US08743163B2
A printing method comprising a printhead and rollers for printing. A page of a print job is printed which causes depressions in the non-printed side of the print medium. The print medium is heated to reduce the depressions before printing the non-printed side.
US08743159B2
A display device includes a gray scale controller which adjusts the number of pieces of image data successively displayed at the same brightness level to a predefined value or less when a desired brightness level represented by input image data is equal to or less than a predetermined level. Alternatively the display device may include a gray scale controller which may make the frequencies of selection of an immediately lower display brightness level than a desired level and an immediately higher display brightness level closer to each other when the brightness level represented by the input image data is equal to or less than the predetermined level and other than a plurality of display brightness levels. This frequency control is done to prevent a selected display brightness level from continuing at the same level over a period greater than a predetermined cycle.
US08743154B2
A source driver providing an output image to a plurality of pixels and including a judgment unit, an image processing unit, and a digital-to-analog converter is disclosed. The judgment unit encodes a first input image to generate an encoded code and compares the encoded code with a preset code to generate a luminance controlling signal. The image processing unit processes an image signal by an algorithm and outputs the processed result when the judgment unit asserts the luminance controlling signal. The image processing unit directly outputs the image signal when the judgment unit un-asserts the luminance controlling signal. The digital-to-analog converter transforms the output of the image processing unit and outputs the transformed result to the pixels.
US08743149B2
System and method for providing access to ArcMap netCDF utilities and adding support for observational data to ArcMap including, but not limited to, comparing observational data to model data in a graphical manner, and maintaining the security classifications for each layer in ArcMap so that the highest security classification of the data being viewed is known at all times.
US08743140B2
The present invention provides a color adjustment device, a method of adjusting color and a display device for the same. It measures a plurality of tristimulus sets at various white grayscales on a LCD panel, converts the multiple tristimulus sets into a plurality of chromatic sets (xn, yn). Among the plurality of chromatic sets (xn, yn), it recognizes the Pth chromatic set (xp, yp), the break point, and based on the pth chromatic set (xp, yp), determines a plurality of target chromatic sets (Nxn, Nyn) at from the grayscale 0 to the grayscale p, where Nx n = x 0 + ( x 255 - x 0 ) · [ 1 - exp ( 1 - p n ) ] , Ny n = y 0 + ( y 255 - y 0 ) · [ 1 - exp ( 1 - p n ) ] . By this method, an exponential function instead of a linear function is adopted to depict the chromatic variation at low grayscales. Thus the grayscale variation appears more smooth and without any obvious break point in human's perception.
US08743127B2
Disclosed herein is an information processing apparatus configured to edit video, including: a computer graphics image generation block configured to execute realtime rendering of a computer graphics animation by use of a timeline time with a fraction permitted for a seconds value that is a minimum unit as a parameter indicative of a temporal position of the computer graphics animation; an operation input block configured to enter a user operation for specifying progression of the computer graphics animation; and a control block configured to control the computer graphics image generation block in response to the user operation entered through the operation input block.
US08743124B2
The invention relates to a method of generating at least one synthesized image of at least a portion of a head of hair in movement, the method comprising the steps consisting in calculating a shape of at least one director hair by applying to the at least one director hair at least one mechanical model of an inextensible rod having inertia and stiffnesses in twisting and in bending, and in generating at least one virtual image of the at least one portion of the head of hair from the shape of the director hair.
US08743119B2
An output image of higher resolution than an input image is constructed by using a low resolution (LR) dictionary of triangle data entries, each having a one-to-one correlation with a high resolution (HR) data entry in an HR dictionary of triangle data entries. The input image is triangularized, and the closest matching LR data entry in the LR dictionary for each triangle in the triangularized input image is identified. The HR data entry correlated to each identified matching LR data entry is then used to construct the output image by wrapping the correlated HR data entry onto the corresponding triangle on the triangularized input image.
US08743113B2
A stereoscopic image display apparatus according an embodiment includes: an elemental image display unit having a display face in which pixels having sub-pixels are arranged in a matrix form, the display face being divided into a plurality of elemental images for display; and an optical plate provided on a viewer side of the elemental image display unit, the optical plate having a plurality of lenses arranged periodically with respect to the display face to be respectively associated with the plurality of elemental images, each of the lenses controlling light rays from the pixels which display an associated elemental image. In each lens, the sub-pixels which display an elemental image associated with the lens differing in isolation degree between adjacent sub-pixels depending upon whether a location is in a central portion of the lens or in a peripheral portion of the lens.
US08743107B2
The disclosed liquid crystal display device includes a display panel for displaying a picture thereon, a plurality of gate drive ICs for forwarding scan pulses for driving gate lines on the display panel, a plurality of upper data drive ICs for supplying pixel voltages to data lines on one side of the display panel respectively, a plurality of lower data drive ICs for supplying the pixel voltages to the data lines on the other side of the display panel respectively, a first timing controller for generating and supplying an upper data control signal to the upper data drive ICs for controlling operation of the upper data drive ICs, and a second timing controller for generating and supplying a lower data control signal to the lower data drive ICs for controlling operation of the lower data drive ICs.
US08743105B2
Techniques are described to monitor a level of graphics processing activity and control power usage based on the level. When no graphics processing activity is detected for a period of time, then a timing controller for a display device is instructed to capture a current image and repeatedly display the captured image. The graphics processing devices can be powered down. When graphics processing activity is detected, the graphics processing devices are powered up and the components used to capture an image and display the captured image are powered down.
US08743096B2
A method and system for operating a pixel array having at least one pixel circuit is provided. The method includes repeating an operation cycle defining a frame period for a pixel circuit, including at each frame period, programming the pixel circuit, driving the pixel circuit, and relaxing a stress effect on the pixel circuit, prior to a next frame period. The system includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixel circuits and a plurality of lines for operation of the plurality of pixel circuits. Each of the pixel circuits includes a light emitting device, a storage capacitor, and a drive circuit connected to the light emitting device and the storage capacitor. The system includes a drive for operating the plurality of lines to repeat an operation cycle having a frame period so that each of the operation cycle comprises a programming cycle, a driving cycle and a relaxing cycle for relaxing a stress on a pixel circuit, prior to a next frame period.
US08743086B2
The present invention provides a dual-mode touch sensing apparatus. The dual-mode touch sensing apparatus includes a substrate, a first touch sensing electrode formed on the substrate and a second touch sensing electrode formed on the substrate. The first touch sensing electrode is used to perform the capacitive touch sensing technology. The second touch sensing electrode is used to perform the electromagnetic touch sensing technology.
US08743083B2
A system includes a touchpad sensor array, a touch circuit, and a proximity circuit. The touch circuit executes a touch mode configured to track the position of a user or conductive object on the touchpad sensor array by detecting a change in an electrical property of the touchpad. The proximity circuit executes a proximity detection mode configured to track the position of a user or conductive object near or proximate to the touchpad sensor array by detecting a change in an electrical property of the touchpad. The system is configured to switch from the touch mode to the proximity detection mode after a predetermined period of inactivity, where the proximity detection mode can operate at one or more reduced polling rates, resulting in a reduced overall power dissipation. The system is configured to switch back to the touch mode when activity is detected by the proximity circuit.
US08743077B1
The present invention relates to a front light system which can be built with thin film light emitting diodes (LEDs), such as organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) or electro-luminescent light emitting diodes. The front light system may be built on a thin and flexible substrate and can generate lighting of satisfactory uniformity and with high efficiency. The system also can potentially be inexpensive. The front light system of the present invention is particularly suitable for keymat applications wherein a flexible reflective display on top of a touch sensitive surface or device, is used as an output device.
US08743070B2
A touch panel is constructed by a display/sensor unit which is slightly larger than a display screen of an LCD and a sensor unit which is projected to the outside from one side, for example, from one side on the right. A finger of the user is touched to a selection item such as desired button, icon, or the like on the display/sensor unit and vertically moved on the sensor unit. A selection display constructed by a plurality of buttons is displayed along the side of the display screen by the LCD. A button beside the finger is highlighted. When the finger is released, the highlighted button is selected. If there are no buttons adjacent to the finger, the button is not highlighted. Even if the finger is released, the state is not changed. When finger is moved to the display/sensor unit, the selection display disappears.
US08743069B2
This document describes technologies for interpreting physical contact with a non-touchscreen portion of a computing device's housing (e.g., the computing device's case) as input. For example, a user tapping his/her index finger against the back of a computing device, such as a smartphone or a tablet computing device, can be interpreted as input and can cause an operation to be performed by the computing device, such as turning the page of an electronic book that is being displayed by the computing device.
US08743065B2
A method of identifying a rotation gesture comprises detecting one or more induction signals induced by one or more pointing objects that come into contact with a touch-sensitive surface, determining the number of pointing objects, detecting movement statuses of the detected pointing objects, determining a rotation gesture performed by the pointing objects based on the movement statuses, generating a control signal associated with the determined rotation gesture and executing the rotation gesture in response to the generated control signal.
US08743062B2
A touch controller having noise reduction circuitry is disclosed. The touch controller can include a transmit section for generating stimulation signals to drive a touch display to sense a touch or hover event. The touch controller can also include a receive section for processing touch signals from the touch display indicative of the touch or hover event. The touch controller can reduce noise introduced into the stimulation signals and propagated through the touch display into the touch signals, thereby interfering with touch and hover sensing. To reduce the noise, the transmit section's noise reduction circuitry can isolate and subtract some or all of the noise from the stimulation signals. In addition or alternatively, the receive section's noise reduction circuitry can isolate and subtract some or all of the noise from the touch signals.
US08743061B2
A touch sensing method includes: scanning a plurality of first and second sensor lines, aligned in two different directions, of a touch sensor board; generating first and second indications based on the scan result, the first/second indication carrying information of at least one group of the first/second sensor lines that are adjacent to one another on the touch sensor board and that have detected a user's touch on the touch sensor board and of a number of the first/second sensor lines in the group; and generating a status signal that corresponds to a predetermined finger gesture at least based on a comparison result determined by comparing the number of the first sensor lines indicated by the first indication with the number of the second sensor lines indicated by the second indication. An electronic device that implements the touch sensing method is also disclosed.
US08743060B2
A mutual capacitive touch sensing device is disclosed. The device can include nodes for sensing a touch at the device and for sensing a force applied to the device. Some nodes can perform both touch and force sensing; while other nodes can perform touch sensing. The device can include distinct individual drive lines for driving the nodes and separate distinct individual sense lines for transmitting touch or force signals from the nodes. The nodes can form groups, where the nodes in each group can be coupled to the same drive line and to different sense lines and where each node in a group can be coupled to a node in a different group by the same sense line. Each node can be set up with a different combination of drive and sense lines coupled thereto. An example device can be a click wheel.
US08743050B2
A handheld device includes a housing and a keypad assembly configured within the housing. The keypad assembly includes one or more groups of keys configured for movable positioning between a first orientation in which a top surface of an individual key is exposed to a user, and a second orientation in which the top surface of the key pivotally retracts into the housing so as to expose an edge surface of the key.
US08743046B2
The present invention relates to device and method for driving a liquid crystal display device which can prevent defective picture display coming from variation of a color temperature from taking place for improving a picture quality and reducing power consumption.
US08743045B2
An object of the present invention is to achieve a scanning line drive device which allows further reduction of circuit scale and production costs. A gate driver (100) of the present invention includes: a shift register circuit (1) including g latch circuits (21) to (2g); g selection circuits (8); and g level shifter circuits (3). A level shifter circuit (3) of an output drive circuit (st1) receives a pulse (61) from a NAND circuit (6) of a selection circuit (8) at its input terminal (N1); a pulse (71) from a NAND circuit (7) of the selection circuit (8) at its input terminal (N2); and a pulse (Q1) from a latch circuit (21) at its input terminal (N3). The level shifter circuit (3) of the output drive circuit (st1) outputs a voltage signal obtained by converting the voltage level of the pulse (61) from its output terminal (O1); and a voltage signal obtained by converting the voltage level of the pulse (71) from its output terminal (O2).
US08743037B2
A color field-sequential liquid crystal display device comprising: a liquid crystal panel; a planar light-source unit for emitting light toward the liquid crystal panel; and a signal processor connected to the liquid crystal panel and to the planar light-source unit; wherein the signal processing includes: a comparing unit that compares video signals included in subframes of at least one identical color in each frame of two mutually adjacent video frames; and a polarity reversing unit that reverses the polarities of video signals in mutually adjacent subframes within the same frame, deciding whether or not to reverse the polarities of all video signals of one frame based upon the result of the comparison by the comparing unit, and outputting a video signal having the decided polarity to the liquid crystal panel.
US08743035B2
A driving method for dynamically driving a field sequential color liquid crystal display is characterized in that a backlight includes at least two or more different colors, a plurality of fields constitute one frame, each field includes scanning time, non-scanning time of COMs and the time when the backlight is turned off. All liquid crystal pixels are driven by scanning each COM in a certain order during the scanning time. The non-scanning time is the time during which all liquid crystal pixels are not driven while the backlight continues to be bright after the scanning time. The time when the backlight is turned off is the time when all liquid crystal pixels are not driven while the backlight is turned off after the non-scanning time. The sum of two kinds of time mentioned above is larger than or equal to 1 ms and less than or equal to 10 ms.
US08743022B2
A screen sharing system includes information processing apparatuses that display the same content on their respective screens as a shared screen. Each of the information processing apparatuses includes an operation right switching unit configured to acquire an operation right, a transmission data generating unit configured to generate transmission data including operational information of an input operation, and a drawing unit configured to draw a display object on the screen. At a transmitting information processing apparatus with the operation right, the drawing unit draws the display object according to the operational information, and the transmission data generating unit generates the transmission data including the operational information and sends the transmission data to a receiving information processing apparatus without the operation right. At the receiving information processing apparatus, the drawing unit draws the display object according to the operational information in the transmission data received from the transmitting information processing apparatus.
US08743014B2
At least three resonance frequencies are obtained by two antenna elements. The antenna device includes antenna elements (11) and (12), a wireless section (20) for supplying power to each of the antenna elements (11) and (12), a PIN diode (16) for electrically connecting and disconnecting the antenna element (11) and the wireless section (20) with/from each other, the antenna elements (11) and (12) being provided so as to be capacitively coupled to each other during the electrical disconnection between the antenna element (11) and the wireless section (20) which electrical disconnection is made by the PIN diode (16).
US08743005B2
An antenna comprises a ring-shaped radiofrequency resonator that defines a path for a circulating magnetic current. In an implementation, the resonator has a height of no more than 2% of an operating wavelength, and it has an electromagnetic resonance at the operating frequency. In an implementation, the antenna is of a type having a vertical, short electric dipole radiation or sensitivity pattern. It comprises, as the dominant radiative element, a ring of material disposed transverse to the vertical dipole axis and having an average magnetic permeability more than ten times the magnetic permeability of air. The ring has a maximum outer diameter and a height that is less than the maximum outer diameter. The antenna further includes a feed structure adapted to couple radiofrequency energy into and/or out of a magnetic current circulating in the ring.
US08742988B2
According to one embodiment, an antenna mounted on a portable apparatus having a hinge structure includes: a radiating element formed in a disk shape and configured to radiate a radio wave; a power feeding element exciting the radiating element; and a ground plate including a bottom surface arranged in parallel to the radiating element and the power feeding element and a side surface configured to allow a power feeding path feeding electric power to the power feeding element to pass in an area different from an area opposed to the hinge structure.
US08742982B2
An indirect radar holography apparatus for scanning a scene and generating a high-density signal pattern representing the scene. The apparatus illuminates the scene with radiation according to an illumination signal; generates a reference signal from the illumination signal; detects radiation emitted in a predetermined spectral range from a spot of the scene; generates a radiation signal per spot from the detected radiation; performs control so that radiation is detected at a number of spots distributed over the scene, the number being lower than the number of intensity signals of the high-density signal pattern; combines the radiation signals generated from the detected radiation and the reference signals to obtain a low-density signal pattern of intensity signals; and processes the intensity signals of said low-density signal pattern to generate the high-density signal pattern by applying compressive sensing to the low-density signal pattern.
US08742981B2
One embodiment relates to a coupler that can be used in a radar system. The coupler includes differential ports, an antenna port, a receiver port, a local port and a transmission path. The differential ports are configured to receive a differential signal. The antenna port is configured to output a transmitted signal and to input a received signal. The transmitted signal is derived from the differential signal. The receiver port is configured to output a portion or version of the received signal. The local port outputs a local signal, which is also derived from the differential signal. The transmission path is coupled to the differential ports, the antenna port, the receiver port and the local port. The transmission path typically has a length selected to derive or output the signals at the above ports.
US08742971B1
A successive approximation analog-to-digital converter includes: a comparator for comparing first and second comparison voltages from a conversion module and respectively identical to first and second input voltages, which are transmitted to the conversion module via a switch module in an ON state; and a control module for controlling the switch module and the conversion module and generating a digital output that corresponds to a difference between the first and second input voltages based on first and second comparison signals from the comparator and a clock signal. The switch module includes two switch units each having a series connection of first and second switches, and a third switch coupled to a common node between the first and second switches.
US08742969B2
First and second track and hold stages track and store an input voltage for a sample of an analog input signal. A coarse reference ladder provides a plurality of coarse references. The coarse reference ladder includes a first coarse reference and a second coarse reference ladder. A coarse ADC performs a first comparison of the input voltage and the coarse references and outputs a coarse output based on the first comparison. A switch matrix includes switches and is configured to close a switch corresponding to a coarse reference based on the coarse output. A fine reference ladder provides fine references. A fine ADC performs a second comparison of the input voltage and the fine references and outputs a fine output based on the second comparison. Logic outputs a digital output for the sample of the analog input signal based on the coarse output and the fine output.
US08742962B2
A semiconductor device includes an analog front-end unit that performs analog front-end processing of a measurement signal input from a sensor, where circuit configuration and circuit characteristics for performing the analog front-end processing are changeable, and an MCU unit that converts the measurement signal after the analog front-end processing from analog to digital and sets circuit configuration and circuit characteristics to the analog front-end unit.
US08742959B1
According to an example implementation, at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may include instructions stored thereon. When executed by at least one processor, the instructions may be configured to cause a computing system to select at least one function type to approximate an interval of data points within a time series, the at least one function type being less than all of a plurality of functions available to approximate the interval, while the first function type will approximate the interval of data points within a maximum allowable error, add data points from the time series to the interval, and when the first function type will no longer approximate the interval with the added data points within the maximum allowable error, select a function of a different type or a function of a different term from the plurality of functions to approximate the interval with the added data points.
US08742958B2
The transmission of broadcast data, such as financial data and news feeds, is accelerated over a communication channel using data compression and decompression to provide secure transmission and transparent multiplication of communication bandwidth, as well as reduce the latency. Broadcast data may include packets having fields. Encoders associated with particular fields may be selected to compress those particular fields.
US08742956B2
A position encoder kit, including: a scale comprising a series of position features; and a readhead. The readhead includes a detector for receiving configuration information from a configuration item. The readhead is configured to operate in accordance with the configuration information. The readhead also includes a receiver interface via which the readhead can supply position information to a receiver.
US08742949B2
A vehicle sensing parking barricade device includes: an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag which is attached to a vehicle for identifying the vehicle; a barricade bar which limits entrance of the vehicle; an RFID reader which is installed in a portion of the barricade bar and receives information from the RFID tag to determine whether or not the vehicle is authenticated to be parked; and a motor driver which receives a signal from the RFID reader 25 to drive the barricade bar 10 to limit the vehicle entrance depending on the vehicle authentication.
US08742945B2
A method for controlling traffic signals to give signal priority to a vehicle travelling along a planned route, which is divided into sections. The method comprises the steps of receiving a report from the vehicle which comprises at least the next few sections along the planned route, determining whether the reports contain at least one section on both sides of an intersection, and, if this is the case, controlling the traffic light at the intersection to give priority to the route through the intersection, for the vehicle to enjoy signal priority treatment. According to the invention, a signal priority method is provided which allows the planned route of the vehicle to be predicted well in advance. The possibility of advance planning is obtained by describing the planned route of the vehicle in terms of predefined sections of the route.
US08742943B2
In some embodiments, a system including an electronic device. The electronic device includes an electric power input configured to receive an electric power signal and has an input line terminal and an input neutral terminal. In some embodiments, the electric power input can also have an input ground terminal. The electronic device includes a metal oxide varistor protection module configured to protect at least one of the system or the electronic device. The electronic device includes a ground detection module configured to indicate the presence of an electric ground. The electronic device includes an electric power output having an output line terminal and an output neutral terminal. In some embodiments, the electric power output can also have an output ground terminal. The electric power input, the metal oxide varistor protection module, the ground detection module, and the electric power output are electrically coupled in series with each other. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08742935B2
Methods, systems and non-transitory computer readable mediums that store instructions executable by one or more processors to perform a method for detecting a fallen person are presented. The present technique includes identifying a reference plane and a reference line in a designated space monitored using one or more range-controlled radars. These radars are coupled to one or more antennas configured to define fields of the range-controlled radars to one or more portions of the designated space, where at least one portion corresponds to the reference plane. The range-controlled radars detect presence of one or more parameters corresponding to a subject disposed in the designated space. The parameters, for example, include one or more physiological parameters and one or more motion parameters. The range-controlled radars then identify the subject as the fallen person if the one or more physiological parameters corresponding to the subject are detected proximate the reference plane.
US08742922B2
A luggage tracking device, and a method of tracking luggage using the device, the device including a housing configured to be attached to a piece of luggage, a location unit provided in the housing to determine a current location of the device, a transmitter provided in the housing to transmit current location information, and a controller provided in the housing to control operations of the location unit and transmitter.
US08742921B2
A method of transferring medical information can include transmitting medical information from a mobile personal medical device responsive to determining that a remote system is authorized to receive the medical information. Related Systems, devices, and computer program products are also disclosed.
US08742909B2
A solution for monitoring vehicles for vehicle-induced roadway debris is provided. A reporting vehicle can include a set of sensors for detecting an incident relating to roadway debris. The reporting vehicle can automatically report the incident to a computer system, which can update an incident record for one or more monitored vehicles associated with the incident. The computer system can identify a set of monitored vehicles based on location data for each monitored vehicle and/or the reporting vehicle can be a monitored vehicle. The computer system can determine that a monitored vehicle is an unsafe vehicle and can initiate a safety action in response to the determination.
US08742903B2
The present invention provides a method of operating a thermal cycler using readable tags (for example, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)) to simplify the operation and to reduce user interaction requirements. The RFID tag is used to program the thermal cycler unit. This automates process flow and allows single button operation. In general terms, the invention uses RFID tags provided on reaction vessels to identify a particular vessel; while a readable program card contains data associating reaction vessel identities with specific operations (eg, thermal cycling program, detection steps) to be performed on that vessel. The thermal cycler detects the reaction vessel RFID tag, and selects an appropriate operation to perform.
US08742899B2
An apparatus and method to identify devices including a first set of commands to identify devices in a first state and a second set of commands to identify devices in a second state, wherein devices identified in the first state are placed in the second state and devices identified in the second state are placed in the first state.
US08742897B2
A rotatable tag is provided that is configured to be affixed to a moveable object, the tag includes a housing configured to provide an increased volume and occupy a relatively small amount of surface area on the object to which the tag is affixed. The rotatable tag is configured to transmit information related to the tag and/or an environment surrounding the tag. Related systems are also provided herein.
US08742890B2
An image acquisition system includes an image acquisition device and a commanding device configured as a member separate from the image acquisition device to transmit a command to the image acquisition device for controlling the image acquisition device in such a manner as to permit the image acquisition device to operate in response to the command. The image acquisition device transmits to the commanding device identification information permitting the image acquisition device to identify the commanding device. The commanding device receives the transmitted identification information and transmits a command with authentication information contains authentication information permitting the image acquisition device to authenticate the commanding device, the authentication information containing one of the received identification information and information derived from the identification information.
US08742889B2
Apparatus and methodology for providing electronic access control are disclosed. In an exemplary configuration, a retrofittable electronic lock can be used to provide secure storage to an enclosure. A user interface and LCD visual display can be provided to permit convenient adjustment of system operational parameters. In certain embodiments, the electronic access control system includes master-slave control capabilities. In other embodiments, the electronic access control system includes inventory management capability. In still other embodiments, apparatus and methodologies provide the secure storage of the enclosure when the enclosure is being moved or otherwise transported from one location to another location. Various alternative arrangements may provide various alert features, as well as battery features which facilitate rapid replacement and/or reconfiguration.
US08742886B2
A multi unit controller has a plurality of base units each of which includes a control unit connector, a base unit connector through which the base units juxtaposed to each other are connected to each other, and a plurality of control units connected to the base units respectively through the respective control unit connector, wherein the base units juxtaposed vertically.
US08742885B2
The present system and method is particularly useful for remotely controlling a device having one or more menus via a remote touch interface having at least an unstructured primary input area. A user can provide inputs to a touch interface without needing to view the interface and yet still achieve the desired response from the remotely controlled device. The primary input area of the touch interface may or may not have a background display, such as on a touch screen, but the primary input area of the touch interface should be unstructured and should not have independently selectable items, buttons, icons or anything of the like. Since the touch interface is unstructured, the user does not have to identify any selectable buttons. Instead the user can input a gesture into the interface and watch the remotely controlled device respond. The system does not provide any other visual confirmation.
US08742881B2
An electronic component that can be prevented from being shifted from a normal mount position and can be manufactured with a low cost is provided. The component is configured by stacking a plurality of insulating layers and a plurality of inner conductors provided on the respective insulating layers. The connection conductors have respective exposure portions that are each exposed between corresponding ones of the insulating layers at a surface of the stack. An outer electrode is formed, for example, by plating on the lower surface so that the exposure portions are covered with the outer electrode. The plurality of exposure portions do not have uniform thicknesses or are not arranged at uniform intervals in the stacking direction.
US08742871B2
A bandpass filter comprises a first capacitor, a second capacitor, a third capacitor and at least two resonators. The first and second capacitors are coupled in parallel with each other, and each of the first and second capacitors includes an input. The third capacitor is coupled between the first capacitor and the second capacitor at their respective inputs. The at least two resonators are coupled in parallel with the first capacitor and the second capacitor and are positioned adjacent to each other at a distance such that the at least one component of the resonators are electromagnetically coupled together to provide three (3) transmission zeros.
US08742870B2
According to the teachings presented herein, a reconfigurable filter apparatus includes at least first and second passive filter sections connected in parallel to yield a composite filter response. Each passive filter section has a respective passband response and at least one of the passive filter sections is a ‘de-tunable’ passive filter section. Each de-tunable passive filter circuit includes a detuning circuit operable to exclude the respective passband response of the de-tunable passive filter section from the composite filter response by detuning a resonator within the de-tunable passive filter section. ‘Detuning’ the resonator can be understood as short-circuiting, opening the resonator, or otherwise disabling it, such that the filter path is blocked. Advantageously, the resonator(s) that are selectively detuned in this manner is isolated from input and output ports of the de-tunable passive filter section with respect to frequencies outside of the respective passband response of the de-tunable passive filter section.
US08742869B2
A high power, low passive inter-modulation capacitor is presented, which is formed using metal clad substrates, which are broad-side coupled through a thin air gap. Each substrate may include metal layers affixed on both sides which are electrical coupled together to form a single capacitor plate, or each substrate may have only a single metal layer on the surface adjacent to the air gap. The capacitor has particular application in low cost RF and microwave filters, which may be used in communication equipment and communication test equipment such a diplexers, for low PIM applications.
US08742864B2
In a particular embodiment, a method includes adjusting an input to a divider on a feedback path of a phase locked loop circuit based on a stored digital value representing a portion of a time-based waveform that is applied to a modulator circuit. The stored digital value is retrieved based on an output of the feedback path.
US08742859B2
A tunable inductor circuit is disclosed. The tunable inductor circuit includes a first inductor. The tunable inductor circuit also includes a second inductor in parallel with the first inductor. The tunable inductor circuit also includes a switch coupled to the second inductor. A resistance of the switch is added in parallel to the first inductor based on operation of the switch.
US08742845B2
Various embodiments of an amplifier circuit are provided. In one embodiment, the amplifier circuit includes an input differential circuitry configured to convert a pair of input differential voltage signals to a pair of differential current signals. The amplifier circuit includes a cascode circuitry operable to mirror the pair of differential current signals received from the first output terminal and the second output terminal to an output terminal of the first cascode transistor and an output terminal of the second cascode transistor. The amplifier circuit includes a current control circuit operable to divert an amount of bias current to reduce a current through the cascode circuitry, to thereby reduce a load of the amplifier circuit, the reduction in the load of the amplifier circuit allowing a reduction in current through the input differential circuitry for maintaining a predetermined bandwidth of the amplifier circuit.
US08742839B2
This invention discloses a double Through Silicon Via (TSV) structure, including a first die unit, a first signal path, a second signal path, a receiving unit and a second die unit. The first and the second signal paths respectively include a driving unit and a TSV unit. Each driving unit includes a first end, a second end and a third end. The invention divides the signal paths of the conventional double TSV into two different signal paths by two driving units and the receiving unit having OR gate or NOR gate, to avoid generating the problem of signal degradation from the TSV unit with short defect. The invention further disposes a first switch unit, a second switch unit, a first exchange unit, a second exchange unit, a first VDD keeper and a second VDD keeper, to avoid generating the problems of open defect and leakage current.
US08742836B2
A double-swing clock generator includes a first double-swing clock generation circuit and a second double-swing clock generation circuit. The first double-swing clock generation circuit is used for receiving a first voltage, a second voltage, a first clock, an inverse first clock, and a third voltage, and outputting a first double-swing clock. The second double-swing clock generation circuit is used for receiving a fourth voltage, the second voltage, the first clock, the inverse first clock, and the third voltage, and outputting a second double-swing clock.
US08742833B2
A charge pump circuit includes a charging capacitor, a plurality of pumping capacitors, a charging circuit, and a pumping circuit. The charging circuit is configured for charging the charging capacitor when the charge pump circuit is under a charging phase; and the pumping circuit is configured for coupling the charging capacitor charged in the charging phase to a pumping capacitor to generate an output voltage level at the pumping capacitor according to a potential difference stored in the charging capacitor, when the charge pump circuit is under a pumping phase.
US08742831B2
A method for digital programmable optimization of a mixed-signal circuit is provided. The method comprises dividing up one or more transistor devices of the mixed-signal circuit into one or more transistor segments, with each transistor segment including a body tie bias terminal. Each body tie bias terminal is coupled to at least one voltage bias, either by placing each body tie bias terminal in signal communication with one or more bias nodes in the mixed-signal circuit, or by placing each body tie bias terminal in signal communication with a non-precision bias voltage source. Each body tie terminal is also arranged to be in signal communication with a separate one of one or more digital programmable storage elements.
US08742828B2
A disconnecting apparatus for direct current interruption between a direct current source and an electrical device, in particular between a photovoltaic generator and an inverter, has a current-conducting mechanical switching contact and semiconductor electronics connected in parallel with the switching contact. The semiconductor electronics are non-conducting when the switching contact is closed, wherein a control input of the semiconductor electronics is wired with the switching contact in such a way that, when the switching contact opens, an arc voltage generated as a result of an arc via the switching contact switches the semiconductor electronics to become conducting.
US08742816B2
A delay circuit includes a delay unit configured to generate a delayed transmission signal by delaying a transmission signal activated when a first signal or a second signal is activated, a signal type storing unit configured to store whether the first signal and the second signal is activated, and a transmitting unit configured to transmits the delayed transmission signal as a first delayed signal or a second delayed signal in response to a value stored in the signal type storing unit.
US08742812B2
A pipe latch circuit includes a pipe input unit configured to receive a plurality of data in an order corresponding to address information, a control signal generator configured to generate first and second control clock signals by using the address information, where the first and second control clock signals correspond to a synchronization clock signal, and a pipe output unit configured to synchronize an output signal of the pipe input unit with the first and second control clock signals and output the synchronized output signal.
US08742808B2
A phase locked loop circuit (30, 100, 110) includes a controllable oscillator (42) for generating an output signal of desired frequency responsive to a control signal, a first phase detection circuit (32, 102, 112) for generating an output indicative of phase differential responsive to the output signal and a first edge of a reference signal and a second phase detection circuit (34, 104, 114) for generating an output indicative of phase differential responsive to the output signal and a second edge of a reference signal. The control signal to the controllable oscillator (42) is driven by the outputs of the first and second phase detections circuits.
US08742801B2
A buffer circuit is provided which is insensitive to a duty distortion regardless of the change of operation environment. The buffer circuit includes a current mode logic buffer and a differential-to-single-ended converter. The differential-to-single-ended converter receives first and second differential output signals to generate a single ended output signal and is configured so that an internal control node of the differential-to-single-ended converter is controlled in a negative feedback method to maintain a constant duty ratio of the single ended output signal regardless of the change of operation environment. According to some embodiments, a duty distortion of the single ended output signal due to the change of operation environment such as a process, a voltage, a temperature, etc. is reduced or minimized and thereby performance of the buffer circuit is improved and operation reliability is improved.
US08742799B2
A voltage mode driver circuit includes a plurality of VMD cells and a calibration component. The plurality of VMD cells are configured to generate a calibrated emphasis level according to a calibration signal. The calibration component is configured to determine a voltage dependence effect. Additionally, the calibration component is configured to generate the calibration signal according to the determined voltage dependence effect.
US08742795B2
In a frequency difference calculation circuit, a first frequency difference calculation section calculates a difference between the first input frequency and an oscillation frequency of the non-integer multiple oscillation section of which an oscillation frequency is a non-integer multiple of the first input frequency. Meanwhile, a second frequency difference calculation section calculates a difference between a second input frequency in which a difference between frequency having an integer multiple of the first input frequency and the second input frequency being within a predetermined error range, and the oscillation frequency of the non-integer multiple oscillation section and an addition section calculates a difference between the first input frequency and the second input frequency adding a calculation result of the first calculation section and a calculation result of the second calculation section.
US08742794B2
A distributed, reconfigurable statistical signal processing apparatus comprises an array of discrete-time analog signal processing circuitry for statistical signal processing based on a local message-passing algorithm and digital configuration circuitry for controlling the functional behavior of the array of analog circuitry. The input signal to the apparatus may be expressed as a probabilistic representation. The analog circuitry may comprise computational elements arranged in a network, with a receiving module that assigns probability values when an input signal arrives and communicates the probability values to one of the computational elements, the computational elements producing outputs based on the assigned probability values. The signal processing apparatus may be an analog logic automata cell or an array of cells, wherein each cell is able to communicate with all neighboring cells.
US08742791B1
An embodiment of a technique to determine an expected occurrence of a signal is disclosed. The technique includes receiving first and second signals, and storing delay information representing an expected time delay from an occurrence of the first signal to a point in time corresponding approximately to an expected occurrence of the second signal. The technique further includes responding to an occurrence of the first signal by: waiting for a time interval equivalent to the expected time delay, evaluating the second signal at approximately the end of the time interval, and adjusting the stored delay information if the second signal occurred outside a time window associated with the end of the time interval.
US08742786B2
A semiconductor device includes a monitor including a first element coupled between a first power supply line and a second power supply line, and a load for increasing a load value between the first element and the first power supply line or the second power supply line, and a determination unit which determines an operating state of the first element based on an output of the monitor.
US08742783B2
A contactor is brought into contact with and separated from an electrode formed on a test target, and includes an elastic member that overlaps with a conductive member having a contact and which urges the contact in a pressing direction. The elastic member is fixed at a predetermined fixed position in a state projecting to the outside of a main body member and the conductive member is electrically connected from the outside of a housing of the main body member of the contactor.
US08742780B2
A semiconductor device includes a resistor terminal, a reference voltage generator and a detector. The resistor terminal is connected to an external resistor. The reference voltage generator generates at least one reference voltage. The detector generates a detection signal based at least in part on a resistor terminal voltage and the at least one reference voltage. The detection signal indicates a state of an electrical connection to the resistor terminal. The resistor terminal voltage is a voltage at the resistor terminal.
US08742775B2
A sulfur concentration detection system for detecting a sulfur concentration in a liquid includes a sensor having a conductive metal substrate and zinc oxide microstructures deposited on and protruding from the conductive metal substrate, a current source, and a voltage detector. An electrical resistivity of the zinc oxide microstructures is configured to change as a function of an amount of sulfur in the liquid available to react with zinc in the zinc oxide microstructures. The current source and the voltage detector are connected to the conductive metal substrate and configured to detect a change in the electrical resistivity of the zinc oxide microstructures.
US08742773B2
Systems and methods are provided to determine a capacitance of an electrochemical biosensor test cell of a test strip via determination of a phase angle between an output signal and input oscillating signal from the electrochemical test cell with measurement of an amplitude of the output signal from the electrochemical test cell along with conversion of the measured amplitude into a complex impedance of the electrochemical test cell based on the oscillating signal, phase angle and electrical resistance between the test cell and the connectors to derive a capacitance of the electrochemical test cell based on the complex impedance and predetermined frequency of the electrochemical test cell.
US08742772B2
A touch panel sensor with which unevenness of interference can be reduced is provided. A touch panel sensor of the present invention includes a film base material, a first transparent electrode pattern formed on a first face of the film base material, a first adhesive layer laminated on the first face of the film base material so as to cover the first transparent electrode pattern, a second transparent electrode pattern formed on a second face of the film base material, and a second adhesive layer laminated on the second face of the film base material so as to cover the second transparent electrode pattern, and the film base material has an in-plane phase difference of λ/4 with respect to a wavelength λ in the visible light region.
US08742769B2
A method of assembling a sensor probe for use in a sensor assembly is provided. The method includes providing an emitter configured to generate at least one forward propagating electromagnetic field from at least one microwave signal and to generate at least one backward propagating electromagnetic field. A data conduit is coupled to the emitter. Moreover, a ground conductor is extended substantially circumferentially about the data conduit. The ground conductor is configured to substantially reduce electromagnetic radiation within the sensor assembly.
US08742762B2
An accumulator control device includes a first electrical connection configured to connect the accumulator control device to a local accumulator. A second electrical connection is connected to the first electrical connection and configured to connect to a remote auxiliary electrical power supply device. A control unit is configured to measure at least one of a parameter of the accumulator and an environmental parameter and to transmit at least one of the at least one measured parameter and a value calculated using the at least one measured parameter to the remote auxiliary electrical power supply device via a communication interface.
US08742748B2
Calibration of a non-contact current sensor provides improved accuracy for measuring current conducted through a conductor such as an AC branch circuit wire. In a calibration mode, a predetermined DC current is injected through a conductor integrated in the non-contact current sensor. The magnitude of the magnetic field is measured using a sensing element of the non-contact current sensor. Then, when operating in measurement mode, a current conducted in a wire passing through the non-contact current sensor is determined by correcting the output of the non-contact current sensor using the result of the measurement made in the calibration mode.
US08742745B2
A DC-DC converter is provided. When a load of the DC-DC converter is too light, the DC-DC converter can raise a frequency of its PWM signal, and reduce a pulse width of the PWM signal, so as to avoid the frequency of the PWM signal falling into a frequency range that can heard by human's ear and maintain high conversion efficiency of the DC-DC converter.
US08742743B2
A switching-control circuit to control a switching operation of a transistor, having an input electrode applied with the input voltage and an output electrode connected to a load via an inductor, to generate an output voltage of a target level from an input voltage, includes: a voltage-generating circuit to generate a slope voltage based on the output voltage in each of a switching period of the transistor, the slope voltage changing with a slope corresponding to the output voltage; an adding circuit to add the slope voltage to a reference voltage, indicating a reference of the output voltage of the target level, or a feedback voltage corresponding to the output voltage; and a drive circuit to perform the switching operation of the transistor, when a level of either one voltage, added with the slope voltage, of the reference and feedback voltages reaches a level of an other voltage thereof.
US08742739B2
A voltage regulator controller is disclosed including: a reference voltage generator for generating a reference voltage; a comparison circuit, coupled with the reference voltage generator, for comparing the reference voltage with an output voltage of a voltage regulator; and a control circuit, coupled with the reference voltage generator and the comparison circuit, for controlling the reference voltage generator to stepwise lower the reference voltage when a power saving command is received by the voltage regulator controller.
US08742734B2
The invention relates to an active filter device for a power supply comprising a source having a source of current iS and a voltage VE, a power converter presenting an input inductor L, a power switch T controlled by a chopper signal and delivering an output voltage VS, and a load, the device being characterized in that it includes an active filter converter (10) for generating at its output a compensation current minus harmonics of the source current due to the chopping, in response to an input signal representative of the chopping of the power converter.
US08742732B2
Exemplary embodiments provide a method of controlling a doubly-fed electric generator using a frequency converter having a torque and flux controller. The frequency converter is connected to a rotor of the generator. The frequency converter calculates a stator flux positive sequence component from a stator flux. A rotor flux amplitude reference and an estimated torque is then calculated by using the stator flux positive sequence component. The frequency converter selects a voltage vector to steer the rotor flux by using the rotor flux amplitude reference and the estimated torque.
US08742726B2
A method for idle charging of a hybrid vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include: detecting an SOC of a battery and entering times to an idle charge control state; changing an entering point and a releasing point of the idle charge control according to a number of entering times to the idle charge control state for a predetermined period; performing idle charging by forcibly starting an engine when the SOC of the battery reaches the entering point of the idle charge control; and stopping the engine when the SOC of the battery reaches the releasing point of the idle charge control state as the idle charge is performed.
US08742721B2
The battery charging warehouse includes a pallet rack and a battery charger. The pallet rack has a plurality of storage locations in each of which a battery is stored. At least one of the storage locations is a charging storage location in which the battery is charged. The battery charger is mounted to an upper part of the charging storage location. The battery charger is movable up and down in the charging storage location and has a charge connector. When the battery charger is moved down in the charging storage location, the charge connector is received by a battery connector of the battery stored in the charging storage location thereby to automatically connect the charge connector to the battery connector.
US08742718B2
A vehicle is equipped with a main battery, an auxiliary machinery battery, a high-capacitance DC/DC converter which converts power on an electric path between the main battery and a motor-generator for traveling to supply the converted power to the auxiliary machinery battery, a low-capacitance sub power supply which converts power on an electric path between the main battery and an external power supply to supply the converted power to the auxiliary machinery battery, and a control device which controls the sub power supply. The control device determines whether or not the DC/DC converter has an abnormality, and operates the sub power supply to perform precharging when it is determined that the DC/DC converter is abnormal. An auxiliary machinery battery voltage V2 when precharging has been performed is set to a value which is higher by a predetermined voltage a than an auxiliary machinery battery voltage V1 when precharging has not been performed.
US08742714B2
In order to track the position of a component driven by an electric motor, wherein rotational movements of the electric motor are detected and used for a position count, deviations from an anticipated position count are determined and added to the position given by the position count as an uncertainty region.
US08742705B2
Provided is an apparatus for operating interior permanent magnet synchronous motor by receiving a first current command of a flux weakening control region I in a system including a detector measuring a position and a speed of a rotor of an IPMSM, the apparatus including a feedback unit transmitting over-modulated voltage information to a correction unit, the correction unit using the rotor speed and the over-modulated voltage information to correct the first current command to a second current command of a flux weakening control region II, a control unit controlling the second current command to output a voltage, a first limit unit limiting an output of the control unit to a maximum voltage synthesizable by an inverter unit, and the inverter unit applying a 3-phase voltage command for following a command torque to the IPMSM using an output of a voltage limit unit.
US08742704B2
The present invention relates to an AC motor control device and, particularly, to provide an AC control device capable of simply setting a state quantity of an AC motor non-linearly variable, in accordance with the motor driving state and using the setting in motor control, the present invention can be achieved by including a state quantity calculating unit (13, 13a, 13b, 13c) for calculating a state quantity corresponding to a coil interlinkage flux which is an internal quantity of the motor, calculating a setting value of the coil interlinkage flux defined on one axis out of two axes, that is, d and q axes, with a function formula using a current defined on the same one of the axes and a function formula using a state variable defined on the other one of the axes.
US08742701B2
A system includes an engine and a first coolant thermally coupled to the engine and circulated by a first pump; a hybrid battery pack thermally coupled to a second coolant circulated by a second pump; and an electric component thermally coupled to the second coolant. The system includes a first heat exchanger that transfers thermal energy between the first coolant and the second coolant. The system includes a second heat exchanger that transfers thermal energy between the second coolant and the auxiliary fluid stream having a temperature below a target operating temperature for the hybrid battery pack. The system includes a first bypass for the first or second coolant at the first heat exchanger, a second bypass for the second coolant or the auxiliary fluid stream at the second heat exchanger, and a component bypass for the second coolant at the hybrid battery pack or the electric component.
US08742689B2
A light emitting diode (LED) driving apparatus is provided, and which includes a first operational amplifier (OPA) having a positive input terminal receiving a predetermined voltage related to a current flowing through an LED string; a first resistor having a first end coupled to a negative input terminal of the first OPA and a second end coupled to a ground; a power transistor having a gate coupled to an output of the first OPA, a drain coupled to a cathode of the LED string and a source coupled to the first end of the first resistor; an error amplifier having a first input terminal coupled to the gate of the power transistor, a second input terminal receiving a reference voltage and an output terminal outputting a control voltage; and a power conversion stage providing a DC voltage to an anode of the LED string according to the outputted control voltage.
US08742685B1
A power circuit include a plurality of LED strings, each LED string having multiple LEDs connected in series. A plurality of magnetic amplifiers, reset current sources, and a control circuit are used to drive each LED string with equal current and to independently regulate the amount of voltage supplied to each LED to maximize efficiency. One magnetic amplifier, one reset current source, and one current sink are dedicated to each LED string. The control circuit measures the voltage drop across each LED string and determines an amount of reset control current in response to the measured voltage drop. The reset control current is supplied by the reset current source to the magnetic amplifier dedicated to the regulated LED string. The amount of reset control current supplied to the magnetic amplifier dictates the amount of voltage supplied to the LED string.
US08742684B2
A light emitting diode (LED) lighting system and method are disclosed. The LED lighting system and method include an LED controller to accurately control a current in an LED system. The LED controller includes components to calculate, based on the current and an active time period of an LED current time period, an actual charge amount delivered to the LED system wherein the LED current time period is duty cycle modulated at a rate of greater than fifty (50) Hz and to utilize the actual charge amount to modify and provide a desired target charge amount to be delivered during a future active time period of the LED current time period. The LED system and method further involve components to compare the actual charge amount to a desired charge amount for the active time period and compensate for a difference between the actual charge amount and the desired charge amount during the future active time period.
US08742677B2
A LED drive circuit according to the present invention comprises a controller and a programmable signal. The controller generates a switching signal coupled to switch a magnetic device for generating an output current to drive a plurality of LEDs. The programmable signal is coupled to regulate a current-control signal of the controller. The switching signal is modulated in response to the current-control signal for regulating the output current, and the level of the output current is correlated to the current-control signal.
US08742675B2
Disclosed herein is a light-emitting panel including: an organic electroluminescence element adapted to emit electroluminescence light toward a transparent substrate; a pixel circuit formed on the transparent substrate and adapted to drive the organic electroluminescence element; a color filter formed not only between the transparent substrate and organic electroluminescence element but also immediately on or above the pixel circuit; and a conductive layer formed between the pixel circuit and color filter, the conductive layer being more conductive than the color filter.
US08742668B2
A method for stabilizing plasma ignition in a continuous process conducted on a substrate, includes: applying a spike of RF power between an upper electrode and a lower electrode on which the substrate is placed, wherein the spike starts from zero power, jumps to a spike power, and then drops to a base power which is so low as to cause plasma ignition failure; and continuously applying RF power at the base power between the upper and lower electrode for a duration substantially longer than a duration of the spike to process the substrate. The spike is such that ignition failure is reduced.
US08742665B2
Embodiments of the present invention generally provide a plasma source apparatus, and method of using the same, that is able to generate radicals and/or gas ions in a plasma generation region that is symmetrically positioned around a magnetic core element by use of an electromagnetic energy source. In general, the orientation and shape of the plasma generation region and magnetic core allows for the effective and uniform coupling of the delivered electromagnetic energy to a gas disposed in the plasma generation region. In general, the improved characteristics of the plasma formed in the plasma generation region is able to improve deposition, etching and/or cleaning processes performed on a substrate or a portion of a processing chamber that is disposed downstream of the plasma generation region.
US08742661B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a display device preventing the external invasion of water and/or oxygen and preventing the deterioration of a luminous element due to these invading substances and to provide a production method including simple production steps for producing the display device. The invention provides a display device having a sealing material on the rim of an exposed interlayer insulator for preventing the invasion of water and/or oxygen from the interlayer insulator. Further, the invention provides a display device having a barrier body on an exposed interlayer insulator for preventing the invasion of water and/or oxygen from the interlayer insulator. Furthermore, the application of droplet discharge technique in production steps for producing the display device can eliminate a photolithography step such as exposing and developing. Thus, a method of producing a display device having an improved yield is provided.
US08742658B2
A full-color AM OLED includes a transparent substrate, a color filter positioned on an upper surface of the substrate, and a metal oxide thin film transistor backpanel positioned in overlying relationship on the color filter and defining an array of pixels. An array of OLEDs is formed on the backpanel and positioned to emit light downwardly through the backpanel, the color filter, and the substrate in a full-color display. Light emitted by each OLED includes a first emission band with wavelengths extending across the range of two of the primary colors and a second emission band with wavelengths extending across the range of the remaining primary color. The color filter includes for each pixel, two zones separating the first emission band into two separate primary colors and a third zone passing the second emission band.
US08742656B2
An organic light emitting device and a method of manufacturing the same are disclosed. The organic light emitting device includes a substrate, a gate electrode on the substrate, a first insulating film insulating the gate electrode, a semiconductor layer positioned opposite to the gate electrode, a second insulating film insulating the semiconductor layer, source and drain electrodes connected to the semiconductor layer, a first electrode connected to one of the source and drain electrodes, a third insulating film including an opening that exposes the first electrode, a second electrode positioned opposite to the first electrode, and a light emitting layer positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode. A taper angle of an edge area of the third insulating film contacting the first electrode lies substantially in a range between 10° and 50°.
US08742655B2
Certain example embodiments relate to improved lighting systems and/or methods of making the same. In certain example embodiments, a lighting system includes a glass substrate with one or more apertures. An LED or other light source is disposed at one end of the aperture such that light from the LED directed through the aperture of the glass substrate exits the opposite end of the aperture. Inner surfaces of the aperture have a mirroring material such as silver to reflect the emitted light from the LED. In certain example embodiments, a remote phosphor article or layer is disposed opposite the LED at the other end of the aperture. In certain example embodiment, a lens is disposed in the aperture, between the remote phosphor article and the LED.
US08742651B2
Exemplary piezoelectric vibrating pieces have an excitation electrode and an extraction electrode having uniform thickness in the vibrating region to prevent unnecessary vibrations and degradation of vibration characteristics. An exemplary piezoelectric vibrating piece includes a vibrating portion having an excitation electrode of a first thickness (d1), an outer frame surrounding the vibrating portion with a gap therebetween, a joining portion connecting the vibrating portion and the outer frame, and an extraction electrode connected to the excitation electrode and extending on the vibrating portion, joining portion, and outer frame. The extraction electrode has the first thickness d1 throughout the vibrating portion and a second thickness (d2>d1) on the outer frame.
US08742649B2
An apparatus comprising a mechanical-to-electrical energy converting device utilizes an array of microfluidic droplets in association with a planar electrode and separated by a dielectric layer to form a capacitive structure. An elastic spacer is also disposed between the planar electrode and array of droplets, such that as the spacer is compressed, the contact area of the droplets and the dielectric is increased—increasing the total capacitance value. Periodic changes in the force applied to the elastic spacer (such as associated with vibrational motion) creates a periodic change in the capacitance value, generating an electrical current flow between the planar electrode and array of conductive droplets.
US08742631B2
A power module includes a power conversion circuit, a fan, a controlling unit, a capacitor, a current-adjusting element and a soft start controlling unit. The power conversion circuit is used for outputting a DC voltage. The fan is connected with the power conversion circuit. The controlling unit is used for issuing a control signal to the fan, thereby controlling operation of the fan. The capacitor is connected with the fan in parallel. The current-adjusting element is connected with the capacitor in series for adjusting the magnitude of current flowing through the capacitor. The soft start controlling unit is connected with the current-adjusting element. When the power module is connected with a connector of a power supply system, the soft start controlling unit controls the magnitude of current flowing through the current-adjusting element to be gradually increased, so that the magnitude of current flowing through the capacitor is gradually increased.
US08742630B2
A one wire self referencing circuit provides power or data at relatively low power and relatively high frequency.
US08742627B2
A wireless power feeder 116 feeds power by wireless from a feeding coil L2 to a receiving coil L3 using a magnetic field resonance phenomenon. A power transmission control circuit 200 supplies AC power at a drive frequency fo to the feeding coil L2, thereby making the feeding coil L2 feed the AC power to the receiving coil L3. A phase detection circuit 150 detects the phase difference between the voltage phase and current phase of the AC power. Concretely, the phase detection circuit compares a first detection time period during which a signal T2 assumes a high level and a second detection time period during which a signal S2 assumes a high level and detects the length of the time period in which the first and second detection periods overlap each other to detect the phase difference.
US08742622B2
In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, systems and methods for thermal protection in a power system may be provided. In accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for thermal protection in a power system having a plurality of power modules selectively enabled and disabled in accordance with an efficiency policy may be provided. The method may include determining if an operating temperature for the power system is greater than a first threshold temperature. The method may also include enabling one or more power modules disabled in accordance with the efficiency policy in response to a determination that the operating temperature is greater than the first threshold temperature.
US08742621B2
The invention discloses a computer and an expandable power supply system. The expandable power supply system includes N interface units, a determination unit, and a voltage converting unit. N is an integer equal to or more than two. The interface units are electrically connected with at least one power supplies and switching the levels of (N−1) control signals according to conductance of the power supplies. When the interface units are electrically connected with 1st to Mth power supplies, the determination unit outputs a start signal when the determination unit receives power reply signals provided by the 1st to Mth power supplies. M is an integer, and 1≦M≦N. The voltage converting unit is enabled according to the start signal to distribute operation voltages provided by the 1st to Mth power supplies by utilizing the control signals to generate a supply voltage.
US08742619B2
One state detector detects an abnormal state or a normal state relating to charge and discharge of a battery cell group in one battery module, and generates one detection signal representing the detected state. Another state detector detects an abnormal state or a normal state relating to charge and discharge of another battery cell group in another battery module, and generates another detection signal representing the detected state. One operation processing device sends the one detection signal generated by the one state detector to an external object. Another operation processing device sends the other detection signal generated by the other state detector to the external object. The one detection signal generated by the one state detector is transmitted to at least one of the other operation processing device and the other state detector via a signal line.
US08742610B2
A method of operating a wind turbine system includes: determining, by an industrial process controller, if an actual wind speed value, received from an anemometer, of a wind at a location of the wind turbine system is less than a predetermined minimum wind speed value. If so, then calculating a command speed value that will cause a variable-speed drive to drive the motor/generator and a sail assembly at a speed that the sail assembly would turn if the actual wind speed value was the minimum wind speed value, such that the sail assembly turns and provides a visual effect. If not, then calculating a command speed value based on the actual wind speed value such that the variable-speed drive and the motor/generator will operate in a braking mode to recover a braking energy of a load of the wind on the sail assembly.
US08742603B2
A backside mold configuration (BSMC) process for manufacturing packaged integrated circuits includes applying a mold compound to a side of a packaging substrate opposite an attached die. The mold compound is deposited on a dielectric (such as photo resist). The mold compound and dielectric are patterned after coupling a die to the packaging substrate to expose a contact pad of the packaging substrate. After patterning the mold compound and dielectric, a packaging connection is coupled to contact pads through the mold compound and dielectric. The mold compound surrounding the packaging connection reduces warpage of the packaging substrate during processing. Additionally, patterning the dielectric after attaching the die improves reliability of the packaging connection.
US08742602B2
A die assembly includes a die mounted to a support, in which the support has interconnect pedestals formed at bond pads, and the die has interconnect terminals projecting beyond a die edge into corresponding pedestals. Also, a support has interconnect pedestals. Also, a method for electrically interconnecting a die to a support includes providing a support having interconnect pedestals formed at bond pads on the die mount surface of the support, providing a die having interconnect terminals projecting beyond a die edge, positioning the die in relation to the support such that the terminals are aligned with the corresponding pedestals, and moving the die and the support toward one another so that the terminals contact the respective pedestals.
US08742601B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip, wiring that is included in the semiconductor chip and has a coupling part between parts with different widths, a pad being formed above the wiring and in a position overlapping the coupling part, a bump being formed on the pad, a buffer layer being formed in a position between the coupling part and the pad so as to cover the entire coupling part, and inorganic insulating layers being formed between the wiring and the buffer layer and between the buffer layer and the pad, respectively. The buffer layer is made of a material other than resin and softer than the inorganic insulating layer.
US08742600B2
Provided are a dual-phase intermetallic interconnection structure and a fabricating method thereof. The dual-phase intermetallic interconnection structure includes a first intermetallic compound, a second intermetallic compound, a first solder layer, and a second solder layer. The second intermetallic compound covers and surrounds the first intermetallic compound. The first intermetallic compound and the second intermetallic compound contain different high-melting point metal. The first solder layer and the second solder layer are disposed at the opposite sides of the second intermetallic compound, respectively. The first intermetallic compound is adapted to fill the micropore defects generated during the formation of the second intermetallic compound.
US08742596B2
Disclosed herein is a semiconductor device including: a first laminate having a wiring layer formed on a substrate; a second laminate having a wiring layer formed on a substrate, a principal surface of the second laminate being bonded to a principal surface of the first laminate; a functional element disposed in at least one of the first laminate and the second laminate; and an air gap penetrating an interface between the first laminate and the second laminate, the air gap being disposed on an outside of a circuit formation region including the functional element in at least one of the first laminate and the second laminate as viewed from a direction perpendicular to the principal surfaces of the first laminate and the second laminate.
US08742595B1
The present invention provides a MEMS structure comprising confined sacrificial oxide layer and a bonded Si layer. Polysilicon stack is used to fill aligned oxide openings and MEMS vias on the sacrificial layer and the bonded Si layer respectively. To increase the design flexibility, some conductive polysilicon layer can be further deployed underneath the bonded Si layer to form the functional sensing electrodes or wiring interconnects. The MEMS structure can be further bonded to a metallic layer on top of the Si layer and the polysilicon stack.
US08742594B2
A structure and method of making an offset-trench crackstop, which forms an air gap in a passivation layer that is adjacent to a passivated top metal layer of a metal crackstop in an integrated circuit (IC) die. The offset-trench crackstop may expose a portion of a topmost dielectric layer in the crackstop region, not expose a topmost patterned metal layer of the metal crackstop, and may be interposed between the metal crackstop and an active device region. Alternatively, the offset-trench crackstop may expose a portion of the topmost dielectric layer, which separates an outermost metal layer and an innermost metal layer of the metal crackstop, and does not expose any of the topmost patterned metal layer of the metal crackstop, where the innermost metal layer of the metal crackstop is interposed between the offset-trench crackstop in the crackstop region and the active device region of the IC die.
US08742590B2
A method is provided for forming at least one TSV interconnect structure surrounded by at least one isolating trench-like structure having at least one airgap. The method comprises at least the steps of providing a substrate having a first main surface and producing simultaneous at least one a TSV hole and a trench-like structure surrounding the TSV hole and separated by remaining substrate material. The method also comprises thereafter depositing a dielectric liner in order to smoothen the sidewalls of the etched TSV hole and to pinch-off the opening of the trench-like structure at the first main surface of the substrate in order to create at least one airgap in said trench-like structure and depositing a conductive material in said TSV hole in order to create a TSV interconnect. A corresponding substrate is also provided.
US08742584B2
An externally connecting electrode is formed above a semiconductor substrate with interlayer insulation films and disposed in the externally connecting electrode. The externally connecting electrode has a pad metal layer whose upper surface is exposed, a first metal layer formed between the pad metal layer and the semiconductor substrate, and at least two first vias which penetrate the interlayer insulation film and electrically connect the pad metal layer to the first metal layer and are formed in the interlayer insulation film. The maximum interval b between the first vias is larger than the width a of the pad metal layer.
US08742578B2
An integrated circuit (IC) chip including solder structures for connection to a package substrate, an IC chip package, and a method of forming the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, an IC chip is provided comprising a wafer having a plurality of solder structures disposed above the wafer. A ball limiting metallurgy (BLM) layer is disposed between each of the plurality of solder structures and the wafer. At least one of the plurality of solder structures has a first diameter and a first height, and at least one other solder structure has a second diameter and a second height. The differing heights and volumes of solder structures facilitate solder volume compensation for chip join improvement on the IC chip side rather than the package side.
US08742569B2
In some examples, a semiconductor package can be configured to electrically couple to a printed circuit board. The semiconductor package can include: (a) a lid having one or more first electrically conductive leads; (b) a base coupled to the lid and having one or more second electrically conductive leads electrically coupled to the one or more first electrically conductive leads; (c) one or more first semiconductor devices mechanically coupled to the lid and electrically coupled to the one or more first electrically conductive leads; and (d) one or more first micro-electrical-mechanical system devices mechanically coupled to the lid and electrically coupled to the one or more first electrically conductive leads. At least one of the lid or the base can have at least one port hole. The one or more first electrically conductive leads can be configured to couple to the printed circuit board. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US08742568B2
A circuit board (1) exhibits an average coefficient of thermal expansion (A) of the first insulating layer (21) in the direction along the substrate surface in a temperature range from 25 degrees C. to its glass transition point of equal to or higher than 3 ppm/degrees C. and equal to or lower than 30 ppm/degrees C. Further, an average coefficient of thermal expansion (B) of the second insulating layer (23) in the direction along the substrate surface in a temperature range from 25 degrees C. to its glass transition point is equivalent to an average coefficient of thermal expansion (C) of the third insulating layer (25) in the direction along the substrate surface in a temperature range from 25 degrees C. to its glass transition point. (B) and (C) are larger than (A), and a difference between (A) and (B) and a difference between (A) and (C) are equal to or higher than 5 ppm/degrees C. and equal to or lower than 35 ppm/degrees C.
US08742566B2
A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a first recessed conductive layer embedded and recessed into a first surface of the substrate, and a first raised conductive layer disposed above the first surface. A first vertical offset exists between an upper surface of the first recessed conductive layer and an upper surface of the first raised conductive layer. The device includes a second recessed conductive layer embedded and recessed into a second surface of the substrate. The second surface of the substrate is opposite the first surface. The device includes a second raised conductive layer disposed beneath the second surface and an interconnect structure disposed on the first recessed and raised conductive layers and the second recessed and raised conductive layers. A second vertical offset exists between a lower surface of the second recessed conductive layer and a lower surface of the second recessed conductive layer.
US08742562B2
An embodiment of a method for manufacturing an electronic device realized on a semiconductor substrate and protected against electro static discharge by the provision of supporting means for the electronic device to keep it far from contacts with possible sources of an ESD event during the manufacturing phases. The supporting means are associated with said electronic device in all the manufacturing stages for instance when assembling the device, when picking and placing it in trays a first time, during the burning-in testing phases, when picking and placing it in trays a second time, or when picking and placing it in a scanner. In an embodiment, the supporting means are protective notches associated with the back side of the semiconductor substrate and provided at each edge corner of the semiconductor substrate.
US08742558B2
A method of protecting sensitive components prior to, during or subsequent to advanced die packaging processing includes applying a metal stack layer such as titanium/copper (Ti/Cu) onto the front surface of a die assembly such that the die assembly front surface is covered with the metal stack layer. A layer of titanium/copper/titanium (Ti/Cu/Ti) or a solder alloy is also applied to the back surface of the die assembly such that the back surface of the die assembly is covered with the Ti/Cu/Ti layer or solder alloy. The front surface metal stack layer and the back surface Ti/Cu/Ti layer or solder alloy prevent degradation of die metallization prior to, during or subsequent to the advanced die packaging processing.
US08742554B2
A circuit member includes a frame substrate formed, by patterning a rolled copper plate or a rolled copper alloy plate, with a die pad portion for a semiconductor chip to be mounted thereon, and a lead portion for an electrical connection to the semiconductor chip, having rough surfaces formed as roughed surfaces on upsides and lateral wall sides of the die pad portion and the lead portion, and smooth surfaces formed on downsides of the die pad portion and the lead portion, and the die pad portion and the lead portion are buried in a sealing resin, having a downside of the lead portion exposed.
US08742552B2
The semiconductor device according to the present invention includes a semiconductor chip, an island having an upper surface to which the semiconductor chip is bonded, a lead arranged around the island, a bonding wire extended between the surface of the semiconductor chip and the upper surface of the lead, and a resin package collectively sealing the semiconductor chip, the island, the lead and the bonding wire, while the lower surface of the island and the lower surface of the lead are exposed on the rear surface of the resin package, and the lead is provided with a recess concaved from the lower surface side and opened on a side surface thereof.
US08742550B2
A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body and a source metallization which is arranged on the semiconductor body. The semiconductor body includes in a cross-section a drift region of a first conductivity type, a first body region of a second conductivity type which adjoins the drift region, a first compensation region of the second conductivity type which adjoins the first body region, has a lower maximum doping concentration than the first body region and forms a first pn-junction with the drift region, and a first charge trap. The first charge trap adjoins the first compensation region and includes a field plate and an insulating region which adjoins the drift region and partly surrounds the field plate. The source metallization is arranged in resistive electric connection with the first body region. Further, a method for producing a semiconductor device is provided.
US08742549B2
A semiconductor structure includes: a substrate with at least a trench therein, wherein the trench is filled with an insulation layer; a first polysilicon layer disposed on the insulation layer and covering at least two opposite borders of a top surface of the insulation layer; a second polysilicon layer disposed above the first polysilicon layer and the substrate; and a dielectric layer disposed between the first and second polysilicon layers, wherein the first and second polysilicon layers are respectively shaped as first and second strips.
US08742534B2
A semiconductor device having a lateral diode includes a semiconductor layer, a first semiconductor region in the semiconductor layer, a contact region having an impurity concentration greater than that of the first semiconductor region, a second semiconductor region located in the semiconductor layer and separated from the contact region, a first electrode electrically connected through the contact region to the first semiconductor region, and a second electrode electrically connected to the second semiconductor region. The second semiconductor region includes a low impurity concentration portion, a high impurity concentration portion, and an extension portion. The second electrode forms an ohmic contact with the high impurity concentration portion. The extension portion has an impurity concentration greater than that of the low impurity concentration portion and extends in a thickness direction of the semiconductor layer.
US08742527B2
According to one embodiment, a solid state imaging device includes a sensor substrate curved such that an upper face having a plurality of pixels formed is recessed and an imaging lens provided on the upper face side.
US08742512B2
A semiconductor device according to the invention includes: a first region on a semiconductor substrate, in which a first transistor is formed, the first transistor including first gate insulating film 4 containing a high dielectric constant material and first metal gate electrode 5 formed on first gate insulating film 4; a second region adjacent to the first region on the semiconductor substrate, in which a second transistor is formed, the second transistor including second gate insulating film 4 and second metal gate electrode 12 formed on the second gate insulating film, a layered structure of electrode materials of the second transistor being different from a layered structure of electrode materials of the first transistor; and a first and a second line, the lines being of different potentials, wherein a border between the first and the second region overlaps with at most only the first or the second line.
US08742495B2
In one embodiment, a vertical HVFET includes a pillar of semiconductor material a pillar of semiconductor material arranged in a loop layout having at least two substantially parallel and substantially linear fillet sections each having a first width, and at least two rounded sections, the rounded sections having a second width narrower than the first width, a source region of a first conductivity type being disposed at or near a top surface of the pillar, and a body region of a second conductivity type being disposed in the pillar beneath the source region. First and second dielectric regions are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the pillar, the first dielectric region being laterally surrounded by the pillar, and the second dielectric region laterally surrounding the pillar. First and second field plates are respectively disposed in the first and second dielectric regions.
US08742488B2
Example embodiments relate to a three-dimensional semiconductor memory device including an electrode structure on a substrate, the electrode structure including at least one conductive pattern on a lower electrode, and a semiconductor pattern extending through the electrode structure to the substrate. A vertical insulating layer may be between the semiconductor pattern and the electrode structure, and a lower insulating layer may be between the lower electrode and the substrate. The lower insulating layer may be between a bottom surface of the vertical insulating layer and a top surface of the substrate. Example embodiments related to methods for fabricating the foregoing three-dimensional semiconductor memory device.
US08742483B2
The invention includes methods for utilizing partial silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology in combination with fin field effect transistor (finFET) technology to form transistors particularly suitable for utilization in dynamic random access memory (DRAM) arrays. The invention also includes DRAM arrays having low rates of refresh. Additionally, the invention includes semiconductor constructions containing transistors with horizontally-opposing source/drain regions and channel regions between the source/drain regions. The transistors can include gates that encircle at least three-fourths of at least portions of the channel regions, and in some aspects can include gates that encircle substantially an entirety of at least portions of the channel regions.
US08742480B2
It is an object to provide a wireless chip which can increase a mechanical strength, and a wireless chip with a high durability. A wireless chip includes a transistor including a field-effect transistor, an antenna including a dielectric layer sandwiched between conductive layers, and a conductive layer connecting the chip and the antenna. Further, a wireless chip includes a transistor including a field-effect transistor, an antenna including a dielectric layer sandwiched between conductive layers, a sensor device, a conductive layer connecting the chip and the antenna, and a conductive layer connecting the chip and the sensor device. Moreover, a wireless chip includes a transistor including a field-effect transistor, an antenna including a dielectric layer sandwiched between conductive layers, a battery, a conductive layer connecting the chip and the antenna, and a conductive layer connecting the chip and the battery.
US08742468B2
Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which in some embodiments a mass spectrometer micro-leak includes a number of channels fabricated by semiconductor processing tools and that includes a number of inlet holes that provide access to the channels.
US08742466B2
Provided are a three-dimensional semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same. The three-dimensional semiconductor device may include a mold structure for providing gap regions and an interconnection structure including a plurality of interconnection patterns disposed in the gap regions. The mold structure may include interlayer molds defining upper surfaces and lower surfaces of the interconnection patterns and sidewall molds defining sidewalls of the interconnection patterns below the interlayer molds.
US08742463B2
A semiconductor device includes first and second p-type diffusion regions, and first and second n-type diffusion regions that are each electrically connected to a common node. A gate electrode level region is formed in accordance with a virtual grate defined by virtual lines that extend in only a first parallel direction, such that an equal perpendicular spacing exists between adjacent ones of the virtual lines. Conductive features are each defined within any one gate level channel that is uniquely associated with and defined along one of a number of virtual lines of the virtual grate. The conductive features form gate electrodes of first and second PMOS transistor devices, and first and second NMOS transistor devices. The gate electrodes of the first PMOS and second NMOS transistor devices are electrically connected, and the gate electrodes of the second PMOS and first NMOS transistor devices are electrically connected.
US08742452B2
Disclosed herein are a semiconductor device, and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a base region formed on an upper region of an inside of the semiconductor substrate, at least one gate electrode that penetrates through the base region and has an inverted triangular shape, a gate insulating film formed to enclose an upper portion of the semiconductor substrate and the gate electrode, an inter-layer insulating film formed on an upper portion of the gate electrode and the gate insulating film, an emitter region formed inside the base region and on both sides of the gate electrode, an emitter metal layer formed on an upper portion of the base region and inter-layer insulating film, and a buffer region formed to enclose a lower portion of the gate electrode and to be spaced apart from the base region.
US08742449B2
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a including a substrate, a first conductive type semiconductor layer arranged on the substrate, a second conductive type semiconductor layer arranged on the first conductive type semiconductor layer, an active layer disposed between the first conductive type semiconductor layer and the second conductive type semiconductor layer, a first electrode pad electrically connected to the first conductive type semiconductor layer, a second electrode pad arranged on the second conductive type semiconductor layer, an insulation layer disposed between the second conductive type semiconductor layer and the second electrode pad, and at least one upper extension electrically connected to the second electrode pad, the at least one upper extension being electrically connected to the second conductive type semiconductor layer.
US08742446B2
A light emitting element includes a first electrode, an organic layer formed on the first electrode, a resistance layer formed on the organic layer, a second electrode, and a conductive resin layer formed between the resistance layer and the second electrode.
US08742439B2
A nitride based light emitting device is disclosed. More particularly, a nitride based light emitting device capable of improving light emitting efficiency and reliability thereof is disclosed. The nitride based light emitting device includes a first conductive semiconductor layer connected to a first electrode, a second conductive semiconductor layer connected to a second electrode, an active layer located between the first conductive semiconductor layer and the second conductive semiconductor layer and having a quantum well structure, a first insertion layer located in at least one of a boundary between the first conductive semiconductor layer and the active layer and a boundary between the second conductive semiconductor layer and the active layer, and a second insertion layer located adjacent to the first insertion.
US08742438B2
A nitride semiconductor light-emitting device includes a layered portion emitting light on a substrate. The layered portion includes an n-type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a p-type semiconductor layer. The periphery of the layered portion is inclined, and the surface of the n-type semiconductor layer is exposed at the periphery. An n electrode is disposed on the exposed surface of the n-type semiconductor layer. This device structure can enhance the emission efficiency and the light extraction efficiency.
US08742437B2
A pixel structure including a substrate, a color filter layer, a conductive light-shielding layer, a buffer layer, a scan line, a data line, an active device, and a pixel electrode is provided. The substrate has a pixel region. The color filter layer is disposed corresponding to the pixel region. The conductive light-shielding layer is disposed corresponding to the periphery of the pixel region. The buffer layer covers the conductive light-shielding layer and color filter layer. The scan line and the data line are disposed on the buffer layer. The active device is disposed on the buffer layer and electrically connected to the scan line and data line. The pixel electrode is disposed on the buffer layer and electrically connected to the active device, wherein an overlapping area between the pixel electrode and the conductive light-shielding layer constitutes a storage capacitor. A method for manufacturing the pixel structure is also provided.
US08742436B2
The present invention relates to an organic light emitting display device which can prevent a light compensation layer from cracking and a method for fabricating the same.
US08742434B2
The present invention aims to provide a semiconductor light emitting device that may be firmly attached to a substrate with maintaining excellent light emitting efficiency, and a manufacturing method of the same, and a lighting apparatus and a display apparatus using the same.In order to achieve the above object, the semiconductor light emitting device according to the present invention includes a luminous layer, a light transmission layer disposed over a main surface of the luminous layer, and having depressions on a surface facing away from the luminous layer, and a transmission membrane disposed on the light transmission layer so as to follow contours of the depressions, and light from the luminous layer is irradiated so as to pass through the light transmission layer and the transmission membrane.
US08742431B2
A photo-coupler device includes a P-type substrate, a P-type epitaxial layer, an insulation layer, a plurality of shielding layers, a metal layer and a passivation layer. The P-type epitaxial layer is deposited on the P-type substrate and includes two conducting regions and a plurality of N+ electrode regions between the two conducting regions. The insulation layer is deposited on the P-type epitaxial layer. The shielding layers comprising first shielding layers and second shielding layers are deposited in the insulation layer in parallel in a horizontal direction, and the first shielding layers are arranged for correspondingly covering the two conducting regions, the second shielding layers are arranged for correspondingly covering the at least one of the N+ electrode regions. The metal layer is made of Ag and is deposited on the insulation layer. The passivation layer is deposited on the metal layer.
US08742429B2
A semiconductor light emitting device includes a first semiconductor layer having a bottom surface with uneven patterns, an active layer formed on the first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer formed on the active layer, a second electrode formed on the second semiconductor layer, and a first electrode formed under the first semiconductor layer.
US08742407B2
A light emitting element with a high contrast is realized. A light emitting device with a high contrast is achieved by using the light emitting element with an excellent contrast. The light emitting element has a layer containing a light emitting substance interposed between a first electrode and a second electrode, and the layer containing the light emitting substance includes a light emitting layer, a layer containing a first organic compound, and a layer containing a second organic compound. The first electrode has a light-transmitting property, and the layer containing the first organic compound and the layer containing the second organic compound are interposed between the second electrode and the light emitting layer. Furthermore, color of the first organic compound and color of the second organic compound are complementary.
US08742404B2
An organic light emitting diode display comprises: a substrate; an active layer formed with a semiconductor material on the substrate; a first insulation layer formed on the semiconductor layer; a pixel electrode formed on the first insulation layer and generated by alternately stacking a plurality of pixel metal layers and a plurality of pixel transparent conductive layers; a gate electrode formed on the first insulation layer and formed in a configuration different from that of the pixel electrode; a second insulation layer formed on the first insulation layer so as to cover the gate electrode with an insulation layer opening for revealing the pixel electrode; a source electrode and a drain electrode respectively formed on the second insulation layer and electrically connected to the active layer; an organic emission layer formed on the pixel electrode; and a common electrode formed on the organic emission layer.
US08742403B2
A small molecule semiconductor of Formula (I): wherein R1, R2, R3 and R4 are independently selected from a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted ethynyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl group, an alkoxy group, an alkylthio group, an alkylsilyl group, a cyano group, and a halogen atom, wherein n is 1 or 2, and wherein X is independently S or
US08742394B2
A semiconductor light-emitting element includes a support substrate, a semiconductor film including a light-emitting layer provided on the support substrate, a surface electrode provided on a light-extraction-surface-side surface of the semiconductor film, and a light-reflecting layer provided between the support substrate and the semiconductor film, forming a light-reflecting surface. The surface electrode includes a first electrode piece and a second electrode piece. The light-reflecting layer includes a reflection electrode including a third electrode piece and a fourth electrode piece. The first electrode piece and the third electrode piece are arranged so as to not overlap when projected onto a projection surface parallel to a principal surface of the semiconductor film, and the shortest distance between the first electrode piece and the fourth electrode piece, is greater than the shortest distance between the first electrode piece and the third electrode piece.
US08742392B2
Embodiments generally include a method of forming a nonvolatile memory device that contains a resistive switching memory element that has an improved device switching capacity by using multiple layers of variable resistance layers. In one embodiment, the resistive switching element comprises at least three layers of variable resistance materials to increase the number of logic states. Each variable resistance layer may have an associated high resistance state and an associated low resistance state. As the resistance of each variable resistance layer determines the digital data bit that is stored, the multiple variable resistance layers per memory element allows for additional data storage without the need to further increase the density of nonvolatile memory devices. Typically, resistive switching memory elements may be formed as part of a high-capacity nonvolatile memory integrated circuit, which can be used in various electronic devices, such as digital cameras, mobile telephones, handheld computers, and music players.
US08742388B2
Variable resistance memory devices may include a semiconductor layer including first, second, third doped regions, a variable resistance pattern on the semiconductor layer, a lower electrode between the semiconductor layer and the variable resistance pattern, and a first metal silicide pattern in contact with the semiconductor layer. The third doped region may be spaced apart from the first metal silicide pattern, the first doped region may be spaced apart from the third doped region, and a second doped region may be interposed between the first and third doped regions and be in contact with the first metal silicide pattern. The first doped region may have the same conductivity type as the third doped region and a different conductivity type from the second doped region.
US08742387B2
An integrated circuit includes a memory cell with a resistance changing memory element. The resistance changing memory element includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a resistivity changing material disposed between the first and second electrodes, where the resistivity changing material is configured to change resistive states in response to application of a voltage or current to the first and second electrodes. In addition, at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode comprises an insulator material including a self-assembled electrically conductive element formed within the insulator material. The self-assembled electrically conductive element formed within the insulator material remains stable throughout the operation of switching the resistivity changing material to different resistive states.
US08742384B2
An optical system for detecting light from a 2D area of a sample (36) comprises a collection lens (34) for collecting light from a collection region of the sample. A light detector (44) is positionally fixed with respect to the sample, and a reflector arrangement (61) directs collected light to the detector. The reflector arrangement comprises movable components and the collection lens (34) is movable relative to the sample. The collection lens and the movable components are configurable to define different collection regions, and the movement of the components effects a direction of the light from the collection region to a substantially unchanged area of the light detector (44). This arrangement avoids the need for a bulky detector in order to detect signals from a 2D sample area formed by scanning across the sample.
US08742382B2
The invention relates to a neutron reflector block. The neutron reflector block comprises a first portion and a second portion. The first portion has a first end face and oppositely located intermediate shoulders which are spaced from the first end face. The first end face and the intermediate shoulders are bounded by spaced side faces and spaced upper and lower faces. The second portion protrudes from the first portion between the intermediate shoulders and has spaced side faces and spaced upper and lower faces. The second portion side faces are more narrowly spaced relative to the first portion side faces. The second portion also has a second end face located oppositely to the first end face.
US08742377B2
Treatment planning methods are provided that determine the variability of relative biological effectiveness (RBE) along a beam line and calculate, among other things, what intensity of hadron beam such as a proton or a carbon ion beam should be applied to achieve a desired biological dose at treatment site of a patient afflicted with a medical condition. Typically, three or four RBE values at three or four corresponding spacially-dispersed intervals along the beam line are calculated. In one embodiment, two RBE values for the spread-out Bragg peak (SOBP) region of the treatment site; one for the proximal section and one for the declining distal section is calculated. A third and different RBE value may be determined for the distal edge region of the SOBP. A fourth value may also be calculated for a pre-SOBP region.
US08742375B2
An image acquisition condition necessary to so arrange FOV's as not to overlap along a device shape so that all constituent arreas necessary for electric characteristic measurement may be confined in the FOV's is determined from device shape information (including circuit design data and layout design data) possessed by CAD data. Since, contingently upon the shape of a wiring portion, the wiring portion of a device is expressed by using a plurality of basic constituent figures in combination, a process of arranging FOV's to the individual constituent figures is executed. For a cell portion, a FOV is arranged in reference to a cell outer frame and apexes. At that time, any apex is a starting point of the FOV arrangement process and another apex is an end point of the same process.
US08742371B2
Measurement data of intensities of fluorescence obtained by directing excitation light onto a subject is acquired. An initial value of an absorption coefficient of the phosphor is set on the basis of a concentration distribution of the phosphor, an intensity distribution of the fluorescence on the basis of an absorption coefficient and a diffusion coefficient (reduced scattering coefficient) of the subject, which are set beforehand, are calculated, and the measurement data is compared with the calculation result. If these are found not to be matched, an absorption coefficient of the phosphor at which the error will be a minimum is estimated by performing an inverse problem calculation using a mathematical model. The calculation of the intensity distribution of the fluorescence and evaluation of the error from the obtained concentration distribution are repeated using the absorption coefficient, and a concentration distribution for which the error is the minimum is acquired.
US08742370B2
In one aspect of the disclosure, a gas sensor is provided, comprising: a chamber for containing a gas sample in use, and a radiation source adapted to emit radiation within a first waveband. A photoluminescent material, upon absorption of radiation of a first wavelength within the first waveband, emits radiation of a second wavelength, the photoluminescent material being responsive to the presence of a target gas species in the gas sample. The gas sensor further comprises a luminescence detector assembly. The luminescence detector assembly is adapted to detect radiation of the second wavelength and output a corresponding measurement signal related to the concentration of the target gas species. An optics assembly is adapted to receive radiation emitted by the radiation source and to converge the radiation towards a location at which the luminescence detector assembly cannot receive radiation.
US08742362B2
According to one embodiment, a laser ion source is configured to generate ions by application of a laser beam, the laser ion source including a case to be evacuated, an irradiation box disposed in the case and including a target which generates ions by irradiation of laser light, an ion beam extraction mechanism which electrostatically extracts ions from the irradiation box and guides the ions outside the case as an ion beam, a valve provided to an ion beam outlet of the case, the valve being opened at ion beam emission and being closed at other times, and a shutter provided between the valve and the irradiation box, the shutter being intermittently opened at ion beam emission and being closed at other times.
US08742361B2
A charged particle column having improved performance at multiple beam energies. The column employs a four-element objective lens to enable improved beam focusing performance at both high and low beam energies at a target, with differing focus voltage configurations for different beam energies. By changing the voltages applied to the four electrodes of the objective lens, different focusing conditions may be rapidly configured, enabling rapid toggling between optimized imaging and optimized processing of a target.
US08742356B2
A substrate is made of copper having an atomic number of 29. The substrate is formed in the shape of a box without a top, and has a rectangular bottom and sidewalls erected at four sides surrounding the bottom. A scintillator is evaporated onto the bottom. The scintillator includes a non-columnar crystal and a plurality of columnar crystals erected by crystal growth. A photodetector tightly adheres to top surfaces of the sidewalls of the substrate through an O-ring, so as to close the top of the box-shaped substrate. The substrate, the photodetector, and the O-ring seal the scintillator in an air-tight manner.
US08742349B2
A radiographic imaging detector can include a housing, a radiographic imaging array enclosed by the housing, and a recess to releasably contain a battery in an outer surface of the housing. Certain exemplary embodiments of securing methods and/or battery latch apparatus for the closable recess of the DR detector can include a first catch mechanism configured to be released by force applied in a first direction, a second catch mechanism released by force applied in a second direction different from the first direction, where movement in the first direction can operate to disengage the first catch mechanism from the second catch mechanism, where movement in the second direction can operate to disengage the second catch mechanism for access to the recess, where the second catch mechanism is nearby the first catch mechanism, and where the first and second catch mechanism are actuated using one hand of an operator.
US08742341B2
A system for further enhancing speed, i.e. improving throughput in a SEM-type inspection apparatus is provided. An inspection apparatus for inspecting a surface of a substrate produces a crossover from electrons emitted from an electron beam source 25•1, then forms an image under a desired magnification in the direction of a sample W to produce a crossover. When the crossover is passed, electrons as noises are removed from the crossover with an aperture, an adjustment is made so that the crossover becomes a parallel electron beam to irradiate the substrate in a desired sectional form. The electron beam is produced such that the unevenness of illuminance is 10% or less. Electrons emitted from the sample W are detected by a detector 25•11.
US08742340B2
Disclosed herein are methods for determining and replicate unknown ratios of original target liquid blends, such as hydrocarbon fuel blends or contaminants, by using an in-process fluorescence-monitored procedure. The methods rely on trial-and-error mixing of the fuel ingredients into a single container. At the end of the trial-and-error procedure, the formed blend becomes an exact replica of the target fuel blend. The methods can also be used to build calibration curves without employing sets of previously prepared standard solutions.
US08742338B2
Systems and methods are described for laser ablation of an analyte from a specimen and capturing of the analyte in a dispensed solvent to form a testing solution. A solvent dispensing and extraction system can form a liquid microjunction with the specimen. The solvent dispensing and extraction system can include a surface sampling probe. The laser beam can be directed through the surface sampling probe. The surface sampling probe can also serve as an atomic force microscopy probe. The surface sampling probe can form a seal with the specimen. The testing solution including the analyte can then be analyzed using an analytical instrument or undergo further processing.
US08742318B2
In a tool length measuring method measuring a length of a tool based on a movement amount of the tool from a predetermined position when the tool is moved from the predetermined position in a predetermined direction and interrupts a laser beam, the movement of the tool in a direction in which the tool approaches a main body of a laser device is stopped when a static signal indicating that the tool is interrupting the laser beam is detected.
US08742311B2
A backside illuminated pixel array having a buried channel source follower of a pixel cell which is coupled to output an analog signal directly to a bitline as image data. In one embodiment, the buried channel source follower of a pixel cell is coupled to a source follower power line having a line impedance which is less than that of one or more other signal lines for operating that same pixel cell. In another embodiment, a source follower power line has a line impedance which is less than at least one of a line impedance of a transfer signal line or a line impedance of a reset signal line.
US08742302B2
A heating device and its temperature control method, wherein an NTC element envelops a core member, a sensing wire is wound around an outside periphery of the NTC element for making parallel connection of the core member with the sensing wire; further, a capacitor, the sensing wire and an electric resistor are connected in series to form an RC circuit, the RC circuit is connected with a microprocessor and a switch. Thereby when the microprocessor outputs a control signal containing at least a duty cycle square wave in a predetermined time to control the switch to make a direct-current electric power source electrically charge/discharge for the RC circuit; meanwhile, the microprocessor measures RC time constant of the RC circuit, and when it detects changing of the RC time constant reaches a preset state, it outputs a control signal to make the heat emitting line and the direct-current electric power source in a state of circuit turning on or off, such that the heat emitting device is kept at a predetermined working temperature.
US08742300B2
An inverter system includes inverting circuitry for inverting an input DC signal into a square wave or quasi-square wave AC signal across a resistance, and a controller for causing the inverting circuitry to invert the input DC signal into the AC signal. The DC signal is a DC voltage having a value that ranges from 24-32 volts DC. The AC signal is an AC voltage having a value that ranges from 115-230 volts AC RMS.
US08742296B2
The present invention is a self-inflating heat sanitizer, which uses convective heat transfer to eradicate bed bugs within an item. The heater unit propagates and reheats the air within the present invention as the heated air flows through the present invention. The heat chamber enclosure is a compartment that allows the heated air to circulate around the item and raise the temperature of the item to above 140° F. The structure of the heat chamber enclosure is inflatable walls, which are pressurized when the heated air flows into the heat chamber enclosure. The heated air will then vent out of the inflatable walls into the treatment volume, where the item is located. The insulated ducts lead the heated air from the heater unit into the inflatable walls and lead the heated air from the treatment volume back to the heater unit.
US08742294B2
A MIG welded joint between aluminum and steel members is obtained by overlapping the aluminum member and the steel member each other and performing MIG welding using a filler wire made of a 4000 or 5000 series aluminum alloy on an end face of the overlapped aluminum member, wherein the aluminum member has a thickness P ranging from 0.5 to 2.0 mm, and the steel member has a thickness Q satisfying the following formula: 0.6≦Q/P≦0.8.
US08742290B2
This robot system includes a robot, a laser emitting portion moved by the robot, emitting a laser beam to a target workpiece, and a control portion controlling the laser emitting portion to emit the laser beam on the basis of information regarding an arbitrarily-shaped work locus and movement information of the laser emitting portion.
US08742270B2
The present invention provides a switch that can prevent a locking member from being lost, that allows easy operations of handle locking and unlocking, and that allows more secure handle locking. A switch of the present invention includes a fixed contact point, a moving contact point capable of making contact with the fixed contact point, a handle to move the moving contact point, and a locking lever to lock the handle. The handle is equipped integrally with an overhang portion. The overhang portion is formed with a notched portion. The locking lever is equipped integrally with a projecting portion. The locking lever is pressed upwardly by a spring. When the handle is at a first position, an operation of the handle is locked by engaging the projecting portion to the notched portion. When the handle is at a second position opposite to the first position, an operation of the handle is allowed by letting the projecting portion abut on a lower surface of the overhang portion.
US08742269B2
A surgical device control assembly includes a control device operable to carry out at least two operational conditions of a surgical device and a button operatively connected to the control device. The button has a button-actuation direction in which the button actuates, an unactuated position at a rest point of the button, a first actuated position at first distance from the rest point in the button-actuation direction, and a second actuated position at a second distance further from the rest point in the button-actuation direction than the first distance. The first actuated position effects a first of the at least two operational conditions. The second actuated position effects a second of the at least two operational conditions different from the first operational condition.
US08742267B2
An electromagnetic interference shielding assembly for use in an electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device includes a circuit board and an alternating current cable including one end connected to the circuit. The electromagnetic interference assembly includes an electromagnetic interference shielding plate. The circuit board is mounted on the electromagnetic interference shielding plate. The alternating current cable includes a segmental portion arranged adjacent to the electromagnetic interference shielding plate. The segmental portion extends substantially parallel to the electromagnetic interference shielding plate. The electromagnetic interference shielding plate defines a plurality of slots each extending in a direction perpendicular to an extending direction of the segmental portion of the alternating current cable. The parallel slots, as a whole, extend along the extending direction of the segmental portion and spatially corresponding to the segmental portion.
US08742266B2
An electromagnetic gasket comprises a substantially rectangular sheet having a plurality of resilient fingers on an outer peripheral. The fingers are bent outward and at least four resilient prongs are bent inward to form a passageway that is sized and dimensioned to receive an HDMI connector. When the HDMI connector is inserted through the passageway, the resilient prongs are adapted to urge against top, bottom, and two side surfaces of the shell of the HDMI connector in such a manner to prevent the gasket from disengaging from the HDMI connector. The plurality of resilient fingers extend outward and beyond the top, bottom, and two side surfaces of the shell of the HDMI connector and are adapted to urge against a surface of a faceplate. The plurality of fingers and prongs of the gasket provide a direct grounding path between surfaces of the shell of the HDMI connector and surface of the faceplate.
US08742260B2
Provided is a circuit board device in which printed wiring boards 11, 12 are connected to each other electrically using a anisotropic conductive member 15 disposed between the printed wiring boards 11, 12. The anisotropic conductive member 15 comprises: an insulating elastic resin material 16; fine metal wires 17 having a middle portion embedded within the insulating elastic resin material 16 so as to connect corresponding connecting terminals of the printed wiring boards 11, 12; and resin layers 18 exhibiting a flexural rigidity greater than that of the insulating elastic resin material. An assembly composed of the printed wiring boards 11, 12 and anisotropic conductive member 15 is curved. The resin layers are shape-retaining resins for maintaining the curvature of respective ones of principal surfaces of the anisotropic conductive member 15 made to conform to curvature of the printed wiring boards 11, 12.
US08742258B2
A bonding wire for semiconductor includes: a core wire of copper or a copper alloy; a coating layer containing palladium and having a thickness of 10 to 200 nm; and an alloy layer formed on a surface of the coating layer. The alloy layer contains a noble metal and palladium and having a thickness of 1 to 80 nm. The noble metal is either gold or silver, and a concentration of the noble metal in the alloy layer is not less than 10% and not more than 75% by volume.
US08742257B2
A cable cap of a control cable has a small-diameter portion and a large-diameter portion on an outer tube side, and a large-diameter portion on a tip side. A bracket includes a cutout groove, into which the small-diameter portion of the cable cap can be inserted from above, an engaging projection that is formed in such a manner as to project from an inner wall of the cutout groove toward another inner wall opposite to the inner wall, and an engaging recess to be engaged with an edge portion of an outer peripheral surface of the large-diameter portion on the outer tube side in a state in which the outer tube side of the control cable is inclined around the small-diameter portion as a fulcrum engaged with the engaging projection by operating force from the outside.
US08742240B2
A tom holder has a holder body, a pivoting member supported pivotably with respect to the holder body, and a rod, which projects from the pivoting member with the tom fixed to the rod. The tom holder has a pair of openings located at opposed positions. The tom holder is configured to be usable in either a first mode, in which the rod projects from the first opening, and a second mode, in which the rod projects from the second opening.
US08742238B1
An inbred corn line, designated UTM31, the plants and seeds of the inbred corn line UTM31, methods for producing a corn plant, either inbred or hybrid, produced by crossing the inbred corn line UTM31 with itself or with another corn plant, and hybrid corn seeds and plants produced by crossing the inbred line UTM31 with another corn line or plant and to methods for producing a corn plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic corn plants produced by that method. This invention also relates to inbred corn lines derived from inbred corn line UTM31, to methods for producing other inbred corn lines derived from inbred corn line UTM31 and to the inbred corn lines derived by the use of those methods.
US08742231B1
A novel maize variety designated PH1M3D and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH1M3D with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH1M3D 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 PH1M3D or a locus conversion of PH1M3D with another maize variety.
US08742222B2
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1035754. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1035754. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1035754 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1035754 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US08742212B2
A soybean cultivar designated S080197 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar S080197, to the plants of soybean S080197, to plant parts of soybean cultivar S080197, and to methods for producing a soybean plant produced by crossing soybean cultivar S080197 with itself or with another soybean variety. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. This invention also relates to soybean cultivars, or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean variety S080197, to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar S080197, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing the cultivar S080197 with another soybean cultivar.
US08742204B2
The present invention provides metabolic regulators, which are proteins (such as fusion proteins, truncated proteins or full-length proteins) that bind to specific metabolites and which can be used to control the availability of the metabolites in cells, particularly plant cells. Proteins of the invention include one or more metabolic regulator proteins, can be truncated or full length, can further comprise a transmembrane domain or lipoylation site or can further comprise a transit peptide. Metabolic regulators of the invention can be soluble, e.g., cytosolic soluble, can be anchored to a biological membrane or can be organelle targeted or apoplastic targeted. The present invention also provides nucleic acid molecules encoding the metabolic regulators, methods of making the nucleic acid molecules, methods for making transformed organisms, including plants, photosynthetic organisms, microbes, invertebrates, and vertebrates, and methods for controlling availability of metabolites to a host cell.
US08742203B2
Methods and constructs for the introduction of multiple genes encoding enzymes in a multi-enzyme biosynthetic pathway are provided. In one embodiment, the constructs contain two or more enzyme-encoding genes, each under the control of an inducible promoter and each with a polyadenylation signal. The constructs are used to produce transgenic plants, in which the expression of the enzymes are increased when a chemical inducing agent is applied, and a biosynthetic product of the series of enzymes encoded by the transgenes is produced. Constructs may be used which contain two or more enzyme-encoding genes under the control of one or more promoters activated by activator molecules or complexes expressed from a transgene or transgenes, which are themselves under the control of one or more inducible promoters and switched on following the external application of a chemical. The transgene or transgenes expressing the activator molecules or complexes may be included in the same construct containing multiple genes encoding enzymes in a multi-enzyme biosynthetic pathway. Alternatively, the transgene or transgenes expressing the activator molecules or complexes may be on a different construct from the construct containing multiple genes encoding enzymes in a multi-enzyme biosynthetic pathway. The activator molecule can be expressed using a constitutive promoter in an inactive form which is converted to the active form following application of the chemical inducing agent.
US08742198B2
A dehydration sensor having a stable, printable, buffered-ink composition that enables one to miniaturize the detection zone and permits both buffer and indicator dye to be applied in the same area of a detection zone, without need for a conventional, large buffer pad region. The ink composition includes a weak polymeric base as its primary buffering agent.
US08742191B2
A process for transalkylation of polyalkylated aromatic components can include providing a transalkylation reaction zone containing a transalkylation catalyst. A feedstock can be introduced into an inlet of the transalkylation reaction zone and into contact with the transalkylation catalyst. The feedstock can include a polyalkylated aromatic component derived from an aromatic substrate. The aromatic substrate can be supplied to the transalkylation reaction zone. The transalkylation reaction zone can be operated at temperature and pressure conditions sufficient to cause disproportionation of the polyalkylated aromatic component to produce a disproportionation product having a reduced polyalkylated aromatic content and an enhanced monoalkylated aromatic content. The disproportionation product can be withdrawn from the transalkylation reaction zone. Amounts of nitrogen containing compounds in the aromatic substrate can be monitored in a range of from 15 to 35 wppm by dry colorimetry.
US08742187B2
The method of the present invention provides a high yield pathway to 2,5-dimethylhexadiene from renewable isobutanol, which enables economic production of renewable p-xylene (and subsequently, terephthalic acid, a key monomer in the production of PET) from isobutanol. In addition, the present invention provides methods for producing 2,5-dimethylhexadiene from a variety of feed stocks that can act as “equivalents” of isobutylene and/or isobutyraldehyde including isobutanol, isobutylene oxide, and isobutyl ethers and acetals. Catalysts employed in the present methods that produce 2,5-dimethylhexadiene can also catalyze alcohol dehydration, alcohol oxidation, epoxide rearrangement, and ether and acetal cleavage.
US08742177B2
A continuous process and system for preparing branched aldehydes by reacting aldehyde with an acid polymeric catalyst absent any metal from Group VIII to produce a product having about 10 to 99.99% by weight branched unsaturated aldehyde and at least 92% selectivity of reaction to the branched aldehyde and recycling a portion of the product.
US08742163B2
The invention relates to a method for producing methacrylated benzophenones and to the uses thereof.
US08742162B2
1-Amino-2-vinylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid ester, which is useful as a synthetic intermediate of pharmaceuticals, can be produced by a process of producing 1-amino-2-vinylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid ester represented by formula (4): including a step of hydrolysis of an optically active 1-N-(arylmethylene)amino-2-vinylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid ester represented by formula (3): which is obtained by reacting an N-(arylmethylene)glycine ester represented by formula (1): with a compound represented by formula (2): in the presence of a base and an optically active quaternary ammonium salt.
US08742161B2
There is provided a process for producing a bicyclo [3.1.0] hexane derivative represented by the formula (I) and a salt thereof including; causing an enzyme to act on an optically inactive compound represented by the formula (II) causing an asymmetric acylation reaction and a highly-stereoselective conversion to an optically active compound represented by the formula (III); and converting the compound represented by the formula (III) to the compound represented by the formula (I) or a salt thereof.
US08742158B2
The present invention provides HIV protease inhibitors of formulas I, IA, IB, Ib or II, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein R2 may be, for example, 2-pyridyl-CH2—, 3-pyridyl-CH2—, 4-pyridyl-CH2—, a sulfonyl group as described in the formulas herein including benzenesulfonyl or thiophenesulfonyl groups, R2a—CO)—, R2a being selected from the group consisting of piperonyl, 2-pyranzinyl (unsubstituted or substituted with H, or an alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms) or a picolylamine group as described herein, wherein R3 may be, for example, a phenyl group or diphenylmethyl group as described herein, and wherein Cx may be, for example, COOH, CONR5R6, CH2OH or CH2OR7.
US08742157B2
Provided is a method of preparing a biphenyl-4-yl diphenyl phosphate composition for use as a flame retardant or a plasticizer for resin, including mixing phosphoryl chloride (POCl3), 4-phenylphenol, and a catalyst, so that first dehydrochlorination occurs; and further adding phenol, so that second dehydrochlorination occurs.
US08742148B1
Dimers of jojoba oil wax esters are prepared by reacting the wax esters in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of an acid catalyst in supercritical CO2. In the reaction, the double bonds of the wax esters are opened and cross link or polymerize two wax esters as dimers. The jojoba ester dimers which are produced are of the formula: wherein R1 and R1′ are independently selected from the group consisting of C15-C23 monounsaturated hydrocarbons, R2 and R2′ are independently selected from the group consisting of C8-C14 saturated hydrocarbons, and R3 and R3′ are independently selected from the group consisting of C6-C8 saturated hydrocarbons.
US08742143B2
A process for preparing a prostaglandin analogue comprising a step of converting a compound of formula (8′): to the prostaglandin analogue, wherein R3 represents hydrogen or a hydroxyl protecting group.
US08742138B2
This invention relates to new compounds that can serve as hypoxia mimetics. This invention also relates to methods of increasing HIF levels or activity in a subject or treating a condition associated with HIF levels or activity in a subject by administering to the subject at least one of these compounds.
US08742137B2
Proposed are 2-oxo-1,3-dioxolane-4-carboxylic acid and derivatives thereof, according to the following formula, in which R1 represents a negative charge, hydrogen or can be preferably Me or Et or a radical having a valency of 2 to 5, which is substituted with an amount of further 2-oxo-1,3-dioxolane-4-carboxyl groups equal to the radical valency minus 1, as well as a process for their preparation by means of carboxylation of the corresponding epoxides, a process for their transesterification and their use for the preparation of hydroxyurethanes and as end groups for the blocking of amines.
US08742133B2
The present invention relates to substituted triazole compounds and compositions comprising substituted triazole compounds. The invention further relates to methods of inhibiting the activity of Hsp90 in a subject in need thereof and methods for preventing or treating hyperproliferative disorders, such as cancer, in a subject in need thereof comprising administering to the subject a substituted triazole compound of the invention, or a composition comprising such a compound.
US08742132B2
A compound of formula (I) wherein R denotes another heterocyclic residue and wherein Ra, Rb, Rc, Rd and Re, are as defined in the specification, processes for their production, their uses, in particular in transplantation, and pharmaceutical compositions containing them.
US08742123B2
The present invention relates to pyridoxine (vitamin B6) derived compounds of formula (I), pharmaceutically acceptable salts, or solvates thereof, wherein R1, R2, R4, A, L B1 and B2 are as defined in the specification, and pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds. Compounds of formula (I) inhibit Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-integrase enzyme and are useful for preventing and treating HIV infection and AIDS.
US08742121B2
The invention relates to small molecules which function as inhibitors of the interaction between p53 and MDM2. The invention also relates to the use of these compounds for inhibiting cell growth, inducing cell death, inducing cell cycle arrest and/or sensitizing cells to additional agent(s).
US08742120B2
The present invention provides for methods of preparing compounds of Formula I or a salt of the compound or a hydrate of the compound or salt thereof that are factor Xa inhibitors. Specifically the present invention provides a method of preparing the compound 5-chloro-N-((1-(4-(2-oxopyridin-1(2H)-yl)phenyl)-1H-imidazol-4-yl)methyl)thiophene-2-carboxamide, or a salt of the compound or a hydrate of the compound or salt thereof.
US08742107B1
A process to manufacture substituted tetracyano-hexaazatricyclics with the substitutions occurring at the 9 and 10 hydrogens. The process begins with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyanopyrazine, which is reacted to form the desired tetracyano-hexaazatricyclic. Different process embodiments enable different reaction paths to the desired tetracyano-hexaazatricyclic. Different tetracyano-hexaazatricyclic embodiments include bis(2-methoxyethyl)-2,3,6,7-tetracyano-1,4,5,8,9,10-hexazaanthracene and bis(2-methoxyethoxyethyl)-2,3,6,7-tetracyano-1,4,5,8,9,10-hexazaanthracene.
US08742102B2
A new process for the enantiomeric separation of racemic 3,6-dihydro-1,3,5-triazine derivatives for the treatment of disorders associated with insulin-resistance syndrome, by preferential crystallization.
US08742100B2
The present invention generally relates to inhibitors of isoprenylcysteine carboxyl methyltransferase (Icmt), in particularly to compounds that inhibit Icmt activity and pharmaceutical compositions thereof. The invention also relates to methods of disease treatment using the same.
US08742096B2
Disclosed are methods and compositions for preparing and purifying the non-addictive alkaloid noribogaine.
US08742094B2
The invention relates to a method for producing phosphate-bridged nucleoside conjugates. In the method, a cyclosaligenyl nucleotide is produced first, to which a linker is added, which is used to perform the immobilization on a solid phase. A subsequent reaction with corresponding nucleophiles results in the desired phosphate-bridged nucleoside conjugates, which can then again be cleaved from the solid phase-bound linker.
US08742076B2
The present invention relates to antibody-drug conjugate compounds of Formula I: Ab-(L-D)p I where one or more nemorubicin metabolite or analog drug moieties (D) are covalently attached by a linker (L) to an antibody (Ab) which binds to one or more tumor-associated antigens or cell-surface receptors. These compounds may be useful in methods of diagnosis or treatment of cancer, and other diseases and disorders.
US08742071B2
The present invention provides a novel nucleic acid sequence, designated LIP2, encoding a lipolytic enzyme and the corresponding encoded amino acid sequences. The invention also provides expression vectors and host cells comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding at least one novel lipolytic enzyme, recombinant lipolytic enzyme proteins and methods for producing the same.
US08742070B2
The disclosure relates to the field of candidate drug testing and drug development. Described are methods for providing a compound composed of at least one molecule attached via at least two linkages to a molecular scaffold, the method comprising providing a scaffold comprising at least a first and a second reactive group; providing at least one molecule able to react with the at least first and second reactive group; and contacting the scaffold with at least one molecule to form at least two linkages between the scaffold and the molecule in a coupling reaction, wherein the formation of a linkage accelerates the formation of a consecutive linkage. The coupling reaction may be performed in solution, such as an aqueous solution. Furthermore, described is a method for selecting a candidate drug compound comprising providing a library of the compounds and determining the binding of a target molecule to the compounds.
US08742069B2
The present invention provides for concentrated aqueous silk fibroin solutions and an all-aqueous mode for preparation of concentrated aqueous fibroin solutions that avoids the use of organic solvents, direct additives, or harsh chemicals. The invention further provides for the use of these solutions in production of materials, e.g., fibers, films, foams, meshes, scaffolds and hydrogels.
US08742068B2
The present invention relates to the use of fragments of heat shock proteins for the treatment and/or prevention of autoimmune diseases such as arthritis or inflammatory diseases such as Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Preferably bacterial and/or mammalian heat shock proteins belonging to the HSP70 families are used.
US08742055B2
Use a modified, amine-functionalized anion exchange resin as a catalyst to produce a bishalohydrin ether and then dehydrohalogenate the bishalohydrin ether with an aqueous inorganic hydroxide mixture to yield a liquid epoxy resin.
US08742053B2
The invention relates to novel polyamide-polysiloxane compounds, processes for their preparation, their use, precursors for their preparation and reactive compositions which contain the precursors.
US08742048B2
Two part cyanoacrylate/cationically curable adhesive systems, are provided.
US08742046B2
Provided is a maleimide copolymer which exhibits an excellent hue, an effect of imparting high heat resistance, and excellent kneadability. Specifically provided is a maleimide copolymer which comprises 50 to 60 mass % of a styrene monomer unit, 30 to 50 mass % of a maleimide monomer unit, and 0 to 10 mass % of an unsaturated dicarboxylic anhydride monomer unit, and which has a weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of 90,000 to 130,000 and a residual maleimide monomer content of 300 ppm or lower.
US08742038B2
A resist composition for immersion exposure, including a base component (A) that exhibits changed solubility in an alkali developing solution under action of acid, an acid generator component (B) that generates acid upon exposure, and a fluorine-containing compound (C) represented by a general formula (c-1) shown below that is decomposable in an alkali developing solution: wherein R1 represents an organic group which may contain a polymerizable group, with the proviso that said polymerizable group has a carbon-carbon multiple bond, and the carbon atoms forming the multiple bond are not directly bonded to the carbon atom within the —C(═O)— group in general formula (c-1); and R2 represents an organic group having a fluorine atom.
US08742032B2
A medical appliance having a slidable coating layer that moves in contact with an inner surface of a medical member or that of a lumen and has the slidable coating layer formed at a part thereof which contacts the medical member or the lumen. The slidable coating layer is formed of a composition which does not contain solid fine particles and contains a silicone-based resin which is a product of an addition reaction between silicone having a vinyl group and silicone having a hydrogen group bonded to a silicon atom.
US08742030B2
Compositions of and processes for preparing a polyamine-polyamidoamine-epihalohydrin resin generally include reacting a first polyamine, a polyamidoamine, and an epihalohydrin to form the polyamine-polyamidoamine-epihalohydrin (PPAE) resin, wherein the polyamidoamine is prepared by reacting a polycarboxylic acid or a polycarboxylic acid derivative with a second polyamine to form the polyamidoamine, wherein a molar ratio of the polyamine to the polycarboxylic acid is 1.05 to 2.0. The PPAE resin can be used in an adhesive formulation for use in creping applications for forming paper products such as tissue products.
US08742029B2
Blends comprising 65-95 wt % poly(trimethylene terephthalate-co-sebacate), 5 to 35 wt % polylactic acid and a chain extender are provided that exhibit greatly increased melt strength compared to that of poly(trimethylene terephthalate-co-sebacate) alone. Such improvements allow these compositions to be processed readily by melt-blowing, which is useful for packaging and for preparing items such as biodegradable garbage bags.
US08742027B2
The present invention relates to processes for manufacturing comb polymers having a principal (meth)acrylic chain and polyoxyalkylated lateral groupings, obtained by drying of a solution containing at least one homopolymer of (meth)acrylic acid and/or at least one copolymer of (meth)acrylic acid with at least one other monomer, followed by functionalisation of the intermediate dry product by esterification with at least one alkoxy polyoxyalkylene glycol, and/or amidification with at least one alkoxy polyoxyalkylene amine, or ethoxylation with at least one alkylene oxide.
US08742026B2
The invention relates to a process for producing water-absorbing polymer particles with improved permeability, comprising the steps of polymerization, drying, grinding, classification and thermal surface postcrosslinking, with pneumatic conveying between grinding and classification.
US08742020B2
The instant invention is an impact modifier composition and method of producing the same. The impact modifier composition comprises (a) less than 30 percent by weight of high-density polyethylene, based on the weight of the impact modifier composition; and (b) at least 70 percent by weight of chlorinated polyethylene, based on the weight of the impact modifier composition.
US08742009B2
A temporary adhesive for which temporary adhesion is simple and subsequent detachment is also simple, meaning productivity can be improved. Also, a method of producing a thin wafer that uses the temporary adhesive. The temporary adhesive composition comprises: (A) an organopolysiloxane comprising: (I) 40 to 99 mol % of siloxane units represented by R1SiO3/2 (T units), (II) 0 to 49 mol % of siloxane units represented by R2R3SiO2/2 units (D units) and (III) 1 to 25 mol % of siloxane units represented by R4R5R6SiO1/2 units (M units) (wherein each of R1 to R6 represents an unsubstituted or substituted monovalent hydrocarbon group of 1 to 10 carbon atoms), and having a weight-average molecular weight exceeding 2,000, and (B) an organic solvent having a boiling point of not more than 220° C.
US08742007B2
The intense purple dye normally found in purple primers for use in the adhesive bonding of plastics is replaced with a leuco dye capable developing a visually intense color when activated through contact with the particular plastic being bonded or a complementary solvent cement.
US08742003B2
The present invention relates to silylated amino resins, to processes for preparing them, to their use, and to coating compositions comprising them.
US08741996B2
A bearing having a surface and a self-lubricating surface coating composition deposited on the surface, wherein the self-lubricating surface coating composition includes a curable acrylate composition having a metallic composition. The metallic composition having a metallic acrylate compound according to Formula I: The metallic composition further includes a metallic oxide.
US08741994B1
An alkoxysilyl group-containing azo compound represented by the following formula (1), a method for easily obtaining the alkoxysilyl group-containing azo compound, and a rubber composition having improved heat build-up characteristic and the like obtained using the azo compound are provided. The alkoxysilyl group-containing azo compound is preferably obtained by reacting a compound represented by the following formula (2) and a compound represented by the following formula (3): HS—(CH2)m—Si(OR1)n(R2)3-n (3) wherein R1 and R2 represent an alkyl group having from 1 to 3 carbon atoms, R3 and R8 represent an alkylene group having from 1 to 3 carbon atoms, R4, R5, R6 and R7 represent hydrogen or an alkyl group having from 1 to 3 carbon atoms, n is an integer of from 1 to 3, and m is an integer of from 1 to 5.
US08741987B2
A polymer masterbatch in latex form having nanomaterials and a compatibilized silica for incorporation into natural and synthetic polymers in latex form using precipitated or fumed silica with at least two organosilicon coupling compounds attached to the silica in an aqueous suspension.
US08741984B2
Aqueous ink, ink jet recording method, ink cartridge, recording unit and ink jet recording apparatus
The invention provides an aqueous ink comprising a polymer having hydroxyl groups and a pigment, which can provide images excellent in scratch resistance and highlighter resistance and can inhibit the seeping out phenomenon of the polymer and the deterioration of ejection characteristics even when it is stored for a long period of time. The aqueous ink comprises a polymer having hydroxyl groups, a pigment and a water-soluble organic solvent, wherein the water-soluble organic solvent comprises a polyhydric alcohol having a value of number of hydroxyl groups/number of carbon atoms in its molecule of 0.50 or less.
US08741983B2
Antifouling coating compositions that do not substantially contain cuprous oxide and organotins, and that comprise: A) a metal-containing copolymer obtained by copolymerization of a polymerizable unsaturated monomer (a1) containing a metal and an unsaturated monomer (a2) capable of radical polymerization containing no metals; (B) 4,5-dichloro-2-n-octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one; and (C) a metal pyrithione compound.
US08741975B2
The present invention provides a vulcanizable rubber composition containing (A) an ethylene/α-olefin/nonconjugated polyene copolymer rubber, (B) a polyolefin resin and (C) a blowing agent, wherein the polyolefin resin (B) is microdispersed in a melted state in the ethylene/α-olefin/nonconjugated polyene copolymer rubber (A), the polyolefin resin (B) having an average dispersed particle diameter of 2 μm or less, the polyolefin resin (B) is present in an amount of from 5 to 15 parts by mass per 100 parts by mass of the ethylene/α-olefin/nonconjugated polyene copolymer rubber (A), the blowing agent (C) is present in an amount of from 2 to 6 parts by mass per 10 parts by mass of the ethylene/α-olefin/nonconjugated polyene copolymer rubber (A), and the vulcanizable rubber composition has a specific gravity of from 1.05 to 1.15 and a Mooney viscosity (Vm) at 125° C. of from 25 to 55.
US08741973B2
The invention relates to elastic expanded polymer foams and also a process for producing expanded polymer foams by sintering a mixture comprising foam particles P1 and P2 composed of different thermoplastic polymers or polymer blends, wherein the foam particles P1 are obtained by prefoaming expandable, thermoplastic polymer particles comprising A) from 45 to 97.9 percent by weight of a styrene polymer, B1) from 1 to 45 percent by weight of a polyolefin having a melting point in the range from 105 to 140° C., B2) from 0 to 25 percent by weight of a polyolefin having a melting point below 105° C., C1) from 0.1 to 25 percent by weight of a styrene-butadiene or styrene-isoprene block copolymer, C2) from 0.0 to 10 percent by weight of a styrene-ethylene-butylene block copolymer, D) from 1 to 15 percent by weight of a blowing agent, E) from 0 to 5 percent by weight of a nucleating agent, where the sum of A) to E) is 100% by weight.
US08741961B2
Use of Pargyline for the production of a medicament for influencing the metabolism of hair follicles and the modulation of their vital cycle.
US08741959B2
The invention relates to an aqueous pharmaceutical composition, preferably an infusion solution, for parenteral administration which contains paracetamol and has an electrical conductivity of not more than 200 μS cm−1.
US08741956B2
The field involves compositions useful for pain relief, including diclofenac solution and gel formulations, in particular methods of use thereof, articles of manufacture and kits that provide novel preclinical, clinical and other information to users.
US08741952B2
The present disclosure relates to polymorphs of 4-[2-dimethylamino-1-(1-hydroxycyclohexyl)ethyl]phenyl 4-methylbenzoate hydrochloride, methods for preparing the same and use of the same.
US08741944B2
A new class of phosphoinositide-dependent kinase-1 (PDK-1) inhibitors of Formula I: wherein X wherein X is —CF3, Ar is selected from and R is selected from where R′ is L-Lys, D-Lys, β-Ala, L-Lue, L-Ile, Phe, SO2CH2CH2NH2, SO2NH2, Asn, Glu or Gyl, and R″ is methyl, ethyl, allyl, CH2CH2OH, CH2CN, CH2CH2CN, CH2CONH2,
US08741927B2
The present invention relates to a novel method for preparing a compound of formula (2) as the intermediate, which can be effectively used for preparation of a compound of formula (1) exhibiting good inhibitory activity against dipeptidyl peptidase IV enzyme.
US08741921B2
The present invention relates to novel N-(imidazolidin-2-ylidene)-heterocyclo penta[b]pyridine derivatives, processes for preparing them, pharmaceutical compositions containing them and their use as pharmaceuticals.
US08741918B2
This invention relates to stable pharmaceutical compositions for parenteral administration comprising dopamine agonists and peripheral acting agents useful for treatment of metabolic disorders or key elements thereof. The parenteral dosage forms exhibit long stable shelf life and distinct pharmacokinetics.
US08741914B2
This invention relates to: (a) compounds and salts thereof that, inter alia, inhibit HCV; (b) intermediates useful for the preparation of such compounds and salts; (c) compositions comprising such compounds and salts; (d) methods for preparing such intermediates, compounds, salts, and compositions; (e) methods of use of such compounds, salts, and compositions; and (f) kits comprising such compounds, salts, and compositions.
US08741908B2
Disclosed herein are compounds that form covalent bonds with Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk). Also described are irreversible inhibitors of Btk, such as those having the structure of Formula (B) Methods for the preparation of the compounds are disclosed. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions that include the compounds. Methods of using the Btk inhibitors are disclosed, alone or in combination with other therapeutic agents, for the treatment of autoimmune diseases or conditions, heteroimmune diseases or conditions, cancer, including lymphoma, and inflammatory diseases or conditions.
US08741892B2
This invention relates to compounds of formula I their use as positive allosteric modulators of mGlu5 receptor activity, pharmaceutical compositions containing the same, and methods of using the same as agents for treatment and/or prevention of neurological and psychiatric disorders associated with glutamate dysfunction such as schizophrenia or cognitive decline such as dementia or cognitive impairment. A, B, X, R1, R2, R3 have meanings given in the description.
US08741886B2
The present invention relates to combinations and methods for the treatment of neurological disorders related to glutamate excitotoxicity and Amyloid β toxicity. More specifically, the present invention relates to novel combinatorial therapies of Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Alzheimer's disease related disorder, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, neuropathic pain, alcoholic neuropathy, alcoholism or alcohol withdrawal, or spinal cord injury, based on Baclofen and Acamprosate combination.
US08741884B2
The disclosure provides compounds of formula I, including pharmaceutically acceptable salts, as well as compositions and methods of using the compounds. The compounds have activity against hepatitis C virus (HCV) and may be useful in treating those infected with HCV.
US08741869B2
A substantially pure or isolated oligodeoxynucleotide of at least 10 nucleotides is disclosed, wherein the oligodeoxynucleotide comprised a sequence represented by either formula: 5′ N1N2N3T-CpG-WN4N5N6 3′ wherein the CpG motif is unmethylated, W is A or T, and N1, N2, N3, N4, N5, and N6 are nucleotides, or the formula: 5′ RY-CpG-RY 3′ wherein the central CpG motif is unmethylated, R is A or G, and Y is C or T, as well as an oligodeoxynucleotide delivery complex and a pharmacological composition comprising the present inventive oligodeoxynucleotide, and a method of inducing an immune response by administering the present inventive oligodeoxynucleotide to a host. In some embodiments, the oligodeoxynucleotide includes the nucleic acid sequences set forth as SEQ ID NO: 137.
US08741867B2
What is described are pharmaceutical compositions comprising a double-stranded nucleic acid molecule comprising a sense strand and an antisense strand wherein the sense and antisense strands are selected from the oligonucleotides described as SERPINH1_2 (SEQ ID NOS: 60 and 127), SERPINH1_45a (SEQ ID NOS: 98 and 165), and SERPINH1_51 (SEQ ID NOS: 101 and 168), and drug carrier comprising a mixture of a retinoid and a lipid vesicle, and methods of using these pharmaceutical compositions to treat a disease associated with hsp47 expression, including fibrosis.
US08741852B2
Disclosed herein is a peptide for inhibiting growth of bacterial pathogens in a biological sample, characterized by an amino acid sequence selected from a group consisting of Gly-Leu-Phe-Asp-Lys-Trp-Ala-Trp-Trp-Arg-Trp-Arg-Arg (SEQ ID NO:1), Gly-Leu-Phe-Asp-Ile-Trp-Ala-Trp-Trp-Arg-Trp-Arg-Arg (SEQ ID NO:2), Gly-Leu-Phe-Asp-Ile-Trp-Lys-Trp-Trp-Arg-Trp-Arg-Arg (SEQ ID No:3), Gly-Leu-Phe-Asp-Ile-Trp-Lys-Lys-Trp-Arg-Trp-Arg-Arg (SEQ ID NO:4), and Gly-Leu-Phe-Asp-Ile-Trp-Lys-Lys-Leu-Arg-Trp-Arg-Arg (SEQ ID NO:5).
US08741849B2
The present invention relates to kinase inhibiting compositions and uses thereof. The invention further provides isolated kinase inhibiting peptides and uses thereof for inhibiting hyperplasia, for inhibiting the growth of neoplasms, and for inducing programmed cell death in a cell population.
US08741840B2
The present invention relates to prevention and treatment of vascular sclerosis, vascular calcification (VC) and neointimal hyperplasia using a morphogen.
US08741839B2
Polypeptides comprising variant vascular endothelial growth factor sequences are provided. The polypeptides are useful in cancer imaging, cancer diagnosis, monitoring and treatment as well as treatment of diseases characterized by excessive neovascularization.
US08741833B2
The invention relates to a novel class of self-assembling peptides, compositions thereof, methods for the preparation thereof and methods of use thereof. The invention also encompasses methods for tissue regeneration, increasing the production of extracellular matrix proteins, and methods of treatment comprising administering self-assembling peptides.
US08741828B2
The present invention pertains to ternary azeotrope and azeotrope-like composition including 2-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoropropene (HCFO-1233xf), HF, and either 1,1,2,3-tetrachloropropene (TCP) or 1,1,1,2,2-pentafluoropropane (HFC-245cb). The present invention also relates to binary azeotropes of 2,3,3,3-tetrachloropropene and HF. Such azeotropic and azeotrope-like compositions are useful as intermediates in the production of 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (HFO-1234yf).
US08741824B2
Soot induced kinematic viscosity increase of lubricating oil compositions for diesel engines, particularly heavy duty diesel engines, equipped with EGR systems, particularly EGR systems operating in a condensing mode, can be ameliorated by addition of a phenylenediamine compound.
US08741819B2
Composite particles and a method of forming composite particles are described. The composite particles comprise at least one inorganic nanoparticle covalently bound to at least one inorganic microparticle with a linking compound. Lubricant compositions and sprayable dispersion compositions comprising composite particles are also described.
US08741818B2
An embodiment includes a method of servicing a well bore. The method may comprise introducing a lost circulation composition into a lost circulation zone, the lost circulation composition comprising hydraulic cement, nano-particles, amorphous silica, clay, and water. The method further may comprise allowing the lost circulation composition to set in the lost circulation zone. Another embodiment includes a lost circulation composition. The lost circulation may comprise hydraulic cement, nano-particles, amorphous silica, clay, and water.
US08741816B2
Of the many compositions and methods provided herein, one method includes a method comprising: contacting tar resident in a well bore with a tar stabilizing polymer comprising at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of a styrene polymer, an acrylate polymer, a styrene-acrylate polymer, and any combination thereof; and allowing the tar stabilizing polymer to interact with the tar to at least partially reduce the tendency of the tar to adhere to a surface.
US08741802B2
A method is disclosed for producing an oil binding agent, using highly porous natural siliceous material and organic-containing remaining material, wherein the highly porous natural siliceous material having an initial grain size of between 4 and 10 mm is mixed with the organic-containing remaining material and the mixture is calcined at a temperature between 520° C. and 550° C. and then comminuted to a grain size spectrum substantially ranging between 4 and 0.125 mm.
US08741800B2
A high surface area catalyst with a mesoporous support structure and a thin conformal coating over the surface of the support structure. The high surface area catalyst support is adapted for carrying out a reaction in a reaction environment where the thin conformal coating protects the support structure within the reaction environment. In various embodiments, the support structure is a mesoporous silica catalytic support and the thin conformal coating comprises a layer of metal oxide resistant to the reaction environment which may be a hydrothermal environment.
US08741797B2
A composite article having a body including a first phase that includes a nitride material, a second phase that includes a carbide material, and a third phase having one of an amorphous phase material with a nitrogen content of at least about 1.6 wt % or an amorphous phase material comprising carbon.
US08741792B2
Provided is a glass composition that has a low reactivity with the constituent materials forming a solid oxide fuel cell while having a thermal expansion coefficient suitable for sealing a solid oxide fuel cell, and a glass composition and sealing material that are suitable for sealing a solid oxide fuel cell. The present invention, which relates to a sealing glass composition, is a sealing glass composition used for sealing a solid oxide fuel cell, characterized by having a composition ratio of, expressed in terms of oxide, 40 to 55% by mass of SiO2, 0 to 5.0% by mass of Al2O3, 0 to 8.0% by mass of B2O3, 20 to 30% by mass of MgO, and 10 to 24% by mass of CaO, wherein a total of the MgO and the CaO is 40 to 54% by mass.
US08741786B2
A disclosed fabrication method of a semiconductor device includes steps of depositing a dielectric film on a semiconductor substrate; thermally treating the dielectric film; and irradiating an ionized gas cluster onto the thermally treated dielectric film.
US08741785B2
Embodiments described herein generally relate to methods for manufacturing flash memory devices. In one embodiment, the method includes generating a plasma comprising nitrogen-containing radicals in a remote plasma applicator, flowing the plasma comprising nitrogen-containing radicals into a processing region of the processing chamber where a semiconductor device is disposed, wherein the semiconductor device has a substrate comprising an oxide layer formed thereon, exposing an exposed surface of the oxide layer to the nitrogen-containing radicals, and incorporating nitrogen in the exposed surface of the oxide layer of the substrate.
US08741781B2
Some embodiments include a semiconductor construction having a pair of lines extending primarily along a first direction, and having a pair of contacts between the lines. The contacts are spaced from one another by a lithographic dimension, and are spaced from the lines by sub-lithographic dimensions. Some embodiments include a method of forming a semiconductor construction. Features are formed over a base. Each feature has a first type sidewall and a second type sidewall. The features are spaced from one another by gaps. Some of the gaps are first type gaps between first type sidewalls, and others of the gaps are second type gaps between second type sidewalls. Masking material is formed to selectively fill the first type gaps relative to the second type gaps. Excess masking material is removed to leave a patterned mask. A pattern is transferred from the patterned mask into the base.
US08741771B2
A damascene process incorporating a GCIB step is provided. The GCIB step can replace one or more CMP steps in the traditional damascene process. The GCIB step allows for selectable removal of unwanted material and thus, reduces unwanted erosion of certain nearby structures during damascene process. A GCIB step may also be incorporated in the damascene process as a final polish step to clean up surfaces that have been planarized using a CMP step.
US08741768B2
A method is provided that includes forming conductive or semiconductive features above a first dielectric material, depositing a second dielectric material above the conductive or semiconductive features, etching a void in the second dielectric material, wherein the etch stops on the first dielectric material, and exposing a portion of the conductive or semiconductive features. Numerous other aspects are provided.
US08741765B2
The uniformity of the composition of plated solder bumps from one batch of wafers to another is improved by controlling the rotational speed of the wafers based on the particular solder bump pattern. Embodiments include sequentially horizontal fountain electroplating a pattern of solder bumps, e.g., SnAg solder bumps, on a plurality batches of wafers and controlling the rotational speed of each batch of wafers during electroplating based on a calibration plot of the concentration of a solder bump component, e.g., Ag, as a function of rotational speed for each solder bump pattern, such that the uniformity of the Ag concentration in the patterns of solder bumps is greater than 95%, e.g., greater than 98%. Embodiments further include electroplating in the same plater sequential batches of wafers having both different patterns and different solder bump compositions at the same high throughput.
US08741758B2
Methods and devices depicting fabrication of non-planar access devices having fins and narrow trenches, among which is a method that includes wet etching a conductor to form a recessed region and subsequently etching the conductor to form gates on the fins. The wet etching may include formation of recesses which are may be backfilled with a fill material to form spacers on the conductor. Portions of a plug may be removed during the wet etch to form overhanging spacers to provide further protection of the conductor during the dry etch.
US08741756B2
A method of fabricating a semiconducting device is disclosed. A carbon nanotube is deposited on a substrate of the semiconducting device. A first contact on the substrate over the carbon nanotube. A second contact on the substrate over the carbon nanotube, wherein the second contact is separated from the first contact by a gap. A portion of the substrate in the gap between the first contact and the second contact is removed.
US08741747B2
A method for processing a glass substrate is disclosed. A glass substrate including a first surface, a second surface, and a side surface between the first surface and the second surface is provided. An opaque conductive layer is formed on the second surface and a part of the side surface close to the second surface. Thereafter, a semiconductor process is performed on the first surface. Thereafter, the opaque conductive layer on the second surface and the part of the side surface close to the second surface is removed. The problem of transporting a transparent glass substrate by some semiconductor tools is solved without increasing tool cost by enabling the sensing and transportation of glass substrates with optical sensor and/or electrical chuck. The fabrication of devices with a glass substrate is also achieved.
US08741746B2
A monolayer or partial monolayer sequencing processing, such as atomic layer deposition (ALD), can be used to form a semiconductor structure of a silicon film on a germanium substrate. Such structures may be useful in high performance electronic devices. A structure may be formed by deposition of a thin silicon layer on a germanium substrate surface, forming a hafnium oxide dielectric layer, and forming a tantalum nitride electrode. The properties of the dielectric may be varied by replacing the hafnium oxide with another dielectric such as zirconium oxide or titanium oxide.
US08741739B2
A semiconductor structure and a method of forming the same. In one embodiment, a method of forming a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer substrate includes: providing a handle substrate; forming a high resistivity material layer over the handle substrate, the high resistivity material layer including one of an amorphous silicon carbide (SiC), a polycrystalline SiC, an amorphous diamond, or a polycrystalline diamond; forming an insulator layer over the high resistivity material layer; and bonding a donor wafer to a top surface of the insulator layer to form the SOI wafer substrate.
US08741735B1
A semiconductor memory device includes a semiconductor substrate defining active regions partitioned by an isolation region, conductive lines spaced apart from each other and crossing the active regions over the semiconductor substrate, a thin film pattern formed on a top portion of the conductive lines having opening portions exposing part of the conductive lines in a width wider than a width of the conductive lines, an insulating layer filling the opening portions and formed over the thin film pattern, and an air gap formed between the conductive lines below the insulating layer and the thin film pattern.
US08741731B2
A high-k capacitor insulating film stable at a higher temperature is formed. There is provided a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device. The method comprises: forming a first amorphous insulating film comprising a first element on a substrate; adding a second element different from the first element to the first amorphous insulating film so as to form a second amorphous insulating film on the substrate; and annealing the second amorphous insulating film at a predetermined annealing temperature so as to form a third insulating film by changing a phase of the second amorphous insulating film. The concentration of the second element added to the first amorphous insulating film is controlled according to the annealing temperature.
US08741730B2
A method of forming a field effect transistor (FET) capacitor includes forming a channel region; forming a gate stack over the channel region; forming a first extension region on a first side of the gate stack, the first extension region being formed by implanting a first doping material at a first angle such that a shadow region exists on a second side of the gate stack; and forming a second extension region on the second side of the gate stack, the second extension region being formed by implanting a second doping material at a second angle such that a shadow region exists on the first side of the gate stack.
US08741725B2
A structure, a FET, a method of making the structure and of making the FET. The structure including: a silicon layer on a buried oxide (BOX) layer of a silicon-on-insulator substrate; a trench in the silicon layer extending from a top surface of the silicon layer into the silicon layer, the trench not extending to the BOX layer, a doped region in the silicon layer between and abutting the BOX layer and a bottom of the trench, the first doped region doped to a first dopant concentration; a first epitaxial layer, doped to a second dopant concentration, in a bottom of the trench; a second epitaxial layer, doped to a third dopant concentration, on the first epitaxial layer in the trench; and wherein the third dopant concentration is greater than the first and second dopant concentrations and the first dopant concentration is greater than the second dopant concentration.
US08741723B2
One illustrative method disclosed herein involves forming gate structures for first and second spaced-apart transistors above a semiconducting substrate, forming an etch stop layer above the substrate and the gate structures, performing at least one angled ion implant process to implant at least one etch-inhibiting species into less than an entirety of the etch stop layer, after performing at least one angled ion implant process, forming a layer of insulating material above the etch stop layer, performing at least one first etching process to define an opening in the layer of insulating material and thereby expose a portion of the etch stop layer, performing at least one etching process on the exposed portion of the etch stop layer to define a contact opening therethrough that exposes a doped region formed in the substrate, and forming a conductive contact in the opening that is conductively coupled to the doped region.
US08741721B2
A semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof capable of improving an operating speed of a MOSFET using an inexpensive structure. The method comprises the steps of forming a stress film to cover a source, drain, sidewall insulating layer and gate of the MOSFET and forming in the stress film a slit extending from the stress film surface toward the sidewall insulating layer. As a result, an effect of allowing local stress components in the stress films on the source and the drain to be relaxed by local stress components in the stress film on the gate is suppressed by the slit.
US08741717B2
Methods for fabricating integrated circuits are provided. One method includes forming first and second FET trenches in an interlayer dielectric material on a semiconductor substrate. The first FET trench is partially filled with a first work function metal to define an inner cavity in the first FET trench. The first work function metal is a N-type work function metal or a P-type work function metal. The N-type work function metal is selected from the group consisting of titanium, tantalum, hafnium, ytterbium silicide, erbium silicide, and titanium silicide. The P-type work function metal is selected from the group consisting of cobalt, nickel, and tungsten silicide. The inner cavity and the second FET trench are filled with a second work function metal to form corresponding metal gate structures. The second work function metal is the other of the N-type work function metal or the P-type work function metal.
US08741716B2
A semiconductor device with a gate having a bulbous area and a flattened area underneath the bulbous area is presented. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, an isolation layer, a gate insulation layer, and gates. The semiconductor substrate has recess parts that have first grooves which have bulbous-shaped profiles and second vertically flattened profile grooves which extend downward from the first grooves. The gates are formed in the recess parts in which the gate insulation layer is double layered in the bulbous profile areas and is single layered in the flattened profile areas.
US08741696B2
The present invention provides apparatus, methods, and systems for fabricating memory structures methods of forming pillars for memory cells using sequential sidewall patterning. The invention includes forming first features from a first template layer disposed above a memory layer stack; forming first sidewall spacers adjacent the first features; forming second features that extend in a first direction in a mask layer by using the first sidewall spacers as a hardmask; depositing a second template layer on the mask layer; forming third features from the second template layer; forming second sidewall spacers adjacent the third features; and forming fourth features that extend in a second direction in the mask layer by using the second sidewall spacers as a hardmask. Numerous additional aspects are disclosed.
US08741692B1
A method for forming semiconductor devices with wafer-level packaging (WLP) includes providing a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, forming a mask on a silicon layer of the SOI substrate, etching the silicon layer through openings in the mask to form elements initially bonded to but later released from an insulator layer of the SOI substrate, bonding a support substrate to the silicon layer, depositing metal over through holes in the support substrate to contact the silicon layer, and singulating the semiconductor devices from the bonded SOI substrate and the support substrate. The support substrate defines depressions opposite the elements so the elements are not bonded to the support substrate. Each semiconductor device includes a hermetically sealed package having a portion of the SOI substrate and a portion of the support substrate.
US08741691B2
A method of fabricating a three dimensional integrated circuit comprises forming a redistribution layer on a first side of a packaging component, forming a holding chamber in the redistribution layer, attaching an integrated circuit die on the first side of the packaging component, wherein an interconnect bump of the integrated circuit die is inserted into the holding chamber, applying a reflow process to the integrated circuit die and the packaging component and forming an encapsulation layer on the packaging component.
US08741689B2
A method for fabricating a thin film solar cell includes providing a soda lime glass substrate comprising a surface region, treating the surface region with one or more cleaning process including an aqueous solution to remove one or more contaminants and/or particulates, and forming a lower electrode layer overlying the surface region. The method also includes performing a thermal treatment process to remove any residual water species to substantially less than a monolayer of water species from the lower electrode layer and soda lime glass substrate. The thermal treatment process changes a temperature of the soda lime glass substrate from a first temperature to a second temperature to pre-heat the soda lime glass substrate. Additionally, the method includes transferring the soda lime glass substrate, which has been preheated, to a deposition chamber and forming a layer of photovoltaic material overlying the lower electrode layer within the deposition chamber.
US08741685B2
The invention relates to a method for production of thin layers of semiconductor alloys of the I-III-VI2 type, including sulphur, for photovoltaic applications, whereby a heterostructure is firstly deposited on a substrate comprising a thin layer of precursor I-III-VI2 which is essentially amorphous and a thin layer, including at least some sulphur, the heterostructure is then annealed to promote the diffusion of the sulphur into the precursor layer and the at least partial crystallization of the I-III-VI2 alloy of the precursor layer with a stoichiometry which hence includes sulphur. A layer of selenium may also be deposited to assist the recrystallization processes or annealing.
US08741682B2
Without sacrificial layer etching, a microstructure and a micromachine are manufactured. A separation layer 102 is formed over a substrate 101, and a layer 103 to be a movable electrode is formed over the separation layer 102. At an interface of the separation layer 102, the layer 103 to be a movable electrode is separated from the substrate. A layer 106 to be a fixed electrode is formed over another substrate 105. The layer 103 to be a movable electrode is fixed to the substrate 105 with the spacer layer 103 which is partially provided interposed therebetween, so that the layer 103 to be a movable electrode and a layer 106 to be a fixed electrode face each other.
US08741671B2
A method for manufacturing a light emitting device is disclosed. The disclosed method includes forming a first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer over a first substrate such that a first surface of the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer is adjacent to the first substrate, disposing a second substrate on a second surface of the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer opposite the first surface, separating the first substrate, disposing a third substrate on the first surface, separating the second substrate, and forming an active layer and a second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer over the second surface. In accordance with the method, it is possible to use a relatively inexpensive substrate. As a semiconductor layer is formed over a Ga-face of a gallium nitride semiconductor layer, an increase in light emission efficiency is achieved.
US08741668B1
A thin overlay structure for use in imaging based metrology is disclosed. The thin overlay structure may include a first structure and second structure, the first and second structures designed to have a common center of symmetry, both structures being invariant to a 180 degree rotation about the common center of symmetry, wherein a mark region defining the extent of the structures is characterized by a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, a length of the mark region along the first direction being greater than a length of the mark region along the second direction.
US08741665B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor module is provided. The method includes forming semiconductor chips on a bare substrate, performing a burn-in process on the bare substrate including the semiconductor chips, sorting semiconductor chips that exceed a predetermined level of operability determined by testing electrical driving in the semiconductor chips on the burned-in bare substrate, separating the semiconductor chips from one another by cutting the bare substrate, and directly mounting the module semiconductor chips on a module substrate.
US08741664B2
A method of fabricating a self-aligning magnetic tunnel junction the method includes patterning a lithographic strip on a second magnetic material deposited on a first magnetic material that is disposed on a substrate, forming a top magnetic strip by etching an exposed portion of the second magnetic material, patterning a nanowire and a magnetic reference layer island over the substrate and forming the nanowire and the magnetic reference layer island by etching an exposed portion of the first magnetic layer and an exposed portion of the top magnetic strip, wherein an interface between the magnetic nanowire and the magnetic reference layer island is an magnetic tunnel junction aligned with a width of the nanowire.
US08741663B2
A method for enhancing the detection sensitivity of a piezoelectric microcantilever sensor. The method may involve providing a piezoelectric microcantilever and inducing a change in the Young's modulus during detection of a species of interest. The change in the Young's modulus may be induced or enhanced by the application of a DC bias electric field to the piezoelectric layer that enhances non-180° polarization domain switching of the piezoelectric layer. The change in the Young's modulus may also result from binding of the species of interest to the piezoelectric microcantilever sensor or a combination of binding and application of a DC bias electric field Significantly enhanced detection sensitivity results from the changed Young's modulus of the piezoelectric layer.
US08741656B2
This disclosure relates to a process for controlling chlorination reactions in manufacturing titanium tetrachloride in a fluidized bed reactor, optionally followed by processing to form a titanium product comprising an amount of silica, the process comprising: (a) feeding carbonaceous material, titanium bearing material comprising an amount of silica, and chlorine to the fluidized bed reactor to form a gaseous stream, and condensing the gaseous stream to form titanium tetrachloride, a non-condensed gas stream and a condensable product stream, wherein at least one of the titanium tetrachloride and the non-condensed gas stream comprise silicon tetrachloride; (b) analyzing the non-condensed gas stream, the titanium tetrachloride or both, to determine the analyzed concentration of silicon tetrachloride; (c) identifying a set point concentration of silicon tetrachloride based on the desired amount of silica in the titanium product; (d) calculating the difference between the analyzed concentration of silicon tetrachloride and the set point concentration of silicon tetrachloride; and (e) generating a signal which corresponds to the difference calculated in step (d) which provides a feedback response that controls the flow of the titanium bearing material into the fluidized bed reactor.
US08741649B2
The disclosure provides methods for increasing genome stability of an embryonic stem (ES) cell or induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell, increasing telomere length in an ES or iPS cell, or both, for example by contacting an ES or iPS cell with an agent that increases expression of Zscan4 in the cell. Methods for increasing the genome stability in a population of ES or iPS cells, increasing telomere length in a population of ES or iPS cells, or both, are provided, for example by selecting Zscan4+ ES or iPS cells from the population of ES or iPS cells (which can include both Zscan4+ and Zscan4− ES or iPS cells). Therapeutic methods of using ES or iPS cells expressing Zscan4 are also provided. Further provided are methods of treating cancer by administering a Zscan4 polynucleotide or Zscan4 polypeptide. Also provided are methods of inducing differentiation of isolated ES or iPS cells into germ cells.
US08741643B2
The present invention provides methods to promote the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells. In particular, the present invention provides an improved method for the formation of pancreatic endoderm, pancreatic hormone expressing cells and pancreatic hormone secreting cells. The present invention also provides methods to promote the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells without the use of a feeder cell layer.
US08741640B2
A method of expanding hematopoietic stem cells. Also disclosed is a method of diagnosing primary or secondary bone marrow failure syndrome. The invention further includes a method of treating primary or secondary bone marrow failure syndrome.
US08741635B2
The present invention relates generally to a method for the generation of a substantially homogenous population of undifferentiated cells. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for isolating a substantially homogenous population of stem cells, and in particular, mammary stem cells (MaSCs). The MaSCs of the present invention are isolated on the basis of differential levels of proteins present on their cell surface. The MaSCs of the present invention are particularly useful as targets for identifying agents which modulate MaSC survival, self-renewal, proliferation and/or differentiation in both normal and diseased tissue such as, but not limited to, tumor tissue, and, also as source of tissue for the regeneration, replacement and/or augmentation of tissue damaged and/or lost after disease or injury.
US08741630B2
The invention relates to methods of detecting a target analyte in a biological sample using composite microsphere arrays having first and second assay locations. Preferred target analytes include nucleic acid, and more specifically, nucleic acid having one or more single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).
US08741627B2
Methods and compositions for the production of ethanol from lignocellulosic starting materials are provided herein. Embodiments provide yeast cells of the genus H. polymorpha with one or more modifications, including, for example, an inactive acid trehalase gene, overexpression of xylulokinase, and/or overexpression of heat-shock protein 104.
US08741610B2
The present invention provides, inter alia, an improvement in the production of a desired product from yeast, wherein the growth rate and fermentation rate of the yeast are maintained at excellent levels. The present invention also provides, inter alia, for the introduction of a foreign gene into a yeast host cell, wherein the foreign gene encodes an enzyme involved in the production of a desired product. The yeast may also constitutively express a HAP4 gene, or a homologous gene thereof, to significantly improve the ability of the yeast to produce the desired product while maintaining its growth rate and fermentation rate. In some embodiments, a yeast mutant is used which is a mutant strain having lowered alcohol productivity vis-à-vis a wild-type strain.
US08741606B2
Aspects of the present invention include methods and compositions for determining the number of individual polynucleotide molecules originating from the same genomic region of the same original sample that have been sequenced in a particular sequence analysis configuration or process. In these aspects of the invention, a degenerate base region (DBR) is attached to the starting polynucleotide molecules that are subsequently sequenced (e.g., after certain process steps are performed, e.g., amplification and/or enrichment). The number of different DBR sequences present in a sequencing run can be used to determine/estimate the number of different starting polynucleotides that have been sequenced. DBRs can be used to enhance numerous different nucleic acid sequence analysis applications, including allowing higher confidence allele call determinations in genotyping applications.
US08741602B2
Provided is a new method for producing a glucuronide, having excellent productivity and being replaceable with a method using Saccharomyces pombe, and to provide a new means used in this production method. Disclosed are: a transformed Saccharomyces cerevisiae wherein a gene coding for a UDP-glucose dehydrogenase and a gene coding for a UDP-glucose transferase are inserted in a manner such that said genes can be expressed; a transformed Saccharomyces cerevisiae wherein a gene coding for a cytochrome P450 gene is further inserted in a manner such that said gene can be expressed; and a method for producing a glucaronide that includes culturing transformed Saccharomyces cerevisiae in the presence of glucose and a substance to be conjugated, generating the glucuronide of the aforementioned substance to be conjugated.
US08741598B2
A cyanobacterial cell comprising a PSI complex which accepts electrons from at least one respiratory cytochrome is disclosed. Methods of generating same and use of same for the production of hydrogen gas are also disclosed.
US08741596B2
The present invention relates to novel smart packaging, designed using a novel material comprising a partially polar adsorbent solid base impregnated with a solution of vanillin, which allows the growth of microorganisms in different types of products to be detected visually without having to be in direct contact with the microorganism or with the medium containing same.
US08741588B2
Mouse monoclonal antibodies specifically recognizing the Penicillin Binding Protein 2a (PBP2a) derived from a strain of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were produced and characterized. The immunogen used to generate an immune response in a mouse was a PBP2a recombinant protein derived from a strain of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The data showed that both monoclonal antibodies of the disclosure were able to distinguish MRSA from MSSA bacteria. The monoclonal antibodies have distinct recognition patterns for the regions of the PBP2a protein sequence. Epitope mapping has localized regions of the PBP2a protein specifically recognized by one or both of the monoclonal antibodies. The monoclonal antibodies of the present disclosure having the ability to distinguish between MRSA and MSSA strains can be useful as the basis for a diagnostic assay useful in the clinical setting for determining whether and which antibiotics to administer to a patient.
US08741584B2
The present invention relates to methods and compositions for diagnosis of inflammatory disorders, and in non-limiting embodiments, of inflammatory disorders associated with elevated interleukin-1β (“IL-1β”), based on increased levels of follistatin-like protein 1 (“FSTL-1”). In particular non-limiting embodiments, the invention further provides for methods of identifying subjects with systemic onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis (“SOJIA”) who are at increased risk for developing macrophage activation syndrome (“MAS”) comprising detecting, in said subjects, hyper-increased levels of FSTL-1. In additional non-limiting embodiments, the invention provides for methods of identifying subjects with Kawasaki disease who are at increased risk of developing aortic aneurysms comprising detecting, in said subjects, hyper-increased levels of FSTL-1.
US08741572B1
The present invention provides compounds and assays for the identification and validation of compounds for use in the treatment of muscular mystrophy (MD), or a form thereof, in which said compounds increase the post-transcriptional expression of a target gene (i.e., mIGF1, ITGA7, or UTRN).
US08741568B2
There is provided an in vitro method of detecting human papillomavirus nucleic acid in a sample, comprising: (a) contacting said sample with forward and reverse oligonucleotide primers, wherein said primers bind to target sites in the human papillomavirus L1 gene, or the complement thereof, under conditions suitable to promote amplification of a portion of said human papillomavirus L1 gene or complement, thereby generating an amplicon; (b) contacting said amplicon with a probe, wherein the probe binds to a target site within said amplicon; and (c) detecting binding of said probe to said amplicon; wherein said forward primer binds to a target site having the sequence SEQ ID NO: 1; and wherein said reverse primer binds to a target site having the sequence SEQ ID NO: 2.
US08741563B2
The present invention is directed to the discovery of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the presence of metronidazole-resistant Trichomonas vaginalis. The presence of G76C, C213G, or C318A (SNP) in tvntr 4 or the presence of A238T, G427C, or T476C (SNP) in tvntr6 provides a reliable biomarker for the presence of metronidazole-resistant Trichomonas vaginalis. The present invention further provides reagents used for detecting the SNPs to screen subjects for metronidazole resistance in Trichomonas vaginalis.
US08741556B2
The present invention relates to a method that allows comprehensive quantitation of one or a plurality biomolecules, including the entire complement of biomolecules in a sample by comparing their quantity to the quantity of reference biomolecules in a standard mixture obtained via extraction from at least two different cell populations. The invention further relates to said standard mixture itself, its preparation and use.
US08741555B2
An organ perfusion apparatus and method monitor, sustain and/or restore viability of organs and preserve organs for storage and/or transport. Other apparatus include an organ transporter, an organ cassette and an organ diagnostic device. The method includes perfusing the organ at hypothermic and/or normothermic temperatures, preferably after hypothermic organ flushing for organ transport and/or storage. The method can be practiced with prior or subsequent static or perfusion hypothermic exposure of the organ. During the period in which the organ is preserved and/or maintained, the organ may be additionally be perfused to obtain data regarding the fluid and/or organ. The data may then be used to ultimately provide information regarding the perfusion efficacy and allow for altering of the perfusion parameters.
US08741553B2
Provided is an aromatic hydrocarbon resin with a high carbon concentration and a low oxygen concentration that can be used as a coating agent or a resist resin for semiconductors, as well as a composition for forming an underlayer film for photolithography with excellent etching resistance as an underlayer film for a multilayer resist process, an underlayer film formed from the composition, and a method for forming a pattern using the underlayer film. An aromatic hydrocarbon, an aromatic aldehyde, and a phenol derivative are reacted in the presence of an acidic catalyst to yield an aromatic hydrocarbon resin with a high carbon concentration of 90 to 99.9 mass % and a solubility in propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate of 10 mass % or more.
US08741549B2
Provided is a method of manufacturing a liquid ejection head, including: forming a covering resin layer including a photocationic polymerization initiator and a cationically polymerizable resin on a substrate having provided thereon an energy generating element for generating energy for ejecting liquid and a solid layer which is formed of a positive resist and serves as a pattern for a liquid flow path which communicates with a liquid ejection orifice for ejecting the liquid; exposing the covering resin layer to development to form the liquid ejection orifice; and removing the solid layer to form the liquid flow path, in which the covering resin layer includes, as a cationic polymerization inhibitor, an amine compound having a perfluoroalkyl group. Also provided is a liquid ejection head obtained by the method.
US08741548B2
A pattern is formed by applying a first positive resist composition onto a substrate, heat treatment, exposure, heat treatment and development to form a first resist pattern; causing the first resist pattern to crosslink and cure by irradiation of high-energy radiation of up to 180 nm wavelength or EB; further applying a second positive resist composition onto the substrate, heat treatment, exposure, heat treatment and development to form a second resist pattern. The double patterning process reduces the pitch between patterns to one half.
US08741546B2
A pattern is formed by coating a first positive resist composition comprising a copolymer comprising lactone-containing recurring units, acid labile group-containing recurring units and carbamate-containing recurring units, and a photoacid generator onto a substrate to form a first resist film, patternwise exposure, PEB, and development to form a first resist pattern, heating the first resist pattern for inactivation to acid, coating a second positive resist composition comprising a C3-C8 alcohol and an optional C6-C12 ether onto the first resist pattern-bearing substrate to form a second resist film, patternwise exposure, PEB, and development to form a second resist pattern.
US08741544B2
A photoresist composition containing a resin that is hardly soluble or insoluble, but which is soluble in an aqueous alkali solution by action of an acid, and a salt represented by formula (I): wherein Q1, Q2, L1, W1, W2, R1, R2, t1 and t2 are defined in the specification, and Z+ represents an organic cation.
US08741542B2
Provided is an actinic ray-sensitive or radiation-sensitive resin composition comprising (A) a specific compound represented by a general formula, (B) a resin which is alkali-insoluble or sparingly alkali-soluble and becomes easily alkali-soluble in the presence of an acid, and (C) a compound capable of generating an acid upon irradiation with an actinic ray or radiation; a film formed using the composition; and a pattern forming method using the same.
US08741539B2
A hard mask composition, a method of forming a pattern, and a semiconductor integrated circuit device, the hard mask composition including a solvent; and a compound, the compound including a structural unit represented by the following Chemical Formula 1:
US08741537B2
A positive resist composition, which comprises a resin having a structure showing a basicity and capable of increasing the solubility in an alkali developer by the action of an acid, and a pattern-forming method using the same.
US08741535B2
A laser irradiation device and a method of fabricating an organic light emitting display device (OLED) using the same are disclosed. The laser irradiation device includes: a laser source generating a laser beam; a mask disposed below the laser source and patterning the beam and a projection lens disposed below the mask and determining magnification of the laser beam through the mask, wherein the laser beam penetrating the mask has different doses in at least two regions. Thus, the laser irradiation device can maximize emission efficiency and enhance the quality of a transfer layer pattern when an organic layer of the OLED is formed using the laser irradiation device.
US08741531B2
A method of manufacturing toner includes forming liquid droplets. The forming liquid droplets includes vibrating a toner constituents liquid in a liquid column resonance liquid chamber having a plurality of nozzles to form a liquid column resonance pressure standing wave therein, and discharging the toner constituents liquid from the nozzles. The method further includes solidifying the liquid droplets. The toner constituents liquid includes an organic solvent and toner constituents dissolved or dispersed in the organic solvent. The toner constituents include a resin, a colorant, and a release agent. The nozzles are disposed within an area including an antinode of the liquid column resonance pressure standing wave. One of the nozzles disposed closer to a node of the liquid column resonance pressure standing wave has a smaller outlet diameter than that disposed farther from the node. The toner constituents liquid is applied with a uniform pressure at a vicinity of each nozzle.
US08741522B2
An electrostatic charge image developing toner includes: a polyester resin that has a glass transition temperature of about 45° C. or higher and in which a proportion of repeating units derived from fumaric acid in repeating units derived from acid components is 10 mol % or greater and a proportion of repeating units derived from alkenylsuccinic acid in the repeating units derived from acid components is 10 mol % or greater; and a photopolymerization initiator, wherein a content of the photopolymerization initiator is from about 0.5% by weight to about 10% by weight.
US08741517B2
A toner includes a binder including two different weight molecular weight resins, a colorant, and a releasing agent, wherein a gel permeation chromatogram (GPC) molecular weight distribution curve of the toner has a major peak (Mp) present in a range of about 1.0×104 to about 3.0×104 g/mol and a shoulder curve starting at 1.0×105 g/mol or more, and a storage modulus (G′) curve of the toner with respect to temperature has Ts, which is a temperature at which a storage modulus value begins to decrease, in a temperature range of about 50 to about 67° C.
US08741512B2
Provided is an additive for an electrophotographic photoreceptor which is represented by Formula (I): wherein, A represents an m-valent organic group derived from arylamine represented by Formula (II) or Formula (III); T represents a divalent hydrocarbon group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms; Rf represents a branched hydrocarbon group having from 3 to 10 carbon atoms in which at least one hydrogen atom is substituted with a fluorine atom; l represents 0 or 1; and m represents an integer of 1 to 4: wherein, Ar1, Ar2, and Ar3 each independently represent a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group having from 6 to 20 carbon atoms; Ar4, Ar5, Ar6, and Ar7 each independently represent a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group having from 6 to 20 carbon atoms; and X represents a divalent organic group represented by Formula (IV), Formula (V), or Formula (VI):
US08741509B2
A colored curable composition for a solid-state image sensor comprises a polyhalogenated zinc phthalocyanine pigment, and a compound having at least a structure represented by the following Formula (A). In Formula (A), X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, and X6 each independently represent a substituent selected from —OH, —OR, or —NHCOCH═CH2, R represents a monovalent organic group. When the compound is an oligomer, the oligomer has a configuration in which at least one of X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, and X6 in a structure represented by Formula (A) is eliminated to form a single bond, which is then linked, via —O—, to another structure represented by Formula (A).
US08741502B2
A nickel oxide powder material that can restrain cracking of electrode due to oxidation expansion and peeling from a electrolyte and thus can decrease deterioration of the power generation characteristics, when used as an anode material for a solid oxide type fuel cell and its efficient production method, and the anode material for the solid oxide type fuel cell using the nickel oxide powder material. The nickel oxide powder material for an anode material constituting a solid oxide type fuel cell is characterized in that it is made up of a core particle (a) composed of a nickel oxide fine particle and a coating layer (b) including a zirconium hydroxide, which is formed on the surface of the core particle (a), as its main component, and that the zirconium content contained in the coating layer (b) is 0.001 to 0.01 g/m2 per surface area of the nickel oxide fine particle.
US08741499B2
The solid oxide fuel cell of the present invention has a substrate (1); an electrolyte (3) that is disposed on one surface of the substrate (1); and at least one electrode element E having an anode (5) and a cathode (7) disposed on the same surface of the electrolyte (3) with a predetermined space therebetween.
US08741492B2
A main object of the present invention is to provide a lithium air battery which can use different battery properties according to the current density at the time of discharge. The present invention attains the object by providing a lithium air battery comprising a cathode layer, an anode layer, and an electrolyte layer formed between the cathode layer and the anode layer, characterized in that the cathode layer further comprises a first cathode layer having at least oxygen reduction ability and a second cathode layer having at least Li ion storage ability, and the second cathode layer contains a cathode active material having an average voltage of less than 2.0 V (vs. Li) or an average voltage of more than 2.9 V (vs. Li).
US08741488B2
An electrode which has a Si-containing material layer and a porous film, and a lithium battery employing the same. In the electrode, the Si-containing material layer is applied on an electrode current collector and/or an electrode active material to protect the surface of the electrode current collector from oxidation. Also, the applied Si-containing material layer enhances the adhesion between the electrode current collector and the electrode active material to improve cycle life characteristics. Also, it increases the adhesion between the electrode active material and the porous film to reduce resistance, and to improve ohmic contacts and to lower the Shottkey barrier. In addition, the electrode includes the porous film functioning as a separator, and thus can provide a battery which is safe under conditions of overcharge and heat exposure without needing an additional separator.
US08741473B2
A pouch-type lithium secondary battery includes an electrode assembly having an anode made of carbon material capable of occluding or emitting lithium ions, a cathode made of lithium-containing oxide, and a separator interposed between the cathode and the anode for electrical insulation therebetween; a pouch-type case made of sheet to provide a space receiving the electrode assembly; and a non-aqueous electrolyte injected into the electrode assembly. The non-aqueous electrolyte is a non-linear carbonate-based non-aqueous electrolyte including a lithium salt, (a) a cyclic carbonate compound, and (b) a linear ester compound selected from propionate-based compound, methyl butyrate, and propyl acetate, or their mixtures. During LiPF6 IM dissolution, the non-aqueous electrolyte has an ion conductivity of 9 mS/cm or above at about 23° C. This pouch-type lithium secondary battery ensures excellent high-rate discharging characteristics and solves swelling problems associated with a pouch-type lithium secondary battery.
US08741468B2
To provide a film-packaged battery 1 in which battery element 2 formed by collectively joining a plurality of positive and negative extending portions 2a and 2b to positive and negative electrode leads 3a and 3b for each polarity, is surrounded by laminate films 5 and 6 which are formed by laminating at least heat fusion layer 10 and metal layer 11. Protection member 4a having a melting point lower than that of heat fusion layer 10 is arranged at least between each of joining portions 20a and 20b of positive and negative electrode extending portions 2a and 2b, and heat fusion layer 10 of laminate film 5 which layer face the each of joining portions 20a and 20b.
US08741467B2
Cooling air intake port (52), cooling air exhaust port (55), and securing walls (86, 87), which contact and secure the side surfaces of one or more battery cells (72), may be defined within two battery pack housing halves (50, 80). When battery pack (99) is assembled, at least one cooling air passage (91, 92) is defined by the side surfaces of the battery cells, the interior surface of the battery pack housing, and the securing walls. The cooling air passage connects the cooling air intake port to the cooling air exhaust port. By forcing cooling air through the cooling air passage, the battery cells can be effectively and efficiently cooled.
US08741465B2
A battery cooling structure includes: a battery provided in a luggage room of a vehicle; an air intake duct, including an air inlet open in a vehicular cabin, for supplying air in the vehicular cabin to the battery as cooling air; and a partition panel standing away from a rear seat with a clearance therebetween so as to section the luggage room and the vehicular cabin and provided with a duct hole in which the air intake duct is inserted. The partition panel is provided with an air exhaust hole for exhausting air in the luggage room to the vehicular cabin. The air exhaust hole is formed at a location spaced away from the duct hole. Such a configuration provides a battery cooling structure suppressing an adverse effect caused by exhaust of heated cooling air.
US08741464B2
An electronic device and battery are presented. The electronic device includes the battery, which has a first latch. The first latch has an arm and a hook. The arm is connected with the battery at a connected end and the hook at a free end opposed to the connected end. The hook forms a peak and a base connected with the free end. The base forms an inwardly projecting groove. The electronic device also includes a device housing forming a main cavity bound by first and second side surfaces, a rear surface and a bottom surface. The first side surface includes a ledge for receiving the groove and defines a latch cavity for receiving the first latch. In an engaged position, the peak extends into the latch cavity and the groove engages the ledge.
US08741446B2
Organic compounds and organic electroluminescent devices employing the same are provided. The organic compound has a chemical structure represented below: wherein, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, and R6 are independent and can be H, C1-8 alkyl, C1-8 alkoxy, C1-8 halo-alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, cycloalkyl, hetero-cycloalkyl, or cycloaliphatic group, and A is S, or
US08741441B2
An insulated wire includes a conductor, and an insulating covering layer formed on a periphery of the conductor and including two or more insulating coatings. The insulating coatings include a polyamide-imide resin insulating material represented by chemical formula 1: where R indicates a divalent aromatic diamine including three or more aromatic rings. The insulating coatings are formed by applying and baking the polyamide-imide resin insulating material, and the polyamide-imide resin insulating material is obtained by reacting an imide group containing dicarboxylic acid with a diisocyanate, the imide group containing dicarboxylic acid being obtained by dehydration reaction of a diamine comprising a divalent aromatic diamine including three or more aromatic rings with an acid using an azeotropic solvent.
US08741423B2
A carbon nanotube plate is provided. The plate includes a first carbon nanotube layer composed of many first carbon nanotubes and a second carbon nanotube layer disposed on the first carbon nanotube layer. The second carbon nanotube layer is composed of many second carbon nanotubes placed in an orderly manner on the first carbon nanotube layer. At least two second carbon nanotubes are located along a curve. The surface of the second carbon nanotube layer has a whirlpool pattern.
US08741421B2
A process for the manufacturing of a decorative surface element, which element comprises a base layer and a decorative upper surface. A radiation curing lacquer is printed in a predetermined pattern as an uppermost layer on the decorative upper surface. The radiation curing lacquer covers only parts of the decorative upper surface whereby the lacquer is exposed to radiation whereby it cures. A surface structure is hereby achieved.
US08741419B2
Disclosed is a nanocarbon material-composite substrate including a substrate, a three-dimensional structural pattern formed on the substrate, and a nanocarbon material formed on a surface of the substrate, wherein the nanocarbon material is disposed at least on side surfaces of the three-dimensional structural pattern.
US08741416B2
A Sandwich panel with a core structure, in particular with a honeycomb-shaped core structure, and plane-parallel cover layers applied to both sides of this core structure, to form a floor surface in a fuselage airframe of an aircraft, the core structure having at least one recess into which at least one reinforcing structure is integrated, wherein the at least one reinforcing structure is formed with at least one core, said core having at least one recess into which a stopper is introduced, into which at least one attachment element can be introduced to attach at least one further component to the sandwich panel, and a plurality of prepreg strips which each have a uniform fiber running direction being wound around the core. In addition, the invention relates to a method for the production of a sandwich panel according to the invention.
US08741405B2
A package is formed a closed bag made of a multilayer film and contents enclosed in the bag. The film is folded to form the bag and has flat film sides and outer edges that are reinforced by weld seams. The film of the bag has a density of 0.5 g/cm3 to 0.9 g/cm3, a printable outer layer forming an outside surface of the package, an inner seal layer made of a sealable polymer forming an inside surface of the package, and a foamed polymer core layer between the outer layer and the inner layer. The contents are a lumpy or granular bulk material.
US08741399B2
The birefringent film of the present invention contains an aromatic polyester having a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (1).In the general formula (1), A(s), B(s), C(s), and D(s) are each independently represent a group selected from a halogeno group, an alkyl group which has 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and an aryl group. Also, a and b each represent an integer of 0 to 4, and c and d each represent an integer of 0 to 3. R1 represents a hydrogen atom, or an alkyl group which has 1 to 10 carbon atoms. R2 represents an alkyl group which has 2 to 10 carbon atoms. R3 to R6 each independently represent a group or atom selected from a hydrogen atom, a halogeno group, an alkyl group which has 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and an aryl group. Furthermore, l and m each represent an integer of 2 or more.
US08741381B2
A method for controlled removal of a portion of a diffusion coating from a coated superalloy component and a method for rejuvenating a coated superalloy component are provided. The methods include providing the component having an oxide layer, an additive layer between the oxide layer and a diffusion zone, the diffusion zone being between the additive layer and a superalloy substrate of the superalloy component. The methods include selectively removing the oxide layer and a portion of the additive layer by grit blasting, wherein removing creates an exposed portion. Rejuvenating includes applying an aluminide coating to the exposed portion and heat treating at a preselected elevated temperature to form a rejuvenated protective aluminide coating on the superalloy component.
US08741378B1
Methods of coating an implantable device, such as a stent, are provided.
US08741377B2
A method of coating a microneedle array by applying a coating fluid using a flexible film in a brush-like manner. A method of coating a microneedle array comprising: providing a microneedle array having a substrate and a plurality of microneedles; providing a flexible film; providing a coating solution comprising a carrier fluid and a coating material; applying the coating solution onto a first major surface of the flexible film; performing a transfer step of bringing the first major surface of the flexible film into contact with the microneedles and removing the flexible film from contact with the microneedles; and allowing the carrier fluid to evaporate.
US08741375B2
A mixed amino acid metal salt complex of the mixed amino acids, lysine and glutamic acid associated with trace metals selected from the group consisting of iron, manganese, copper and zinc to provide highly bioavailable sources of the iron, manganese, copper and zinc and as well to take advantage of the different amino acid transport pathways of lysine and glutamic acid.
US08741369B2
Microwavable dough compositions are provided that are effective for providing products with improved texture using microwave heating. More specifically, the microwavable dough compositions include a blend of fiber, hydrocolloid, methylcellulose and functional surfactants in amounts that are effective for providing a cooked dough having improved firmness for an extended time after microwave cooking.
US08741366B2
A treated paper product is provided according to the invention. The treated paper product comprises a result of applying a water based emulsion to a paper base sheet to provide an impregnated paper product, and drying the impregnated paper product to a water content of less than about 8 wt. % to provide the treated paper product. The water based emulsion includes a barrier and/or release forming component comprising at least one of stearylated melamine, polyethylene wax, paraffin wax, isoparaffin wax, microcrystalline wax, fluoropolymer wax, silicone wax, alkyl ketene materials, octyl succinic anhydride, Werner chrome complex, natural wax, and mixtures thereof. The water based emulsion can have a solids content of between about 2 wt. % and about 50 wt. % when it is applied to the paper base sheet. Methods for manufacturing and using the treated paper product, and a combination food and treated paper product are provided.
US08741356B2
Oil seed protein isolates, particularly canola protein isolate, are produced at a high purity level of at least about 100 wt % (N×6.25) by a process wherein oil seed protein is extracted from oil seed meal, the resulting aqueous protein solution is concentrated to a protein content of at least about 200 g/L and the concentrated protein solution is added to chilled water having a temperature below about 15° C. to form protein micelles, which are settled to provide a protein micellar mass (PMM). The protein micellar mass is separated from supernatant and may be dried. The supernatant may be processed to recover additional oil seed protein isolate by concentrating the supernatant and then drying the concentrated supernatant, to produce a protein isolate having a protein content of at least about 90 wt %. The concentrated supernatant may be mixed in varying proportions with at least part of the PMM and the mixture dried to produce a protein isolate having a protein content of at least about 90 wt %.
US08741355B2
Highly compactable granulations and methods for preparing highly compactable granulations are disclosed. More particularly, highly compactable calcium carbonate granulations are disclosed. The granulations comprise powdered materials such as calcium carbonate that have small median particle sizes. The disclosed granulations are useful in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical tableting and provide smaller tablet sizes upon compression than previously available.
US08741353B1
The ointment for healing burns and wounds includes a composition for treating skin burns, wounds, and other infection-prone skin complications. The composition includes honeycomb, sesame seed oil, myrrh, curcumin, mukul, and potassium alum. The ointment includes only natural ingredients that are unadulterated or minimally processed. Topical use of the ointment does not result in harmful side effects.
US08741348B2
A nicotine-containing particulate material for release of nicotine, the material comprising a combination of nicotine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, complex or solvate thereof and a microcrystalline cellulose. The particulate material is stable upon storage and releases nicotine relatively fast. The particulate material can be used in the manufacture of nicotine containing pharmaceutical composition, wherein the release of nicotine can be designed to be relatively fast so as to obtain a fast onset of action.
US08741347B2
The present invention relates to a method for preparing a cyclodextrin polymer and/or a hydrophilic polymer emulsion having cyclodextrins as well as lipophilic compounds, the emulsions having a remarkable stability. In particular, the method includes: (i) adding a lipophilic compound into an aqueous solution of a cyclodextrin unit polymer or hydrophilic polymer having cyclodextrins; (ii) forming an emulsion from the mixture resulting from step (i). The invention also relates to the resulting emulsions, i.e. stabilized emulsions by a non-covalent and non-crystalline inclusion complex consisting of (i) a cyclodextrin unit polymer or a hydrophilic polymer having cyclodextrins and (ii) a lipophilic compound. The invention also relates to the use of said emulsions in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical and/or agri-food fields.
US08741343B2
Methods of nighttime administration of amantadine to reduce sleep disturbances in patient undergoing treatment with amantadine are described, as well as compositions of extended release amantadine that are suitable for nighttime administration.
US08741340B2
The present invention relates to generation of cell lines expressing recombinant proteins for use in naked and encapsulated cell biodelivery of secreted therapeutic molecules. In one embodiment the cell line is human. In another aspect of the invention the transposon system is used for generating a cell line for secretion of a biologically active polypeptide.
US08741334B2
In a plaster for external use for transdermal absorption in which an adhesive layer is laminated on a plastic backing, the adhesive layer contains a styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer (SIS), a tackifying resin and a softener which are essential ingredients, and further contains flurbiprofen blended as an active ingredient. The present plaster for external use is a flurbiprofen containing plaster for external use enabling long-term stable release of contained flurbiprofen, and having excellent stability and very high drug releasing property.
US08741333B2
The present invention is drawn to adhesive solidifying formulations for treating skin disorders, such as dermatitis or psoriasis. The formulation can include a drug, a solvent vehicle, and a solidifying agent. The solvent vehicle can include a volatile solvent system including at least one volatile solvent, and a non-volatile solvent system including at least one non-volatile solvent, wherein the non-volatile solvent system is capable of facilitating the delivery of the drug at therapeutically effective rates over a sustained period of time. The formulation can have a viscosity suitable for application to a skin surface prior to evaporation of the volatile solvents system. When applied to the skin, the formulation can form a solidified layer after at least a portion of the volatile solvent system is evaporated.
US08741332B2
The present invention is drawn to adhesive solidifying formulations for treating neuropathic pain. The formulation can include a drug suitable for treating neuropathic pain, a solvent vehicle, and a solidifying agent. The solvent vehicle can include a volatile solvent system including at least one volatile solvent, and a non-volatile solvent system including at least one non-volatile solvent capable of facilitating the delivery of the drug at therapeutically effective rates over a sustained period of time. The formulation can have a viscosity suitable for application to a skin surface prior to evaporation of the volatile solvents system. When applied to the skin, the formulation can form a solidified layer after at least a portion of the volatile solvent system is evaporated.
US08741329B2
The subject invention provides a drug delivery system comprising at least one compartment comprising (i) a drug-loaded thermoplastic polymer core layer, (ii) a drug-loaded thermoplastic polymer intermediate layer and (iii) a non-medicated thermoplastic polymer skin covering the intermediate layer, wherein said core layer is loaded with crystals of a first (pharmaceutically) active compound and said intermediate layer is loaded with, crystals of the second (pharmaceutically) active compound.
US08741327B2
The present invention provides implants comprising a therapeutic drug and a polymer containing polylactic acid (PLA) and optionally polyglycolic acid (PGA). The present invention also provides methods of maintaining a therapeutic level of a drug in a subject, releasing a therapeutic drug at a substantially linear rate, and treating schizophrenia and other diseases and disorders, utilizing implants of the present invention.
US08741322B2
The present invention relates to a composition preferably useful for topical application containing, or in the form of, a fine oil-in-water emulsion, to the process for preparing it and to its use especially for treating, caring for, making up and/or cleansing the skin, the integuments (hair, eyelashes or nails) and/or mucous membranes. In a preferred embodiment the invention emulsion is obtained without the input of energy. The composition may especially be a cosmetic and/or dermatological composition.
US08741313B2
A vaccine is provided wherein a polypeptide or combination of peptides from M. tuberculosis is administered to a subject to elicit an immune response. The polypeptide vaccine is administered as part of a prime-boost strategy with BCG vaccine to increase the immunoprotection in a subject such that prevention or elimination of disease is achieved. Finally, a pharmaceutical package is provided that encompasses a polypeptide vaccine for M. tuberculosis that when administered to a subject elicits immunoprotection.
US08741312B2
The invention provides a an inactive, non-replicating vaccine comprising whole virion, chemically inactivated Yellow Fever virus which is inactivated using a method that ensures preservation of critical, neutralizing epitopes. The Yellow Fever virus has been adapted to propagate in cells to higher yields than the unadapted virus. The invention also provides methods for preventing Yellow Fever viral infection.
US08741309B2
Substantially avirulent forms of atypical porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus and corresponding vaccines are provided which result from cell culture passaging of virulent forms of PRRS. The resultant avirulent atypical PRRS virus is useful as a vaccine in that PRRS specific antibody response is elicited by inoculation of host animals, thereby conferring effective immunity against both previously known strains of PRRS virus and newly isolated atypical PRRS virus strains. The preferred passaging technique ensures that the virus remains in a logarithmic growth phase substantially throughout the process, which minimizes the time required to achieve attenuation. The present invention also provides diagnostic testing methods which can differentiate between animals infected with field strains and attenuated strains of PRRSV.
US08741308B2
The present invention relates to novel insertion sites useful for the integration of exogenous sequences into the Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) virus genome. The present invention further provides plasmid vectors to insert exogenous DNA into the genome of MVA. Furthermore, the present invention provides recombinant MVA comprising an exogenous DNA sequence inserted into the new insertion site as medicine or vaccine.
US08741306B2
This invention provides an anti-cancer immunogenic agent(s) (e.g. vaccines) that elicit an immune response specifically directed against renal cell cancers expressing a G250 antigenic marker. Preferred immunogenic agents comprise a chimeric molecule comprising a kidney cancer specific antigen (G250) attached to a granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF). The agents are useful in a wide variety of treatment modalities including, but not limited to protein vaccination, DNA vaccination, and adoptive immunotherapy.
US08741303B2
The present invention relates generally to an immunogenic LHRH composition and more particularly to an immunogenic LHRH composition comprising a LHRH C-terminal fragment of at least five amino acids. The present invention is useful, inter alia, as a prophylactic and/or therapeutic agent for the modification of fertility and behavior patterns of animals, the achievement of livestock production gains such as increasing growth, decreasing feed conversion ratios or the control of unwanted organoleptic characteristics or the treatment of disorders of the reproductive organs.
US08741300B2
The present invention relates to therapeutic conjugates with improved ability to target various diseased cells containing a targeting moiety (such as an antibody or antibody fragment), a linker and a therapeutic moiety, and further relates to processes for making and using the conjugates.
US08741299B2
Methods are provided for treating pathologies associated with hypoxia with an MIF inhibitor. Methods are also provided for treating a subject having, or at risk for pulmonary hypertension, with an MIF inhibitor. Methods are also provided for treating a subject having, or at risk from, a CNS disorder associated with hypoxia, with an MIF inhibitor. Methods are also provided of treating severe chronic lung disease, hypoxia-induced right ventricular hypertrophy or hypoxia-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling with an MIF inhibitor. Methods of diagnosing a subject with pulmonary hypertension are also provided.
US08741298B2
The present invention provides antibodies that preferentially bind to an ApoE(1-272) fragment relative to ApoE(1-299). These antibodies serve to reduce the toxicity of this fragment and find use in treatment and prophylaxis of a variety of neurological diseases.
US08741296B2
The present invention features a polypeptide, such as an antibody produced by the hybridoma SAM-6 and its use in the treatment and diagnosis of neoplasms.
US08741285B2
Intra-arterial administering at least one blood coagulation to a bleeding patient is provided, together with a pharmaceutical composition therefor.
US08741284B2
Oxalate decarboxylase crystals, including stabilized crystals, such as cross-linked crystals of oxalate decarboxylase, are disclosed. Methods to treat a disorder associated with elevated oxalate concentration using oxalate decarboxylase crystals are also disclosed. Additionally disclosed are methods of producing protein crystals.
US08741283B2
What is provided is a method of treating a patient having a tumor comprising administering an effective amount of adenosine deaminase, preferably polyalkylene oxide conjugated, to a patient in need thereof.
US08741279B2
A recombinant replication competent retrovirus for gene deliver and gene therapy is provided. The recombinant retrovirus has a heterologous nucleic acid sequence, a sequence encoding a cell- or tissue-specific ligand or a sequence for transcriptional targeting, or a combination of both a cell- or tissue-specific ligand and a cell- or tissue-specific transcriptional targeting sequence.
US08741277B2
The present invention provides muscle-derived progenitor cells that show long-term survival following transplantation into body tissues and which can augment soft tissue following introduction (e.g. via injection, transplantation, or implantation) into a site of soft tissue. Also provided are methods of isolating muscle-derived progenitor cells, and methods of genetically modifying the cells for gene transfer therapy. The invention further provides methods of using compositions comprising muscle-derived progenitor cells for the augmentation and bulking of mammalian, including human, soft tissues in the treatment of various cosmetic or functional conditions, including malformation, injury, weakness, disease, or dysfunction. In particular, the present invention provides treatments and amelioration for dermatological conditions, gastroesophageal reflux, vesico-ureteral reflux, urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, heart failure, and myocardial infarction.
US08741275B2
Compositions comprising undecylenic acid or citric acid and certain esters are effective for reducing malodors. The esters are in the molecular weight range of between 150-200 when the acid is undecylenic acid and in the range of between 130-230 when the acid is citric acid. These compositions can be used in perfumed products, household products and personal care products.
US08741257B2
This disclosure relates to a process for producing titanium dioxide, comprising: a) reacting a alloy comprising silicon and aluminum having a melting point of about 482° C. to about 660° C., with chlorine gas at temperatures above 190° C. to form chlorides of silicon and aluminum; b) adding titanium tetrachloride to the chlorides of silicon and aluminum of step (a); c) oxidizing the chlorides of silicon and aluminum and titanium tetrachloride of step (b); and d) forming titanium dioxide.
US08741251B2
Disclosed are granular mesoporous silica and a preparation method thereof. The preparation method includes preparing powdered silica containing a structure derivative to form mesopores; preparing a molded precursor including the powdered silica and an inorganic binder or an organic binder; preparing a granular molded article having a predetermined shape by extruding or injection-molding the molded precursor; and removing the structure derivative by calcinating the granular molded article. The granular mesoporous silica represents superior pore characteristics and is used as an adsorbent capable of effectively removing pollutants in water treatment and air pollution treatment.
US08741249B2
A process for producing soda ash from brine waste, the process including reacting brine waste with carbon dioxide and ammonia to produce soda ash, where in at least a portion of the ammonia is regenerated from the ammonium chloride produced during the reaction, the regeneration ideally be achieved by the use of a weak base anion exchange resin.
US08741240B2
The selective reduction-type catalyst effectively purifies nitrogen oxides contained in exhaust gas from a lean-burn engine such as a boiler, a gas turbine or a lean-burn engine, a diesel engine, even under high SV, as well as having small pressure loss, by supplying by spraying urea water or ammonia water, as a reducing component, to the selective reduction-type catalyst; and an exhaust gas purification apparatus along with an exhaust gas purification method using the same. The selective reduction-type catalyst for selectively reducing a nitrogen oxide by adding urea or ammonia as a reducing agent of the nitrogen oxide to exhaust gas discharged from a lean-burn engine, characterized by coating a catalyst layer including zeolite containing at least an iron element, and a composite oxide of silica, tungsten oxide, ceria and zirconia, as denitration components, at the surface of a monolithic structure-type substrate.
US08741232B2
A specimen holding and positioning apparatus operable to substantially non-movably maintain a specimen (e.g., an excised tissue specimen) in a fixed or stable orientation with respect to the apparatus during imaging operations (e.g., x-ray imaging), transport (e.g., from a surgery room to a pathologist's laboratory), and the like for use in facilitating accurate detection and diagnosis of cancers and/or other abnormalities of the specimen.
US08741231B2
A channel control mechanism for a microchip has a laminated structure formed of members including elastic members, and includes: a sample reservoir for packing a sample therein; a reaction reservoir in which mixture and reaction of the sample are performed; and a channel formed in a middle layer of the laminated structure, for bringing the sample reservoir and the reaction reservoir into communication with each other. The channel control mechanism performs the reaction and analysis in such a manner that the sample is delivered into the reaction reservoir through the channel. A shutter channel (pressurizing channel) is provided in a layer different from a layer in which the channel is formed so that the pressurizing channel partially overlaps the channel. The channel is closed through applying a pressurized medium to the shutter channel (pressurizing channel), and the channel is opened through releasing a pressure of the pressurized medium.
US08741230B2
This invention is in the field of medical devices. Specifically, the present invention provides portable medical devices that allow real-time detection of analytes from a biological fluid. The methods and devices are particularly useful for providing point-of-care testing for a variety of medical applications.
US08741221B2
A chemical oxygen generator includes multiple parallel sequentially connected chemical core sections that extend the duration of operation of the chemical oxygen generator. An end of a first core section is contiguous with a chemical core high reactivity section, and a thermal insulation layer is disposed between an end of a second core section and the chemical core ignition plate, as well as between the bodies of the first and second core sections. A chemical core transition section is disposed between the other end of the first core section and the second core section, to insure that the reaction front propagates properly.
US08741217B2
There is provided a titanium alloy for corrosion-resistant materials, which contains 0.01-0.12% by mass in total of at least one of platinum group elements; at least Si and one of, or both of, Sn and Mn, selected from the group consisting of Al, Cr, Zr, Nb, Si, Sn and Mn, wherein the total content of Al, Cr, Zr, Nb, Si, Sn and Mn is 5% by mass or less; and the residue comprising Ti and impurities.
US08741214B2
A method of making a sintered article in which a solid object is embedded includes forming a green body of compressed particles with the solid body is partially embedded. The green body includes an opening across which the solid body extends. The green body is sintered to form a sintered body and the opening permits deformation of the solid body in response to stress applied during the sintering process. A sintered article in which a solid body is at least partially embedded includes an opening. The solid body extends across the opening so that the solid body can deform within the opening. The opening in the solid body prevents distortion of the sintered body from a planar configuration during sintering, even when the green body is relatively thin.
US08741199B2
The present application relates to a full wafer nanoimprint lithography device comprises a wafer stage, a full wafer coated with a liquid resist, a demolding nozzle, a composite mold, an imprint head, a pressure passageway, a vacuum passageway and a UV light source. The present application also relates to an imprinting method using the full wafer nanoimprint lithography device comprises the following steps: 1) a pretreatment process; 2) an imprinting process; 3) a curing process; and 4) a demolding process. The device and the method can be used for high volume manufacturing photonic crystal LEDs, nano patterned sapphire substrates and the like in large scale patterning on the non-planar surface or substrate.
US08741192B2
A method and an apparatus for producing various types of microdroplets. The apparatus has a cross intersection portion at which a first continuous phase, a first dispersion phase, and a second dispersion phase intersect with each other. A first liquid feed device controls the first dispersion phase and a second liquid feed device controls the second dispersion phase. A control device is connected to the first liquid feed device and the second liquid feed device. The first liquid feed device and the second liquid feed device are controlled by a signal from the control device so that microdroplets formed of the first dispersion phase and microdroplets formed of the second dispersion phase are sequentially produced.
US08741188B2
The present invention provides ophthalmic devices comprising at least one photochromic material which is an indeno-fused naphthopyran having a pi-conjugation extending group bonded to the 11-position of the indeno-fused naphthopyran, the pi-conjugation extending group having at least one pendent halo-substituted group bonded thereto. The pi-conjugation extending group extends the pi-conjugation system of said indeno-fused naphthopyran. The 13-position of the indeno-fused naphthopyran is substantially free of spiro-substituents. The invention further provides photochromic materials of specified structure, photochromic compositions, photochromic articles and optical elements that include the photochromic materials. Other non-limiting embodiments relate to methods of making the ophthalmic devices comprising photochromic materials.
US08741181B2
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for treating a raw product stream (raw synthesis gas/raw syngas) generated by underground coal gasification (UCG). In one aspect, the invention concerns a method and apparatus for cooling and initial cleaning of raw syngas gas, so that the treated UCG product stream is suitable for downstream applications such as for energy or chemical production. In another aspect, the invention concerns a method and apparatus for isolating, treating and handling a raw UCG product stream that is generated either when igniting or decommissioning an underground coal gasifier and, due to its consistency, is generally unsuitable for energy or chemical production.
US08741171B2
Compositions for reducing the formation of dust and methods for making and using same are provided. The composition can include an emulsion comprising one or more pitches, one or more fatty acids, one or more rosins, or any combination thereof. The composition can also include one or more film forming polymers, one or more oils, or a combination thereof.
US08741170B2
The present invention relates to ferrite particles for bonded magnet, having a volume-average particle diameter of 2.1 to 2.7 μm and a particle diameter x90 of 4.3 to 5.4 μm wherein the x90 represents a particle diameter at which a cumulative percentage of particles under sieve (undersize particles) based on a volume thereof is 90%, when determined from a particle size distribution thereof measured by using a laser diffraction type particle size distribution measuring apparatus.
US08741169B2
The present invention relates to a heat storage composition comprising 60-98% by weight of sodium sulfate decahydrate and 1-10% by weight of one or more superabsorbents 1-10% by weight of one or more nucleators and 0-20% by weight of one or more water-soluble salts, based in each case on the heat storage composition, said superabsorbent comprising, in polymerized form, a) at least 50 mol %, based on the superabsorbent, of one or more monoethylenically unsaturated monomers comprising acid groups, the degree of neutralization of the monoethylenically unsaturated monomers comprising acid groups being 15 to 85 mol %, and b) 0.015 to 0.1 mol %, based on the total amount of monomers, of at least one crosslinker, to a process for production thereof and to the use thereof as a heat-storing building material and as a heat storage element for motor vehicles, walls of transport vessels or other heat storage vessels.
US08741161B2
According to one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method includes forming a pillar on a base layer, forming a insulating layer on the base layer to cover the pillar by using GCIB method, where a lowermost portion of an upper surface of the insulating layer is lower than an upper surface of the pillar, and polishing the insulating layer and the pillar to expose a head of the pillar by using CMP method, where an end point of the polishing is the lowermost portion of the upper surface of the insulating layer.
US08741160B2
Disclosed are a method for manufacturing a solar cell by processing a surface of a silicon substrate for a solar cell, a solar cell manufactured by the method, and a substrate processing system for performing the method. The method for manufacturing a solar cell comprises protrusion forming step including wet-etching process and for forming a plurality of minute protrusions on a light receiving surface of a crystalline silicon substrate, and planarization step of planarizing the bottom surface, the opposite surface to the light receiving surface of the substrate during or after the protrusion forming step.
US08741159B2
A method of fabricating a touch screen panel according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: forming a reinforcing layer on the top and the bottom of a glass substrate by reinforcing the entire surface of the glass substrate defining a plurality of unit cell regions; forming the touch screen panels in the unit cell regions on a side of the glass substrate with the reinforcing layers; cutting the reinforced glass substrate into the touch screen panels; forming passivation layers on the outer surfaces of the touch screen panels and sequentially stacking the touch screen panels; and simultaneously with the stacking, performing healing on the non-reinforced cut-sides of the stacked touch screen panels.
US08741156B2
The subject of the invention is a hybrid photocatalyst which is a layered aluminosilicate, possibly organically modified, containing compounds introduced into the aluminosilicate galleries bearing groups such as porphyrin, rose bengal, anthracene, pyrene, perylene, tetracene, rubrene, naphthalene, phthalocyanines, coumarins, and methylene blue, which are organic chromophores able to absorb visible and/or ultraviolet light and sensitize photochemical reactions. The invention includes also the methods of synthesis and application of the photocatalysts for the photocatalytical degradation of water pollutants.
US08741130B2
Disclosed and claimed is a method of demulsifying a produced emulsion into oil and water by adding a surfactant to the produced emulsion. The surfactant comprises any combination of surfactants having a plurality of hydrophilic groups.
US08741117B2
Described herein is a device comprising a plurality of first reaction electrodes arranged in an array, the plurality of first reaction electrodes configured to be exposed to a solution and having a capacitance; first circuitry configured to controllably connect the plurality of first reaction electrodes to a bias source and controllably disconnect the plurality of first reaction electrodes from the bias source; and second circuitry configured to measure a rate of charging or discharging of the capacitance. Also described herein is a method of using this device to sequence DNA.
US08741112B2
An anode device for an electro-f locculation cell, is provided comprising a bed of metal granules (1c) through which raw water is flown from the bottom to the top, is loosely provided in a cell box (3) out of insulating material on an electrically conducting electrode (1) plate provided with insulating material nozzles (Da1-Dc1) and serving as current feeding means to the metal granules (1c), further comprising non-conducting, hydraulic tube connections (6a-6c) which are provided from the insulating material nozzles (Da1-Dc1) to outlet sockets of the tubular manifold (7) for raw water, and at least two gas injectors (9) for the supply of driving a gas which are protruding into the tubular manifold (7) and are connected to a gas supply device (8), wherein fluid connections for the driving gas and the raw water are provided from the outlet sockets (7a1-7c1) of the tubular manifold (7) through to the non-conducting tube connections and the insulating material nozzles to the metal granules (Ic) provided within the cell box (3).
US08741108B2
A reactor (9) for the pyrolysis of carbon-containing waste material such as rubber chips includes a cylindrical air-tight reactor vessel (10) which has an inlet through which rubber chips (4) are introduced into the reactor vessel and an outlet (60) through which oil distillate can be discharged therefrom. The reactor vessel has a cooling jacket through which cooling water flows for cooling an inner shell (40) of the vessel. The chips (4) are deposited onto a support tray (70) and displaced towards a rear end of the reactor vessel by a chain conveyer (89). The chips (4) are heated on the tray (40) causing decomposition of the chips into a vapor and amorphous carbon. The vapor condenses when it contacts the inner shell (40) and runs down the sides of the vessel (10) towards a lower side thereof before being discharged through the outlet (60).
US08741105B2
According to the disclosure, a wet form cellulosic product forming process and a wet formed cellulosic product are disclosed. The process includes providing a slurry, forming the slurry into a cellulosic product, dewatering the cellulosic product, and drying the cellulosic product. Further dewatering of the cellulosic product occurs through a non-mechanical mechanism.
US08741102B2
The device for evaporating a treatment liquid comprises a cylindrical enclosure having an outlet orifice opening out into the top end of the enclosure, the enclosure being placed vertically and having a heated inside wall, and liquid nozzles associated with a blow pipe for blowing air under pressure so as to form a jet comprising a mixture of air and of pulverized treatment liquid in a direction that is tangential to the inside wall of the enclosure, each liquid nozzle and the associated blow pipe being arranged so that the jet of mixture is formed in an upper portion of the enclosure and is downwardly inclined.
US08741088B2
A magnet that includes a composite body and at least one reinforcing element. The reinforcing element is embedded within the body and increases the radial strength of the body. As a result, the magnet is able to rotate at higher speeds without fracturing. Additionally, methods of manufacturing the magnet are described.
US08741085B2
A resilient floor tile includes a base layer, a film layer, a decorative film layer, and a topcoat. The resilient floor tile has a shaped edge formed on an upper surface thereof that extends about at least a portion of a perimeter of the resilient floor tile. In order to make the resilient floor tile, a continuous sheet of a base layer is conveyed into a press die. The press die is actuated from an open position to a closed position. The continuous sheet is cut with a blade of a cutting tool of the press die to form side surfaces of the resilient floor tile when the press die is in the closed position. A shaped edge is formed on at least a portion of a perimeter of an upper surface of the resilient floor tile with a forming tool of the press die when the press die is in the closed position.
US08741071B2
A process for treating the surface of a substrate in the manufacture of a semiconductor device. The process comprises providing a concentrated acid or base, a peroxide and water, and delivering the acid or base, the peroxide and the water to the surface of the substrate. The acid or base and the water are delivered separately to the surface of the substrate and allowed to mix on the surface, and the water is delivered in pulses. The present invention also provides an apparatus adapted to carry out this process.
US08741068B2
A barbeque grill scraper and related methods of use that utilize a scraping end formed of a heat-responsive material to remove char and other debris from the grilling surface. The grill scraper includes a conformable scraping edge formed of the heat-responsive material. As the conformable scraping edge is drawn back and forth along the heated grilling surface, a combination of pressure applied by a user as well as the heat of the grill surface results in the formation of individual grooves along the conformable scraping edge, wherein each groove is formed to match an upper profile of the grilling surface. Over time, the grooves fully conform to the upper profile of the grilling surface such that an entire cooking surface can be scraped clean of char and debris.
US08741060B2
This invention relates to a system and a method for liquid silicon containment, such as during the casting of high purity silicon used in solar cells or solar modules. The containment apparatus includes a shielding ember adapted to prevent breaching molten silicon from contacting structural elements or cooling elements of a casting device, and a volume adapted to hold a quantity of breaching molten silicon with the volume formed by a bottom and one or more sides.
US08741058B1
By-product materials are processed to mitigate undesirable effects. In some embodiments, industrial waste by-products are recycled using calcium polysulfide and used in building materials. In certain implementations, toxins are rendered non-viable as human pathogens by reaction with calcium polysulfide to create non-soluble sulfide crystals locked in the material as hydration is completed. The sulfides are not soluble in water and are locked into position within the resulting hydrate material, which mitigates escape of or changes of state in the toxins.
US08741048B2
A water-based ink for ink jet recording includes a self-dispersible pigment modified by phosphate group; water; a water-soluble organic solvent; a cationic surfactant which is contained at 0.001% by weight to 0.05% by weight in the water-based ink for ink jet recording; and at least one selected from the group consisting of boric acids, a chelate agent, a reducing sugar and a sugar alcohol.
US08741038B2
The present invention relates to a fluorine-free composition for hydrophobizing porous mineral substrates and for producing a water repellent effect on the surface of the substrate, the composition being based on at least one hydrophobizing active substance and at least one hydrophobic metal oxide. The invention furthermore relates to a process for the preparation of such a composition and the use of this composition.
US08741035B2
Disclosed herein is a method for reducing the amount of coarser particles from a stream of flue gas prior to treatment by a spray dryer absorption process (SDA). The method comprises the steps of directing a stream of flue gas containing entrained particles of varying sizes through a curve, thereby subjecting the particles to a centrifugal effect, collecting the particles predominately of the coarser size at a particles collecting means provided in the outer circumference of the curve, dispersing the flue gas reduced in particles of coarse particle sizes into the chamber of a spray dryer absorption apparatus, wherein the particles content of the original flue gas stream is above 20 g/Nm3. Also an apparatus for performing the method and a gas disperser is disclosed. The method substantially reduces the cost of the entire plant for treating flue gas having a high content of entrained coarse particles by eliminating the need for a particle pre-collector upstream the SDA.
US08741028B2
In one embodiment, a carbon dioxide separating and recovering system includes an absorption tower to cause carbon dioxide to be absorbed in an absorbing solution, a regeneration tower to release the carbon dioxide from the absorbing solution, and at least one measuring apparatus to measure an ultrasound propagation speed in the absorbing solution. Each of the at least one measuring apparatus calculates a dissolved carbon dioxide concentration in the absorbing solution, based on a temperature measured by a temperature measuring unit, the ultrasound propagation speed measured by an ultrasound propagation speed measuring unit, and a correlation expression which shows a relationship between the dissolved carbon dioxide concentration and the ultrasound propagation speed in the absorbing solution, and is changed according to the temperature of the absorbing solution. The carbon dioxide separating and recovering system controls the system, based on the dissolved carbon dioxide concentration calculated by the measuring apparatus.
US08741024B2
A welding rod for use in applying hardfacing to a surface of a tool includes an elongated, generally cylindrical body including a metal matrix material. The welding rod also includes particles of polycrystalline diamond material carried by the elongated, generally cylindrical body. The particles of polycrystalline diamond material include a plurality of inter-bonded diamond grains.
US08741016B2
A filter device has a compact filter made of a filter material that is wound spirally. A star filter that is made of a filter material that has folds arranged in a star shape surrounds the compact filter. The filter device has a cylindrical shape. A fluid to be filtered passes the compact filter in an axial direction and the star filter in a radial direction. The filter device is exchangeable and is mounted in a filter housing such that the compact filter and the star filter have a common raw side and a common clean side that are separated from each other.
US08741009B2
The inventive chemical-mechanical polishing system comprises a polishing component, a liquid carrier, and a polyether amine. The inventive method comprises chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate with the aforementioned polishing system.
US08741005B1
A method of processing a polycrystalline diamond material is disclosed. According to the method, a metal-solvent catalyst is leached from a polycrystalline diamond material by exposing at least a portion of the polycrystalline diamond material to a leaching composition. The leaching composition includes water, a complexing agent, and hydrofluoric acid.
US08741001B1
The present invention provides a blended fuel and methods for producing the blended fuel, wherein a low carbon fuel derived from a renewable resource such as biomass, is blended with a traditional, petroleum derived fuel. A blended fuel which includes greater than 10% by volume of low carbon fuel has an overall improved lifecycle greenhouse gas content of about 5% or more compared to the petroleum derived fuel. Also, blending of the low carbon fuel to the traditional, petroleum fuel improves various engine performance characteristics of the traditional fuel.
US08740997B2
Novel compounds based on diaminostilbene are provided. The compounds conform to the general structures The compounds are useful as optical brighteners. Compositions, such as laundry compositions, containing such compounds are also provided.
US08740995B1
The subject matter of the present invention is a method for oxidative lightening and/or coloring of keratinic fibers, in particular of hair, wherein a) a pretreatment agent that contains at least one 4-morpholinomethyl-substituted silicone of formulas (V) is applied onto the keratinic fibers, in particular onto the hair, b) subsequently, within a time span from one second to 24 hours after step a), a coloring and/or lightening agent is applied onto the keratinic fibers, which agent is obtained by mixing a composition (A) that contains at least one alkalizing agent with a composition (B) that contains, in a cosmetic carrier, at least one oxidizing agent, where the composition (B) contains at least one acylpyridinium derivative of formula (Acylpyr-I), (Acylpyr-I).
US08740989B2
In some embodiments, a stent includes an elongate member and a distal retention member. The elongate member is configured to be disposed within a ureter of a patient and has a first portion, a second portion and a plurality of beads bonded together. The plurality of beads define a plurality of spaces between the plurality of beads. The plurality of spaces are configured to allow fluid to flow from the first portion of the elongate member to the second portion of the elongate member. The distal retention member is configured to help maintain a portion of the stent within a kidney of the patient.
US08740984B2
An orthopedic prosthesis includes a tibial implant and a tibial insert. The tibial implant includes an upper surface, a medial side, a lateral side and a first locking structure provided on the upper surface where the medial side and the lateral side of the tibial implant are defined by a medial-lateral midline. The tibial insert includes a second locking structure provided on its bottom surface. The first and second locking structures are configured for engaging each other along an engagement direction vector when the tibial insert is inserted into the tibial base towards the posterior side. The engagement direction vector is angled away from the medial-lateral midline of the tibial implant towards the medial side of the tibial implant by a predetermine angle.
US08740982B2
Effective devices and methods using a chemonucleolysis agent are provided for treating an intervertebral disc or treating spinal arachnoiditis. The devices and methods comprise a chemonucleolysis agent to degrade or to shrink at least a portion of the intervertebral disc. In some embodiments, the methods and devices are configured to immediately release an effective amount of the chemonucleolysis agent within 24 hours and provide sustained release of the chemonucleolysis agent over a period of up to one year to treat the intervertebral disc. In some embodiments, the chemonucleolysis agent in the device is administered in or near the intrathecal space and/or thecal sac to treat spinal arachnoiditis.
US08740975B2
A method for delivering and deploying a self-expandable heart valve to a site of implantation such as the aortic annulus. The deployment step may include engaging an outer surface of the heart valve with a plurality of distal fingers and a plurality of proximal fingers. Controlled radial movement of the fingers regulates the expansion of the heart valve. The fingers may be removed prior to inflation of a balloon to fully expand the valve, or the fingers may be repositioned to the inside of the valve for this purpose. The deployment step may include an umbrella structure that forces the valve outward into its fully expanded configuration. Alternatively, a gear shaft that engages one or more gear tracks on the valve may be utilized to regulate expansion of the valve. A stabilization balloon may be used to axially and radially locate the deployment mechanism relative to the site of implantation.
US08740957B2
The device for interstitial laser thermotherapy of tumors comprises an hollow needle (3) with a point (3A) for perforating a tissue (T) to be treated, and a light guide (9) which can be inserted in said hollow needle. The hollow needle is associated with a membrane (17) which is inflatable to form a balloon (P) into which the distal end (9A) of said light guide (9) can project, the membrane being inflated to create a cavity in the tissue to be treated into which laser radiation is guided by said light guide.
US08740953B2
An occipital plate may include a central section, a pair of angled sections, and attachment assemblies comprising slide members configured to move along slots in the angled sections, and posts coupled to the slide members. Each post has a first and second cross dimensions. The first cross dimension of each post is less than a first cross dimension of a slide member. The second cross dimension of each post is approximately equal to a second cross dimension of a slide member. Rods may be coupled to the occipital plate at a variety of angles with respect to a midline of the plate. The angular adjustability may accommodate any misalignments in the rods. Further, the position of the attachment assemblies relative to the midline is adjustable to thereby provide for medial-lateral adjustability when attaching the rods to the occipital plate as part of an occipito-cervico-thoracic construct.
US08740946B2
A bone anchor (100) for attaching a rod (108) to a bone has an anchor member (106) for attachment to the bone and an anchor head (104) having a U-shaped opening for receiving the rod. The bone anchor also includes a locking cap (102) that has a main body (900) and a set screw (1000). Advantageously, in one embodiment the locking cap preferably is designed such that a single tool can be used to lock the locking cap in place on the anchor body preferably with a 90° turn and preferably then drive the set screw to clamp the rod. The locking cap also preferably non-threadingly engages the anchor body. The anchor body preferably has an inclined surface on its top surface which elastically deflects extending tabs on the main body to secure the locking cap to the anchor body. A method of implantation and assembly of the bone anchor are also described.
US08740943B2
A spine distraction implant alleviates pain associated with spinal stenosis and facet arthropathy by expanding the volume in the spine canal and/or neural foramen. The implant provides a spinal extension stop while allowing freedom of spinal flexion.
US08740934B2
A device for closing a left atrial appendage of a patient comprising a containment member having a first configuration for passage into the left atrial appendage and a second larger configuration, and a wire movable into the containment member in situ to expand the containment member in the left atrial appendage to the second configuration.
US08740927B2
Devices and methods for treating obesity are provided. More particularly, intragastric devices and methods of fabricating, deploying, inflating, monitoring, and retrieving the same are provided.
US08740923B2
A puncture device is constituted such that a plunger (2) is provided with a lever (3) which is partially restricted in rotation, and a forward urging force is obtained by a contraction restorative force of a tension spring (4), and the tension spring (4) is again expanded with the lever (3) as a leverage when the plunger (2) further moves forward due to its inertia from a position where no urging force is not applied, and the plunger (2) is urged backward by a restorative force of the re-expansion. Further, a puncture needle cartridge is provided with a lancet body (203) having a puncture needle, and a puncture needle holder (201) in which the lancet body (203) is movably stored, and further, the lancet body (203) has an arm means (302) and the puncture needle holder (201) contains a to-be-latched means (303) that cooperates with the arm means (302). Thereby, the fabrication process is simplified, and plural times of punctures of the puncture needle is prevented, and further, the puncture speed is controlled, and moreover, the used puncture needle is discarded safely.
US08740915B2
A bone fixation system that may be configured to move at least one of a first bone segment and a second bone segment relative to the other, is disclosed. The system may include a first lever and a second lever pivotally coupled to the first lever. The first lever may include a first handle, a first jaw extending from the first handle, and an aperture extending through the first jaw. The aperture may be configured to receive a fixation element to thereby fixedly couple the first lever to a bone plate. The second lever may include a second handle, a second jaw extending from the second handle, and an aperture extending through the second jaw. The aperture may be configured to receive a temporary fixation element to operatively couple the second lever to the second bone segment.
US08740911B2
A method of preparing a distal femur for implantation of a femoral implant is described. The distal femur is resected to accommodate placement of a trial implant thereon. The trial implant is then placed against the resected distal femur to locate an optimal position for the femoral implant. The trial implant comprises one or more apertures through which holes are drilled in the distal femur and into which trial pegs are inserted into the distal femur to secure the trial implant to the distal femur. The surgeon then evaluates whether the holes in the femur are located appropriately to securely implant the femoral implant onto the femur. The trial implant is ultimately removed in favor of a final implant.
US08740910B2
The invention provides an apparatus and method for sizing a distal portion of a femur during knee arthroplasty. A sizer according to the invention includes a body that can be removably attached to the distal portion of the femur and that is operable to support a module that is removably attachable to the body. The body with attached module is operable for use in measuring the size of the distal portion of the femur. The module can be attached to the body either before or after the body has been attached to the distal portion of the femur and can be detached from the body either before or after the body is detached from the distal portion of the femur.
US08740904B2
A seal anchor member has opposing ends that define a longitudinal axis. The seal anchor member is adapted to transition between an expanded condition and a compressed condition to facilitate securing of the seal anchor member within a tissue tract in a substantially sealed relationship. The seal anchor member includes a biasing member positioned along the longitudinal axis. The biasing member is configured and adapted to facilitate the transition between the expanded and compressed conditions. The seal anchor member further includes at least one lumen extending through the seal anchor member for slidably receiving a surgical instrument.
US08740899B2
An operation section structure of a treatment instrument for endoscopic use has: a hook knife inserted into a body cavity; a wire having a distal end connected to the hook knife; a tubular flexible sheath provided to an outer periphery of the wire; a current-carrying plug having a main unit having a distal end connected to the sheath; a sliding member made of a conductive material and having a proximal end of the wire fixed thereto, the sliding member being capable of sliding on the main unit in longitudinal direction; a operation member capable of freely rotating in circumferential direction of the operation member; and attached to the sliding member; and a conductive section provided to the operation member, the conductive section being made of a conductive material providing conductivity by making contact with the sliding member. This configuration can rotate the distal end structure easily.
US08740897B2
A device for treating spinal tissue of a patient's body may include an energy source and first and second probe assemblies. Each of the probe assemblies may have an electrically conductive energy delivery device electrically coupled to the energy source, and may also have an electrothermal device for cooling the probe assembly. The device is configured so that the energy source delivers energy to the spinal tissue through the energy delivery devices in a bipolar mode that concentrates delivered energy between the energy delivery devices to create a lesion within the spinal tissue while the electrothermal devices cool the probe assemblies. Related methods of use include cooling, at times via an electrothermal device.
US08740894B2
An obesity treatment system has a first treatment region sized and configured for deployment in a duodenum and a second treatment region sized and configured for deployment in a stomach. The first and second treatment regions are spaced apart a distance sized and configured to permit simultaneous deployment of the first treatment region in the duodenum and deployment of the second treatment region in the stomach. The first and second treatment regions each carry at least one electrode, which can deliver energy to ablate tissue in and the duodenum.
US08740883B2
A detachable control handle of a surgical device for use in positioning an instrument for use in a surgical procedure. The detachable control handle comprises: a handle assembly configured for communicating with a mechanical positioning mechanism via a connector, wherein said mechanical positioning mechanism is configured to couple with said instrument outside of a patient's body and to move said instrument relative to said patient's body, said handle assembly comprising: a control handle; a detaching mechanism coupled with said control handle, said detaching mechanism configured for detachably coupling said control handle with said mechanical positioning mechanism, wherein said control handle and said mechanical positioning mechanism are sealingly coupled with a first and second portion of a drape interface mechanism of a sterile drape, respectively, wherein said sterile drape is configured for isolating a portion of said surgical device within a sterile environment.
US08740882B2
A medical robotic system and method for controlling the system are provided to precisely measure contact force during the minimally invasive surgery. In one embodiment, a medical robotic system includes an input device, a robotic arm assembly, a surgical instrument operably coupled to the robotic arm assembly, the surgical instrument including a contact detection unit configured to detect a contact of the surgical instrument with tissue of a patient, a current measurement unit configured to measure a joint current in the robotic arm assembly, a position/velocity measurement unit configured to measure a joint position and a joint velocity in the robotic arm assembly, an external force calculation unit configured to calculate size and direction of a contact force caused by the contact of the surgical instrument to the tissue based on the joint currents, positions and velocities measured when the contact is occurred and measured when the contact is not occurred.
US08740867B2
An ostomy appliance comprising a front wall and a rear wall of flexible material forming a bag, said rear wall having an opening for receiving a stoma, and said rear wall also being provided with an adhesive wafer for securing the appliance to a user's skin, said wafer having a hole being aligned with the opening for receiving the stoma, wherein the opening has an edge being secured to the surface of the adhesive wafer facing away from the user in an attachment zone surrounding the hole of the wafer, wherein a first part of the edge of the opening of the gab is secured to the surface of the wafer in a corresponding first part of the attachment zone, and wherein a second, remaining part of the edge of the opening of the bag is prepared for adhesive sealing of the same to the remaining second part of the attachment zone renders it possible for a nurse to observe the stoma area during adaptation of such a sealing member when applying one-piece appliances.
US08740854B2
A plunger rod adapted for attachment with a stopper for use with a syringe barrel is disclosed. The plunger rod includes an elongated member having a front end and a back end, the plunger rod extending along a longitudinal axis. The plunger rod includes at least one deflecting arm associated with the front end of the elongated member. The deflecting arm is capable of deflecting radially inward during insertion of the plunger rod into a stopper, and deflecting outward into contact with an inner surface of the stopper after insertion to lock the plunger rod within the stopper.
US08740850B2
A catheter integral with a valved needle-free connector provides a safety catheter device configured to receive a blunt cannula and sharp needle forming an insertion mechanism. The sharp needle is mounted within a needle tube and a control handle is used to slide the sharp needle out of and into the protective needle tube. When the insertion mechanism is mounted to the connector and the control handle is used to slide the sharp needle out of the tube, a blunt cannula first moves into contact with and enters the bore of the valve mechanism of the connector opening it and protecting it from damage that may be caused by the sharp needle. The sharp needle is then extended through the connector and extends out the distal end of the catheter so that a venipuncture procedure may be performed to properly locate the catheter in the patient's circulatory system. Once located, the needle may be retracted into the insertion mechanism, the insertion mechanism disconnected from the connector, and discarded.
US08740848B2
A device for dispensing fluid to a patient enabling either or both of a continuous flow, as well as successive, large-volume boluses. A first reservoir provides a source of fluid under pressure. A bolus flow path provides for the delivery of a bolus dose of fluid and an optional continuous flow path provides a continuous flow rate of fluid. Both flow paths are in fluid communication with the source of fluid. A bolus delivery system in fluid communication with the bolus flow path receives fluid from the first reservoir, expands to pressurize fluid, stores the pressurized fluid, and dispenses the pressurized fluid while avoiding bolus refill until enabled to expand in a subsequent delivery cycle. An actuator releases fluid from the bolus delivery system such that when actuated by the patient, fluid is permitted to flow out of the bolus reservoir to the patient without further action by the patient.
US08740842B2
An apparatus may include a medical device including an elongate shaft disposed about a guidewire, and a distal tip including a plurality of rounded protrusions, wherein adjacent protrusions are fixed directly to each other by a discrete, relatively flexible connector. The plurality of protrusions may each decrease in size from a proximalmost protrusion distally to distalmost protrusion.
US08740826B2
A device for non-invasively mechanically stimulating bone or muscle includes a vibrational energy generator for applying vibrational energy to a first end of a length of a tissue which includes bone and/or muscle. The vibrational energy is for inducing strain in at least one region within the length of tissue. A restraint is disposed opposite the first end of the length to resist translation of the length during operation of the device and to provide loading to the bone or muscle. A connecting structure couples the restraint to the vibrational energy generator. The device does not require gravity to operate and as a result is expected to have applications in space, such as with astronauts, with those having bone aliments such as bed-ridden patients, persons with osteoporosis or disuse atrophy, athletes, recovering bone cancer patients, and persons with musculoskeletal disorders.
US08740825B2
Devices, systems and methods are described which control blood pressure and nervous system activity by stimulating baroreceptors. By selectively and controllably activating baroreceptors and/or nerves, the present invention reduces blood pressure and alters the sympathetic nervous system; thereby minimizing deleterious effects on the heart, vasculature and other organs and tissues. A baroreceptor activation device or other sensory activation device is positioned near a dermal bone to provide the treatment.
US08740820B2
Among other things, a vestibular prosthesis includes a wearable motion sensing system, the motion sensing system generating a motion signal indicative of a motion thereof, wherein the motion includes rotation about two distinct axes; a signal processor in communication with the motion sensing system, the signal processor being configured to generate an estimate of a tilt of the motion sensing system; and an actuator responsive to the estimate of the tilt made by the signal processor.
US08740818B2
Methods, apparatus and systems for characterizing changes in at least one physical property of soft tissue. A series of acoustic pulses is generated and directed into the soft tissue such that at least one of the pulses is of sufficiently high intensity to induce physical displacement of the tissue. Waves reflected off the tissue, or a flexible member that moves with the tissue, are received and measured to estimate at least one characteristic of the physical displacement induced thereby. Repetition of the generating, receiving and estimating steps provides characterization of the at least one physical property over time. Methods, apparatus and systems for characterizing at least one physical property of blood, by generating a series of acoustic pulses and directing the series of pulses into the blood such that at least one of the pulses is of sufficiently high intensity to induce physical displacement of the blood. Acoustic pulses and/or optical waves reflected from the blood, or a flexible member in contact with the blood that moves with the blood, are received and measured to estimate at least one characteristic of the physical displacement induced thereby.
US08740807B2
The invention provides a multi-sensor system that uses an algorithm based on adaptive filtering to monitor a patient's respiratory rate. The system features an impedance pneumography sensor and a motion sensor (e.g., an accelerometer) configured to attach to the patient's torso and measure therefrom a motion signal. The system further comprises a processing system, configured to operably connect to the impedance pneumography sensor and motion sensor, and to determine a respiration rate value by applying filter parameters obtained from the impedance pneumography sensor signals to the motion sensor signals.
US08740802B2
The present invention provides a technique for continuous measurement of blood pressure based on pulse transit time and which does not require any external calibration. This technique, referred to herein as the ‘Composite Method’, is carried out with a body-worn monitor that measures blood pressure and other vital signs, and wirelessly transmits them to a remote monitor. A network of body-worn sensors, typically placed on the patient's right arm and chest, connect to the body-worn monitor and measure time-dependent ECG, PPG, accelerometer, and pressure waveforms. The disposable sensors can include a cuff that features an inflatable bladder coupled to a pressure sensor, three or more electrical sensors (e.g. electrodes), three or more accelerometers, a temperature sensor, and an optical sensor (e.g., a light source and photodiode) attached to the patient's thumb.
US08740798B2
According to one embodiment, an ultrasonic diagnosis apparatus includes an ultrasonic probe and an ultrasonic scanning unit configured to repeatedly scan an interior of an subject with an ultrasonic wave via the ultrasonic probe and repeatedly acquire echo signals. An image generation unit generates data of blood flow images based on the echo signals. An interpolation processing unit identifies at least one pixel in which clutter components occupy the majority of the pixel value, and to interpolate a pixel value of the identified pixel based on pixel values of at least two other blood flow images corresponding to a substantially same cardiac phase as that of the blood flow image including the identified pixel.
US08740796B2
An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus transmits an ultrasonic wave toward a body and obtains biological information based on an echo signal received and includes: an intensity distribution generating section that generates an echo intensity distribution in a depth direction about a vascular wall based on the echo signal; a template generating section that generates a template to detect a boundary based on template data provided in advance to represent a reference pattern of the intensity distribution; a pattern similarity calculating section that changes the depth and intima-media thickness pattern of the template to calculate similarity between the template and the intensity distribution on any change made; and a boundary defining section that defines lumen and adventitia boundaries based on the degree of similarity calculated on any change made. The intima-media thickness is thus determined without depending on the magnitudes of echo intensity variations on the lumen and adventitia sides.
US08740795B2
An instrument has been designed to study the pulsatile motion of the eye by analysis of a beam of light reflected from the corneal surface. A laser light beam probe of small spot size and low divergence strikes the cornea apex and the reflected movement is recorded by a sensor. Analysis of the beam movement reveals the energy in the eye pulse without the necessity of physically touching the eye. The value of the intraocular pressure is determined from the calculated power spectrum. The sensitivity, accuracy and efficiency of the light beam makes possible studying both eyes concurrently and comparison of the pulse parameters of onset, amplitude and duration reveals any delay in circulation to an eye.
US08740792B1
A patient monitoring system includes a sensor, a patient monitor and an environmental conditions module. The patient monitor receives signals indicative of measurements of physiological parameters from the sensor, as well as data indicative of one or more environmental conditions from the environmental conditions module. The patient monitor determines one or more measurements of one or more physiological parameters based on the signals received from the sensor and the data indicative of one or more environmental conditions.
US08740777B2
A body-insertable apparatus includes a light-receiving unit that includes light-receiving elements each having a receiving wavelength spectrum; light-emitting units including a near ultraviolet light source and including a yellow light source; a selection unit that can select, from among the light-emitting units, light-emitting units corresponding respectively to the near ultraviolet and the yellow light sources; an image creating unit creating a normal-light image or creating a special-light image; a transmitting unit transmitting the normal-light image or the created special-light image; and a control unit controlling driving of the light-receiving elements in accordance with selection performed by the selection unit.
US08740774B2
Using a guidance system with a simple configuration, propulsive motion along a longitudinal direction and changing of the propulsion direction are easily performed with good precision and stability. There is provided a capsule-type medical apparatus which is inserted into the body of a subject and is guided by an external magnetic field, the capsule-type medical apparatus comprising: a substantially cylindrical capsule; a propulsion mechanism for converting rotary motion about a longitudinal axis R of the capsule into propulsive motion along the longitudinal axis R; a magnet accommodated inside the capsule and disposed in such a manner that the magnetic-pole direction thereof can be switched between a direction along the longitudinal axis R and a direction intersecting the longitudinal axis R; and a securing portion for securing the magnet to the capsule in each of the switched states of the magnetic-pole direction.
US08740768B2
Apparatuses and methods for corrective guidance of eating behavior of a patient equipped with a gastric restriction device. The apparatus provides continuous monitoring or one or more parameters related to food passing through the gastric restriction device. Each monitored parameter is processed to provide a visual indication of the current eating behavior. The visual indication is used as input to the patient or a caregiver to modify the eating behavior. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes an emergency relief mechanism that automatically relieves excess pressure developing in the gastric restriction device. In some embodiments, the apparatus is enabled to deliver an appetite suppressant to modify the eating behavior.
US08740753B2
An exercise apparatus includes a frame, a resistance lever pivotably attached to the frame, a resistance engagement member moveably attached to the resistance lever, the resistance engagement member being positionable at a plurality of attachment points on the resistance lever, and a resistance element disposed adjacent to the resistance engagement member. The resistance element includes a deflection member having a first end and a second end, a first anchor attached to and positionally fixing the first end of the deflection member, and a second anchor attached to and positionally fixing the second end of the deflection member. When a force is input to the resistance lever, the resistance lever pivots about the pivot point and the resistance engagement member transversely engages the deflection member. The apparent resistance provided by the resistance element is adjusted by positionally adjusting the resistance engagement member along the attachment points relative to the anchors.
US08740752B2
We have disclosed systems and methods for monitoring an individual's performance during a physical activity. The methods may include using a first component and second component each configured to be worn or carried by the individual during a physical activity. The methods may include the first component communicating wirelessly with the second component over a personal area network during the physical activity, the first component determining that the second component has ceased communication with the first component during the physical activity, and the first component adapting a function in response to determining that the second component has ceased communication with the first component.
US08740743B2
A variable transmission device and method are disclosed. The variable transmission device comprises: radially inner and outer races, each comprising two parts spaced along an axis; planetary members arranged in rolling contact with said inner and outer races; a transmission ratio controller operable to vary a separation along said axis of said two parts of one of said inner and outer races resulting in a radial displacement of said planetary members to vary a transmission ratio; and a clamping force controller coupled to at least one of said two parts of another of said inner and outer races and to an input shaft, said clamping force controller comprising opposing surfaces operable rotate relative to each other in response to a torque applied to said input shaft, at least one of said opposing surfaces being defined by a ramp having a non-linear lead profile, said relative rotation of said opposing surfaces causing a non-linear change in separation along said axis of said two parts of said another of said inner and outer races to accommodate said radial displacement of said planetary members and to control clamping forces applied between said planetary members and said inner and outer races proportionately to said torque applied to said input shaft and said different transmission ratios. Providing a non-linear ramp enables the clamping force generated between the races and the planets to be varied dependent on the transmission ratio of the device. Accordingly, rather than simply generating a clamping force which is proportionate to the torque applied to the input shaft, the clamping force generated is proportionate to both the input torque and the transmission ratio of the device. In this way, only the required amount of clamping force is generated, which is suited to the particular transmission ratio of the device. This helps to ensure that the loading on the components is reduced, the amount of friction and heat generated within the device is minimized which reduces wear and the efficiency of the device is increased.
US08740737B2
In a transmission guide, a synthetic resin shoe and a synthetic resin base are integrally molded by two part molding. Strips projecting from a supporting surface of the base extend in parallel to the longitudinal direction of the base, and concave grooves formed in the shoe, which also extend in parallel to the longitudinal direction of the base and of the shoe, receive the strips of the base and are fused with the base.
US08740723B2
A golf club head includes a striking face having a face center, a bottom portion, a top portion including an exterior surface, a hosel including an imaginary vertical hosel plane, a forwardmost point, and a rearwardmost point. In an imaginary vertical plane perpendicular to the hosel plane and passing through the face center, the exterior surface includes a path having a first point and a second point rearward of the first point. An imaginary infinite straight line passes through the first point and the second point, but does not penetrate the exterior surface. A segment of the imaginary straight line is delimited by the first point and the second point. A maximum distance between the segment and the exterior surface of the top portion is no greater than 0.70 mm and a distance between the first point and the second point is no less than 22 mm.
US08740715B2
A system and method of performing a mystical card flying illusion or ‘trick’ is provided. In accordance with the innovation, an invisible (or near invisible) levitation means (e.g., string, thread, etc.) can be used to create the illusion of a levitating and/or spinning playing card. The levitation means can be pre-attached or fixedly attached to an ear piece that is configured to fit over and behind a user's ear. Further, an illumination system can be provided in connection with the levitation illusion system. Moreover, spinning aides can be provided to assist a user in rotating or spinning a levitation item (e.g., card).
US08740711B2
An outer race assembly for a constant velocity joint may include an outer race defining a plurality of tracks and a piston selectively moveable along the tracks of the outer race. The outer race assembly may further include a seal disposed about the piston and abutting the outer race about substantially an entire perimeter of the piston. The seal thereby generally seals an interface between the piston and the outer race.
US08740710B2
A gaming system is disclosed herein that provides game play in exchange for monetary input per game played. The gaming system includes: a game server, a plurality of game units connected to the game server via a network, and a progressive controller. The progressive controller enables time based progressive gaming in which a progressive award is incremented by time unit. The progressive controller manages the progressive award that is incremented over time at intervals rather than being incremented by coin input. In one embodiment, the time intervals are random. In another embodiment, the incrementing intervals are calculated during the course of a game to produce a dynamic progressive increment rate. In still another embodiment, communication with the game server is only required once at a beginning of a game to downloading an incrementing rate and the progressive award.
US08740706B2
A gaming machine has a flat panel display screen that is pivotable over a range of angles to allow the player to tilt the screen to directly face the player. The screen also can be pulled toward the player for maximum comfort. The screen has user interface controls, such as part of a touch screen. The screen contains one or more accelerometers for detecting movement of the screen. The player grips the screen with both hands to control the game via movement of the screen (e.g., shaking, tilting, pushing in, or pulling out) and the touching of the user interface controls. The screen may include a vibrator for providing tactile sensations to the player. The screen allows a player to completely control a game, including wagering and carrying out the game, without releasing the screen from the player's two-handed grip.
US08740702B2
Gestures of a computer user are observed with a depth camera. A throwing gesture of the computer user is identified and an aiming vector is calculated from a path of a left and/or right hand during the throwing gesture. An interface action is directed along the aiming vector within an interactive interface.
US08740698B2
A game system in which game software produced to be used in stationary game machines can be used in portable game machines. The game system includes a stationary game machine, a portable game machine, and a memory card connectable to both the stationary and portable game machines. Image data contained in game software produced for the stationary game machine shows an image in the form of free-form surface. The stationary game machine converts the image data to show the image in the form of a polygon according to processing performance of the portable game machine, and stores the converted image data and a game program executable by the portable game machine onto the memory card. The portable game machine executes the game program stored on the memory card, and generates and displays a display image from the image data stored on the memory card.
US08740694B2
A method and system for providing a network gaming system is disclosed. The system comprises at least one database server accessible through a wide area network for storing account information for the users, the database server being configured for communicating with at least one game server supporting at least one game on a client, for providing at least a portion of the account information to the game server upon receiving a user identification from the game server, and for updating the account information by the at least one database server upon receiving an update from the game server either during or after completion of a game play by one the users.
US08740687B1
Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a gaming system and method providing a Keno game providing an additional award if a predicted quantity of symbols matches an actual quantity of symbols associated with one of a plurality of characteristics. In one embodiment, for one of a plurality of characteristics, the gaming system receives an indication of a predicted quantity of symbols. The gaming system forms a gaming system symbol set including a plurality of randomly selected symbols, each of which is randomly associated with one of the characteristics. The gaming system determines any primary awards by comparing a player symbol set with the gaming system symbol set, and any additional awards by comparing the predicted quantity of symbols with the randomly determined actual quantity of symbols associated with the characteristic associated with the predicted quantity of symbols.
US08740677B2
An air vent comprising a housing and an air guiding device which is pivotally and rotatably mounted in the housing and has an outer surface having the general shape of a spherical segment, the air vent having a sliding bearing which includes a first sliding surface provided on the housing and facing the air guiding device, and a second sliding surface provided on the air guiding device, the air vent having a support arranged between the housing and the air guiding device, by means of which the air guiding device is mounted to the housing for pivotal movement about at least one swiveling axis, and the support being arranged opposite the sliding bearing in the radial direction, and a prestressing device being provided on the support, which can act on the air guiding device with a force directed against the sliding bearing.
US08740676B2
A filling assembly for being mounted to a clipping machine for producing sausage-shaped products comprising a filling tube for filling flowable material into a packaging casing that is arrangeable onto filling tube; a casing brake unit with a brake body for being detachably and relatively fixable arranged on filling tube in a braking position for providing a resistance to the packaging casing against uncontrolled sliding-off of the filling tube; and a mounting unit for mounting filling tube and casing brake unit to the clipping machine. Mounting unit comprises a bearing device for allowing a relative movement of filling tube and casing brake unit to the clipping machine, when mounting unit is mounted with filling tube and casing brake unit to the clipping machine, between at least a production position and an interchanging position.
US08740673B2
A wafer carrier adapted to further reduce the edge effect and allow a wafer to be uniformly polished across its entire surface, with a retaining ring made from very hard materials such as PEEK, PET or polycarbonate with a hardness in the range of 80 to 85 Shore D, while the inner surface or insert is made of polyurethane or other material with a hardness in the range of 85 to 95 Shore A.
US08740658B2
In an apparatus for controlling operation of an outboard motor having an internal combustion engine and transmission, it is configured to control operation of the transmission to change the gear position to the first or second speed in response to a speed change command outputted upon an operator's manipulation, determine whether a throttle valve of the engine is at a fully-opened position or thereabout when the speed change command to the first speed is outputted, and determine whether the engine is under a predetermined operating condition when the throttle valve is determined to be at the fully-opened position or thereabout, wherein the transmission controller changes the gear position from the first speed to the second speed when the engine is determined to be under the predetermined operating condition. With this, it becomes possible to mitigate load on a transmission gear to improve durability of the transmission.
US08740656B2
A lighting apparatus includes an apparatus body for supporting an LED lamp having an earth cap, an earth socket to which the earth cap of the LED lamp is mounted, and an attachment base provided in the apparatus body, the earth socket being attached to the attachment base. The earth socket includes a conductor plate for mechanically holding a lamp pin of the earth cap, the conductor plate being electrically connected to the lamp pin. The attachment base and the earth socket include a connecting unit for earth-connecting the conductor plate of the earth socket and the apparatus body.
US08740655B2
A method of producing a low height connector, includes: removing an insulating covering from a first part of an electric wire; forming the electric wire into a predetermined shape in which the first part of the electric wire is bent; joining a terminal to a second part of the electric wire; and molding the electric wire to surround at least the first part and the second part of the electric wire with a housing to obtain the low height connector.
US08740653B2
The present invention provides a socket, which includes an insulation housing, conductive silicone rubber received in the insulation housing, and a conductive plate mounted to the insulation housing. The conductive plate has an end electrically connected to the conductive silicone rubber and an opposite end extending outside the insulation housing for external electrical connection. The present invention provides a socket that comprises an insulation housing in which a block of flexible conductive silicone rubber is received and retained to allow a lead pin of a light tube to be easily inserted into the conductive silicone rubber for realizing mounting the light tube to socket to be in electrical connection with the socket. Further, the conductive silicone rubber used in the present invention shows a cushioning capability that provides protection to the light tube.
US08740652B2
A receptacle connector including a ladder-like insulative body, a plurality of first conductive contacts and a plurality of second conductive contacts. The first conductive contacts and the second conductive contacts are exposed toward the same side over one end of the insulative body. The first conductive contacts and the second conductive contacts can be soldered to a transmission wire for data transmission. The instant disclosure further comprises an assembling method of a receptacle connector.
US08740640B2
An improved apparatus for charging a cell phone battery in the dark. An LED and its control circuitry including a control switch are included in a USB connector to automatically illuminate a cell phone and its charging port or receptacle or jack, which happen to be located in an unlit or pitch black space, when a user attempts to insert a USB connector plug into the charging port for purposes of charging the battery. The LED is automatically energized by the user's mere touching of the overmold of the USB connector at its flat or bottom side, without otherwise manually operating the control switch, and thereby eliminating hunting in the dark for a control switch on the USB connector. This apparatus is useful with both standard charging equipment and with dongle charging equipment.
US08740635B2
A card connector includes a tray having a side wall and a breach region formed on the side wall, a main body including a front opening for inserting the tray and a side portion defining a side of the front opening, a plurality of terminals attached to the main body, and a detective switch including a spring member that is attached to the side portion of the main body and includes a press portion configured to extend into the card-holding space of the tray through the breach region of the tray when the tray is inserted in the main body. A card connector can include a card locking element, and a card ejecting mechanism. The card ejecting mechanism can comprise an actuator movable between an outward position and an inward position and a levering member.
US08740623B2
An embodiment of an apparatus, or corresponding method, for developing a person's behavior according to the principles of the present invention comprises at least one visual behavior indicator that represents a behavior desired of a person viewing the at least one visual behavior indicator. The apparatus, or corresponding method, further includes at least two visual choice indicators viewable with the at least one visual behavior indicator that represent choices available to the person, the choices assisting in developing the behavior in the person by assisting the person in choosing an appropriately adaptive response supporting the desired behavior or as an alternative to behavior contrary to the desired behavior.
US08740621B1
A method for learning a foreign language using a learning aid is provided. The learning aid includes a reading manual having a plurality of pages organized into a number of sections which are read in an orderly fashion in order to facilitate incremental advancement and masterfulness concerning the learning of a target language. The method involves building an active foreign language alphabet and language as it is done naturally in user's native language. The learning aid further includes an interactive-based, task-oriented system integrated into software for upload onto a computer.
US08740620B2
Disclosed herein, in certain embodiments, are computer-based language immersion teaching systems, products, programs, and methods comprising a digital processing device and a computer program that creates a language immersion teaching environment, wherein said environment comprises: a plurality of learning activities associated with a target language; a software module for providing voiceover audio in said target language; and a software module for providing translation of said voiceover and/or text from said target language to a specified language, wherein said translation is both written and voiced, and wherein said software module for providing translation of voiceover and/or text is adapted for use by a mentor to a learner of said target language.
US08740615B2
An implant that includes an implant body in which a fitting hole portion having a taper shape is formed, and an abutment having a fitting shaft portion having a taper shape. A pressure-withstanding mechanism configured by the fitting hole portion and the fitting shaft portion and a rotation-preventing mechanism preventing rotation of the abutment with respect to the implant body are integrally formed.
US08740613B1
A purge air control for a regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO) having a plurality of exhaust towers containing a heat-exchange media includes a controller to determine an amount of clean air needed to purge the media. The controller opens a balancing damper to draw the determined amount of air into the RTO to purge the solvent-laden air from the heat-exchange media. As such, by determining the precise amount of air needed to purge the heat-exchange media, energy consumption associated with the purge process is reduced.
US08740609B2
A system for simultaneously forming and filling a container comprising a mold having a mold cavity defining an internal surface and adapted to accept a preform, a pressure source urging a first liquid toward the preform, means for maintaining a desired saturation of gas in solution in the first liquid, and a blow nozzle adapted to receive the first liquid from the pressure source and transfer the first liquid at a pressure into the preform thereby urging the preform to expand toward the internal surface of the mold cavity and create a resultant container, wherein the first liquid remains within the container as an end product.
US08740608B2
There is provided a workpiece removal and finishing device that can easily, accurately, continuously and quickly perform a series of works for processing a workpiece of resin removed from a molding machine. The workpiece removal and finishing device for processing the workpiece of resin removed from the molding machine 41 has a workpiece removal robot 100 for directly or indirectly removing the workpiece from molds 2, 3, and a processing robot 200 for processing the workpiece. A processing tool which can profile the workpiece is secured to the arm tip of the processing robot 200 through a floating mechanism to be adaptable to thermal contraction of the workpiece, and the workpiece can processed by the profiling-capable processing tool provided to the arm tip 200A of the processing robot 200 while the workpiece removed by the workpiece removal robot 100 is positioned and held by the workpiece removal robot 100.
US08740606B2
A press device for the energy-efficient curing of a sandwich component for an aircraft, includes an open and mechanically adequately loadable core structure with cover layers applied to one side or to both sides. The sandwich component is restrained between a pressure piston, an abutment and sidewalls of the press device, thus forming an essentially closed interior space. At least one of at least one cover layer and the core structure includes a curable duroplastic plastic material. A conveying device feeds heated air through the core structure of the sandwich component in a closed heated-air circuit or preferably in an open heated-air circuit in order to ensure energy-efficient curing of the sandwich component from the inside out. The heated air is temperature-controlled by a heater. In the case of an open heated-air circuit, heat recovery by a heat exchanger is provided.
US08740604B2
An imprint apparatus for coating a substrate with a resin by a coating mechanism, and curing the resin while pressing at least one of the substrate and a mold against the other, includes a measurement device configured to detect a position of the coating mechanism, a substrate stage configured to hold a substrate, a positioning system configured to position the substrate stage, and a controller configured to control positioning of the substrate stage by the positioning system, based on the measurement result.
