A secondary battery includes an electrode assembly having a first electrode plate electrically connected to a first electrode tab and a second electrode plate electrically connected to a second electrode tab and an outer casing housing the electrode assembly. At least one of the first electrode tab or the second electrode tab includes at least one first groove extending in a longitudinal direction.
US08709645B2
A multi layer laminate sheet suitable to form a battery pouch is described. The laminate sheet includes a core metal layer, a sealant layer, and an insulating layer. The sealant layer is bonded to one surface of the core metal layer, and the insulating layer is bonded to the other surface of the core metal layer. The insulating layer has a width that is greater than the width of the core metal layer, such that the insulating layer extends past two edges of the core metal layer. When the pouch is formed by folding the laminate sheet, the insulating layer protects the edges of the core metal layer of the laminate sheet from being exposed around the edges or sides of the pouch. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US08709643B2
A battery pack including a plurality of battery cells, the battery cells including positive electrode terminals and negative electrode terminals; and a first substrate and a second substrate, the first substrate and second substrate being selectively coupleable to the positive electrode terminals and the negative electrode terminals of the plurality of battery cells, wherein the first substrate includes a first circuit for connecting the positive electrode terminals and the negative electrode terminals to connect the plurality of battery cells together in a first manner, and the second substrate includes a second circuit for electrically connecting the plurality of battery cells in a second manner different from the first manner.
US08709642B2
Disclosed herein is a method of locating a plurality of full cells constructed in a cathode/separator/anode structure, as basic units, on a separator sheet having a continuous length, further locating a unit electrode or a bi-cell on the separator sheet, and winding the full cells and unit electrode or the bi-cell to continuously manufacture a stacking/folding type electrode assembly constructed in a structure in which anodes are located at the outermost electrodes forming the outside of the electrode assembly, respectively, wherein the method including a step of continuously supplying a cathode sheet, an anode sheet, a first separator sheet, and a second separator sheet, to manufacture the unit cells, successively arranging the unit cells on the second separator sheet from a first stage to an nth stage, and winding the unit cells, a step of arranging cathode tabs and anode tabs at the respective stages, while the cathode tabs and the anode tabs are opposite to each other, and arranging electrode tabs having the same polarity between the neighboring stages, while the electrode tabs are opposite to each other, such that the electrode tabs having the same polarity are located all together at predetermined positions of the wound electrode assembly, and a step of supplying electrodes the number of which is odd from two electrode sheets and electrodes the number of which is even from one electrode sheet.
US08709638B2
The present invention relates to electrical separators and to a process for making them. An electrical separator is a separator used in batteries and other arrangements in which electrodes have to be separated from each other while maintaining ion conductivity for example. The separator is preferably a thin porous insulating material possessing high ion permeability, good mechanical strength and long-term stability to the chemicals and solvents used in the system, for example in the electrolyte of the battery. In batteries, the separator should fully electrically insulate the cathode from the anode. Moreover, the separator has to be permanently elastic and to follow movements in the system, for example in the electrode pack in the course of charging and discharging. This object is achieved by an electrical separator according to the invention, comprising a sheetlike flexible substrate having a multiplicity of openings and having a coating on and in said substrate, said substrate being a polymeric nonwoven and said coating being a porous electrically insulating ceramic coating, said separator being characterized by a thickness of less than 80 μm.
US08709636B2
A repeating cell frame for a battery pack assembly is disclosed having a cooling module and a spacer module. The cooling module includes a frame having a first electrical connector and a second electrical connector disposed thereon, wherein a first battery cell includes a first electrically conductive tab in electrical communication with the first electrical connector and a second electrically conductive tab in electrical communication with the second electrical connector. The spacer module includes a frame having a third electrical connector and a fourth electrical connector disposed thereon, wherein a second battery cell includes a first electrically conductive tab in electrical communication with the third electrical connector and a second electrically conductive tab in electrical communication with the fourth electrical connector. The third electrical connector of the spacer module is releasably joined to the second electrical connector of the cooling module to form the repeating cell frame.
US08709632B2
A battery including a battery case, an electrode assembly in the battery case, the electrode assembly including a plurality of windings that are wound about a winding axis, the winding axis being oriented parallel to a bottom surface of the battery case, and a deformable member between the electrode assembly and the bottom surface of the battery case, the deformable member being pressed between the electrode assembly and the bottom surface of the battery case.
US08709631B1
A bioelectric battery may be used to power implantable devices. The bioelectric battery may have an anode electrode and a cathode electrode separated by an insulating member comprising a tube having a first end and a second end, wherein said anode is inserted into said first end of said tube and said cathode surrounds said tube such that the tube provides a support for the cathode electrode. The bioelectric battery may also have a membrane surrounding the cathode to reduce tissue encapsulation. Alternatively, an anode electrode, a cathode electrode surrounding the cathode electrode, a permeable membrane surrounding the cathode electrode. An electrolyte is disposed within the permeable membrane and a mesh surrounds the permeable membrane. In an alternative embodiment, a pacemaker housing acts as a cathode electrode for a bioelectric battery and an anode electrode is attached to the housing with an insulative adhesive.
US08709629B2
Disclosed herein are various embodiments of redox flow battery systems having modular reactant storage capabilities. Accordingly to various embodiments, a redox flow battery system may include an anolyte storage module configured to interface with other anolyte storage modules, a catholyte storage module configured to interface with other catholyte storage modules, and a reactor cell having reactant compartments in fluid communication with the anolyte and catholyte storage modules. By utilizing modular storage modules to store anolyte and catholyte reactants, the redox flow battery system may be scalable without significantly altering existing system components.
US08709618B2
According to embodiments of the present invention, a shielded pole writer and a perpendicular magnetic recording medium suitable thereto are combined to provide high medium SNR and excellent OW characteristic simultaneously. A perpendicular magnetic recording medium of a magnetic storage apparatus mounting a shielded pole writer, including a perpendicular magnetic recording medium having a recording layer of a three layered structure is used. A first recording layer has a granular structure consisting of grain boundaries containing an oxide and columnar grains comprising a CoCrPt alloy, in which a second recording layer and a third recording layer formed thereabove comprise Co as a main ingredient, contain Cr and do not contain an oxide, and the Cr concentration in the second recording layer is lower than the Cr concentration in the third recording layer.
US08709616B2
The cooking device of the present invention comprises a base material and a thin film that is formed on a surface of this base material, wherein said thin film contains silicon (Si), zirconium (Zr) and oxygen (O), and is such that when said silicon (Si) and said zirconium (Zr) are respectively converted to silicon oxide (SiO2) and zirconium oxide (ZrO2), the weight percent of said silicon oxide (SiO2) relative to the total amount of said zirconium oxide (ZrO2) and said silicon oxide (SiO2) is 50 weight % or less.
US08709615B2
Novel phosphorescent heteroleptic iridium complexes with phenylpyridine and dibenzo-containing ligands are provided. Alkyl substitution at specific positions on the ligands gives rise to compounds with improved OLED properties, including saturated green emission.
US08709600B2
A polymer-encapsulated colorant nanoparticle includes a colorant nanoparticle core, and a polymer coating established on the colorant nanoparticle core. A negatively chargeable functional group is present on a surface of the polymer-encapsulated colorant nanoparticle.
US08709595B2
Non-shrink, forming and nonforming thermoplastic webs comprising a myoglobin blooming agent on a food contact surface are useful for packaging fresh meat and other products to fix a desirable color on the surface of the product.
US08709592B2
A retro-reflective sensor coating arrangement comprises a base layer of luminescent sensor material and an outer layer of optical bodies, such a spheres.
US08709588B2
The present invention relates to an optical article comprising a substrate provided with a coating comprising silanol groups on the surface thereof and, directly contacting this coating, an anti-fog coating precursor coating, said precursor coating having a static contact angle with water of more than 10° and of less than 50°, a thickness lower than or equal to 5 nm, and being obtained through the grafting of at least one organosilane compound having a polyoxyalkylene group comprising less than 80 carbon atoms and at least one silicon atom bearing at least one hydrolyzable group. The anti-fog coating precursor is converted into an actual anti-fog coating by applying on the surface thereof a film of a liquid solution comprising at least one surfactant. The anti-fog coating is immediately operational and provides long-lasting effects.
US08709587B2
Disclosed is a resin composition exhibiting a low thermal expansion coefficient, as well as higher heat resistance, flame resistance and insulation reliability than ever before when used in a multilayer printed wiring board that requires fine wiring work. Also disclosed are a prepreg, a resin sheet, a metal-clad laminate, a printed wiring board, a multilayer printed wiring board and a semiconductor device, all of which comprising the resin composition. The resin composition of the present invention comprises (A) an epoxy resin, (B) a cyanate resin and (C) an onium salt compound as essential components.
US08709582B2
An optical article comprising a substrate and on at least one face of the substrate a multilayered antireflecting coating functioning in an interferential manner having antifog properties, said antireflecting coating including a last layer with a refractive index n≦1.55 and a physical thickness of 120 nm or less directly deposited on a high refractive index layer (HI layer) having a refractive index n>1.55, and a thickness of less than 500 nm.
US08709571B2
This invention relates to an optical recording medium in which at least a recording layer and a light transmitting layer are sequentially formed on a substrate and in which the light is illuminated from the light transmitting layer side for recording and/or reproducing information signals, said substrate comprising an injection molded part, and said substrate having a Young's modulus E of at least 2.15 GPa and a Q factor of lower than 160 measured at 25° C. at 2000 Hz in accordance to ASTM E 756-05 05 and a transcriptability of the pit/groove structure of >85%.
US08709564B2
A polyolefin composition comprising (percent by weight): A) from 7% to 19%; of a copolymer of propylene and 1-hexene wherein said copolymer contains less than 1% of recurring units derived from hexene-1; B) from 81% to 93% of a heterophasic polypropylene composition comprising: B1) from 86% to 95% of a propylene homopolymer, said propylene polymer being insoluble in xylene at room temperature in an amount over 85% having a polydispersity Index ranging from 3 to 10; and a Melt Index from 0.5 to 10 dg/min; B2) from 5% to 14% of a copolymer of ethylene and propylene having an ethylene derived units content ranging from 50% to 65%; said polymeric composition having a Melt Index from 0.05 to 10 dg/min.
US08709560B2
Polymeric compositions and methods of making and using such compositions are provided. The compositions incorporate a first polymeric component that is at least one high density polyethylene and a second polymeric component that is at least one polymer including propylene-derived units having a heat of fusion of less than 75 J/g wherein the propylene-derived units have an isotactic triad fraction of about 65% to about 99%. The polymeric compositions are found to have desirable environmental stress crack resistance properties and impact resistance properties. The polymeric compositions are useful in a variety of applications such as molded containers and extruded pipes.
US08709554B2
Printable articles including a substrate, an image receiving layer over the substrate, and a barrier layer between the substrate and the image receiving layer are useful in the production of fine art reproductions. The image receiving layer comprises at least one pigment and two or more binders, wherein at least one of the two or more binders has a glass transition temperature (Tg) at least 20° C. less than a Tg of at least one other of the two or more binders. Printed articles including a printable article with marking material contained in the image receiving layer may exhibit a textured cracking pattern after application and drying of the marking material or a liquid laminate.
US08709541B2
A method for forming a thin film on a surface of an object to be processed by using an organic metal raw material gas within a processing chamber configured to exhaust air includes: hydrophobizing a surface of the processing chamber by introducing a hydrophobic gas into the processing chamber without the object to be processed accommodated in the processing chamber; and forming the thin film by introducing the organic metal raw material gas into the processing chamber with the object to be processed accommodated in the processing chamber.
US08709540B2
This invention provides a new film forming method in which, on the occasion that pressure is decreased by pressure decreasing means which was connected to a film forming chamber, and a film is formed by evaporating an organic compound material from a deposition source in the film forming chamber, minute amounts of gas (silane series gas) which comprises smaller particles than particles of the organic compound material, i.e., a material with a smaller atomic radius are flowed, and the material with a small atomic radius is made to be included in an organic compound film.
US08709538B1
Substantially aligned boron nitride nano-element arrays prepared by contacting a carbon nano-element array with a source of boron and nitrogen; methods for preparing such arrays and methods for their use including use as a heat sink or as a thermally conductivity interface in microelectronic devices.
US08709537B2
Methods for depositing films using hot wire chemical vapor deposition (HWCVD) processes are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of operating an HWCVD tool may include providing hydrogen gas (H2) to a filament disposed in a process chamber of the HWCVD tool for a first period of time; and flowing current through the filament to raise the temperature of the filament to a first temperature after the first period of time.
US08709523B2
A nutrient rich food-grade defatted corn germ flour derived from a dry-milled corn germ fraction is provided. The flour produced contains high levels of protein, dietary fiber, and amino acids and is low in fat. Furthermore, a method for preparing the flour by forming collets and removing oil from the dry-milled corn germ fraction is provided. The method includes: providing a dry-milled corn germ fraction; conditioning the fraction; flaking the fraction to increase surface area; adding water and steam to the flaked fraction; forming the flaked fraction into collets; removing oil from the collets by solvent-extraction; drying the collets; and processing the collets in a food-grade flourmill to obtain food-grade defatted corn germ flour with a desired consistency. The solvent-extraction process produces a miscella, a mixture of corn oil, hydrocarbon solvent, and water. The miscella may be processed through a distillation system to recover crude food-grade corn oil.
US08709522B2
Shown is a process for manufacturing a fabricated leaf tea product. The process includes the steps of: (i) providing a concentrated liquid tea composition; (ii) providing a base leaf tea; (iii) combining the concentrated liquid tea composition with the base leaf tea to form a tea mixture having a total soluble solids content of at least 50% by dry weight of the mixture; and (iv) drying the tea mixture. At least 20% by weight of the base leaf tea has a particle size of +16 mesh and/or the tea mixture is sorted according to particle size to yield a fraction wherein at least 20% by weight of the fraction has a particle size of +16 mesh; and the time between forming the tea mixture (step iii) and drying (step iv) is at least 5 minutes.
US08709516B2
A method for culturing lactic acid bacteria includes (a) adding a proteolytic enzyme to an aqueous whey solution containing whey and water to thereby prepare a culture solution containing whey degraded by the proteolytic enzyme; (b) inoculating the culture solution with Lactobacillus gasseri which is a bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacteria; and (c) maintaining the culture solution inoculated with the bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacteria at a pH of not lower than 5.2 and not higher than 5.8 to provide cultured lactic acid bacteria. After the completion of culturing, the culture solution is centrifuged to separate a concentrated cell suspension containing the lactic acid bacterium in a concentrated form. The concentrated cell suspension has extremely high antibacterial activity, several tens of thousands AU, and is usable as a food preservative. Yogurt is produced by fermenting a yogurt mix to which 0.01% to 0.1% by weight of the concentrated cell suspension is added.
US08709512B2
An Aloe vera extract is provided that can be safely ingested and, can be used as a food material for treating lifestyle diseases such as hyperglycemia. The Aloe vera extract contains an extremely low level of an anthraquinone (anthraquinone-based compound), and can be added to foods. The Aloe vera extract is produced by a supercritical fluid extraction method and contains a mixture of a cyclolanostane compound and a lophenol compound in an amount of 1.0% by mass or more. The mass mixing ratio of cyclolanostane compound:lophenol compound is 5.1:4.9 to 6.3:2.7 and/or the content of an anthraquinone-based compound is 0.001% by mass or less.
US08709510B2
The present invention provides a composition for enhancing memory and mitigating neurodegeneration comprising an effective amount of a Ludwigia octovalvis extract. Also disclosed is a method thereof for enhancing memory and mitigating neurodegeneration comprising administering to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of a Ludwigia octovalvis extract. The composition and method of the present invention is useful in treating Alzheimer's disease.
US08709503B2
A cocoa extract obtainable by the extraction of non-defatted cocoa beans which have not been fermented or have been allowed to ferment for no more than three days, having a polyphenol content of more than 25% by weight, may be used in the treatment or alleviation of obesity.
US08709497B2
Mineral, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, agricultural, nutraceutical, and other compositions are produced using a mineral composition containing minimal concentrations of cadmium, lead, arsenic, and mercury and containing relatively high concentrations of micro and macro mineral elements, of rare earth elements, of calcium, and of silica. The mineral concentrations are produced by processing naturally occurring clay soil to concentrate mineral elements naturally occurring in the soil.
US08709476B2
An oral pharmaceutical dosage form with enhanced gastrointestinal permeability, comprising a therapeutic quaternary ammonium compound together with an organic acid.
US08709474B2
The present invention relates to the use of copper ions to achieve enhanced retention of a therapeutic agent within a liposome. The invention may be employed to more effectively deliver a liposomally encapsulated therapeutic agent to a target site in vitro and in vivo for anti-cancer or other therapy. The liposome may comprise an interior buffer solution containing the therapeutic agent, the solution having a pH less than 6.5 and most preferably approximating pH 3.5. At least some of the copper ions are retained within the interior solution. In a particular embodiment the therapeutic agent may be a chemotherapeutic drug, such as irinotecan. The invention may also comprise an ionophore to facilitate loading of drug into the liposome. In one particular embodiment the combination of the ionophore A23187 and encapsulated divalent copper (Cu2+) resulted in an irinotecan formulation that exhibited surprisingly improved drug retention attributes.
US08709473B1
This invention relates to the targeted delivery of hydrophobic drugs or combinations of hydrophobic drugs with photodynamic therapy agents to vascular lesions by complexation of the drugs to blood serum lipoproteins, which have an affinity for and accumulate in such vascular lesions.
US08709472B1
Compositions that contain bioactive agent-loaded nanoparticles with heart targeting capabilities and methods of using the same for the treatment of disease are disclosed.
US08709468B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a tissue cell culture system whereby a call tissue can be efficiently and quickly proliferated in vivo and the onset bacterial infection in an injured part can be avoided in the course of a treatment. More specifically, a closed cell culture system (1) characterized in that a defection (2) of a tissue on the body surface or inside the body is tightly sealed to form a closed environment free from the invasion of bacteria, etc. and then a solution appropriate for cell culture is circulated in the tissue defection thus sealed to thereby regenerate the defective tissue; and a method of administering a drug which comprises dissolving a remedy in the perfusion with the use of the above system and thus promoting the treatment of the defection.
US08709462B2
The present invention relates to materials and methods for protecting man-made structures made with non-wood materials from termite damage through the application of borates to the surface of non-wood materials. In an embodiment the invention regards a method for preventing termite tunneling and tubing on non-wood and/or non-cellulosic materials by treating non-wood building components comprising the steps of applying a composition to the surfaces of a non-wood building component, wherein the composition comprises a borate component. In another embodiment the invention regards a method for preventing termite damage to man-made structures comprising the steps of mixing borates with a solvent to form a borate solution, obtaining a non-wood building component, coating the non-wood building component with the borate solution, and incorporating the coated non-wood building component into a man-made structure. The invention also regards a non-wood building component comprising a non-wood substrate, and a coating comprising borates, wherein the coating is disposed on the surfaces of the non-wood substrate.
US08709459B2
The present disclosure provides a triple-action pest control formulation for controlling rodents, insects, and terrestrial mollusks, the formulation including: a first active ingredient which is a rodenticide; a second active ingredient which is both an insecticide and a molluscicide; an optional attractant; and a carrier matrix. The present disclosure also provides a method of controlling rodents, insects, and terrestrial mollusks by applying the triple action pest control formulation to a target area or supplying the formulation in a bait station.
US08709458B2
A fungicidal composition containing a fungicidally effective amount of a) a compound of Formula I and (b) at least one fungicide selected from the group consisting of myclobutanil, fenbuconazole, difenoconazole, trifloxystrobin, pentiopyrad, fluopyram, boscalid, mancozeb, and pyrimethanil provides synergistic control of selected fungi.
US08709456B2
The present invention generally relates to the field of membranes. In particular, the present invention relates to a composition comprising bodies surrounded by a membrane. The composition are for example edible compositions. One embodiment of the present invention relates to a composition containing an oily fraction, a hydrophilic fraction, and at least one body, wherein the body comprises a shell comprising several molecular layers of protein and at least one phosphatidic acid surfactant; and a content comprising an internal phase containing a hydrophilic component and/or a hydrophobic component. The composition may be used to protect a food product or to deliver specific properties to a product, for example.
US08709452B2
The disclosure provides bone-mimetic mineral/polymer composite materials useful for formation of artificial bone grafts and for bone tissue engineering. The disclosure provides a hydrogels, cryogels and macroporous compositions modified with varying lengths of anionic pendant side chains (CH2═CHCONH(CH2)nCOOH, where n=1 to 12).
US08709449B2
The present invention provides methods and compositions for increasing the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy (“PDT”) and for reducing the duration of skin phototoxicity associated with PDT treatment. The disclosed methods generally include the administration of a lipid composition before, during, or after the administration of photosensitizers used in the PDT treatment protocol. The lipids are preferably phospholipids. It was discovered that the disclosed methods resulted in a more rapid clearance of photosensitizers from the skin and other tissue of patients, which results in a shorter period of skin phototoxicity after PDT treatment. The present invention also provides a composition which is preferably comprised of non-polar photosensitizers and phospholipids.
US08709447B2
Methods for making and using therapeutic formulations of Proteosome-based immunoactive compositions are provided. The immunogenic compositions, which include Proteosomes and liposaccharides, may be used to elicit or enhance a nonspecific innate immune response to, for example, treat or prevent infectious disease. In addition, after activating the innate immune system, immunogenic compositions further containing an antigen may be used to elicit a specific adaptive immune response. Furthermore, provided are compositions capable of altering hyperreactive responses or inflammatory immune responses, such as allergic reactions. Such compositions may be used as a prophylactic, or in various clinical settings to treat or prevent infectious disease (such as parasite, fungal, bacterial or viral infections), or to alter inappropriate inflammatory immune responses (such as allergic reactions or asthma).
US08709439B2
The invention provides a biological dressing for treatment of a dermatological disease comprised of one or more resins or other film-forming agents, a topically acceptable volatile solvent, and a pharmacologically active agent. The combined one or more resins are present in a suitable amount such that the composition, when the solvent evaporates, will dry to form a solid coating that sticks to the skin, nail or mucosal membrane to which the composition is applied, and maintain the pharmacologically active agent over a sustained period of time in contact with sites on the skin or mucosal membranes exhibiting symptoms of the disease. Methods are provided for treating symptoms of dermatological diseases with such a pharmacological composition.
US08709438B2
The present invention relates to a vaccine composition against Streptococcus pyogenes infection comprising an amino acid sequence having C-terminal fragment of streptococcal pyrogenic exotoxin B, and a pharmaceutical acceptable adjuvant.
US08709431B2
Enediyne compounds having a structure according to formula (I), where R0, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, and R7 are defined herein, can be used in chemotherapeutic drugs, especially in conjugates, for the treatment of diseases such as cancer.
US08709426B2
The present invention relates to new nucleotide sequences coding for variable regions of β chains of human T lymphocyte receptors, corresponding peptide segments and the diagnostic and therapeutic uses.
US08709425B2
The present invention provides antibodies that specifically bind to P2X7 receptors and distinguish between function and non-functional P2X7 receptors, pharmaceutical compositions and kits containing the antibodies, and methods of using the antibodies for the detection, diagnosis and treatment of disease conditions.
US08709422B2
The invention provides a method for treating a medical condition, disease, or disorder mediated by a misfolded form of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in a subject in need of treatment. The method optionally comprises administering to the subject a composition comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable vehicle and an agent selected from (1) an exogenous antibody or fragment thereof that binds selectively to the misfolded form of SOD, and/or (2) an immunogen that elicits production of an endogenous antibody that binds selectively to the misfolded form of SOD, and/or (3) a nucleic acid sequence encoding (1) or (2). In certain embodiments, the invention provides methods of treating diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and macular degeneration, glaucoma, ischemia, cerebral infarction, myocardial infarction, atherosclerosis, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease or necrotizing enterocolitis using disease-specific epitopes, and compositions including these epitopes. The invention also provides antibodies that bind to monomeric or misfolded SOD1, and not on the molecular surface of native homodimeric SOD1. In addition, the invention includes methods of diagnosing Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in a subject. Also, the invention provides methods of identifying substances for the treatment or prevention of Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and kits using the binding proteins of the invention.
US08709421B2
The present invention relates to methods for reducing or eliminating the non-specific release of a cytokine associated with a disease comprising administering at least one glucocorticoid and an immunostimulating antibody. Additionally, the present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition that contains at least one immunostimulating antibody and at least one glucocorticoid.
US08709416B2
Methods of treating cancer and infectious diseases utilizing a treatment regimen comprising administering a compound that reduces inhibitory signal transduction in T cells, in combination with a potentiating agent, such as cyclophosphamide, to produce potent T cell mediated responses, are described. Compositions comprising the PD-1 antagonists and potentiating agents useful in the methods of the invention are also disclosed.
US08709407B2
Methods and composition related to the engineering of a novel protein with methionine-γ-lyase enzyme activity are described. For example, in certain aspects there may be disclosed a modified cystathionine-γ-lyase (CGL) comprising one or more amino acid substitutions and capable of degrading methionine. Furthermore, certain aspects of the invention provide compositions and methods for the treatment of cancer with methionine depletion using the disclosed proteins or nucleic acids.
US08709400B2
Provided herein is an approach to establish organogenetic tolerance via prior transplantation of pig embryonic pancreas, thereby enabling subsequent implantation of porcine islets in a subject without the need for immune-suppression. In one aspect of the invention, porcine pancreatic primordia are implanted into a mammalian subject, and after a period of time sufficient to induce tolerance, porcine islet cells are implanted in the subject.
US08709395B2
A method for repairing or replacing damaged tissue, or for providing post-surgical augmentation, comprising administering a pliable biocompatible material and a physiologically acceptable suspending agent to a patient is disclosed. Copolymers of unsubstituted acrylate and substituted acrylate are disclosed as pliable biocompatible materials.
US08709394B2
Polysiloxane-based materials, which include metal species, are provided. The polysiloxane-based compositions and materials generally include (i) amino-functional polysiloxane material and (ii) a plurality of metal species distributed within the polymeric material. Polymer based compositions in which the amino-functional polysiloxane material includes quaternary ammonium groups, e.g., tetraalkyl ammonium groups, are examples of suitable materials which may be used to form the present compositions. The metal species, which may be in an oxidized and/or neutral state, may be bonded, coordinated, chelated, suspended, and/or dispersed within the polymeric material.
US08709391B2
A method may include treating pain, shock, and/or inflammatory conditions in a subject. A method may include using a therapeutically effective amount of an antibody, a lipoxygenase inhibitor, a cytochrome P-450 enzyme inhibitor, and/or an antioxidant configurable to at least partially treat pain, shock, and/or inflammatory conditions in a subject. A method of treating pain, shock, and/or inflammatory conditions in a subject may include inactivating or preventing at least one linoleic acid metabolite to treat certain conditions (e.g., pain, shock, and/or inflammation).
US08709389B2
Hair care compositions contain from 0.1 to 12 weight percent of a silicone copolymer or saponification product thereof, prepared from silicones, at least 10% of which contain polymerizable groups, 0.5-14% of hydrophilic comonomers, and 30-99.9% of hydrophobic comonomers. The compositions exhibit good hair care properties.
US08709384B2
The present invention relates to compositions and methods for treating diseases and disorders including cancer and various other angiogenic-dependent diseases, vascular malfunctions, arteriovenous malformations (AVM), hemorrhagic processes and treatment of pain, in particular tumor-related pain by drug delivery and/or therapeutic embolization using microspheres. More particularly the invention relates to microspheres containing non-ionic contrast agents, to compositions comprising these microspheres, as well as methods for preparing and using such compositions for embolization therapy. The invention further relates to compositions and methods using detectable microspheres for targeted drug delivery, irrespective of whether embolization is also needed.
US08709372B2
A fiber of carbon nanotubes was prepared by a wet-spinning method involving drawing carbon nanotubes away from a substantially aligned, supported array of carbon nanotubes to form a ribbon, wetting the ribbon with a liquid, and spinning a fiber from the wetted ribbon. The liquid can be a polymer solution and after forming the fiber, the polymer can be cured. The resulting fiber has a higher tensile strength and higher conductivity compared to dry-spun fibers and to wet-spun fibers prepared by other methods.
US08709360B2
An automated processing machine, in particular an automated coverslipper or an automated stainer used for processing samples placed on slides and having an output device for outputting slides that have been processed by the automated processing machine. The output device includes an extensible and retractable drawer unit. The drawer unit includes at least one receiving channel for receiving a plurality of holders for slides. Holders received in any position in the receiving channel can be removed therefrom when the output device is in the open position. The automated processing machine is designed such that holders intended for output are inserted into the at least one receiving channel.
US08709357B2
Embodiments described herein provide micro-fluidic systems and devices for use in performing various diagnostic and analytical tests. According to one embodiment, the micro-fluidic device includes a sample chamber for receiving a sample, and a reaction chamber for performing a chemical reaction. A bubble jet pump is structured on the device to control delivery of a fluid from the sample chamber to the reaction chamber. The pump is fluidically coupled to one or more chambers of the device using a fluidic channel such as a capillary. A valve may be coupled to one or more chambers to control flow into and out of those chambers. Also, a sensor may be positioned in one or more of the chambers, such as the reactant chamber, for sensing a property of the fluid within the chamber as well as the presence of a chemical within the chamber.
US08709354B2
In one aspect, the invention provides a method for making a hydrophilic-silk composition. The method includes providing at least one strand of silk fiber, treating the silk fiber with an alkaline solution to provide at least one strand of degummed silk fiber, and treating the degummed silk fiber with a treatment solution to provide a hydrophilic-silk composition. The degummed silk fiber or the hydrophilic-silk composition is further immobilized with at least one reagent to make a silk-based diagnostic composition. The invention provides a silk-based diagnostic composition made by the method of the invention, and a diagnostic device that comprises the silk-based diagnostic composition. In another aspect, the invention provides a method of making a diagnostic device. The method includes providing at least one strand of a diagnostic-fiber composition, providing at least one strand of a hydrophobic-fiber composition, inter-weaving the at least one strand of the diagnostic-fiber composition and the at least one strand of the hydrophobic-fiber composition. In one embodiment, the diagnostic-fiber composition and the hydrophobic-fiber composition are both based on silk.
US08709349B2
There is provided a wall flow type exhaust gas purification filter is provided with a honeycomb structure having porous ceramic partition walls 12 and plugging portions disposed in one side opening end portions of predetermined cells and the other side opening end portions of the other cells. In the exhaust gas purification filter, when an average pore size is obtained for each region of ⅓ mm×⅓ mm in a range of 10 mm2 in an arbitrary cross section perpendicular to a surface of the partition walls 12, a large pore region having an average pore size of 15 μm or more has an area of 0.1 mm2 or more, and a small pore region having an average pore size of 8 μm or less has an area of 0.1 mm2 or more.
US08709348B1
Circulating dry scrubbing (CDS) systems and methods utilizes a particle classification unit operation to separate unreacted sorbent (such as lime, limestone, or sodium-based sorbent) such that a reactive fraction of the cut stream may be selectively recovered to a flue gas scrubbing system. This reduces the amount of fresh sorbent that must be supplied for pollutant removal.
US08709342B2
The present invention provides antimicrobial solutions that comprise at least one alcohol, at least one antimicrobial agent and at least one chelator and/or anticoagulant. Also provided are methods for rapidly reducing a microbe or a virus from surfaces including surfaces of indwelling medical devices and organic surfaces such as skin and sutures, and inorganic surfaces such as hospital equipment, pipelines etc.
US08709340B2
Methods and systems for selection radiation exposure in sterilization of medical devices are disclosed.
US08709331B2
The apparatus comprises a mold assembly including at least one bore therethrough having a cavity therein defining the shape of the finished microneedle shape to be formed therein. The bore has an inlet opening and an exit opening. The apparatus also comprises means for locating the polymer to be formed at one end of the cavity and means for introducing fluid into the inlet opening of said bore and into the cavity. The apparatus also comprises exhaust means communicating with the exit opening of the bore, so that introducing the fluid through the polymer causes the polymer to assume the shape of the cavity and the fluid forms a hollow channel to define a needle-like structure in the polymer as the fluid is exhausted through the cavity and the bore.
US08709326B2
An injection molding machine may include a split mold where a gas discharge portion is formed at parting surfaces. Further, the cross-section of a flow passage of the gas discharge portion may be reduced at a predetermined timing after the start of the filling of a molding material. Since the cross-section of the flow passage of the gas discharge portion is reduced after a cavity space starts being filled with a molding material, it may be possible to make the amount of gas, which flows through the gas discharge portion, large until the cross-section of the flow passage of the gas discharge portion is reduced. It may be possible to prevent a foreign material from adhering to the inner peripheral surface of the gas discharge portion.
US08709323B2
A method for producing an adhesive fastening element made of plastic includes a support part (10) from which project a plurality of stem parts (12). A head part (14) is arranged at each stem part opposing the support part (10) and the head parts (14) are formed without the use of molding tools due to the surface tension of the used plastic material. Consequently, no need exists for a specific molding tool for forming the head parts.
US08709322B2
A process to effect random color variation in multi-color molded articles includes feeding individual colors to molding equipment in a pre-established sequence and manner that prevents substantial mixing of the colors, and at pre-established ratios in relation to a non-integer multiple of volume associated with the molded article.
US08709320B2
A three-dimensional filter includes a filter frame having a three-dimensional skeletal structure with a filter media connected to the skeletal structure. The filters are nestable. The skeletal structure may be trimmed and provided with walls to create standard sized filters. Methods for making the three-dimensional filter include injection molding of the skeletal structure onto the filter media, injection molding the filter media and the filter frame together in a single molding process, thermoforming a molded or extruded skeletal structure and the filter media, and needle punching a molded or extruded skeletal structure to create filter media within the skeletal structure.
US08709312B2
An apparatus for shaping plastic preforms into plastic containers, including a plurality of blow molding stations which each have a cavity in which the plastic preforms can be shaped into plastic containers. The blow molding stations are arranged on a movable carrier and each have a stretching rod which stretches the plastic containers in their longitudinal direction by a movement in a stretching direction. A fluid-actuated drive device is provided for driving the stretching rod in the stretching direction. The apparatus includes a guide cam which is arranged in a stationary manner and by means of which the stretching rod can be moved counter to the stretching direction as a function of a movement of the blow molding station. At least one portion of the guide cam is adjustable and, for example, by virtue of this adjustment a dependency of the movement of the stretching rod on the movement of the blow molding station can be varied.
US08709311B2
The present invention relates to a method and to a device for extracting air in an injection molding device. The device comprises an extraction hood having a housing, in which one or more extraction ducts are provided, wherein the extraction hood can be disposed in the region of the injection nozzle of an injection unit, the housing at least partially encloses the injection nozzle of the injection unit, and air can be extracted from the region of the injection nozzle via openings (38) or ducts (34), and a ventilation device connected to the housing of the extraction hood (16) for flowing. According to the invention, the extraction hood and/or the ventilation device can be adjusted for implementing different extraction intensities in at least two operating modes.
US08709308B2
The chromene compound is represented by the following formula (I), wherein R3 at the 11-position is a sulfur-containing substituent selected from the group consisting of thiol group, alkylthio group, alkoxyalkylthio group, haloalkylthio group, cycloalkylthio group, arylthio group, heteroarylthio group, sulfonyl group and sulfinyl group, R1 and R2 at the 6-position and the 7-position are a combination of an aryl group or a heteroaryl group and an electron donating group having a Hammett constant σp of −0.1 or less, or R1 and/or R2 is sulfur-containing substituent selected from thiol group, alkylthio group, alkoxyalkylthio group, haloalkylthio group, cycloalkylthio group, arylthio group and heteroarylthio group.
US08709304B2
The present invention relates to formation of nanocubes of sillenite type compounds, such as bismuth titanate, i.e., Bi12TiO20, nanocubes, via a hydrothermal synthesis process, with the resulting compound(s) having multifunctional properties such as being useful in solar energy conversion, environmental remediation, and/or energy storage, for example. In one embodiment, a hydrothermal method is disclosed that transforms nanoparticles of TiO2 to bismuth titanate, i.e., Bi12TiO20, nanocubes, optionally loaded with palladium nanoparticles. The method includes reacting titanium dioxide nanotubes with a bismuth salt in an acidic bath at a temperature sufficient and for a time sufficient to form bismuth titanate crystals, which are subsequently annealed to form bismuth titanate nanocubes. After annealing, the bismuth titanate nanocubes may be optionally loaded with nano-sized metal particles, e.g., nanosized palladium particles.
US08709303B2
A dielectric insulation medium including a hydrofluoro monoether, the hydrofluoro monoether containing at least three carbon atoms. The insulation medium according has high insulation capabilities, in particular a high dielectric strength, and at the same time a low GWP. The invention further includes an insulation medium which is chemically and thermally stable also at temperatures above 140° C., which is non-toxic or has a low toxicity level, and which in addition is non-corrosive and non-explosive.
US08709288B2
Disclosed is a conductive composition which can be used to form an aqueous conductive ink with increased conductivity. The aqueous conductive composition contains conductive particles, preferably silver, an anionic wetting agent and a styrene-acrylic copolymer. The composition is highly conductive and requires reduced drying energy. In addition, it may be applied to low cost substrates by high speed printing processes.
US08709282B2
Provided is a production method of a β-type sialon fluorescent substance, where luminescence intensity can be improved without adding a metal element other than elements composing a β-type sialon fluorescent substance. Namely, in a production method of a fluorescent substance containing an optically-active element as the luminescence center in a crystal of nitride or acid nitride, a β-type sialon fluorescent substance is produced by a burning process for heat-treating a mixture including metal compound powder and an optically-active element compound; a high-temperature annealing process for heat-treating the burned product after cooling under a nitrogen atmosphere; a rare-gas annealing process for heat-treating the high-temperature annealed product under a rare gas atmosphere; and a process for treating the rare-gas treated product with an acid.
US08709281B2
A liquid crystal composition comprising a chiral dopant compound represented by the following structure (Structure 1): wherein: R1 and R2 are independently hydrogen, —(C═O)R9, —(C═O)R10, alkyl, aryl, alkaryl, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, alkoxyaryl, or heterocyclic all either substituted or unsubstituted, or combine to form a carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring; and R3-R9 are as described in the disclosure. Also featured are liquid crystal compositions comprising a chiral dopant compound represented by any of Structure 2-4 as described in the disclosure.
US08709275B2
Hydrofluorocarbon refrigerant compositions enable the use of existing compressor technologies in heat pump water heaters in a reliable (low discharge temperatures and pressures) and efficient (high capacity and efficiency) manner. The refrigerant comprises blends of pentafluoroethane (HFC-125), difluoromethane (HFC-32), tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a) and tetrafluoropropene (HFO-1234ze).
US08709272B2
A mixture includes a polymer solution, especially a cellulose solution, a first additive in the form of an inorganic lubricant and/or stabilizer, for example graphite, and a second additive as an adsorbent, for example activated carbon. The inorganic lubricants and/or stabilizers do not weaken the positive properties of the adsorbent but can even improve them. The mixture can be used to produce fibers (7) or moldings.
US08709265B2
Provided is a touch panel manufacturing method wherein the number of exposure masks needed for pattern formation is reduced, and a method for manufacturing a display device provided with a touch panel. A transparent conductive film layer (11) and a metal layer (12) are laminated on a transparent substrate (1), and the transparent conductive film layer (11) and the metal layer (12) are formed into predetermined electrode patterns, with use of one resist pattern. A protective film (13) covering the transparent conductive film layer (11) and the metal layer (12) is formed, and openings (14, 15, and 16) are provided at predetermined positioned in the protective film (13). By etching with use of the protective film (13) having the openings (14, 15, and 16), the metal layer (12) is removed so that the transparent conductive film layer (11) is exposed, whereby at least either touch electrodes (2) or connection terminals (5) are formed.
US08709264B2
A method of forming a Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) includes forming a lower electrode on a first insulator layer within a cavity of the MEMS. The method further includes forming an upper electrode over another insulator material on top of the lower electrode which is at least partially in contact with the lower electrode. The forming of the lower electrode and the upper electrode includes adjusting a metal volume of the lower electrode and the upper electrode to modify beam bending.
US08709262B2
Toxic organic materials contaminate water resources and one need to find an easy and energy efficient way to decontaminate water resources. The current invention discloses a photocatalyst Fe doped ZnO nano-particle photocatalyst that enables the decontamination process by degrading toxic organic material such as brilliant cresyl blue, indigo carmine and gentian blue by using solar light. In the current disclosure many examples of characterization of the photocatalyst, optimal working conditions and efficient use of solar light has been described. The process described to use the photocatalyst to degrade toxic organic material using the solar light to activate the photocatalyst is cost efficient and cheap to clean our water resources.
US08709261B2
Some demonstrative embodiments of the invention include a system and a method for disinfection of a liquid including monitoring the disinfection process. The system may include a conduit to carry flowing liquid to be disinfected, wherein the conduit comprises an inlet to receive the liquid, an outlet to discharge the liquid and walls transparent to ultraviolet radiations; an illumination source located within a transparent sleeve, wherein the transparent sleeve is immersed in the flowing liquid and the illumination source is to disinfect the liquid when passing through the conduit, a first light detector located externally to the conduit to detect light emitted by the illumination source and a second light detector located externally to the conduit to detect light emitted by the illumination source.
US08709257B2
A method and system for purifying liquid using waste heat is provided. Initially, a liquid is mixed with an anti-sealant agent in a first filtering unit to form a liquid mixture. Thereafter, the liquid mixture is filtered in the first filtering unit to separate foreign objects from the liquid mixture. Subsequently, the liquid mixture is heated in a pipe arrangement connecting the first filtering unit and one or more second filtering units to generate steam. The steam obtained from the heated liquid mixture is then purified in the one or more second filtering units. Thereafter, the purified steam is condensed in the pipe arrangement to obtain the purified liquid.
US08709252B2
A filter unit for treating water includes at least two ceramic filter membranes; and a mount for the at least two ceramic filter membranes, wherein the ceramic filter membranes are formed in the shape of plates and each have a filter-active outer side and at least one internally lying discharge channel for filtered water, the mount has a collection space, via which water leaving the discharge channels can be drained, and the mount has at least two sockets that liquid-tight fix the at least two ceramic filter membranes in which they are fixed so that the internally lying discharge channels are in communicating connection with the collection space and at least the part of the mount having the sockets for the ceramic filter membranes is a shaped part formed in one piece.
US08709237B2
A process for treating bitumen froth with paraffinic solvent is provided which uses three stages of separation. Froth and a first solvent are directed to a first stage at a solvent/bitumen ratio for precipitating few or substantially no asphaltenes. A first stage underflow is directed to a second stage and a first stage overflow is directed to a third stage. A second stage underflow is directed to waste tailings and the second stage overflow joins the first stage overflow. A third stage underflow is recovered as an asphaltene by-product and a third stage overflow is recovered as a diluted bitumen product. At least a second solvent is added to one or both of the second or third stages for controlling a fraction of asphaltenes in the third stage underflow. Asphaltene loss to waste tailings is minimized and asphaltenes are now recovered as asphaltene by-product.
US08709236B2
A process for removing a nitrogen compound from a fuel feed, such as vacuum gas oil or diesel fuel, wherein the process includes contacting the fuel feed comprising the nitrogen compound with a fuel-immiscible caprolactamium ionic liquid to produce a fuel and fuel-immiscible caprolactamium ionic liquid mixture, and separating the mixture to produce a vacuum gas oil or a diesel effluent having a reduced nitrogen content relative to the vacuum gas oil or diesel feed. The invention provides an alternate use for caprolactamium ionic liquid that is produced in large quantities for the manufacture of caprolactam.
US08709228B2
A method for reducing carbon dioxide utilizes a carbon dioxide reduction device including a cathode chamber, an anode chamber, a solid electrolyte membrane, a cathode electrode and anode electrode. The cathode electrode includes indium or indium compound. The anode electrode includes a region formed of a nitride semiconductor layer where an AlxGa1-xN (0
US08709222B2
In an electrolytic apparatus for removing contaminants from water, a set (110) of spaced apart conductive electrodes (40) in a reaction chamber (54, 112, 114), is arranged in oppositely charged groups of first and second interleaved electrodes with flow paths between them. Non-conductive turbulence inducers (158, 168) on the faces of electrodes (40) are applied to water in the flow paths. One variety is modular elements (158) with stepped increases in width to present a narrow leading edge in the direction of flow. Another variety is a continuous set of wave guides (168) bordering the flow path. Electrodes (40) are selectively powered in patterns creating turbulence, with effective patterns including a first and last electrode powering pattern and a mini-cell electrode powering pattern.
US08709210B2
The invention relates to a method in a fiber web machine. In the method, a fabric (12) included in the fiber web machine is used for supporting a web (14) produced by the fiber web machine. Moreover, in the method the location of the fabric (12) is changed in the cross direction (CD) of the fiber web machine. The location is changed by means of oscillation, the amplitude (19) of which is kept so high that the area of impact (20) of the web (14) on the fabric (12) is wider than the width (21) of the web (14) throughout the lifetime of the fabric (12). The invention also relates to an arrangement in a fiber web machine, and to a software product.
US08709206B2
A method of making a paper-based product includes substantially continuously treating a papermaking furnish including from greater than 0% to 100% recycled fibers with a biocide, and forming the furnish into the paper-based product. The furnish has a microorganism level of greater than 5,000 colony forming units per gram, and substantially continuously treating the furnish with the biocide reduces the microorganism level so that the paper-based product has a microorganism level of less than 5,000 colony forming units per gram.
US08709199B2
A method of making a water vapor transport membrane is described. The method can include providing two sheets, each sheet comprising a support layer with an ionomer layer thereon; applying a solvent to at least one sheet; and contacting the ionomer layers of the two sheets to form a composite membrane comprising a composite ionomer layer between the two support layers. A composite membrane is also described.
US08709198B2
The present application is directed to methods for applying multiple labels to an object. An exemplary method comprises affixing an inner label to the object, then affixing an outer label over the inner label. One or more edges of the outer label may be coupled to the inner label using a releasable or a resealable adhesive such that the outer label may be decoupled from the inner label.
US08709196B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a method of joining sheet members together that is capable of joining two sheet members together without causing a stepped portion on a joined portion. Provided is a method of joining a first sheet member and a second sheet member together, which includes bringing an end face of the first sheet member into abutment with an end face of the second sheet member to provide an abutted portion, heating the abutted portion via a heating medium to thermal-fusion-bond the end faces with each other, and peeling off the heating medium from the first and second sheet members after the thermal-fusion bonding.
US08709186B2
The invention relates to a method of producing reinforced, formed fabrics, consisting in producing a continuous fabric alternated with a membrane (34) containing embedded reinforcing elements, which is prepared in overlapping portions on a conveyor belt (29) which passes over a preparation table (25). The membrane (34) and the reinforcing elements are then positioned under a press consisting of an upper air-filled chamber (1), the lower part thereof comprising a flexible element (4), and a lower water-filled chamber (14), the upper part thereof comprising a flexible element (17). According to the invention, a forming bar (10) is adjustably mounted in the upper chamber (1). When the aforementioned forming bar (10) is adjusted to adopt a particular shape, the different flexible elements can deform at the forming bar and the membrane and the reinforcing elements are hot pressed with a portion corresponding to the forming bar having a three dimensional shape, thereby defining the form of the fabric produced.
US08709185B2
The invention provides a functional laminate composite fabric which is robust, laundry-durable and adaptable for securing about any three dimensional body, and a method for forming such fabric. The functional laminate fabric is provided with at least one functional element which can conduct electricity, conduct light, provide electromagnetic fields or provide shielding from electromagnetic fields. The functional laminate may include vias through which the functional element may be exposed. Generally, the functional laminate fabric is sufficiently robust for incorporation into garments and for applications in so-called wearable electronics.
US08709176B1
A method and an apparatus confer full superelastic properties to the active surface of a mechanical component constructed of a superelastic material prior to service. A compressive load is applied to the active surface of the mechanical component followed by removing the compressive load from the active surface whereby substantially all load strain is recoverable after applying and removing of subsequent compressive loads.
US08709174B2
A seamless steel pipe for line pipe having high strength and high toughness contains, by mass percent, C: 0.02 to 0.10%, Si: at most 0.5%, Mn: 0.5 to 2.0%, Al: 0.01 to 0.1%, P: at most 0.03%, S: at most 0.005%, Ca: at most 0.005%, and N: at most 0.007%, and further contains at least one selected from a group consisting of Ti: at most 0.008%, V: less than 0.06%, and Nb: at most 0.05%, the balance being Fe and impurities. A carbon equivalent Ceq defined by Formula (1) is at least 0.38, a content of Ti, V and Nb satisfies Formula (2), and the size of carbo-nitride containing at least one of Ti, V, Nb and Al is at most 200 nm, Ceq=C+Mn/6+(Cr+Mo+V)/5+(Ni+Cu)/15 (1) Ti+V+Nb<0.06 (2).
US08709169B2
The present invention relates to the use of an alkyl di(lower alkyl)mono(polyoxyethylene) quaternary ammonium compound as a hydrotrope in 5 aqueous solutions for a nonionic surfactant, preferably a C8-C18-alcohol alkoxylate containing 1-20 ethyleneoxy units and 0-5 propyleneoxy units. It also relates to a composition comprising said quaternary ammonium compound and said nonionic surfactant. The cationic surfactant has the formula 10 R2+R(1)N(CH2CH2O)n H X R1 wherein R═C6-C22 alkyl; R1 and R2 are independently a C1-C4 alkyl group; n=8-25; and X− is an anion. The compositions may be used for the cleaning of hard surfaces, for example for vehicle cleaning or machine dishwashing.
US08709153B2
The present invention relates to microfluidic devices and methods facilitating the growth and analysis of crystallized materials such as proteins. In accordance with one embodiment, a crystal growth architecture is separated by a permeable membrane from an adjacent well having a much larger volume. The well may be configured to contain a fluid having an identity and concentration similar to the solvent and crystallizing agent employed in crystal growth, with diffusion across the membrane stabilizing that process. Alternatively, the well may be configured to contain a fluid having an identity calculated to affect the crystallization process. In accordance with the still other embodiment, the well may be configured to contain a material such as a cryo-protectant, which is useful in protecting the crystalline material once formed.
US08709151B2
A method of producing a mainly carbonate bonded article includes a step of providing an alkaline granular material having one or more alkaline earth metal silicate phases. The method includes a step of compacting the granular material to obtain a compact of the granular material. The porosity of the compact is smaller than or equal to 37% by volume. The intrinsic permeability of the compact is at least 1·10−12 cm2. The method also includes a reacting step arranged to form at least 5% by weight of carbonates (CO32−), by reacting the granular material with carbon dioxide in the presence of water, thus transforming the compact into the article. In the reacting step, the compact, being unsaturated with moisture at the beginning of the reacting step, is brought in an atmosphere having carbon dioxide. The atmosphere is at a temperature of at least 70° C. and at a pressure of at least 0.5 MPa. The pressure is also higher than the saturated vapor pressure of water at the temperature. As a result, at least a portion of the carbonates are formed by reaction of the one or more alkaline earth metal silicate phases. Articles are also obtained by the method.
US08709147B2
A method for producing a surface-treated carbon black particle aqueous dispersion that exhibits excellent blackness and dispersibility, exhibits excellent storage stability, suppresses feathering, exhibits an excellent discharge capability and rubfastness (quick-drying capability), and suppresses metal corrosion when used in an aqueous black pigment (colorant) ink, is disclosed. The method for producing a surface-treated carbon black particle aqueous dispersion includes providing an aqueous dispersion of oxidized carbon black particles obtained by forming acidic hydroxyl groups on a surface of carbon black particles having a DBP absorption of 120 cm3/100 g or more, neutralizing 5% or more and less than 50% of the acidic hydroxyl groups with a polyvalent cation, and neutralizing the remainder of the acidic hydroxyl groups with a monovalent cation.
US08709146B2
Iron effect pigments having a thickness distribution, determined via thickness counting by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), as a cumulative undersize distribution with: a) an h50 value from 10 to 55 nm; and b) an h90 value from 20 to 80 nm, and also a method for producing the pigments, and the use of the iron effect pigments. The disclosure further relates to a printing ink comprising the iron effect pigments of the invention.
US08709139B2
A layer for use in a HEPA filter element solves the problem of disclosing a filter element which satisfies HEPA requirements. Said layer comprises a first support layer (1) for stabilization which contains polypropylene fibers, and a second deposition layer (2) which contains polypropylene fibers, wherein the polypropylene fibers of the deposition layer (2) are at least partially electrostatically charged, and wherein the support layer (1) and the deposition layer (2) are constructed as nonwoven material which is at least partially free of glass fiber. The layer according to the invention can be easily pleated while having excellent filter efficiency.
US08709138B2
A filter medium including a carrier layer and a microfiber layer applied thereon is characterized in that, with respect to the aim of providing a filter medium which has a relatively low pressure drop, and at the same time a good fraction separation rate and excellent dust storage capacity, the carrier layer has first fibers, which are designed as endless bicomponent fibers and spunbonded fibers, and the microfiber layer has second fibers, which are designed as endless melt-blown fibers.
US08709134B2
This disclosure relates to porous frameworks for ethylene oxide separation and recovery.
US08709121B2
A filter element that includes a disk-shaped filter medium having an axially upstream surface, an axially downstream surface, and an outer peripheral surface extending axially therebetween. An embodiment of the filter medium has a radial inlet flow surface formed along the outer peripheral surface. Further, there is an inlet flow surface formed along the axially upstream surface, wherein a fluid is able to flow both radially and axially through the filter element.
US08709119B2
An air filter arrangement is disclosed. The air filter arrangement includes strips of media comprising fluted sheets secured to facing sheets and forming inlet and outlet flutes secured to one another in a stack. Media pack arrangements including such stacked media with peripheral, perimeter, housing seal arrangements are described. Also described are air cleaners including the filter cartridges. Methods of assembly and use are also provided. Also, systems of use are described.
US08709112B2
A method, apparatus, and system for a solar-driven chemical plant are disclosed. An embodiment may include a solar thermal receiver aligned to absorb concentrated solar energy from one or more solar energy concentrating fields. A solar driven chemical reactor may include multiple reactor tubes located inside the solar thermal receiver. The multiple reactor tubes can be used to gasify particles of biomass in the presence of a carrier gas. The gasification reaction may produce reaction products that include hydrogen and carbon monoxide gas having an exit temperature from the tubes exceeding 1000 degrees C. An embodiment can include a quench zone immediately downstream of an exit of the chemical reactor. The quench zone may immediately quench via rapid cooling of at least the hydrogen and carbon monoxide reaction products within 0.1-10 seconds of exiting the chemical reactor to a temperature of 800 degrees C. or less.
US08709107B2
The instant invention pertains to new biodiesels which may be blended with petrodiesel. The biodiesels may comprise a fatty acid C1-C2 alkyl ester and a fatty acid branched C3-C4 alkyl ester. Blends of the novel biodiesel and petrodiesel often exhibit advantageous cloud point properties.
US08709102B2
Present invention relates to dyeing composition for keratin fibers especially human hair comprising cationic anthrachinone dye. The first object of the present invention is a dyeing composition for keratin fibers especially human hair resulting from mixing of two parts A and B wherein part A has an alkaline pH and comprises at least one cationic antraquinone dye and at least one additional dyestuff selected from direct and oxidative dyes and part B has an acidic pH and comprises at least one oxidizing agent.
US08709098B2
A depilatory cream composition comprising, a depilatory active, an emollient selected from at least one of mineral oil, silicone oil and emollient esters, and a silicone wax, a talc and/or polyamide resin.
US08709090B2
A system for manipulating energy transferred by members defining a joint. The system includes a first attachment structure configured to be attached to a first member of the joint and a second attachment structure configured to be attached to a second member of the joint. There is also an adjustable energy absorbing device attached to the first attachment structure and second attachment structure, wherein adjusting the energy absorbing device changes the load manipulating characteristics of the energy absorbing device.
US08709082B2
A method of performing a surgical anterior extradiscal correction of a thoracolumbar pathology includes steps of surgically approaching a patient's spine and correcting a thoracolumbar pathology, aligning adjacent vertebral bodies, and securing the vertebral bodies in a desired relative position with anterior instrumentation that penetrates at least one of the vertebral bodies. The anterior instrumentation includes a bioabsorbable element and in one embodiment includes first and second bioabsorbable anchors for penetrating anterior portions of respective first and second sacral, thoracic or lumbar vertebral bodies and bioabsorbable instrumentation that fixedly connects the first bioabsorbable anchor to the second bioabsorbable anchor. This permits the first sacral, thoracic or lumbar vertebral body to be surgically fixed to the second sacral, thoracic or lumbar vertebral body for a predetermined period of time, when the bioabsorbable apparatus will be absorbed by a patient's body.
US08709076B1
A two-piece prosthetic valve having first and second members, a first end of the first member being sized and configured to receive a second end of the second member therein, the second end of the second member being attached to the first member at at least one commissure connection point to form at least one leaflet therein.
US08709075B2
A valvuloplasty system comprises a balloon adapted to be placed adjacent leaflets of a valve. The balloon is inflatable with a liquid. The system further includes a shock wave generator within the balloon that produces shock waves that propagate through the liquid for impinging upon the valve. The shock wave generator is moveable within the balloon to vary shock wave impingement on the valve.
US08709072B2
A stent includes a MOF which adjusts pore size upon desorption or adsorption of organic molecules.
US08709070B2
Methods of controlling the degradation profile of a biodegradable stent scaffolding are disclosed. A bioabsorbable scaffold having a plurality of particles incorporated into the scaffolding that accelerate the absorption of the scaffolding after an induction time during degradation is disclosed.
US08709068B2
A multiple-component expandable endoluminal system for treating a lesion at a bifurcation including a self expandable tubular root member having a side-looking engagement aperture, a self expandable tubular trunk member comprising a substantially blood impervious polymeric liner secured therealong; both having a radially compressed state adapted for percutaneous intraluminal delivery and a radially expanded state adapted for endoluminal support.
US08709065B2
An endovascular graft includes a tubular graft body section; a radially expandable stent extending from and affixed to the graft body section. The stent includes a proximal end, a distal end and a serpentine ring configuration having a plurality of struts and apices. The stent further includes at least one barb integrally formed as an extension of each strut extending distally from a position on the strut that is distal of an adjacent proximal apex, where the at least one integrally formed barb is formed as the extension of each strut with no joint or other connection thereat.
US08709063B2
A stent delivery system and a method for implanting a stent are provided. The system includes first and second elongate shafts, each shaft including a proximal portion, a distal portion, and a lumen extending at least partially therethrough. The second shaft is longitudinally movable relative to the first shaft. The system also includes a bifurcated stent having a first arm positioned on the first shaft and a second arm positioned on the elongate shaft and a main body positioned on the first and second shafts. Proximal and first and second distal constraining members are releasably connected to the stent. The proximal and the first and second distal constraining members cooperatively apply longitudinal tensile force to at least a portion of the stent with the proximal and first and second distal constraining members each in the first position.
US08709061B2
A pre-loaded stent graft delivery device and stent graft, the stent graft delivery device. The stent graft has at least one fenestration or side arm and the fenestration is preloaded with an indwelling guide wire. Indwelling access sheaths are provided within auxiliary lumens of a pusher catheter and dilators are preloaded into the access sheaths along with the indwelling guide wire. A handle assembly at a distal end of the guide wire catheter. The handle includes a multiport manifold with access ports to the auxiliary lumens in the pusher catheter. Upon deployment of the stent graft into the vasculature of a patient, the indwelling guide wire can be used to facilitate catheterization of a side branch or target vessel through the fenestration or be used to stabilize the access sheath during catheterization, advancement of the access sheath into the target vessel and deployment of a covered or uncovered stent therein through the access sheath.
US08709059B1
A spiral wire with shape memory wound to a small circumference for percutaneous introduction into an artery lumen has holding balloons gripping each end to control unwinding that increases and decreases circumference of a concentric graft tube against artery wall without under-sizing that creates dangerous gaps or over-sizing that promotes occlusion re-growth. Inflating holding balloons pushes ends of a plurality of tunnel arcs located at 2 mm intervals in rim around balloon circumferences tightly against graft tube whereupon push-rods within tunnel arcs simultaneously push out sharp circular sutures of memory material that return to original circular shape as they pierce and join graft tube and artery wall.
US08709047B2
A spinal stabilization system may include a pair of structural members coupled to at least a portion of a human vertebra with connectors. Connectors may couple structural members to spinous processes. Some embodiments of a spinal stabilization system may include fasteners that couple structural members to vertebrae. In some embodiments, a spinal stabilization system, provides three points of fixation for a single vertebral level. A fastener may fixate a facet joint between adjacent vertebrae and couple a stabilization structural member to a vertebra. Connectors may couple the structural members to the spinous processes of the vertebrae. Use of a spinal stabilization system may improve the stability of a weakened or damaged portion of a spine. When used in conjunction with an implant or other device, the spinal stabilization system may immobilize vertebrae and allow for fusion of the implant or other device with vertebrae.
US08709036B2
A forceps device is provided for performing a surgical procedure. The device comprises a closeable jaw comprising jaw members having one or more force sensors deployed in a manner to measure force applied to the jaws of the device.
US08709031B2
Methods for driving a surgical instrument are disclosed. The surgical instrument includes a transducer configured to produce vibrations along a longitudinal axis at a predetermined frequency. An end effector is adapted to couple to the transducer and extends along the longitudinal axis. The end effector includes a body having a proximal end and a distal end. The distal end is movable relative to the longitudinal axis by the vibrations produced by the transducer. A drive module is coupled to the transducer to generate a modulated drive signal. The distal end of the end effector is movable in response to the vibrations produced by the transducer in response to the modulated drive signal.
US08709028B2
This disclosure is directed to a device for facilitating treatment via a vascular wall defining a vascular lumen containing an occlusion therein. The device includes an intravascular device including a shaft having a distal end and a proximal end. The device includes a handle assembly fixed about the proximal end of the shaft, the handle assembly including a first portion. Rotation of the first portion in a first direction about a longitudinal axis of the shaft causes rotation of the shaft in the first direction when a torque applied by the first portion to the shaft is below a first maximum torque. Further rotation of the first portion in the first direction about a longitudinal axis of the shaft does not cause rotation of the shaft in the first direction when the torque applied by the first portion to the shaft is equal to or above the first maximum torque.
US08709022B2
A suture passing instrument including an operation handle, a needle member, and a suture holder assembly. The operation handle has at least one actuator movable between a first position and a second position. The needle member extends from the operation handle. The needle member has a curved end portion and defines an eyelet extending therethrough. The suture holder assembly extends from the operation handle and has a movable suture carrier at a distal end configured to hold a suture. The movable suture carrier has a suture pusher telescopically and movably received in the movable suture carrier. The suture carrier is movable between a retracted position and an extended position. The suture pusher is movable beyond the suture carrier to carry the suture through the eyelet.
US08709021B2
A suturing instrument includes a suturing head that is coupled to the shaft of an elongate body member of the instrument by a connector member which may be biased in either a linear orientation along the longitudinal axis of the shaft or any one of a variety of non-linear orientations with respect to the shaft's longitudinal axis. The connector member can comprise a resilient material such that an external force may be applied to the suturing head and move the suturing head from a biased orientation (e.g., linear) to an unbiased orientation (e.g., non-linear). Once the external force is removed, the resiliency of the connector member allows the suturing head to return from the unbiased orientation to the biased orientation. Therefore, a user may adjust the shape of the instrument by applying or removing an external force on the suturing head.
US08709019B2
A skin care element holder for use with a handheld body having a receptacle includes a substantially circular plate having a diameter between about 20 and about 60 mm. The substantially circular plate has a first surface for coupling to the skin care element; a second surface; and an outer peripheral edge. The second surface of the substantially circular plate has at least one spacer leg; a plurality of engagement arms; and at least one key. Each of the at least one spacer leg, engagement arms and key extend from the second surface in a direction away from the first surface. The at least one spacer leg supports the plate in the receptacle. At least one of said engagement arms includes a snap-fit projection for engagement with a recess in the receptacle. The key is arranged and configured to fit into a notch in the receptacle.
US08709012B2
Surgical cutting tool for manufacturing of a recess in a firm body tissue, in particular in a bone and/or in a cartilage, with a milling range rotatable around a central axis of rotation, with an outside lateral surface and an internal area substantially defined by the lateral surface and turned away from the worked on body tissue. The lateral surface is formed with at least two machining cutting edges, which proceed at the lateral surface from a machining center to a machining edge of the milling range and which are in particular spiral curved. Apertures are arranged adjacent to the cutting edges for the transport of the cutting splinters into the internal area, whereby the cutting edges are interrupted by means of recesses in such a way that the cutting edges are formed by individually cutting elements.
US08709000B2
An articulated surgical instrument for enhancing the performance of minimally invasive surgical procedures. The instrument has a high degree of dexterity, low friction, low inertia and good force reflection. A unique cable and pulley drive system operates to reduce friction and enhance force reflection. A unique wrist mechanism operates to enhance surgical dexterity compared to standard laparoscopic instruments. The system is optimized to reduce the number of actuators required and thus produce a fully functional articulated surgical instrument of minimum size.
US08708998B2
A reduced pressure treatment appliance is provided for enclosing and providing reduced pressure treatment to a portion of a body of a patient. The reduced pressure treatment appliance may be used to treat wounds and other conditions, such as lymphedema, varicose veins, venous insufficiency and stasis, and other infirmities. In some embodiments, the appliance comprises an enclosure that encloses the portion of the body to be treated for purposes of applying a reduced pressure to the enclosed portion of the body. In other embodiments, the wound treatment appliance also includes a vacuum system to supply reduced pressure to the portion of the body to be treated in the volume under the enclosure. In yet other embodiments, the treatment appliance also includes wound packing means to prevent overgrowth of the wound or to encourage growth of wound tissue into an absorbable matrix comprising the wound packing means. In still other embodiments, a suction bulb may be used to provide a source of reduced pressure to an enclosure that encloses the portion of the body to be treated. Finally, methods are provided for using various embodiments of the treatment appliance.
US08708997B2
Introducer sheath (10,30,40) having a flexible kink-resistant distal tip portion (26,32,42). A multilayer sheath structure is used, with an inner tube (12) such as PTFE having a coil (14) of wire wound therearound. A first length of outer tubing (20) such as of nylon is inserted over most of the coil-wound inner tube (12) in a manner exposing a distal length of coil-wound inner tube. A second length of outer tubing (22) with a softer durometer than first outer tubing length (20), is inserted over the exposed coil-wound inner tube and extends for a slight distance beyond the end of the coil. During heat application, the outer tubing lengths (20,22) are melted to bond to each other and to flow between the spacings of the coil turns to bond to the roughened outer surface of the inner tube (12). The distal tip region corresponding to the second tubing length is flexible and is kink-resistant due to the coil (14).
US08708994B2
A method for directly delivering whereby a substance is introduced into an intradermal space within mammalian skin which involves administering the substance through at least one small gauge hollow needle having an outlet with an exposed height between 0 and 1 mm. The outlet is inserted into the skin to a depth of between 0.3 mm and 2 mm such that the delivery of the substance occurs at a depth between 0.3 mm and 2 mm.
US08708989B2
A tampon that has a body including a first end, a second end, a center portion, a longitudinal axis and a radial axis. The body includes a plurality of cords or strips joined at the first end, the second end, the center portion or both the first and second ends. The plurality of strips and cords being selected from the group being selected from the group consisting of, films, woven materials, absorbent foams, superabsorbent polymers, and mixtures thereof.
US08708981B2
Systems and methods of stimulating or activating fluids for use in wound treatment systems.
US08708978B2
An article to be inserted in a human or animal body cavity, use of the article and preparation thereof. The article has a biologically inhibiting arrangement of electrically connected electrode materials in direct contact with each other on one or more surfaces of the article. The arrangement includes as electrode materials a metallic anode material and a cathode material, where the potential of the cathode material is higher than the potential of the anode material. The cathode material is an electrically conductive material selected among certain non-metallic materials. The arrangement provided on the article releases biological inhibiting ions of the metallic anode material or complexes of such ions when the biologically inhibiting arrangement is contacted with a body fluid. The article can be designed with a controlled release rate suitable for the purpose in question for example an initial high rate of ion release after insertion of a catheter to combat bacteria introduced during the insertion followed by a prolonged release at a lower rate to maintain a low level of bacteria.
US08708976B1
A needleless connector has a housing with an internal cavity having an interior surface, a port, an output flow channel, and a fluid flow path through the cavity between the port and the output flow channel. A collapsible valve is disposed within the cavity. The valve has one or more rings each having a surface that is in sealing contact with the interior surface of the housing. There are one or more notches formed in each of the one or more rings, and the flow path passes through one of the notches in each of the one or more rings.
US08708974B2
The end face of a cylinder-piston unit has a press-in area, engaging around the mouth, and a press-on area, surrounding the press-in area. The press-in area comprises an inner web, delimiting the mouth, and an outer web. The webs delimit a recess, which surrounds the inner web and of which the depth measured parallel to the center axis of the cylinder-piston unit is at least a quarter of its width in a plane oriented normal thereto. The press-on area, at least during an injection, is offset counter to the injection direction relative to the end face of the press-in area. Moreover, the surface of the press-on area projected into a plane normal to the center axis is at least as large as the surface of the press-in area projected into the same plane.
US08708962B2
A spinal cannula for delivering a therapeutic agent to a spinal cord target includes proximal and distal end portions, a middle portion, and a deployable cannula member having distal and proximal end portions and a first lumen extending between the end portions. The spinal cannula includes a fluid delivery line operably connected to the proximal end portion of the deployable cannula member, and a fluid delivery line including a second lumen in fluid communication with the first lumen. The spinal cannula includes a support cannula proximally located from the deployable cannula member and securely connected to a portion of the fluid delivery line. Additionally, the spinal cannula includes a delivery cannula having distal and proximal end portions and a third lumen extending between the end portions for receiving the support cannula. The proximal end portion includes a locking mechanism for releasably engaging the proximal end portion of the support cannula.
US08708959B2
A medical device system comprises a reservoir configured to store a therapeutic fluid and a medical pump configured to deliver the therapeutic fluid from the reservoir to a patient. The system also comprises a reservoir fill level detector configured to detect a fill status of the reservoir, the reservoir fill level detector including a contact pad operably attached to the reservoir whereby the contact pad moves in a predetermined path during the emptying and filling of the reservoir. A resistor strip mounted on the inside of the chamber is in continual contact with the contact pad and the resistance of an electric current passed through the resistor strip is monitored by a processor to determine the position of a selected portion of the reservoir. The position of the reservoir is directly related to the fill status.
US08708953B2
Steerable medical delivery devices and their methods of use.
US08708950B2
A medical treatment system, such as peritoneal dialysis system, may include control and other features to enhance patient comfort and ease of use. For example, a peritoneal dialysis system may include patient line state detector for detecting whether a patient line is primed before it is to be connected to the patient. The patient line state detector can also the ability to detect whether a patient line has been properly mounted for priming. Both patient line presence/absence and fill state can be determined using an optical system, e.g., one that employs a single optical sensor.
US08708947B2
The present disclosure is directed to alleviating the uncomfortable and unpleasant sensations that may accompany insertion and removal of personal care devices. Specifically, the present disclosure is directed to a personal care device that includes a moisture-activated composition that becomes lubricious only upon contact with moisture, such as from mucosal surfaces in the body.
US08708946B2
An extracorporeal blood machine includes a blood circuit; an access device enabling the blood circuit to be connected to a patient; first and second coupling devices for connecting to first and second tubes of the circuit; first and second electrodes held by the first and second coupling devices to contact blood flowing through the blood circuit, the electrodes enabling an electrical signal to be injected into the circuit; first and second contact members contacting the first and second electrodes, wherein at least one of the coupling devices includes a stem portion enabling at least one of the first and second contact members to contact at least one of the first and second electrodes, respectively, on an outer portion of the at least one electrode without disturbing blood flowing through the coupling device; and electronics coupled operably to the first and second contact members for applying the electrical signal.
US08708932B2
The guide wire is a guide wire includes a distal portion and a main body portion. This guide wire is provided with a first curve portion; a second curve portion included on the distal side of aforesaid first curve portion and curved to the opposite direction with respect to aforesaid first curve portion; a third curve portion included on the distal side of aforesaid second curve portion and curved to the opposite direction with respect to aforesaid second curve portion, wherein a line contacting with both aforesaid first curve portion and aforesaid third curve portion has an obtuse angle with respect to an axis line of aforesaid main body portion.
US08708921B2
A method for measuring reactive hyperemia in a subject is disclosed. The method includes performing a first segmental cuff plethysmography to generate a baseline arterial compliance curve and/or a baseline pressure-area (P-A) curve, performing a second segmental cuff plethysmography to generate a hyperemic arterial compliance curve and/or a hyperemic P-A curve, and calculating an area between the baseline and the hyperemic curves. The size of the area can be used as an indication of endothelial dysfunction (ED) and ED-related diseases.
US08708911B2
A transmitter/receiver scans a subject body with ultrasonic waves via an ultrasonic probe and obtains first ultrasonic data composed of ultrasonic data in a first coordinate system that is along a scanning line, and a coordinate conversion part included in an image generator performs an arithmetical operation by a GPU and converts the first ultrasonic data from the first coordinate system to a second coordinate system for image display.
US08708908B2
An access site disconnection system and method are disclosed. Radio frequency transmitters and receivers are placed near an access site. When a patient receives dialysis treatment, wetness may arise from blood if the access needle becomes disconnected from the access site. Radio-frequency transmitters are mounted on or near gauze or other absorbent material placed adjacent the access site, as are radio-frequency receivers. After the sensors are placed, the dialysis machine and radio-frequency control circuit may be initialized or baselined, and dialysis treatment, such as hemodialysis, begun. If blood leaks from the access site, such as if the access needle is dislodged, the blood attenuates the radio frequency transmissions, which are detected by the receivers. A signal is sent to a controller or to an output device to raise an alert or sound an alarm.
US08708906B1
A method for the prevention of dementia is provided including the steps of testing, in a client, for a dementia risk factors (including those related to brain tissue, atrial fibrillation, hypercoaguable state, LDL cholesterol, carotid artery evaluation, tobacco use, hypertension, and inflammation evaluation), determining a score for each of the risk factors tested, wherein each score is based on a continuous scale from a low number to a high number, wherein a low number corresponds to a relatively low likelihood of dementia risk and a high number corresponds to a relatively low likelihood of dementia risk, applying all of the scores obtained to an equation that yields a resulting value proportional to an overall risk of dementia, and providing dementia risk reduction advice to the client to lower the scores for each of the components.
US08708904B2
A monitoring apparatus that includes a sensor device and an I/O device in communication with the sensor device that generates derived data using the data from the sensor device. The derived data cannot be directly detected by the associated sensors. Alternatively, an apparatus that includes a wearable sensor device and an I/O device in communication with the sensor device that includes means for displaying information and a dial for entering information. Alternatively, an apparatus for tracking caloric consumption and caloric expenditure data that includes a sensor device and an I/O device in communication with the sensor device. The sensor device includes a processor programmed to generate data relating to caloric expenditure from sensor data. Alternatively, an apparatus for tracking caloric information for an individual that utilizes a plurality of classification identifiers for classifying meals consumed by the individual, each of the classification identifiers having a corresponding caloric amount.
US08708899B2
A system for accessing a surgical target site and related methods, involving an initial distraction system for creating an initial distraction corridor, and an assembly capable of distracting from the initial distraction corridor to a secondary distraction corridor and thereafter sequentially receiving a plurality of retractor blades for retracting from the secondary distraction corridor to thereby create an operative corridor to the surgical target site, both of which may be equipped with one or more electrodes for use in detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures before, during, and after the establishment of an operative corridor to a surgical target site.
US08708891B2
A stereoscopic coupler for mechanically and optically coupling an endoscope to a portion of a camera, the stereoscopic coupler including means for mechanically and optically coupling the stereoscopic coupler to an endoscope; and means for mechanically and optically coupling the stereoscopic coupler to a portion of a camera; wherein the stereoscopic coupler includes a pair of optics; a mechanical actuator for operation by a user; and means for physically moving the pair of optics as a unit in response to movement of the mechanical actuator by the user.
US08708890B2
An endoscope apparatus includes: a display device that displays a first image and a second image, the first image and the second image being contained in image data of a subject captured by an imaging unit of an endoscope apparatus; a designation section that designates a first position on the first image in accordance with an instruction input through an input device; a position calculation section that calculates a second position on the second image, the second position corresponding to the first position on the first image; a display control section that, when the first position is designated, performs a control of displaying a mark at the first position, subsequently displaying a mark at a third position which is different from the first and second positions, and subsequently displaying a mark at the second position; and a measurement section that performs measurement relating to the subject based on the first and second positions.
US08708886B2
A method of supporting pelvic organs in a patient includes forming a tissue incision providing access to the pelvic organs in the patient; inserting a knit material into the tissue incision; and supporting at least one of the pelvic organs in the patient with the knit material. The knit material has a filament knitted into a chain of loops that are coupled together by having each loop suspended by a neighboring loop, and at least one loop in the chain of loops having the filament tied around the one loop to form a closed loop.
US08708884B1
Methods and apparatus for adaptively mitigating motion sickness in an operator are provided herein. In some embodiments, a compensatory modulator for use with a display controller included in a system to adaptively mitigating motion sickness in an operator may include one or more inputs to receive at least one of physiological measurements of the operator or operator activity behavior from one or more monitoring devices, and a motion sickness expert system configured to (a) determine a cognitive state of the operator based on the received inputs, (b) compute mitigating display parameters based on the determined cognitive state of the operator, (c) output the computed mitigating display parameters to the display controller.
US08708882B2
A dunnage machine and system, and a method of producing dunnage. The dunnage machine can have rotatable forming members with recesses formed thereon. Stationary protruding members can extend into the recesses. A cutting system is provided for cutting dunnage produced by the dunnage machine or system, and a lock mechanism is also provided for locking the cutting system when a cover is removed from the dunnage machine.
US08708875B2
A collapsible baby bouncer for portable travel comprising a seat having two leg holes in a seat pocket, at least three support legs that form a tripod, at least three springs that extend from the top end of a support leg to the seat, and structural arms for retaining the support legs in an operational configuration. The baby bouncer further includes at least one structural arm that can be collapsed to allow the baby bouncer to be formed into an elongated shape that can fit into a carry sleeve.
US08708867B2
An exercise apparatus includes a frame; a platform configured to receive a person in a standing position, the platform connected to the frame; a handheld component configured to be held by a person standing on the platform; and an impeller-driven fluid circulation system. Manipulation of the handheld component by a person standing on the platform results in driving of the impeller and circulation of fluid within the fluid circulation system. The platform may rock from side to side, whereby a person standing on the platform must maintain balance while manipulating the handheld component. The handheld component may simulate a paddle and may include an elongate shaft. In this respect, the paddle component is used by a person standing on the platform as if the paddle component were a paddle used in paddleboarding, including manipulating the paddle component through a rowing motion that preferably would be experienced when actually paddleboarding.
US08708865B2
A pedal apparatus for an electric motorcar or for a motor vehicle having a throttle mechanism, includes: a brake pedal having a brake auxiliary pad to which a brake arm is connected; and an accelerator pad configured to be rotated in the lateral direction within a predetermined angle range for an accelerating operation. The accelerator pad is formed of a reinforced plastic and is formed with a convex-shaped projection at a midsection thereof, a distal end of the accelerator arm extending from a throttle position sensor mounted on a vehicle body and rotating a predetermined angle range is disposed so as to be in abutment with the accelerator pad, and the rotation angle detected by the rotation of the accelerator arm is transmitted to an accelerator or a throttle mechanism that controls a driving motor via the throttle position sensor.
US08708863B2
An epicyclic gear train includes a carrier that supports star gears that mesh with a sun gear. A ring gear surrounds and meshes with the star gears. Each of the star gears is supported on a respective journal bearing. Each journal bearing includes an internal central cavity and at least one passage that extends radially from the internal cavity to a peripheral journal surface of the respective journal bearing. The epicyclic gear train has a gear reduction ratio of greater than or equal to about 2.3.
US08708862B2
A motor vehicle multi-stage planetary transmission which has a housing that accommodates four planetary gear sets (P1, P2, P3, P4), shafts (2-9), three clutches (K1, K2, K3) and three brakes (B1, B2, B3) whose selective actuation implements various transmission ratios between drive and output shafts. The carriers of gear sets (P1, P2) are connected by shaft (4), the ring gear of gear set (P2) can be fixed to the housing, via shaft (5), by actuating brake (B1). A ring gear of gear set (P1) and a sun gear of gear set (P2) are coupled by shaft (6) which can be connected, via clutch (K1), to the drive shaft. A sun gear of gear set (P1) can be fixed, via brake (B2), to the housing and can be coupled, by clutch (K2), to drive shaft. The first and second clutches (K1, K2) are startup elements which initiate startup procedures.
US08708859B2
A transmission having an input member, an output member, three planetary gear sets, a plurality of coupling members and a plurality of torque transmitting devices. Each of the planetary gear sets includes first, second and third members. The torque transmitting devices include clutches and brakes.
US08708858B2
An electric generator unit comprises a front flywheel, a back flywheel, a gear accelerating assembly, a planetary decelerating assembly, a middle shaft and a tail shaft. The electric generator unit forms the effect of energy increasing by degrees based on the nonlinear coupling theory and the assembly of mass, acceleration and lever. When a small driving force is continuously given from the outside, the electric generator unit can achieve energy increasing by degrees.
US08708851B2
With a view to suppressing fretting in a power transmission chain, when a chain straight-line area is seen from a chain widthwise direction W, a flat portion 18 of a first pin 3 of the chain extends in an inclination direction D. A point of intersection P0 is formed by an imaginary line L1 which passes through a center position of an overall height h of the first pin 3 along the inclination direction D intersecting the flat portion. A point of intersection P2 is formed by an imaginary line L2 which passes through a contact portion A0 and which extends in a chain advancing direction X intersecting the flat portion 18 between the point of intersection P0 and one end P1 of the flat portion. When assuming that a distance between the point of intersection P0 and the point of intersection P2 is referred to as h1 and a distance between the point of intersection P2 and the one end P1 of the flat portion 18 is referred to as h2, 0.1·h1≦h2.
US08708849B2
A sprocket for an inside flank engagement inverted tooth chain includes tooth spaces each defined at least partially by the engaging flank of one tooth, the disengaging flank of another tooth, and a root surface that is located between the engaging flank and the disengaging flank of the tooth space. The engaging flank of each tooth space is defined as a mirror image of the disengaging flank of each tooth space relative to a tooth space centerline such that each tooth space is symmetrically defined about its tooth space centerline. The sprocket teeth include Type A Standard Teeth, Type B Standard Teeth, Type A Relieved Teeth, and Type B Relieved Teeth. The engaging flank of each Type A Relieved Tooth and both the engaging and disengaging flanks of each Type B Relieved Tooth are relieved or negatively offset. The root surface preceding a Type A Relieved Tooth or a Type B Relieved Tooth is raised so as to be located radially outward as compared the root surface preceding a Type A Standard Tooth or a Type B Standard Tooth.
US08708844B2
A basketball system may include a support structure that is sized and configured to support a basketball goal above a playing surface. The basketball system may also include a connecting structure that interconnects the basketball goal and the support structure. For example, the connecting structure may include a first pair of arms with one end connected to the basketball goal and another end connected to the support structure. The connecting structure may also include a second pair of arms with one end connected to the basketball goal and a rim assembly, and the other end connected to the support structure. The connecting structure may further include a third pair of arms with a first end connected to the rim assembly and a second end connected to the support structure. The third pair of arms is preferably disposed between the first pair of arms and the second pair of arms.
US08708843B1
A ball training system for pitchers for effectively improving the pitching abilities of a baseball or softball pitcher. The ball training system for pitchers generally includes a ball training device including a core having a first side and a second side, an exterior cover surrounding a portion of the core, a plurality of seams attached to the exterior cover, a first cover attached to the first side of the core, and a second cover attached to the second side of the core. The first side and the second side of the core are each preferably planar and parallel to one another. When the ball training device is properly thrown by a pitcher, the ball training device's flight is substantially smooth and if the improperly thrown the ball training device will wobble inflight.
US08708840B2
A golf ball having a plurality of dimples formed on its outer surface, the outer surface of the golf ball being divided into plural areas, a first group of areas containing a plurality of first dimples and a second group of areas containing a plurality of second dimples, each area of the second group abutting one or more areas of the first group, the first and second groups of areas and dimple shapes and dimensions being configured such that the golf ball is spherically symmetrical as defined by the United States Golf Association (USGA) Symmetry Rules, and such that the golf ball exhibits a lift coefficient (CL) of less than about 0.255 over a range of Reynolds Number (Re) from about 120,000 to about 180,000 and at a spin rate of about 4,000 rpm.
US08708822B2
A game system comprises image obtaining means, direction calculation means, moving means, and display control means. The image obtaining means obtains an image taken by an imaging device. The direction calculation means calculates a direction originally determined from the image of an imaging target included in the image taken by the imaging device. The moving means moves an operation target in a predetermined direction in accordance with the calculated direction. The display control means generates an image in accordance with the movement of the operation target performed by the moving means and displays the generated image on a screen of a display device.
US08708820B2
A gaming machine includes a rotating object that has at least one configurable surface that may be configured electronically. The rotating object may be synchronized with a video display. Configurable surfaces can use bistable materials, electroluminescent materials, LCDs, LEDs, OLEDs, projection, or other techniques. The appearance of the rotating object is changed without physically changing the rotating object.
US08708811B2
The present invention is directed to a system, method and apparatus for providing a unique pool betting product where players make selections in a number of different events which occur in sequential legs or time periods. After some and preferably most of the legs have been completed, players who have correct “win” predictions for each of the events or legs that are completed and thus remain in contention for the Jackpot Pool, and potentially those still eligible for consolations prizes, will be offered an opportunity to sell their tickets, in whole or in part, to the game operator or through the game operator.
US08708810B2
A gaming machine has a symbol display region composed of cell columns, where cells are continuously disposed in each cell column. Symbols are displayed on each cell column in such a manner that one or more symbols correspond to one of the cells. The gaming machine comprises: a symbol movement control unit that makes each symbol column move along each cell column where a symbol is changed in turn according to an alignment order of the symbols, and makes each symbol column stop; a prize winning determination unit; and a dividend generation unit. The symbol movement control unit comprises: a symbol check unit that determines whether a symbol reaching a filtering position is a specific symbol; and a specific symbol control unit that generates a specific change different from a change to be generated according to the alignment order when the specific symbol reaches the filtering position.
US08708801B2
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a system and method for conducting a wagering game on a plurality of gaming machines is disclosed. A first community event is triggered and two or more gaming machines from the plurality of gaming machines are selected to participate in the first community event. A second community event is triggered—prior to completion of the first community event—and at least one gaming machine is selected from the plurality of gaming machines to participate in the second community event. The at least one gaming machine being different from the two or more gaming machines selected to participate in the first community event. A substitute-community-event award is provided to the at least one gaming machine without playing the second community event.
US08708788B2
The invention generally relates to ventilation systems, and more particularly to selectively configurable climate control systems for use in data centers and the like. A system includes a first structural element and a second structural element spaced apart from first structural element to define a space between the first and second structural elements. The system also includes partitions moveable into the space between the first and second structural elements and a controller arranged to control movement of the partitions.
US08708787B2
A pressure relief valve includes a housing and vane that is movable to one of an open position and a closed position. A linear actuator mechanically couples between the movable vane and the housing. The linear actuator is a wire device fabricated from a shape memory alloy. An actuable latching system is configured to retain the movable vane in one of the open position and the closed position for an indeterminate time period.
US08708782B2
The invention relates to a handling system for transporting, removing or inserting rod-like elements. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for transporting, removing or inserting rod-like elements.
US08708781B2
A system for grinding surgical needles made of refractory metal alloys such as tungsten-rhenium alloys includes a rotatable grinding wheel having a grinding surface, a layer of a binding material, such as a nickel binding material layer, overlying the grinding surface, and a plurality of abrasive particles, such as ABN600 abrasive particles, embedded within the binding material layer. The abrasive particles are similarly sized and the binding material layer has a thickness that is about 65% of the size of the similarly sized abrasive particles. The system includes a lubricating device adapted to apply a lubricant to an interface between the grinding surface and distal ends of needle blanks and a rotating element coupled with the rotatable wheel for rotating the grinding surface at about 10,000 surface feet per minute.
US08708778B2
The present disclosure involves various embodiments for finishing the internal wall of a capillary tube. A quantity of abrasive particles and a rod are placed in a capillary tube, wherein a portion of the abrasive particles is magnetic. A magnet is positioned near a side of the capillary tube, thereby attracting the abrasive particles toward an internal wall of the capillary tube. A relative rotation of the capillary tube is produced with respect to the magnet, thereby causing the abrasive particles to finish the internal wall of the capillary tube.
US08708776B1
Polishing machines, fixtures and methods for polishing one or more optical fibers upon distinct wear paths are provided. For example, in some embodiments a polishing fixture is provided with a number of ports for fixing optical fibers. The ports may be positioned within the fixture to follow a number of distinct wear paths when the fixture is moved relative to a platen retaining an abrasive film. In some embodiments, the ports may have an angular separation or be positioned at one or more radial distances in order to provide distinct wear paths on the abrasive film.
US08708772B2
A brassiere consisting of an integral body having a front portion, and a rear portion as a lateral extension of the front portion. The edge considered to be the lower edge, of the front portion as well as of the rear portion, has an elastic band which supports the entire structure of the brassiere. The center of the elastic band extends into an ascending sector defining a bridge having concave lateral edges and a lower edge which is also curved-concave, while the tops of the lateral edges also have divergent sections suitable for adapting to the contour of the breasts of the user. The bridge has cushioned padding, which affects the intermammary area up to the neckline as well as the semi-perimeter of the lower contour of the breasts including the lateral portions or sides of the armholes.
US08708768B2
A whirlpool toy for use in a partially enclosed household fixture having water therein and having a drain. An example of the whirlpool toy comprises a generally cylindrical body having a generally cylindrical upper chamber, the body having a top allowing a clear view of the upper chamber and at least one generally vertical side wall. A first outlet aperture is formed in a bottom of the upper chamber, located near a center of the bottom of the upper chamber. A lower chamber is connected to the upper chamber by the first outlet aperture, and has an open bottom offering a flow connection to the exterior of the device. The lower chamber extends beyond and is offset from the upper chamber. At least one inlet slot extends vertically up a portion of the at least one generally vertical side wall. A third chamber may be connected above the lower chamber offset to allow for the removal of objects drawn down into the lower chamber.
US08708765B2
A kit for constructing a variety of play structures for children includes a plurality of arcuate tubes, a plurality of linear tubes, and a plurality of connectors. At least one of the tubes is releasably assembled together with another one of the tubes using the connectors to form a frame. An instruction manual provides directions for releasably assembling the tubes and the connectors to form the variety of play structures from the kit. The kit may also include at least one covering and at least one covering connector to releasably affix the covering to at least a portion of the frame of the play structure.
US08708758B2
An electrical plug receptacle includes a base seat, a first conductive strip, and a second conductive strip, wherein the first conductive strip and the second conductive strip respectively have a bottom part and a top part, the bottom parts of the first conductive strip and the second conductive strip are connected to the base seat, a slot is formed between the top parts of the first conductive strip and the second conductive strip, and the top parts of the first conductive strip and the second conductive strip are connected by an elastic element.
US08708750B2
A receptacle connector includes an insulative housing, at least three terminal groups and a metal shell. The insulative housing has a base and at least three tongue pieces which integrally extend from the base and are transversally spaced apart to each other and in which a tongue piece of the tongue pieces at a left side thereof belongs to a left tongue piece, a tongue piece of the tongue pieces at a right side thereof belongs to a right tongue piece, and the other of the tongue pieces between the left tongue piece and the right tongue piece belongs to a middle tongue piece. The metal shell surrounds the tongue pieces and defines a common mating space as well as a first and second mating space.
US08708748B2
An electrical connector assembly (100) comprises: a first insulative housing having a base portion (11) and a mating portion (12), and a second insulative housing (4) located on the base portion. The second insulative housing defines a body portion (41) and a tongue portion (42). A number of contacts (2) are formed in the first and second insulative housings. Each of the contact defines a first mating section (201) and a second mating section (202), and a curved connecting section connected with the first and second mating sections. A first metallic shell (3) encloses and engages with the first insulative housing. A second metallic shell (5) encloses the second insulative housing and engages with the first insulative housing. And, a metallic connecting piece (6) respectively connects with the first and second metallic shells.
US08708746B2
A compact electrical plug characterized as a receptacle with a self-contained programmable, networkable controller which can be installed directly onto an electromechanical valve or relay. The plug has a controller built into the receptacle housing. It can be configured to run autonomously based on an internal closed loop feedback algorithm or manually controlled based on commands received remotely by a computer or custom control interface. The invention can be networked with other plugs like it providing a streamlined network where multiple electromechanical valves and\or relays can be controlled at one time. The plug has multiple visual indications providing the operating status and error states of the connected component and contained controller.
US08708744B2
A shell of a modular jack includes soldered terminal portions connected to a substrate. The soldered terminal portions include first soldered terminal portions and second soldered terminal portions. The first soldered terminal portions are formed to extend toward the substrate from first side wall portions folded from a front surface of the housing toward a right-side surface and a left-side surface. The second soldered terminal portions are formed to extend toward the substrate from second side wall portions folded from an upper wall portion toward the right-side surface and the left-side surface of the housing, the upper wall portion being folded from the front surface of the housing toward a top surface. The first side wall portions and the second side wall portions cover the right-side surface and the left-side surface of the housing.
US08708741B2
A connector includes: a housing; and a connector module; the connector module including: a projection portion that projects outside from the housing; a substrate composed of a material with thermal conductivity; and a terminal that is fixed to a lower part of the substrate and contacts on an external substrate.
US08708737B2
A cable connector has a jacket seal. In one example embodiment, the cable connector also has a pin configured to receive an inner conductor of a cable. In such embodiment, the connector has components or surfaces which cooperate to engage a section or portion of an outer conductor of the cable.
US08708736B2
In accordance with the present disclosure, a detachable power cable interface box (PCIB) for coupling AC power to a rack-level power infrastructure is described. The detachable PCIB includes a body section and a terminal disposed within the body section. The terminal may be coupled to an AC power source. A wiring block may also be disposed within the body, and the modular wiring block may be coupled to the terminal. The wiring block may arrange power input from the AC power source into a pre-determined output configuration corresponding to a detachable interface. The system may also include the detachable interface, and the detachable interface may be configured to couple with an integrated connector of the rack-level power infrastructure. The detachable interface may be common to all types of AC power sources.
US08708733B2
An improved insulation displacement terminal (IDT) includes opposed spaced fingers having outer edges with first and second abutment sections adjacent the ends of the outer edges. A resilient spring-like mid-section in the finger between the abutment sections applies a generally normal force to a wire captured between the inner edges of opposed fingers of the IDT. The resilient spring-like mid-section of each finger may be provided by narrowing the width of each finger between the abutment sections such as by recessing the outer edges from the outer edges of the abutment sections or by providing slots or openings in the mid-section of the fingers. Corners of inner edges of the fingers are smoother and inner edges are generally planar to provide a large contact area between the fingers and a wire disposed therebetween. The IDT is mounted within a housing to provide an insulation displacement connector (IDC).
US08708725B2
An electrical connector including a housing to be mounted on an outer surface of a main circuit board, conductive contacts arranged in the housing and an actuator operative to take selectively a first station for releasing each of the conductive contacts from press-contact with one of connecting terminals on a flat circuit device inserted in the housing and a second station for causing each of the conductive contacts to maintain the press-contact with the connecting terminal, wherein the actuator has a particular outer portion thereof which faces upward on the outer surface of the main circuit board when the actuator takes one of the first and second stations and faces toward a direction in parallel with the outer surface of the main circuit board when the actuator takes the other of the first and second stations.
US08708716B1
An electrical connector includes: an insulating body having a plurality of receiving holes disposed thereon, each receiving hole including a protrusion, and the protrusion includes a guiding surface and an abutting surface; a plurality of solder balls; and a plurality of terminals correspondingly received in the plurality of receiving holes. Each terminal includes a base correspondingly received in one of the receiving holes, an extending arm extending downwards from the base, a soldering portion extending from the extending arm, and an elastic arm extending upwards from the base. The soldering portion includes two clamping portions extending laterally to respectively clamp a periphery of the solder ball. At least a part of the soldering portion is positioned below the abutting surface of the protrusion of the receiving hole such that the part of the soldering portion abuts the abutting surface of the protrusion of the receiving hole.
US08708714B2
An electrical connector is provided that includes a plug portion having an upper surface on which one electronic device is disposed, and a receptacle which is disposed on another electronic device. The plug portion has plug side contact conductors which are positioned separately from each other on a lower surface side of the plug portion. Between the plug side contact conductors which are positioned separately from each other, a capacitive coupling conductor is provided. The receptacle has a receptacle side contact conductors which are in contact with the plug side contact conductors. The plug side contact conductors and the receptacle side contact conductors have shapes corresponding to each other, and the receptacle side contact conductors retain the plug side contact conductors while the dielectric isinterposed between the capacitive coupling.
US08708713B2
A connecting terminal structure includes a plurality of connecting terminals, each including a connecting part to be in contact with an object to be connected at an end of the connecting terminal and a plate-like fixing part at another end of the connecting terminal, a first face of the plate-like fixing part being configured to be electrically connectable; and electronic components, each including at least two electrode terminals, wherein the two electrode terminals of the electronic components are mounted on faces opposite to the first faces of the fixing parts of the connecting terminals.
US08708709B2
A method and apparatus for influencing a person to develop, accept and/or understand a concept, position or idea using questioning, including a technique sometimes known as the Socratic Method. A universe of question and answer subsets comprising questions and respective multiple choice answers to each question designed in advance, arranged and inter-connected on a stand-alone computer, a computer on a local area network or computer network, or any computer network and displayed in such a way as to allow the participant to follow the individual's own path by selecting answers he accepts, which tend to logically lead the individual toward agreement and or understanding on the subject.
