US08823704B2
A method for generating time-resolved 3D medical images of a subject by imparting temporal information from a time-series of 2D medical images into 3D images of the subject. Generally speaking, this is achieved by acquired image data using a medical imaging system, generating a time-series of 2D images of a ROI from at least a portion of the acquired image data, reconstructing a 3D image substantially without temporal resolution from the acquired image data, and selectively combining the time series of 2D images with the 3D image. Selective combination typically involves registering frames of the time-series of 2D images with the 3D image, projecting pixel values from the 2D image frames “into” the 3D image, and weighting the 3D image with the projected pixel values for each frame of the time-series of 2D images. This method is particularly useful for generating 4D-DSA images, that is, time-resolved 3D-DSA images, from a time-series of 2D-DSA images acquired via single plane or biplane x-ray acquisitions with 3D images acquired via a rotational DSA acquisition. 4D-DSA images can also be generated by selectively combining a time-series of 2D-DSA images generated from individual projections from a rotational x-ray acquisition with a 3D image reconstructed from substantially all of the projection views acquired during the rotational x-ray acquisition. These DSA images may have a spatial resolution on the order of 5123 pixels and a temporal resolution of about 30 frames per second, which represents an increase over traditional 3D-DSA frame rates by a factor between 150 and 600.
US08823703B2
A system, method and computer software program on a computer readable medium for loading cloth modeling data, generating an environmental model, generating a basic cloth model, and generating sections of a cloth surface model based on the basic cloth model and the cloth modeling data. The sections of the cloth surface model may be partial geometric forms, a portion of a ball and stick model or a non-uniform rational basis spline, and may be joined together and smoothed to form a complex cloth model. The smoothed cloth model may include a series of waves or folds in a computer rendered cloth surface to represent draped or compressed cloth on a three dimensional surface.
US08823700B2
An object operation device for operating an object displayed on a display device, the object operation device includes a coordinate system generation unit that generates a local coordinate system for each of a plurality of points set around a reference object that is a reference of an operation when a target object is moved three-dimensionally by the operation, a move destination coordinates calculation unit that calculates move destination coordinates of the target object corresponding to a move command value of the target object inputted through an input device based on the local coordinate system of each of the generated plurality of points, and a moving process unit that moves the target object to the calculated move destination coordinates.
US08823696B2
Provided is an information processing apparatus which includes a first module including a signal addition unit that generates an addition signal by adding a data signal to a clock, a signal subtraction unit that generates a subtraction signal by subtracting the data signal from the clock, a first signal transmission unit that transmits the addition signal through a first transmission line, and a second signal transmission unit that transmits the subtraction signal through a second transmission line, and a second module including a data component extraction unit that extracts a component of the data signal by subtracting the subtraction signal received through the second transmission line from the addition signal received through the first transmission line, and a clock component extraction unit that extracts a component of the clock by adding the subtraction signal received through the second transmission line to the addition signal received through the first transmission line.
US08823695B2
The present invention provides a barrier device including an upper substrate, a lower substrate and a liquid crystal layer sandwiched between the upper substrate and the lower substrate. The upper substrate includes a first substrate and a first electrode, a first insulation layer and a plurality of first stripe electrodes sequentially formed on the first substrate. The lower substrate includes a second substrate and a second electrode, a second insulation layer and a plurality of second stripe electrodes sequentially formed on the second substrate. The present invention further provides a 3D display and a driving method for a barrier device.
US08823693B2
The display device according to the present invention includes: a luminescence element, a capacitor, a drive transistor, a reference power source line, a first switching transistor, a data line, a second switching transistor which switches between conduction and non-conduction between the data line and a second electrode of the capacitor, a reset line, a scanning line, and a scanning line drive circuit. The scanning line drive circuit turns ON the first switching transistor so that reference voltage is supplied to the gate electrode of the drive transistor, and turns ON the second switching transistor in a period in which the first switching element is ON so that a predetermined reset voltage is applied from the data line to a connection point between a first electrode of the luminescence element and a source electrode of the drive transistor.
US08823692B2
A display device includes: a pixel array unit in which pixels are arranged in a matrix shape, each of the pixels including an electro-optic element, a writing transistor that writes a video signal, a driving transistor that drives the electro-optic element according to the video signal written by the writing transistor, and a storage capacitor that is connected between a gate electrode and a source electrode of the driving transistor and stores the video signal written by the writing transistor; and a power supply line that supplies power supply potential to the pixels, the power supply potential selectively taking first potential for supplying an electric current to the driving transistor and second potential for applying reverse bias to the electro-optic element.
US08823689B2
Disclosed is a display device which facilitates to prevent an abnormal display during a driving mode conversion, an abnormal signal input, and a no-signal input, and a method for driving the same, wherein the display device comprises a video controller for detecting an abnormal signal input and no-signal input by monitoring video data and control signals inputted from the external; and generating video data and control signals according to the abnormal signal input and no-signal input so as to enable a normal end of a frame; a timing controller for arranging and outputting the video data, supplied from the video controller, for every frame unit; and generating and outputting control signals for controlling a gate driver and a data driver by the use of timing synchronous signals; and a display panel for displaying image by the use of input video data.
US08823683B2
A touch pixel array substrate suitable for a touch display panel includes a first substrate, scan lines, data lines, signal-control lines, read-out lines, voltage-shielding lines, active devices, pixel electrodes, and photo-sensing units. The scan lines, the data lines, the signal-control lines, the read-out lines, and the voltage-shielding lines are located on the first substrate. Each of the read-out lines is located between two adjacent data lines. Each of the voltage-shielding lines is located between one of the read-out lines and one of the data lines. Both sides of each of the read-out lines are adjacent to two voltage-shielding lines. The photo-sensing units are located on the first substrate and electrically connected to the scan lines, the signal-control lines, and the read-out lines correspondingly. A touch display panel and a touch pixel structure are also provided.
US08823674B2
A system that produces a dynamic haptic effect and generates a drive signal that includes a gesture signal and a real or virtual device sensor signal. The haptic effect is modified dynamically based on both the gesture signal and the real or virtual device sensor signal such as from an accelerometer or gyroscope, or by a signal created from processing data such as still images, video or sound. The haptic effect may optionally be modified dynamically by using the gesture signal and the real or virtual device sensor signal and a physical model, or may optionally be applied concurrently to multiple devices which are connected via a communication link. The haptic effect may optionally be encoded into a data file on a first device. The data file is then communicated to a second device and the haptic effect is read from the data file and applied to the second device.
US08823668B2
Disclosed is a liquid crystal device having improved assembly workability. A liquid crystal device of the present invention is provided with: a liquid crystal panel 31; a liquid crystal panel driver 21 that drives the liquid crystal panel 31; a touch panel 50 disposed on the display surface side of the liquid crystal panel 31; a touch panel driver 22 that drives the touch panel 50; and a flexible substrate 40, which is electrically connected to a control circuit board 12 that controls a drive of the liquid crystal panel 31 and a drive of the touch panel 50. The liquid crystal panel driver 21 and the touch panel driver 22 are electrically connected to the control circuit substrate 12, respectively, through the same flexible substrate 40.
US08823666B2
A touch sensor panel includes at least one first electrode, and a second electrode above the at least one first electrode configured to cross the at least one first electrode, and having one or more openings therein.
US08823663B2
A transparent display apparatus and a method for operating the same are disclosed. The method for the transparent display apparatus includes displaying a first image on the transparent image display apparatus, detecting a grip input for the transparent image display apparatus and displaying a second image smaller than the first image on the transparent image display apparatus if the grip input is detected, wherein the second image is displayed in an area different from an area in which the grip input is detected.
US08823647B2
A movement restriction unit restricts a movement of a movement subject within a display screen or a virtual space in a case where a numerical value indicating a magnitude of a displacement between a position of a hand or the like of a user and a reference position or a reference direction is smaller than the first reference value. A first movement control unit moves the movement subject at a first speed in a case where the above-mentioned numerical value is equal to or larger than the first reference value and smaller than a second reference value that is larger than the first reference value. A second movement control unit moves the movement subject at a second speed that is faster than the first speed in a case where the above-mentioned numerical value is equal to or larger than the second reference value.
US08823640B1
A computer detects the presence of another computer and automatically extends its display onto the other computer. In one embodiment, the computer is a tablet, and the display of one tablet can be automatically extended on to the display of the other tablet in either of portrait or landscape orientation to make a bigger display from the two tablets together.
US08823634B2
According to one embodiment, a liquid crystal display device includes a liquid crystal display panel, a first illumination unit configured to illuminate the liquid crystal display panel with light which is emitted in a first emission direction, a second illumination unit configured to illuminate the liquid crystal display panel with light which is emitted in a second emission direction different from the first emission direction, and a controller configured to control the liquid crystal display panel, the first illumination unit and the second illumination unit in a first display mode in which 3D display with power saving is effected, and in a second display mode in which 3D display with a wider viewing angle than in the first display mode is effected.
US08823632B2
Disclosed herein is a light guide panel for a backlight unit of a liquid crystal display (LCD). The light guide panel enables adjustment in viewing angle and brightness at a specific position and angle by controlling a cross-sectional shape of front prisms of the light guide panel.
US08823631B2
The present invention provides a liquid crystal display capable of making the variations and the oblique lines, which are caused on the screen in the liquid crystal display using the TN liquid crystal panel, less visible. The liquid crystal display includes a video signal reception section adapted to receive a video signal, a signal input detection section adapted to detect presence or absence of the video signal, a luminance control section adapted to control the luminance of the backlight, and a control section adapted to instruct the luminance control section to reduce the luminance of the backlight as a predetermined amount in the case in which the signal input detection section fails to detect the video signal.
US08823624B2
The present invention relates to a memory circuit integrated in each pixel of a display device includes a switching circuit and a memory unit. The switching circuit includes a first transistor having a gate configured to receive a switching control signal, a source and a drain electrically coupled to a liquid crystal capacitor of the pixel, and a second transistor having a gate configured to receive a switching control signal, a source electrically coupled to a storage capacitor of the pixel, and a drain electrically coupled to the liquid crystal capacitor. The memory unit is electrically coupled between the source of first transistor and the storage capacitor. The switching control signal is configured such that in the normal mode, the first transistor is turned off, while the second transistor is turned on, so that the storage capacitor is electrically coupled to the liquid crystal capacitor in parallel and the memory unit is bypassed, and in the still mode, the first transistor is turned on, while the second transistor is turned off, so that the storage capacitor controls the memory unit to supply a stored data to the liquid crystal capacitor.
US08823623B2
A liquid crystal driver is provided, in which a frame rate of an input image signal is multiplied by 2N (N is an integer of one or more); each frame is divided into N positive field(s) and N negative field(s) respectively; the image signal is supplied to a liquid crystal panel with a positive polarity in a positive field; and the image signal is supplied to the liquid crystal panel with a negative polarity in a negative field. The liquid crystal driver includes a corrected image signal generator configured to generate a corrected image signal having the same amount of correction added to the positive field and negative field. The corrected image signal is supplied to the liquid crystal panel with the positive polarity in the positive field and the corrected image signal is supplied to the liquid crystal panel with the negative polarity in the negative field.
US08823621B2
A buffer generating an output signal and including a pull-high module and a pull-low module is disclosed. The pull-high module makes the output signal to have a rising edge. The pull-low module makes the output signal to have a falling edge. The falling edge includes a plurality of falling portions. A slope of a first falling portion of the falling portions is different from a slope of a second falling portion of the falling portions.
US08823618B2
A liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal display panel for displaying picture images, and a color correction unit. Upon receipt of raw RGB picture data corresponding to raw RGB gamma curves, the color correction unit generates corrected RGB picture data based on values over a predetermined imaginative gamma curve established in accordance with the characteristic of the liquid crystal display panel. The color correction unit stores values over corrected RGB gamma curves corresponding to the corrected picture data, and gamma-corrects the raw RGB picture data based on values over the stored corrected RGB gamma curves, thereby displaying the picture images.
US08823612B2
An organic electro-luminescence (EL) display device including: above a substrate, scanning lines; data lines; emissive pixels disposed near cross-points of the scanning lines and the data lines; and power supply lines for supplying currents to the emissive pixels, wherein the emissive pixels each have: a switching thin film transistor having a gate to which a scan signal is supplied via one of the scanning lines; a current control thin film transistor for controlling a current to be applied to the emissive pixel, in accordance with the voltage determined based on a data voltage supplied from one of the data lines via the switching thin film transistor; and an organic EL element to which a current is supplied from one of the power supply lines via the current control thin film transistor, the organic EL element including a lower electrode, an organic light-emissive layer, and an upper electrode.
US08823611B2
The invention provides a frameless, lightweight, bright light, portable display in the form of electroluminescence with multiple reversible mounting suction cups. The luminous unit comes in various sizes of which most are round in shape. Each unit contains a power plug, inverter, and the electroluminescent panel. However, each unit also includes a minimum of 3 suction cup extensions allowing for the unit to be reversible. This unit is able to be mounted on the inside of a window or the outside of a window/hard slick surface with the light facing same direction no matter which side of the glass it is mounted thereon.
US08823610B2
A gate of a driving transistor is set to a offset level corresponding to the threshold of the driving transistor by an initializing current flowing between a source and a drain of the driving transistor or a compensating transistor for the driving transistor. A conduction state of the driving transistor is set according to a gate voltage of the gate of the driving transistor that corresponds to a data signal and the threshold of the driving transistor. A current of which a level corresponds to the conduction state and of which the direction is opposite to the direction of the initializing current flows through driving transistor.
US08823607B2
A pixel circuit having a function of compensating for characteristic variation of an electro-optical element and threshold voltage variation of a transistor is formed from a reduced number of component elements. The pixel circuit includes an electro-optical element, a holding capacitor, a sampling transistor, and a drive transistor. The sampling transistor samples and supplies an input signal from a signal line so as to be held into the holding capacitor. The driving transistor drives the electro-optical element with current in response to the held signal potential. The threshold voltage of the drive transistor is imparted to the holding capacitor in order to cancel an influence of the threshold voltage.
US08823602B2
Display screen sharing system that shares common screen among a plurality of terminals comprises transmission side terminal that has operation right for common screen; and reception side terminal that does not have operation right for common screen. Reception side terminal comprises display area detection unit that acquires display area information indicating area of common screen displayed at reception side terminal itself, and supplies display area information to transmission side terminal. Transmission side terminal comprises common display area frame control unit that determines common display area based on display area information supplied from reception side terminal, and displays common display area on screen at transmission side terminal itself.
US08823600B2
An exemplary embodiment of an antenna assembly mountable to an antenna mount having a contact, generally includes a printed circuit board (PCB) and a contact assembly configured to provide a solderless connection between at least one antenna element of the PCB and the contact when the antenna assembly is mounted to the antenna mount. Another exemplary embodiment of an antenna assembly generally includes a base and a housing configured to be coupled to the base such that an interior enclosure is cooperatively defined by the housing and base. The interior enclosure is configured for receiving a PCB and being sealed to thereby inhibit the ingress of water into the interior enclosure. One or more electrical grounding taps are configured for establishing at least a portion of an electrically-conductive grounding pathway from outside of or external to the interior enclosure and which extends into the interior enclosure.
US08823595B2
A communication device including an antenna structure is provided, wherein the antenna structure includes a ground element, an antenna element, and a circuit element group. The ground element has a notch at one of its edges, and a long edge of the notch is at least two times longer than a short edge of the notch. The antenna element includes a metal portion disposed in the notch. Two ends of the metal portion are extended away from each other and are positioned substantially at or around two opposite edges of the notch. One end of the metal portion is coupled to the ground element, and the other end of the metal portion is a feeding terminal of the antenna element. The circuit element group includes at least a capacitive element and an inductive element.
US08823592B2
An antenna system includes a substrate, a conductive ground plane, and an upper antenna element. A slot that is free of conductive material extends through the ground plane to define a lower antenna element from a portion of the ground plane. The upper antenna element is spaced apart and overlies at least a portion of the lower antenna element. The upper antenna element is electrically connected to the ground plane and to an antenna feed element. The upper antenna element is configured to electrically resonate responsive to a defined RF signal. The lower antenna element is configured to resonate through capacitive coupling to the resonating upper antenna element.
US08823588B2
A positioning and ranging system includes a transmitter transmits a plurality of impulses; and a receiver receives the impulses; the receiver includes an initial detection unit records a sensing time of a first impulse among a plurality of impulses transmitted by the transmitter; a sensing margin detection unit for detecting a sensing margin being a difference between a field intensity of the first impulse and a reception limit field intensity of the receiver; a correction unit identifies a sensing error differential time based on a given relationship between the sensing margin and the sensing error differential time, and corrects the sensing time detected by the initial detection unit using the identified sensing error differential time; the system measures a distance between the transmitter and the receiver and a position of the transmitter based on a time the transmitter transmits the first impulse and a time the receiver receives the impulse.
US08823585B2
A GNSS enabled mobile device moves from a first area where GNSS signal quality and/or level is above a threshold to a second area where GNSS signal quality and/or level is below the threshold. The GNSS enabled mobile device in the second area determines its own location utilizing previous GNSS measurements in the first area. GNSS signals are received to calculate GNSS measurements whenever the GNSS enabled mobile device is in the first area. The calculated GNSS measurements are utilized to determine a location of the GNSS enabled mobile device within the first area. The GNSS enabled mobile device in the second area utilizes the most current GNSS measurements in the first area to determine its own location. Sensors such as an image sensor, a light sensor, an audio sensor and/or a location sensor are used to refine the location of the GNSS enabled mobile device in the second area.
US08823581B2
A system and method for detecting dangerous objects and substances are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a method comprises generating a microwave signal that is reflected by a target to render one or more reflected signals. The one or more reflected signals are received at an antenna array. The one or more reflected signals are converted into digital reflected signals. The microwave signal is converted into a digital signal. The digital reflected signals and the digital signal are processed to determine the three dimensional position of the target. The digital reflected signals and the digital signal are processed to identify the target. The digital reflected signals and the digital signal are processed to determine a state of the target; and determine whether the target a dangerous object.
US08823578B2
A driving assist apparatus for a vehicle is disclosed. The driving assist apparatus includes a transmitter for transmitting a transmission wave, a receiver for receiving a reflected wave, an obstacle presence determination section for detecting a presence of an obstacle in the surrounding of the vehicle based on the reflected wave, a measurement section for measuring a frequency of phase delay and advance of the reflected wave with respect to a reference signal, and a detection section for detecting the obstacle having a specific relation with the vehicle based on the presence of the obstacle determined by the obstacle presence determination section and the frequency of delay and the frequency of advance measured by the measurement section.
US08823577B2
A distance separation tracking process is provided that includes the transmission of a periodic radio frequency original signal from a beacon transceiver. The original periodic signal from the beacon transceiver is received at a remote target transceiver as a target received periodic signal. The target retransmits the received periodic signal to the beacon transceiver as a return periodic signal. Data points of the return periodic signal are sampled and used to calculate a phase differential between the original periodic signal and the return periodic signal that correlates to the distance separation range between the beacon transceiver and the target transceiver.
US08823576B2
When a communication abnormality occurs between an encoder and communication circuit apparatus in a work apparatus feeding back data output from encoders for control by a control apparatus, an encoder communication circuit is used in place of the encoder to identify the location of occurrence of the abnormality. The encoder communication circuit outputs encoder data comprised position or speed data and alarm data to said control apparatus when connected to the control apparatus through a communication cable.
US08823573B1
System and method for converting a high bandwidth analog signal to a digital signal including: receiving the high bandwidth analog signal; splitting the high bandwidth analog signal to M parallel channels; delaying the split signal in each channel with N*T delays, respectively; sampling each M delayed signals by M relatively prime sampling rate, wherein the sampling rate for each M delayed signal is smaller than the Nyquist frequency of the high bandwidth analog signal; upsampling each M sampled signal, wherein the upsampling rate for each M sampled signal satisfies the Nyquist frequency of the high bandwidth analog signal; combining the M up sampled signals into a combined signal; and reconstructing the combined signal to generate a digital signal representing the high bandwidth analog signal.
US08823562B2
A first multiplexer, at each given cycle, outputs a second input data signal, after outputting a first input data signal. A second multiplexer, at each given cycle, outputs a fourth input data signal, after outputting a third input data signal. The second multiplexer outputs the third input data signal at a timing that coincides with the timing at which the second input data signal is output from the first multiplexer. At each given cycle, a third multiplexer, after outputting the first input data signal and the second input data signal output from the first multiplexer, outputs the third input data signal and the fourth input data signal output from the second multiplexer.
US08823532B1
A fluid leak containment device (20) having a back wall (32), a left wall (38), a front wall (26), a right wall (44) and a base (24) is disclosed. The front wall (26) has a height (74) less than that the height (72) of the back wall (32), the left wall (38), and the right wall (44). The base (24) has plateaus (50) and valleys (52) that direct the flow of a fluid (22) to the front wall (26) if a leak does occur. A sensor (64) may be placed to provide additional auditory or visual alerts when fluids (22) are detected by the sensor (64) in fluid leak containment device (20).
US08823527B2
A method for automatically monitoring consciousness of a person and triggering an alarm if the monitored person is not in a state of full consciousness is provided. The method comprises the steps: monitoring at least one aspect of the behavior of the person (S1); analyzing whether the monitored behavior of the person corresponds to an expected behavior for a state of full consciousness or not (S2, S2′); triggering an alarm if the analysis results in that the detected behavior does not correspond to the expected behavior (S3).
US08823522B2
This invention assigns differing chose in action categories, such as banknote, check and stock certificate. Each category reflects electro magnetic signals through a nano size silicon integrated circuit package known as an RFID transponder. As an example, a unique identifier number, serial number, denomination amount, will be written onto each RFID transponder. A specific frequency can be assigned to each category. Each category is divided by at least 2 MHz with all transmissions taking place within the 24 to 40 GHz frequency range. The chose in action can be interrogated at specially shielded stations, such as cash registers or bank teller windows or at stock brokerage firms, to verify the authenticity of the chose in action. The interrogators will be connected to a centralized host system comprised of computer server and middleware to trace and track the progress of the chose in action through the economy in real time. This invention contemplates embedding the RFID nano size silicon integrated circuit package into polymer or paper based chose in action using a laminate or fiber weaving process.
US08823515B2
Specifically, a computer implemented animal management program having modules which function to match animal information retrieved from a radiofrequency identification device(s) implanted in an animal(s) with animal information retrieved from a database of at least one computer to assess animal condition and time treatment events.
US08823506B2
A system is provided for causing audible sounds, and/or visible actions, and/or an electronic visual image, and/or motion to occur by, or in relation to, a vehicle's mark emblem. The system may cause such actions to be initiated manually or automatically as a result of vehicle operation or operator action. Controls may be provided to prevent the audible sound, visible action, visual image, or motion to occur if the vehicle speed is above a selected speed limit. In addition, when operated from a position remote from the vehicle, the audible sound associated with the mark emblem may be adjusted to a volume that will prevent persons from becoming startled when they are in proximity to the vehicle.
US08823503B2
A motor vehicle includes a high-voltage source for supplying consumers of a high-voltage on-board power supply system with electrical energy, an electrical separating device for separating the high-voltage source from the high-voltage on-board power supply system and a signal emission device for indicating the connection state between the high-voltage source and the onboard high-voltage power supply system. The signal emission device is activated for emission of a signal when the high-voltage source is separated from the onboard high-voltage power supply system, and is deactivated when the high-voltage source is connected to the onboard high-voltage power supply system. A non-activated signal emission device indicates a live state of the high-voltage on-board power supply system, thereby ensuring that a safe state of the onboard high-voltage power supply system is not falsely signaled in the event of a failure of the signal emission device, thereby eliminating risk to service personnel.
US08823499B2
A power unit includes an AC/DC converter for converting VAC input to DC, a zero cross unit for modulating the AC/DC converter output to facilitate zero crossing detection based on the output, and a high pass filter (HPF) for filtering data signals, where the data signals are transmitted and received on the same medium from which the VAC input is received. A method for providing power and data signals from a single powerline source, including receiving incoming VAC in an external power unit, converting the incoming VAC to DC, modulating the DC in accordance with zero crossings from the incoming VAC, filtering the VAC to isolate high frequency data signals, where the data signals are transmitted and received on a same medium from which the incoming VAC is received, and providing the DC, modulated DC, and data signals to an embedded processing unit capable of processing the data signals.
US08823496B2
A reader device for radio frequency identification transponders, which implements enhanced radio frequency identification transponder functionality. The reader device is capable of serving as a radio frequency identification transponder. Such a reader device includes a reader logic unit, a radio/high frequency (RF/HF) interface and an antenna, and is adapted to communicate at least with radio frequency identification transponders in a reader operation mode. The reader device also includes a transponder logic unit that is connected to the reader device and in particular to the radio/high frequency (RF/HF) interface such that the reader device acts as a radio frequency identification transponder in a transponder operation mode. In particular, the transponder logic unit is adapted to communicate with other reader devices for radio frequency identification transponders. The reader device for radio frequency identification transponders can be attached, connected, implemented and/or embedded in electronic device and particularly portable electronic devices, respectively.
US08823494B1
Systems and methods for wireless device connection and pairing are provided. Embodiments relate to automatic device connection or pairing by accessing or acquiring a machine-readable feature. Machine-readable features may include printed or displayed machine-readable indicia, such as linear (e.g., one-dimensional) barcodes, matrix (e.g., two-dimensional) barcodes, quick response (QR) codes, characters, symbols, labels, pictorial icons, graphics, images, watermarks, holograms, or any other printed or displayed indicia that may be used to encode, represent, or lookup information. Machine-readable features may also include non-printed features, such as magnetic strips, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, various other types of sensors and tags embedded or attached to electronic devices, and audio and visual signals.
US08823493B2
In one embodiment, a RFID reader circuit includes a RF source input in a transmitting path, a RF modulator in parallel with a bypass, the RF modulator and the bypass being selectively coupled to the RF source input, at least one switch for selectively coupling an output of the RF modulator to the transmitting path, and a RF power amplifier in the transmitting path. In another embodiment, a RFID system includes a plurality of RFID tags, and a RFID reader, the RFID reader comprising a RFID reader circuit. The circuit includes a RF source input in a transmitting path, a RF modulator in parallel with a bypass, the RF modulator and the bypass being selectively coupled to the RF source input, at least one switch for selectively coupling an output of the RF modulator to the transmitting path, and a RF power amplifier in the transmitting path.
US08823488B2
A medical device comprises a device adapted to perform a medical procedure; a biometric information sensing device adapted to sense biometric information of a user; a controller adapted to retrieve stored biometric registration information of a user from a storage device in communication with the controller, to determine an identity of the user by comparing the stored biometric registration information and the sensed biometric information, and to prevent performance of the medical procedure if the sensed biometric information does not correspond to the stored biometric registration information.
US08823483B2
An integrated assembly includes a resistor and a heat spreader. The resistor includes a resistive element and terminals. The heat spreader is integrated with the resistor and includes a heat sink of thermally conducting and electrically insulating material and terminations of a thermally conducting material and situated at an edge of the heat sink. At least a portion of a top surface of the resistive element is in thermally conductive contact with the heat sink. Each resistor terminal is in thermally conductive contact with a corresponding termination of the heat sink. A method of fabricating an integrated assembly of a resistor and a heat spreader includes forming the heat spreader, forming the resistor, and joining the heat spreader to the resistor by bonding at least a portion of a top surface of the resistive element to the heat sink and bonding each electrically conducting terminal to a corresponding termination.
US08823473B2
A latching relay has a fixed iron core including an exciting coil wound around an intermediate portion and a magnetic pole piece at two ends; movable iron pieces sandwiching a permanent magnet between two bar-shaped iron pieces disposed in parallel with each other, and are fixed with a holder; and a switchable electrical contact portion. The fixed iron core and the movable iron pieces are disposed facing each other to insert each of the magnetic pole pieces on two sides of the fixed iron core to be spaced apart in a space between the two bar-shaped iron pieces of two end portions of the movable iron pieces. The movable iron pieces are supported pivotally in a direction in which the two bar-shaped iron pieces are aligned. The movable iron pieces are linked to the electrical contact portion, and the movable iron pieces perform a switching of the electrical contact portion.
US08823470B2
A structure and method for adjusting the bandwidth of a ceramic waveguide filter comprising, in one embodiment, a monoblock of dielectric ceramic material defining respective steps and respective input/output through-holes extending through the monoblock and the respective steps. In one embodiment, the steps are defined by notches in the monoblock and the input/output through-holes define openings terminating in the notch. The bandwidth of the ceramic waveguide filter may be adjusted by adjusting the height/thickness and direction of the steps relative to an exterior surface of the monoblock and/or the diameter of the input/output through-holes.
US08823464B2
A reconfigurable element based on nonlinear (chaotic) dynamics is adapted to implement the three different multivibrator configurations. A nonlinear dynamical system, under parameter modulating control, operates as a tunable oscillator with different dynamical regimes which in turn provide the different multivibrator configurations (monostable, astable, and bistable). The reconfigurable multivibrator is realized as a tunable circuit which includes an input stage for receiving at least one input voltage signal and an output stage that produces a digital two-level electric output signal. The all-in-one reconfigurable multivibrator device consisting of a nonlinear oscillator circuit electrically coupled to the input/output circuitry is used in at least, but not limited to three basic applications, namely, an irregular width pulse generator, a rising flank trigger and a full RS flip-flop device.
US08823460B2
The invention relates to a radiofrequency oscillator which incorporates: a spin-polarized electric current magnetoresistive device (6) for generating an oscillating signal at an oscillation frequency on an output terminal (10), and a terminal (18) for controlling the frequency or amplitude of the oscillating signal, and a feedback loop (44) comprising an amplifier (46) provided with: an input connected to the output terminal (10) of the magnetoresistive device (6) so as to amplify the portion of an oscillating signal detected at the output terminal, and an output connected to the control terminal (18) so as to inject onto said control terminal the amplified portion of the oscillating signal which is phase-related to the oscillating signal generated at the output terminal.
US08823459B2
Apparatus and methods for distributing spurious tones through the frequency domain are disclosed. One such apparatus can include a dithering circuit configured to generate a sequence of numbers that exhibit statistical randomness and a variable frequency circuit configured to adjust a frequency of an output based on the sequence of numbers so as to spread energy of spurious tones in a frequency response of the output to lower a noise floor. In one example, spurious tones can be reduced in a negative voltage generator of a radio frequency (RF) attenuator.
US08823451B2
Disclosed is a high-frequency signal processing device capable of reducing transmission power variation and harmonic distortion. For example, the high-frequency signal processing device includes a pre-driver circuit, which operates within a saturation region, and a final stage driver circuit, which operates within a linear region and performs a linear amplification operation by using an inductor having a high Q-value. The pre-driver circuit suppresses the amplitude level variation of a signal directly modulated, for instance, by a voltage-controlled oscillator circuit. Harmonic distortion components (2HD and 3HD), which may be generated by the pre-driver circuit, are reduced, for instance, by the inductor of the final stage driver circuit.
US08823449B2
An Extremely High Frequency (EHF) dual-mode PA with a power combiner is designed using 40-nm bulk CMOS technology. One of the unit PAs can be switched off for the low power applications. In the design, circuit level optimization and trade-off are performed to ensure the good performance in both modes. The PA achieves a PSAT of 17.4 dBm with 29.3% PAE in high power mode and a PSAT of 12.6 dBm with 19.6% PAE in low power mode. The reliability measurements are also conducted and a lifetime of 80613 hours is estimated based on a commonly used empirical model. The excellent performance (e.g., highest reported PAE) achieved in this design further confirms the scaling of CMOS technology will continue to benefit the mm-wave transceiver design.
US08823440B2
A level shifting circuit with dynamic control includes a dynamic controller and a level shifter. The dynamic controller outputs a dynamic voltage and an output data signal. The level shifter under control by the dynamic controller includes an input signal receiver, an output signal generator, and a bias current controller, which are coupled in series between a ground voltage and a high level voltage. The input signal receiver receives the output data signal of the dynamic controller and the output signal generator produces a level-shifted data signal according to the input data signal. The bias current controller controlled by the dynamic voltage is at a first current-output capability when the level-shifted data signal is at a stable stage and at a second current-output capability when the level-shifted data signal is at an unstable stage. The first current-output capability is greater than the second current-output capability.
US08823433B2
A data output circuit according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: a delay control block configured to generate a clock delay signal in response to a power-up signal and a reset signal; a first delay block configured to correct a duty ratio of a rising clock according to the clock delay signal and output the corrected rising clock; and a second delay block configured to correct a duty ratio of a falling clock according to the clock delay signal and output the corrected falling clock.
US08823409B2
A semiconductor apparatus includes: a semiconductor chip, wherein a conductive layer is formed at one side of the semiconductor chip and one or more of probe pads are formed at the other side thereof; a plurality of through-silicon vias (TSVs), wherein one side of each of the plurality of TSVs is coupled to the conductive layer and the other side of one or more of the plurality of TSVs is coupled to the probe pad; a plurality of latch units each configured to be assigned to the plurality of corresponding TSVs and store a test signal, wherein the test signal is inputted via the probe pad and is transferred via the plurality of corresponding TSVs to the plurality of assigned latch units, respectively; and a signal combination unit configured to combine a plurality of signals stored in the plurality of latch units to output the result as an error detection signal.
US08823403B2
An exemplary load circuit includes a switch unit and a current dividing circuit. The switch unit includes a number of switches. The current dividing circuit includes a number of sub-circuits. A terminal of a resistance module of each of the sub-circuits is connected to both a power terminal and a terminal of a corresponding one of the switches. The other terminal of the resistance module of each of the sub-circuits is connected to a drain of a transistor of each of the sub-circuits. A source of the transistor is connected to ground. A gate of the transistor is connected to ground, and is also connected to another terminal of the corresponding switch.
US08823389B2
A method for identifying EMI sources in a system having a plurality of electrical components connected together by cables wherein each set of two electrical components connected by a cable forms a potential EMI source. A plurality of antennas are positioned around the vehicle and the EMI from each antenna is measured over a plurality of frequencies and the frequencies having an EMI greater than a predetermined threshold and a measurement profile of the received EMI versus the antennas for each of the identified frequencies is created. EMI reception is then simulated for each potential EMI source and a simulation profile of the received EMI versus the antennas is plotted for each potential EMI source. The actual source of the EMI is then identified by comparing the measurement profile with the simulation profile for the potential EMI sources at each frequency to determine a match of the profiles.
US08823388B2
A calibration circuit and a calibration method are provided. The calibration circuit has a delay circuit, a phase detector, and a controller. The delay circuit delays an input signal to output an output signal, wherein a delay time between the input signal and the output signal is related to an equivalent capacitance and an equivalent resistance of the delay circuit. The phase detector coupled to the delay circuit compares the phases of the input signal and the output signal. The controller coupled to the delay circuit and the phase detector generates a control signal according to the comparison result of the phase detector to adjust the equivalent resistance of the delay circuit.
US08823384B2
There is provided a fine particle detection system with a fine particle sensor, a cable and a sensor drive control device. The fine particle sensor has an ion source unit with first and second electrodes, a particle charging unit and inner and outer sensor casings. The cable has a power supply wiring line connected to the second electrode, an inner shield line electrically continuous with the inner sensor casing and an outer shield line electrically continuous with the outer sensor casing. The sensor drive control device has an ion-source power supply circuit, a signal current detection circuit, an inner circuit casing electrically continuous with a first output terminal of the ion-source power supply circuit and surrounding the ion-source power supply circuit and an outer circuit casing connected to the ground potential and shielding the ion-source power supply circuit, the signal current detection circuit and the inner circuit casing.
US08823373B2
A double-resonance structure 10 for DNP-NMR and/or ENDOR experiments is described. The double-resonance structure 10 comprises a microwave resonator 30 for generating electromagnetic field suitable for EPR, and an HF resonator 12 for generating electromagnetic fields suitable for NMR. The HF resonator 12 comprises a plurality of electrically conductive strips 14, which are electrically connected so that an HF current can be generated in the plurality of strips 14 such that the HF currents flow in the same direction in the individual strips 14 at the same time. A section of the HF resonator 12 at the same time forms a part of the microwave resonator 30.
US08823372B2
A method for magnetic resonance (=MR) imaging, wherein non-linear gradient fields are applied for the purpose of spatial encoding to acquire images of an object to be imaged and wherein the magnet resonance signal radiated from the object to be imaged is sampled on grids in time, to thereby obtain sampling points, is characterized in that the object to be imaged is mapped completely in regions of stronger gradient fields by increasing the density of the sampling points in the center of k-space, and additional sampling points are specifically acquired in the outer regions of k-space according to a k-space sampling pattern depending on the desired distribution of the resolution in the measurement, wherein the MR measurement is calculated with the additional sampling points. An MR imaging method is thereby provided by means of which homogenized resolution is achieved in the MR measurements using non-linear gradient fields for spatial encoding.
US08823365B2
A sensor assembly includes a magnetic track having a plurality of magnetic poles separated by a plurality of pole junctions. The sensor assembly also includes a first magnetic sensor disposed proximate a high-resolution portion of the magnetic track and a second magnetic sensor disposed proximate a reference portion of the magnetic track. The second magnetic sensor spans adjacent pole junctions in the magnetic track. Each of the adjacent pole junctions includes a high-resolution segment corresponding with the high-resolution portion of the magnetic track and a reference segment corresponding with the reference portion of the magnetic track. The reference segment of each pole junction is one of offset and aligned with the corresponding high-resolution segment in each pole junction.
US08823363B2
An electricity meter comprising a box defining a terminal block for connection to cables and a removable cover covering the terminal block at least in part, wherein the meter includes fastener means arranged to hold said cover on a front face of the box while uncovering the terminal block and while leaving visible an inside face of the cover including means for explaining its electrical connection.
US08823355B2
A feed device for the automatic shifting of objects is provided. The feed device includes a storage area or a holding element and a driven feed unit by means of which an object arranged on the storage area or at the holding element of the feed device can be shifted when the feed unit engages at the object, and wherein the feed device includes at least one electronic component which electronically detects a movement of the feed unit. The electronic component is configured such that the covering of a distance by the feed unit during movement of the feed unit is directly detected as an electric pulse and that the covering of respectively predefined distances of the feed unit generates a pulse sequence characteristic for the distances covered by the electronic component having different contact device at which in each case a pulse is generated which is characteristic for the respective contact device when the feed unit has covered a predefined distance.
US08823353B2
A power converter control circuit includes a ramp signal circuit, a blanking circuit, and a pulse driver circuit. The ramp signal circuit provides a ramp signal in response to a power converter feedback signal and an enable signal. The blanking circuit provides a blanking signal in response to the ramp signal and a clock signal. The blanking signal is provided when both the ramp signal is increasing in value and the enable signal indicates a light load operating condition. The pulse driver circuit provides a power switch control pulse in accordance with the clock signal and in the absence of the blanking signal.
US08823327B2
A battery management method of an electrical device, including an internal power source and a battery management unit, includes the following steps. The battery management unit detects whether the electrical device is electrically connected with an external power source. If the electrical device is electrically connected with the external power source, the battery management unit utilizes a timer to determine whether the electrical device has been electrically connected with the external power source for a predetermined time. If the electrical device has been electrically connected with the external power source for the predetermined time, the battery management unit resets the timer and controls the internal power source to discharge fast.
US08823322B2
A tool battery pack can include a current detection element for detecting a discharge current or a charge current, a monitoring section for inputting a current signal of the discharge current or the charge current through the current detection element and for inputting voltage signals of each cell battery, and a control microcomputer for performing discharge control or charge control based on the signals from the monitoring section. Further, the tool battery pack is constructed such that the current signal through the current detection element is input to both the monitoring section and the control microcomputer.
US08823321B2
Disclosed are techniques for identifying battery pack types and by inference battery chemistries by measuring a transient response of the battery pack to signal applied to the battery pack.
US08823313B2
The synchronous motors are controlled by a three-phase AC power controller. According to an embodiment of the invention, firing points for the AC power controller are determined. A pair of two or three phases is determined from the angular position of the rotor, for which the firing points can be present for the respective A.C power controller. Actual firing points are determined from the mains voltage phase position of the phases so that only positive torque is produced.
US08823310B2
A stepping motor controller for controlling a stepping motor, includes: a motor driver; and a driver control unit. The motor driver includes: an excitation phase control unit; and a drive unit. The driver control unit includes: a motor driver power control unit; a drive control unit; a clock signal output unit; and an excitation phase storing unit. The excitation phase storing unit acquires an excitation phase at a time when the motor driver power control unit stops supplying electricity to the motor driver, and stores the acquired excitation phase as a suspension excitation phase. When the motor driver power control unit resumes supplying electricity to the motor driver, the drive control unit instructs the drive unit to continue to halt the supply of the drive current until the excitation phase signal is updated, in response to each pulse of the clock signal, to an excitation phase signal specifying the suspension excitation phase, and instructs the drive unit to supply the drive current after the excitation phase signal is updated to reach the excitation phase signal specifying the suspension excitation phase.
US08823308B2
Telerobotic, telesurgical, and/or surgical robotic devices, systems, and methods employ surgical robotic linkages that may have more degrees of freedom than an associated surgical end effector n space. A processor can calculate a tool motion that includes pivoting of the tool about an aperture site. Linkages movable along a range of configurations for a given end effector position may be driven toward configurations which inhibit collisions. Refined robotic linkages and method for their use are also provided.
US08823307B2
A system, method and computer program product for monitoring including detecting internal faults especially inter-turn faults of a synchronous generator and thus protecting the synchronous generator. The synchronous generator includes a winding for each phase of a power network, a terminal for each phase arranged on a terminal side of the synchronous generator, and connected to the respective winding, the terminals on the terminal side are connected to an electrical power network, and the synchronous generator is arranged to input power to the electrical power network by means of the terminals.
US08823302B2
A control apparatus for a switching circuit includes a controller, a target-rotational-speed acquiring device, a target-torque acquiring device, and an ON-time varying device. The controller is configured to turn on a bidirectional conduction switching device provided parallel to a reverse conducting device through which a commutation current flows. The target-rotational-speed acquiring device is configured to acquire a target rotational speed of an alternating current motor. The target-torque acquiring device is configured to acquire a target torque of the alternating current motor. The ON-time varying device is configured to vary, on a basis of the target rotational speed and the target torque, an ON time period during which the bidirectional conduction switching device provided parallel to the reverse conducting device through which a commutation current flows is turned on.
US08823271B2
A lighting apparatus includes a string of Light Emitting Diode (LED) sets coupled in series, each set including at least one LED, a light spreading circuit configured to incrementally turn on respective ones of the LED sets responsive to a power signal, and an energy storage module that is configured to store energy during a first interval of a period of the power signal and to apply the stored energy to the string during a second interval of the period of the power signal.
US08823269B2
The present invention relates to a LED device with shared voltage-limiting unit and individual voltage-equalizing resistance, wherein two ends of a LED set constituted by a plurality of same-polarity series LEDs are in parallel connected with a shared voltage-limiting unit, and two ends of individual LED are respectively in parallel connected with an voltage-equalizing resistance for providing an overvoltage protection to the LEDs.
US08823262B2
The present invention provides a helical slow-wave structure, including a helix, a metal barrel and several supporting rods. The plurality of supporting rods may be inserted into the lines of the grooves tightly, this increases the contact area between the helix and the plurality of supporting rods. With a proper assembly method, the thermal contact resistance between helix and supporting rod may be decreased. So, the invention may enhance the capability of transferring the heat out of the helical slow-wave structure. The helix may have higher heat capacity, therefore, the helical slow-wave structure may become more firm, and more reliable.
US08823258B2
A fluorescent material-sealed sheet includes a plurality of fluorescent sections, an upper sealing section, and a lower sealing section, the plurality of fluorescent sections being sealed by the upper sealing section and the lower sealing section.
US08823257B2
A light-emitting device is provided which includes: a cathode; an anode; at least one light-emitting layer which is provided between the cathode and the anode and which emits light when a voltage is applied between the cathode and the anode; a cathode terminal which is provided at a portion not in contact with the anode and the light-emitting layer and which supplies electrons to the cathode; and an electron adjust layer which includes a material having insulating properties and which adjusts the amount of electrons supplied from the cathode terminal to the cathode, and in the light-emitting device described above, the cathode is connected to the cathode terminal with the electron adjust layer interposed therebetween.
US08823255B2
Disclosed herein is an organic EL display device, including: a lower electrode provided every first organic EL element for a blue color and every second organic EL element for another color on a substrate; a hole injection/transport layer provided every first and second organic EL elements; a second organic light emitting layer for another color provided on said hole injection/transport layer for said second organic EL element; a connection layer made of a low-molecular material and provided over an entire surface of said hole injection/transport layer for said second organic light emitting layer and said first organic EL element; a first organic light emitting layer for a blue color provided over an entire surface of said connection layer; and an electron injection/transport layer and an upper electrode provided over an entire surface of said organic light emitting layer in order.
US08823245B2
A solder material can be used for fastening an outer electrode on a piezoelectric component. The solder material contains tin as the main constituent and at least one addition from the group of cobalt, tungsten, osmium, titanium, vanadium, iron and rare earth metals. A piezoelectric component includes such a solder material. The solder material is applied by means of a base metallization.
US08823236B2
An object is to provide a rotating electric machine offering a high output and high efficiency by balancing inductance of each phase even if a stator is used in which stator windings of different phases are disposed in a slot of a stator core in a three-phase winding. A stator 5 includes a stator core 6 having a plurality of slots arrayed circumferentially and opening to an inner peripheral surface and a stator winding 7 wound in each of the slots. The stator winding 7 is divided into at least two for each phase (7U-A, 7U-B, 7V-A, 7V-B, 7W-A, 7W-B). After insertion of the stator core 6, the stator winding of each phase is connected in parallel or in series. The stator winding of each phase is disposed in slots such that combined inductance of different phases is equalized.
US08823234B2
An electric motor has a rotor and a stator. The rotor or the stator has arced permanent magnets that have essentially the same inner radius (IR) and outer radius (OR). In an aspect, the stator has a stator housing having a plurality of poles. Each pole includes a plurality of flat magnets affixed to an inner surface of the stator housing. In an aspect, flats on the outside of the stator housing key the stator assembly in a power tool housing. In an aspect, flat magnets are pre-magnetized, pre-assembled with alternating magnetic polarities, inserted into a stator housing, and remagnetized to a final, desired magnetic polarity configuration. In an aspect, pre-magnetized magnets and unmagnetized magnets are pre-assembled with unmagnetized magnets between magnetized magnets, the pre-assembled magnets inserted into a stator housing, and the unmagnetized magnets magnetized to a final, desired magnetic polarity configuration. In an aspect, pre-magnetized magnets are inserted between anchors inwardly extending from an inner surface of a stator housing with the anchors retaining each magnet placed in the stator housing between anchors from being angularly displaced by subsequently inserted magnets. In an aspect, pre-magnetized magnets are inserted in recesses in an inner surface of a stator housing with the recesses retaining each magnet placed in the stator housing between anchors from being angularly displaced by subsequently inserted magnets. In an aspect, each pole has at least three magnets, at least one of the magnets being thinner than the other magnets. In an aspect, the outer most magnets are made of magnetic material that is more resistant to demagnetization than at least one of the other magnets. In an aspect, the magnets of each pole are unevenly spaced over the pole In an aspect, a power tool includes such an electric motor.
US08823221B1
An apparatus and a method for optimizing a Galfenol-type magnetostriction actuator. The method and apparatus includes an elongated Galfenol-type magnetostrictive bar, first coil and a second coil, orthogonal to the first coil, with the coils arranged and activated to optimize expansion and contraction in the bar. According to the apparatus and the method, the first coil pre-aligns the magnetic moments of the bar into a desired crystallographic orientation that allows for maximum expansion or contraction when under the influence of the magnetic field of the second coil.
US08823215B2
A wireless power transmission apparatus and method for wirelessly transmitting power to a wireless power reception apparatus electromagnetically coupled to the wireless power reception apparatus and supplying power for loads of the wireless power reception apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a power generator for generating power having a fixed oscillation frequency; a power transmission resonator, which has a resonance frequency identical to the oscillation frequency, for wirelessly transmitting the power generated by the power generator to the wireless power reception apparatus; and a power transmission resonance frequency controller for controlling the resonance frequency of the power transmission resonator in response to a change of the resonance frequency of the power transmission resonator.
US08823213B2
It is an object of the present invention to suppress such a situation that electric power selling becomes impossible while the deterioration of supply power is prevented. The electric power selling system of the present invention comprises a solar battery 3 as a power generator, and a control unit 7 which is connected with the solar battery 3 and a distribution line and configured to convert output voltage of the solar battery 3 into variable voltage for electric power selling. The electric power selling system further comprises a transmitter 60 connected with the distribution line, said transmitter 60 being configured to measure voltage of the distribution line and to supply the control unit 7 with an instruction value obtained based on the measured voltage value. The control unit 7 is configured to convert the output voltage of the solar battery 3 into the voltage for electric power selling based on the instruction value.
US08823207B2
A power conversion apparatus capable of suppressing adverse effects of noise caused by crossing of wiring patterns on a wiring board mounting the apparatus thereon. The apparatus includes a transformer, a switching element connected to the transformer, a feedback rectification circuit, and a control circuit operable to control the switching element in response to a DC voltage from the feedback rectification circuit. A first wiring pattern electrically connecting the feedback rectification circuit and the control circuit is formed in one of two surface regions of the wiring board separated by an imaginary line running through a junction of the first wiring pattern and the feedback rectification circuit and a junction of the first wiring pattern and the control circuit, and a second wiring pattern electrically connecting the control circuit and the switching element is formed outside an area enclosed by the imaginary line and the first wiring pattern.
US08823203B2
A waste heat controller controls waste heat quantity of an engine according to a required heat quantity along with a heat-utilize requirement. When the heat-utilize requirement is generated, a fuel-increase-rate indicating a fuel increase quantity is computed. A reference fuel-increase-rate is established to be compared with the fuel-increase-rate. Based on this comparison result, it is determined whether the waste heat increase control will be executed.
US08823202B2
There is provided an electronic appliance including a hinge portion including a first rotating hinge including a first electrode for transmitting a direct current and a first coil for transmitting/receiving a data signal by using electromagnetic induction, and a second rotating hinge including a second electrode for receiving the direct current by contacting the first electrode and a second coil for transmitting/receiving the data signal to/from the first coil. The hinge portion connects the first rotating hinge and the second rotating hinge in a rotatable manner while maintaining a state where the first electrode and the second electrode are in contact with each other and a center axis of the first coil and a center axis of the second coil are substantially same.
US08823200B2
A cutaway portion is provided in a driving force transmission path and serves as a disconnection mechanism for disconnecting the driving force transmission path under the action of a torque of a predetermined magnitude or more, the driving force transmission path being a path through which a driving force is transmitted from an output shaft to a pinion. A partitioning portion is provided inside the body and disposed between the cutaway portion and a speed reduction portion so as to partition an area between the cutaway portion and the speed reduction portion.
US08823198B2
Wind farm comprising at least one buoyant structure having two corners provided with a wind turbine and a third corner comprising a mooring section, e.g., with a disconnectable mooring turret. The third corner does not carry one of the wind turbines. Shared facilities for the two wind turbines, such as a helideck and/or electrical equipment, such as a converter and/or transformer, can be located on or near the third corner.
US08823196B1
An apparatus of wave generators and a mooring system is used to generate electricity includes a floating hull and an anti-drift mooring system. The floating hull that functions as the floating member is tensionably coupled with a subsurface environment by the anti-drift mooring system, where the anti-drift mooring system can include different embodiments depending on the subsurface environment. Articulated pulley systems of the floating hull allow the anti-drift mooring system to efficiently maximize the power output of wave generator units of the floating hull as the articulated pulley systems and the wave generator units are positioned within the floating hull.
US08823192B2
A method is provided for controlling a wind turbine connected to a node connected to a utility grid. The node also has a plurality of other wind turbines connected to it. The method includes measuring a quantity indicative of a slope of a voltage at the node in dependence of active power delivered to the node, determining that the slope is smaller than a negative slope limit, and performing a measure, in order to increase the slope above the slope limit.
US08823190B2
A wind power converter structure and a wind power generation system including the converter structure are provided. The converter structure includes a plurality of generator-side converters arranged in a nacelle located on a top part of the tower; a plurality of grid-side converters arranged on a bottom part of the tower or outside the tower, wherein a DC input side of the grid-side converter is coupled to a DC output side of the generator-side converter; at least one DC bus connected between the generator-side converter and the grid-side converter; and an isolation transformer of which a primary side is coupled to the AC output side of the grid-side converter, wherein a secondary side of the isolation transformer is coupled to a power grid.
US08823183B2
A bump for a semiconductor package includes: a first bump formed on a semiconductor chip and having at least two land parts and a connection part which connects the land parts and has a line width smaller than the land parts; and a second bump formed on the first bump and projecting on the land parts of the first bump in shapes of a hemisphere.
US08823177B2
A semiconductor device or semiconductor device package for transmitting a plurality of differential signals, the reliability of which hardly deteriorates. The semiconductor device is an area array semiconductor device in which a plurality of lands (external terminals) including a plurality of lands for transmitting a plurality of differential signals are arrayed in a matrix pattern in the back surface of a wiring substrate. Some of the lands are located in the outermost periphery of the matrix pattern. Some others of the lands are located inward of the outermost periphery of the matrix pattern and in rows next to the outermost periphery. The spacing between lands in a second region between the lands located in the rows next to the outermost periphery and the side surface of the wiring substrate is larger than in a first region in the outermost periphery.
US08823172B2
A semiconductor package includes a semiconductor chip having a first bump group and a second bump group, and a package substrate having a first pattern for data communication with the semiconductor chip and a second pattern for supplying power to the semiconductor chip or grounding the semiconductor chip, wherein the first bump group is disposed on the first pattern and the second bump group is disposed on the second pattern.
US08823170B2
A structure comprises a substrate comprising a plurality of traces on top of the substrate, a plurality of connectors formed on a top surface of a semiconductor die, wherein the semiconductor die is formed on the substrate and coupled to the substrate through the plurality of connectors and a dummy metal structure formed at a corner of a top surface of the substrate, wherein the dummy metal structure has two discontinuous sections.
US08823166B2
Apparatus and methods for providing solder pillar bumps. Pillar bump connections are formed on input/output terminals for integrated circuits by forming a pillar of conductive material using plating of a conductive material over terminals of an integrated circuit. A base portion of the pillar bump has a greater width than an upper portion. A cross-section of the base portion of the pillar bump may make a trapezoidal, rectangular or sloping shape. Solder material may be formed on the top surface of the pillar. The resulting solder pillar bumps form fine pitch package solder connections that are more reliable than those of the prior art.
US08823159B2
Microelectronic devices, stacked microelectronic devices, and methods for manufacturing microelectronic devices are described herein. In one embodiment, a set of stacked microelectronic devices includes (a) a first microelectronic die having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, (b) a first substrate attached to the first side of the first microelectronic die and electrically coupled to the first microelectronic die, (c) a second substrate attached to the second side of the first microelectronic die, (d) a plurality of electrical couplers attached to the second substrate, (e) a third substrate coupled to the electrical couplers, and (f) a second microelectronic die attached to the third substrate. The electrical couplers are positioned such that at least some of the electrical couplers are inboard the first microelectronic die.
US08823158B2
A semiconductor package includes a substrate having a substrate body possessing a first region, a second region which is defined around the first region and a third region which is defined around the second region. Wiring lines are placed on the substrate body, and the wiring lines have first ends that extend to the third region. Connection patterns are placed in the third region and are electrically connected to the first ends of the wiring lines. A semiconductor chip is disposed in the first region and is electrically connected to the respective wiring lines, and a molding member is disposed in the first and second regions and covers the semiconductor chip.
US08823157B2
A three dimensional (3-D) light-emitting-diode (LED) stack and method of manufacturing the same, comprising: a substrate; at least a first LED, stacked on said substrate; and at least a second LED, stacked on said first LED, such that energy gap of said first LED is smaller than energy gap of said second LED. In said stack mentioned above, a material of larger energy gap capable of emitting light of shorter wavelength can be penetrated by lights emitted by another material of smaller energy gap capable emitting lights of longer wavelength, such that lights are mixed together and then emitted, and said materials are put into a three dimensional stack arrangement, to form a brand new light emitting device of mixed light, so as to emit lights as required.
US08823146B1
A semiconductor structure having a silicon substrate having a <111> crystallographic orientation, an insulating layer disposed over a first portion of the silicon substrate, a silicon layer having a <100> orientation disposed over the insulating layer, and a non-nitride column III-V semiconductor layer or column II-VI semiconductor layer having the same <111> crystallographic orientation as the silicon substrate, the non-nitride column III-V semiconductor layer or column II-VI semiconductor layer being in direct contact with a second portion of the silicon substrate. A column III-nitride is disposed on the surface of the third portion of the substrate.
US08823142B2
A GaN single crystal substrate has a main surface with an area of not less than 10 cm2, the main surface has a plane orientation inclined by not less than 65° and not more than 85° with respect to one of a (0001) plane and a (000-1) plane, and the substrate has at least one of a substantially uniform distribution of a carrier concentration in the main surface, a substantially uniform distribution of a dislocation density in the main surface, and a photoelasticity distortion value of not more than 5×10−5, the photoelasticity distortion value being measured by photoelasticity at an arbitrary point in the main surface when light is applied perpendicularly to the main surface at an ambient temperature of 25° C. Thus, the GaN single crystal substrate suitable for manufacture of a GaN-based semiconductor device having a small variation of characteristics can be obtained.
US08823135B2
A shielding structure for transmission lines comprises first and second comb-like structures defined in a first metallization layer on an integrated circuit, the teeth of each comb-like structure extending toward the other comb-like structure; a first plurality of electrically conducting vias extending upward from the first comb-like structure; a second plurality of electrically conducting vias extending upward from the second comb-like structure; first and second planar structures in a second metallization layer above the first metallization layer; a third plurality of electrically conducting vias extending downward from the first planar structure toward the first plurality of electrically conducting vias; and a fourth plurality of electrically conducting vias extending downward from the second planar structure toward the second plurality of electrically conducting vias. The comb-like structures, the planar structures and the first, second, third, and fourth electrically conducting vias are all at substantially the same potential, preferably ground.
US08823132B2
A shallow trench isolation (STI) and method of forming the same is provided. The STI structure comprises an upper insulating portion and a lower insulating portion, wherein the lower insulating portion includes a first insulator and an insulating layer surrounding the first insulator, the upper insulating portion includes a second insulator and a buffer layer surrounding the second insulator. A part of the buffer layer interfaces between the first insulator and the second insulator, and the outer sidewall of the buffer layer and the sidewall of the first insulator are leveled.
US08823129B2
A latch-up prevention structure and method for ultra-small high voltage tolerant cell is provided. In one embodiment, the integrated circuit includes an input and/or output pad, a floating high-voltage n-well (HVNW) connected to the input and/or output pad through a P+ in the floating HVNW and also connected to a first voltage supply, a low-voltage n-well (LVNW) connected to a second voltage supply through a N+ in the LVNW, a HVNW control circuit, and a guard-ring HVNW, where the first voltage supply has higher voltage level than the second voltage supply, guard-ring HVNW is inserted in between the floating HVNW and LVNW to prevent a latch-up path between a P+ in HVNW and N+ in LVNW by using the HVNW control circuit that controls the guard-ring HVNW's voltage level. The guard-ring HVNW's voltage level is matched by the floating HVNW's voltage level.
US08823125B2
A solid-state image pickup device includes a photoelectric conversion portion, a charge holding portion configured to include a first-conductivity-type first semiconductor region, and a transfer portion configured to include a transfer gate electrode that controls a potential between the charge holding portion and a sense node. The charge holding portion includes a control electrode. A second-conductivity-type second semiconductor region is disposed on a surface of a semiconductor region between the control electrode and the transfer gate electrode. A first-conductivity-type third semiconductor region is disposed under the second semiconductor region. The third semiconductor region is disposed at a deeper position than the first semiconductor region.
US08823119B2
A magnetic body structure including: a magnetic layer pattern; and a conductive pattern including a metallic glass alloy and covering at least a portion of the magnetic body structure.
US08823113B2
A four transistor layout can include an isolation region that defines an active region, the active region extending along first and second different directions. A common source region of the four transistors extends from a center of the active region along both the first and second directions to define four quadrants of the active region that are outside the common source region. Four drain regions are provided, a respective one of which is in a respective one of the four quadrants and spaced apart from the common source region. Finally, four gate electrodes are provided, a respective one of which is in a respective one of the four quadrants between the common source region and a respective one of the four drain regions. A respective gate electrode includes a vertex and first and second extending portions, the first extending portions extending from the vertex along the first direction and the second extending portions extending from the vertex along the second direction.
US08823102B2
A device includes a wafer substrate having at least two isolation features, a buffer layer embedded between the two isolation features and a fin disposed over the buffer layer. The buffer layer includes a first lattice constant. The fin includes at least one pair of alternating layers having a compressive strained layer and a tensile strained layer such that the pair of alternating layer has a second lattice constant matching to the first lattice constant and remains strained at edge of the fin. The device further includes a gate disposed over the fin. The buffer layer, the compressive strained layer, and the tensile strained layer include element in Group III-V, or combination thereof. A thickness of the compressive strained layer or a thickness of the tensile strained layer is a function of the first lattice constant.
US08823098B2
The invention discloses a manufacture method and structure of a power transistor, comprising a lower electrode, a substrate, a drift region, two first conductive regions, two second conductive regions, two gate units, an isolation structure and an upper electrode. The two second conductive region are between the two first conductive regions and the drift region; the two gate units are on the two second conductive regions; the isolation structure covers the two gate units; the upper electrode covers the isolation structure and connects to the two first conductive regions and the two second conductive regions electrically. When the substrate is of the first conductive type, the structure can be used as MOSFET. When the substrate is of the second conductive type, the structure can be used as IGBT. This structure has a small gate electrode area, which leads to less Qg, Qgd and Rdson and improves device performance.
US08823096B2
A device includes a semiconductor region in a semiconductor chip, a gate dielectric layer over the semiconductor region, and a gate electrode over the gate dielectric. A drain region is disposed at a top surface of the semiconductor region and adjacent to the gate electrode. A gate spacer is on a sidewall of the gate electrode. A dielectric layer is disposed over the gate electrode and the gate spacer. A conductive field plate is over the dielectric layer, wherein the conductive field plate has a portion on a drain side of the gate electrode. A deep metal via is disposed in the semiconductor region. A source electrode is underlying the semiconductor region, wherein the source electrode is electrically shorted to the conductive field plate through the deep metal via.
US08823090B2
A field-effect transistor has a gate, a source, and a drain. The gate has a via extending through a semiconductor chip substrate from one surface to an opposite surface of the semiconductor chip substrate. The source has a first toroid of ion dopants implanted in the semiconductor chip substrate surrounding one end of the via on the one surface of the semiconductor chip substrate. The drain has a second toroid of ion dopants implanted in the semiconductor chip substrate surrounding an opposite end of the via on the opposite surface of the semiconductor chip substrate.
US08823081B2
A transistor device includes a semiconductor body having a source region, a drift region, and a body region between the source region and the drift region. A source electrode is electrically coupled to the source region. A gate electrode adjacent the body region is dielectrically insulated from the body region by a gate dielectric. A field electrode adjacent the drift region is dielectrically insulated from the drift region by a field electrode dielectric and electrically coupled to one of the gate electrode and the source electrode. A rectifier element electrically couples the field electrode to the one of the gate electrode and the source electrode.
US08823080B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a charge storage layer on a first insulating film, a second insulating film which is provided on the charge storage layer, formed of layers, and a control gate electrode on the second insulating film. The second insulating film includes a bottom layer (A) provided just above the charge storage layer, a top layer (C) provided just below the control gate electrode, and a middle layer (B) provided between the bottom layer (A) and the top layer (C). The middle layer (B) has higher barrier height and lower dielectric constant than both the bottom layer (A) and the top layer (C). The average coordination number of the middle layer (B) is smaller than both the average coordination number of the top layer (C) and the average coordination number of the bottom layer (A).
US08823079B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a substrate, a foundation structure, a first insulating film, and a second insulating film. The foundation structure is provided on the substrate. The foundation structure includes a plurality of circuit components and a gap provided between the circuit components. The first insulating film is provided on the foundation structure. The second insulating film is provided on the first insulating film. A Young's modulus of the second insulating film is lower than a Young's modulus of the first insulating film and a Young's modulus of a silicon oxide film.
US08823074B2
The semiconductor element includes an oxide semiconductor layer on an insulating surface; a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer over the oxide semiconductor layer; a gate insulating layer over the oxide semiconductor layer, the source electrode layer, and the drain electrode layer; and a gate electrode layer over the gate insulating layer. The source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer have sidewalls which are in contact with a top surface of the oxide semiconductor layer.
US08823073B2
A semiconductor memory element has MOS transistor for writing by a drain-avalanche hot electron. The MOS transistor has a semiconductor substrate, a first semiconductor layer formed on the semiconductor substrate, a floating gate provided on the first semiconductor layer through intermediation of a first insulating film, a channel region formed in a surface of the first semiconductor layer under the floating gate, and source region and a drain region provided on the first semiconductor layer so as to be in contact with the channel region. The channel region has a distribution of at least two kinds of carrier densities provided in at least two portions thereof disposed in parallel along a direction connecting the source region and the drain region.
US08823055B2
A method of forming a template on a silicon substrate includes providing a single crystal silicon substrate. The method further includes epitaxially depositing a layer of rare earth oxide on the surface of the silicon substrate. The rare earth oxide being substantially crystal lattice matched to the surface of the silicon substrate. The method further includes forming an aluminum oxide layer on the rare earth oxide, the aluminum oxide being substantially crystal lattice matched to the surface of the rare earth oxide and epitaxially depositing a layer of aluminum nitride (AlN) on the aluminum oxide layer substantially crystal lattice matched to the surface of the aluminum oxide.
US08823054B2
A semiconductor switching device includes a package, and a semiconductor switching element provided in the package and having a collector electrode and an emitter electrode. A main collector terminal and a main emitter terminal reflect voltage drop generated during application of current by a floating component in the package. A second collector terminal and a second emitter terminal detect a voltage between the collector electrode and the emitter electrode without reflecting the voltage drop. A third emitter terminal is arranged close to the second emitter terminal, and detects the voltage drop generated between the main emitter terminal and the second emitter terminal.
US08823051B2
A diode-connected lateral transistor on a substrate of a first conductivity type includes a vertical parasitic transistor through which a parasitic substrate leakage current flows. Means for shunting at least a portion of the flow of parasitic substrate leakage current away from the vertical parasitic transistor is provided.
US08823050B2
An organic light-emitting device (OLED) is disclosed. The OLED includes a light-emitting layer, a first electrode, and a second electrode, in which the light-emitting layer is interposed between the first and the second electrodes and includes a first molecular energy level of a host, and a second molecular energy level of a dopant. The first molecular energy level has a highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) which is substantially same as the HOMO of the second molecular energy level, or the first molecular energy level has a lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) which is substantially the same as the LUMO of the second molecular energy level.
US08823038B2
A semiconductor light-emitting structure is provided, which includes a first doped type semiconductor layer, a light-emitting layer, a second doped type semiconductor layer, a first electrical transmission layer and at least one first conductor. The light-emitting layer is disposed on the first doped type semiconductor layer and the second doped type semiconductor layer is disposed on the light-emitting layer. The first electrical transmission layer is disposed on the first doped type semiconductor layer, in which a first interface is formed between the first electrical transmission layer and the first doped type semiconductor layer. The first conductor is disposed on the first doped type semiconductor layer. The first electrical transmission layer connects the first conductor. A second interface is formed between each of the first conductor and the first doped type semiconductor layer, and the resistance of the second interface is less than the resistance of the first interface.
US08823035B2
Solid state light sources based on LEDs mounted on or within thermally conductive luminescent elements provide both convective and radiative cooling. Low cost self-cooling solid state light sources can integrate the electrical interconnect of the LEDs and other semiconductor devices. The thermally conductive luminescent element can completely or partially eliminate the need for any additional heatsinking means by efficiently transferring and spreading out the heat generated in LED and luminescent element itself over an area sufficiently large enough such that convective and radiative means can be used to cool the device.
US08823030B2
A light-emitting device which has various emission colors and can be manufactured efficiently and easily is provided. A first conductive layer formed of a semi-transmissive and semi-reflective conductive film is provided in a first light-emitting element region, so that the intensity of light in a specific wavelength region is increased with a cavity effect. As a result, the light-emitting device as a whole can emit desired light. When the first conductive layer is formed using a material with low electric resistance, voltage drop in a transparent conductive layer in the light-emitting device can be prevented. Accordingly, a light-emitting device with less emission unevenness can be manufactured. By applying such a structure to a white-light-emitting device, desired white light emission or white light emission with an excellent color rendering property can be obtained. Further, a large-area lighting device including a white-light-emitting device with less emission unevenness can be provided.
US08823015B2
Provided is a silicon carbide epitaxial wafer, the entire surface of which is free of step bunching. Also provided is a method for manufacturing said silicon carbide epitaxial wafer. The provided method for manufacturing a silicon carbide semiconductor device includes: a step wherein a 4H—SiC single-crystal substrate having an off-axis angle of 5° or less is polished until the lattice disorder layer on the surface of the substrate is 3 nm or less; a step wherein, in a hydrogen atmosphere, the polished substrate is brought to a temperature between 1400° C. and 1600° C. and the surface of the substrate is cleaned; a step wherein silicon carbide is epitaxially grown on the surface of the cleaned substrate as the amounts of SiH4 gas and C3H8 gas considered necessary for epitaxially growing silicon carbide are supplied simultaneously at a carbon-to-silicon concentration ratio between 0.7 and 1.2 to 1; and a step wherein the supply of SiH4 gas and the supply of C3H8 gas are cut off simultaneously, the substrate temperature is maintained until the SiH4 gas and the C3H8 gas are evacuated, and then the temperature is decreased.
US08823014B2
A method of epitaxial growth of a material on a crystalline substrate includes selecting a substrate having a crystal plane that includes a plurality of terraces with step risers that join adjacent terraces. Each terrace of the plurality or terraces presents a lattice constant that substantially matches a lattice constant of the material, and each step riser presents a step height and offset that is consistent with portions of the material nucleating on adjacent terraces being in substantial crystalline match at the step riser. The method also includes preparing a substrate by exposing the crystal plane; and epitaxially growing the material on the substrate such that the portions of the material nucleating on adjacent terraces merge into a single crystal lattice without defects at the step risers.
US08823010B2
A thin-film transistor (TFT) array substrate includes a first conductive layer of a TFT, a second conductive layer that partially overlaps the first conductive layer, a through hole in a layer between the first and second conductive layers, a node contact hole integrally formed to include a first contact hole in the first conductive layer and a second contact hole in the second conductive layer such that the first contact hole is continuous with the second contact hole and is not separated from the second contact hole by an insulation layer, and a connection node that is in another layer different from the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer. The connection node is connected to the first and second conductive layers through the through hole and the node contact hole.
US08823004B2
A means of forming unevenness for preventing specular reflection of a pixel electrode, without increasing the number of process steps, is provided. In a method of manufacturing a reflecting type liquid crystal display device, the formation of unevenness (having a radius of curvature r in a convex portion) in the surface of a pixel electrode is performed by the same photomask as that used for forming a channel etch type TFT, in which the convex portion is formed in order to provide unevenness to the surface of the pixel electrode and give light scattering characteristics.
US08823003B2
A method is provided for fabricating a thin-film transistor (TFT). The method includes forming a semiconductor layer over a gate insulator that covers a gate electrode, and depositing an insulator layer over the semiconductor layer, as well as etching the insulator layer to form a patterned etch-stop without losing the gate insulator. The method also includes forming a source electrode and a drain electrode over the semiconductor layer and the patterned etch-stop. The method further includes removing a portion of the semiconductor layer beyond the source electrode and the drain electrode such that a remaining portion of the semiconductor layer covers the gate insulator in a first overlapping area of the source electrode and the gate electrode and a second overlapping area of the drain electrode and gate electrode.
US08823001B2
The present disclosure discloses a method for manufacturing a TFT array substrate, comprising: depositing a gate metal layer, a gate insulating layer, a semiconductor layer and a source-drain electrode layer in this order on a base substrate, performing a first photolithograph process to form a common electrode line, a gate line, a gate electrode, a source electrode, a drain electrode and a channel defined between the source electrode and the drain electrode; depositing a passivation layer, performing a second photolithograph process to form a first via hole and a second via hole in the passivation layer; and depositing a pixel electrode layer and a data line layer in this order, perform a third photolithograph process to form a data line connected to the source electrode through the first via hole and a pixel electrode connected to the drain electrode through the second via hole.
US08822999B2
An organic light-emitting display device includes a capacitor lower electrode that includes a semiconductor material doped with ion impurities. A first insulating layer covers an active layer and the capacitor lower electrode. A gate electrode includes a gate lower electrode formed of a transparent conductive material and a gate upper electrode formed of metal. A pixel electrode is electrically connected to the thin film transistor. A capacitor upper electrode is at the same level as the pixel electrode. An etch block layer is formed between the first insulating layer and the capacitor upper electrode. Source and drain electrodes are electrically connected to the active layer. A second insulating layer has an opening completely exposing the capacitor upper electrode. A third insulating layer exposes the pixel electrode. An intermediate layer includes an emissive layer. An opposite electrode faces the pixel electrode.
US08822996B2
A semiconductor device including a memory cell is provided. The memory cell comprises a transistor, a memory element and a capacitor. One of first and second electrodes of the memory element and one of first and second electrodes of the capacitor are formed by a same metal film. The metal film functioning as the one of first and second electrodes of the memory element and the one of first and second electrodes of the capacitor is overlapped with a film functioning as the other of first and second electrodes of the capacitor.
US08822991B2
It is an object to reduce characteristic variation among transistors and reduce contact resistance between an oxide semiconductor layer and a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer, in a transistor where the oxide semiconductor layer is used as a channel layer. In a transistor where an oxide semiconductor is used as a channel layer, at least an amorphous structure is included in a region of an oxide semiconductor layer between a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer, where a channel is to be formed, and a crystal structure is included in a region of the oxide semiconductor layer which is electrically connected to an external portion such as the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer.
US08822986B2
A functional layer of an organic light-emitting element is formed by using an ink including a first solvent and a second solvent having equal or similar boiling points, and a functional material. The first solvent is such that an imitatively formed functional layer formed by replacing the second solvent with the first solvent, in a light-emitting region of an organic light-emitting element, is thicker at both end portions than at a central portion and top surfaces of the end portions are positioned higher than a top surface of the central portion. The second solvent is such that an imitatively formed functional layer formed by replacing the first solvent with the second solvent, in a light-emitting region of an organic light-emitting element, is thicker at a central portion than at both end portions and a top surface of the central portion is positioned higher than top surfaces of the end portions.
US08822961B2
A curing lamp apparatus mounts to a work surface with a suction cup. A base is mounted to the suction cup. A flexible neck extends from the base to the lamp head. The lamp head includes a lamp element with first and second UV light sources which emit UV light at different wavelengths. A control circuit is located in the base. A heat sink is provided on the lamp head including a conductive plate and projecting pins. A protective housing encloses the plate and pins. A timing circuit controls the light source for automatic shut off. External or internal power is provided for the control circuit.
US08822958B2
Optimal irradiation conditions determined by iterative calculation are based upon an operator-defined irradiating direction, prescription dose, and other conditions. Dose matrixes A and B relating doses to calculation points from a beam delivered to irradiating positions are divided into a dose matrix AM or BM for the calculation points in a target region that are present at distances equal to or less than a distance L from the beam axis of the beam delivered to each spot, and a dose matrix AS or BS for the calculation points that are present at distances greater than L. When the iterative calculation is conducted following completion of the division, dose values and {right arrow over (d)}S(1) and {right arrow over (d)}S(2) that include the dose matrixes AS and BS are regarded as constants, and if updating conditions are satisfied, an objective function is recalculated using the values of the dose matrixes A, B and the spot irradiation dose {right arrow over (x)}.
US08822956B2
A microscopy method for producing a high-resolution image of a 2-dimensional sample. The method includes exciting statistically blinking fluorophores in a sample by irradiating the sample with illumination radiation, repeatedly imaging the sample onto a spatially resolving detector in an image field that covers only a part of the sample to thereby obtain a frame sequence, generating an image from the frame sequence, the image having a spatial resolution increased beyond the optical resolution limit using a cumulant function, moving the position of the image field on the sample at least once and repeating the imaging and generating steps to obtain one image for each position of the image field, and combining the resultantly obtained images to form a complete image of the sample.
US08822955B2
The present application relates to polymer-conjugated quantum dots. The quantum dots can include, for example, an inorganic core conjugated to a polymer. The quantum dots may, in some embodiments, be water-soluble and exhibit superior photoluminescence. Also disclosed are methods of making and using the quantum dots.
US08822953B2
An electron beam irradiation apparatus is provided that includes a vacuum room, an electron beam generator, a window frame, and an irradiation foil. The vacuum room includes a wall having an opening through which an electron beam is irradiated. An internal atmosphere of the vacuum room is evacuated. The electron beam generator is provided inside the vacuum room. The window frame is attached to and surrounds the opening in the wall of the vacuum room. The irradiation foil, through which an electron beam generated in the vacuum room is transmitted, is fixed to the window frame. The surface of the window frame, at least an area exposed to the vacuum room, is substantially covered with material including an element or elements with an atomic number less than or equal to 10.
US08822950B2
A column assembly of a radionuclide generator includes a column that retains a parent radionuclide that spontaneously decays to a relatively short-lived daughter radionuclide. A fluid path extends from an inlet port to the column and then to an outlet port and allows daughter radionuclide to be eluted from the radionuclide generator for use. Improved retention of parent radionuclide in the column is accomplished by preventing fluid from entering the flow path in a liquid state, such as during sterilization. Proper column chemistry is also promoted by preventing excess moisture from coalescing in the column, which may promote a higher and/or more reliable yield of daughter radionuclide from a radionuclide generator.
US08822949B2
The present invention is directed to a method and device to desorb an analyte using heat to allow desorption of the analyte molecules, where the desorbed analyte molecules are ionized with ambient temperature ionizing species. In various embodiments of the invention a current is passed through a mesh upon which the analyte molecules are present. The current heats the mesh and results in desorption of the analyte molecules which then interact with gas phase metastable neutral molecules or atoms to form analyte ions characteristic of the analyte molecules.
US08822944B2
Provided is a surface contamination monitor that includes a hand and foot contamination monitor that can be relocated to an inspection site in a simple manner. A surface contamination monitor has a folding mechanism that allows folding a monitor main body, and comprises a base whose top face is provided with radiation detection elements for measurement of a foot portion, a support column provided at a center of a far side of the top face of the base, and an upper unit, which is fixed to a top end portion of the support column, and on which there are provided radiation detection elements for measurement of a hand portion. The folding mechanism allows the support column to bend towards the top face of the base by way of a first hinge and to bend towards an opposite side by way of a second hinge.
US08822941B2
A radiation detecting panel and a radiographic detector are shown. According to one implementation, a radiation detecting panel includes a device substrate and a scintillator. The device substrate includes a two-dimensional array of photoelectric transducers on a first surface of the device substrate. The scintillator substrate includes a scintillator on a first surface of the scintillator substrate. The scintillator converts radiation to light and irradiates the light onto the photoelectric transducers. The device substrate and the scintillator substrate are bonded together such that the photoelectric transducers face the scintillator. A resin layer disposed between the photoelectric transducers and the scintillator has a glass-transition temperature of 60° C. or higher.
US08822936B2
Detector for detection of particle radiation, particularly particle radiation having an energy in the range of 150 eV to 300 keV, comprising at least one detector element, said detector element comprising a semiconductor detector material, at least a set of line-shaped electrodes conductively connected to at least one surface of said semiconductor detector material, each set comprising a plurality of line-shaped electrodes extending in parallel, and signal processor communicating with said line-shaped electrodes, wherein, in each set, said line-shaped electrodes are distributed with a strip pitch of less than 3 μm, and that the thickness of said semiconductor detector material is of less than two times the strip pitch of said line-shaped electrodes.
US08822935B2
A radiation detector module (10) for use in a time-of-flight positron emission tomography (TOF-PET) scanner (8) generates a trigger signal indicative of a detected radiation event. A timing circuit (22) including a first time-to-digital converter (TDC) (30) and a second TDC (31) is configured to output a corrected timestamp for the detected radiation event based on a first timestamp determined by the first TDC (30) and a second timestamp determined by the second TDC (31). The first TDC is synchronized to a first reference clock signal (40, 53) and the second TDC is synchronized to a second reference clock signal (42, 54), the first and second reference clock signals being asynchronous.
US08822932B2
This disclosure describes an apparatus and a system for inspection of deepwater assets, e.g., pipes and pipelines that traverse the ocean floor. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a housing that retains a compensation fluid therein to form a fluidic environment. A digital detector resides in the fluidic environment. The digital detector can generate digital images in response to radiation that penetrate though the deepwater asset and impinges on components of the digital detector. In one embodiment, the digital detector utilizes one or more seal members to secure the components together. The seal members may be permeable and/or impermeable to the compensation fluid thereby preventing and/or permitting migration of the compensation fluid between certain components of the digital detector.
US08822929B2
A portable breath analyzing device to measure the rate of partial gas that is exhaled in the breath fluid. The device includes a rechargeable power supply unit, a device to emit pulsated infrared radiation, an infrared receiver, and a measuring vessel. The emission device includes a heating element; the measuring vessel includes a metallic tube whose interior surface is polished and coated with a deposit that reflects at least the infrared radiation of wavelengths that are between (9 μm, 10 μm) and at each end of the tube, a nozzle comprising a cone-shaped section meant to be placed in the tube axis. The infrared emission device is placed on the longitudinal axis of the tube, at the level of one of the nozzles, and the receiver is placed on the longitudinal axis, at the level of the other nozzle.
US08822917B2
In order to provide an analysis method that is capable of determining a glycan structure with high detection sensitivity, a method of the present invention includes the steps of: carrying out triple quadrupole mass spectrometry at various values of CID energy; creating an energy-resolved profile including yield curves representing relationships between (i) a value of the CID energy and (ii) measured amounts of specific types of product ions; preparing a reference profile, and identifying a glycan structure of a test material by comparing the energy-resolved profile with the reference profile.
US08822916B2
A method for operating tandem ion traps is provided, involving a) accumulating ions in the first ion trap at a first time; b) transmitting a first plurality of ions out of the first ion trap and into the second ion trap at a second time, the first plurality of ions having masses within a first mass range; c) retaining a second plurality of ions in the first ion trap at the second time, the second plurality of ions having masses within a second mass range different from the first mass range; d) transmitting the first plurality of ions out of the second ion trap at a third time; and, e) transmitting the second plurality of ions out of the first ion trap and into the second ion trap at the third time.
US08822915B2
In a first-stage intermediate vacuum chamber, cluster ions causing a background noise are dominantly formed in area (A), while fragment ions are dominantly generated in area (B). Taking this fact into account, when no in-source CID analysis is performed, voltages applied to the first-stage plate electrode of an ion guide and the exit end of a desolvation tube are adjusted to create an accelerating electric field only in area (A) without creating such a field in area (B). Meanwhile, voltages applied to the electrodes of the ion guide are adjusted to create an electric field for separating ions according to their mobility and selecting a specific ion. Such an operation suppresses the cluster-ion formation, removes ions which originate from impurities and have mass-to-charge ratios close to or equal to those of the ions originating from a target substance, and suppresses the fragment-ion generation. As a result, the target ions are detected with high S/N.
US08822914B2
A method of screening a sample for the presence of one or more known compounds of interest is disclosed. A fragmentation device is repeatedly switched between a fragmentation mode of operation and a non-fragmentation mode of operation. A determination is made whether a candidate parent ion of interest is present in a non-fragmentation data set and whether one or more corresponding fragment ions of interest are present in a fragmentation data set. A further determination is made to check if the candidate parent ion of interest and the one or more corresponding fragment ions of interest have substantially similar elution or retention times and/or ion mobility drift times.
US08822907B2
An optical position-measuring device includes a scanning bar extending in a first or second direction, and a scale extending in the other direction. The scale is offset by a scanning distance from the scanning bar in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions. The device has a light source whose light penetrates the scanning bar at an intersection point of the scanning bar and scale to fall on the scale and arrive back at the scanning bar. At a detector, the light is split by diffraction into different partial beams at optically effective structures of the scanning bar and scale and combined again. A periodic signal is obtained in the detector in response to: a shift between the scanning bar and scale in the first direction due to interference of combined partial beams, and a change in the scanning distance between the scanning bar and scale.
US08822901B2
The device for ambient light compensation for use in optical sensors exposed to both useful light and ambient light comprises at least one first photodiode and at least one second photodiode, the at least one first photodiode being adapted to be exposed to substantially the same useful light and ambient light as the at least one second photodiode. The device further comprises a current mirror circuit having an input and an output, the at least one first photodiode being connected to the input of the current mirror circuit, and the at least one second photodiode being connected to the output of the current mirror circuit. The current mirror circuit comprises a lowpass filter connected between the input and the output of the current mirror circuit. The output of the current mirror circuit provides an output signal representing the useful signal compensated for ambient light.
US08822897B2
In various example embodiments, the inventive subject matter is an image sensor and methods of formation of image sensors. In an embodiment, the image sensor comprises a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of pixel regions. Each of the pixel regions includes an optically sensitive material over the substrate with the optically sensitive material positioned to receive light. A pixel circuit for each pixel region is also included in the sensor. Each pixel circuit comprises a charge store formed on the semiconductor substrate and a read out circuit. A non-metallic contact region is between the charge store and the optically sensitive material of the respective pixel region, the charge store being in electrical communication with the optically sensitive material of the respective pixel region through the non-metallic contact region.
US08822895B2
A fiber fuse detecting apparatus provides early detection of a fiber fuse generation in an optical fiber that propagates laser light, preventing the damage from expanding. It comprises light input means arranged on a laser light incidence side of the optical fiber that inputs at least a portion of reverse direction propagation light propagating in a reverse direction to light incidenting the optical fiber, light receiving means that photo-electrically converts light input by the light input means, electric filter means that extracts from an output signal of the light receiving means a prescribed frequency band component that contains a periodic signal due to fiber fuse, detecting means that detects change of or a prescribed value in output level of the electric filter means, and warning means that emits a warning signal in response to a detection output of the detecting means. The laser light to the optical fiber is stopped or reduced by means of the warning means.
US08822892B2
A combined metal PTC rapid electric heater for use in the electric heating field composes at least one electric heating device. The electric heating device composes a metal PTC tube which is covered by an electric heating tube body. The electric heating tube body composes two straight tubes and one C-shape tube. At one end of a straight tube is a wiring terminal and at another end of that is connected to a C-shape tube. Two straight tubes are connected together by using a C-shape tube. Thus, in this design only one combined metal PTC rapid electric heater is needed for area requiring two common electric heaters. Furthermore, this design can simplify wiring layout during installation since two wiring terminals are located in the same side.
US08822890B2
A food heating and serving appliance is provided including generally circular upper and base portions with the upper portion being rotatably mounted to the base portion. The upper portion has a plurality of independently controlled heated food containers mounted in cavities on the upper portion. The upper portion is freely rotatable relative to the base portion for rotating a preferred heated container to the front of the appliance for serving convenience. Each of the food containers may include a lid with a handle for covering the heated containers. A pivoting cover attached to the base portion may be folded to engage a pocket on a sidewall of the housing when in alignment for preventing relative rotation between the upper and base portions. The pocket may also serve to store the cord plug when the power cord is retracted into the base portion and the cover is folded into the pocket.
US08822889B2
A temperature control system includes a temperature control circuit having a plurality of predetermined temperature values, a switch control circuit and a heating control circuit. The temperature control circuit outputs control signals according to the plurality of predetermined temperature values. The switch control circuit turns on according to the control signals and outputs the DC voltage to the heating control circuit which begins to get hot. The temperature control circuit detects a temperature of the heating control circuit from time to time and turns off the switch control circuit when the temperature of the heating control circuit is equal to a selected predetermined temperature.
US08822884B2
Welding wire feeders and a stick electrode holder capable of providing auxiliary electric power from a welding power source via an electrode cable to an auxiliary welding tool. A welding output of the welding power source may be switched between a regulated primary power and a regulated auxiliary power. An auxiliary welding tool, when connected to the welding wire feeder or the stick electrode holder, may use the regulated auxiliary power provided via the electrode cable when the regulated auxiliary power is selected.
US08822879B2
Patterns are written on workpieces, such as, glass sheets and/or plastic sheets used in, for example, electronic display devices such as LCDs. The workpiece may be larger than about 1500 mm may be used. An optical writing head with a plurality of writing units may be used. The workpiece and the writing head may be moved relative to one another to provide oblique writing.
US08822878B2
A system and process for production of nanometric or sub-micrometric powders in continuous flux under the action of laser pyrolysis in at least one interaction zone between a beam emitted by a laser and a flux of reagents emitted by an injector, in which the laser is followed by optical means for distributing the energy of the beam emitted by the latter according to an axis perpendicular to the axis of each flux of reagents, in an elongated cross-section having adjustable dimensions at the level of this at least one interaction zone.
US08822867B2
A gas insulated switchgear includes: an upper conductor; a lower conductor; a movable contact provided in the upper conductor; a fixed contact fixedly provided in the lower conductor; a moving side tulip contact provided in the movable contact; a moving side shield fixed to the upper conductor; a fixed side tulip contact provided in the fixed contact; a fixed side shield fixed to the lower conductor; and an insulating screen unit installed to selectively block the opening end of the moving side shield and covering an end of the movable contact when the movable contact is separated from the fixed contact.
US08822865B2
Provided are a single-sided one-sheet type capacitive touch screen and a method for manufacturing the same. The touch screen includes: a substrate; a first conductive pattern disposed on the substrate in a vertical direction and including at least two pattern columns having two or more conductive pattern regions electrically connected with each other; a second conductive pattern disposed on the same surface of the substrate as the surface where the first conductive pattern is disposed, not being electrically connected with the first conductive pattern, and including two or more conductive pattern regions not electrically connected with each other; a transparent conductive bridge electrically connecting the conductive pattern regions of the second conductive pattern in a horizontal direction; and a transparent insulating part disposed between the transparent conductive bridge and the first conductive pattern to electrically insulate the transparent conductive bridge and the first conductive pattern.
US08822860B2
Push button switch assembly, in particular for insertion in a control panel of a domestic appliance, the push button switch assembly comprising at least one push button and a frame for receiving the at least one push button, wherein the push button has a push button cap, whose top wall or rather upper side is to be manipulated by a user, and an actuating element, in particular an actuating pin, for actuating a switch, especially a micro switch, of a circuit board arranged underneath the push button switch assembly upon actuation of the push button cap, wherein the push button cap is provided with spring legs resting on a frame bottom and counteracting the actuation of the push button cap, characterized in that at least two spring legs are provided, which are formed in a rotationally symmetric or in an axially symmetric arrangement at the push button cap.
US08822858B2
Embodiments of a backlit keyboard assembly are described. A keycap assembly is mounted into a case web having intersecting ribs. A flange, which can be angled, is on the bottom perimeter of the keycap and a correspondingly shaped flange is on each rib of the case web. An overlap of the keycap flange and the case web flanges prevents direct sighting of the backlight light source and also provides a more evenly distributed halo around the keycap, thereby improving both aesthetics and functionality by providing better light control and contrast.
US08822854B2
An entertainment button device includes: an entertainment button that a player can push; and a button case having a peripheral wall and a bottom wall configured to accommodate the entertainment button to be able to move up and down in the button case. The button case includes outlets to discharge foreign materials between an outer periphery of the entertainment button and the peripheral wall of the button case, to an outside of the button case.
US08822853B2
An electrical switch, in particular a seat adjustment switch, has an activation element (7) and four signal receivers (6), wherein the switch has a total of six switch positions, wherein each of the switch positions is defined by the activation of a combination of two signal receivers.
US08822848B2
A POS-based checkout/scale system including system housing having a vertical housing section with a vertical scanning window, and a horizontal housing section. An electronic weigh scale subsystem is integrated with the system housing, and has a weigh platter supported above the horizontal housing section by a pair of cantilever-type weigh scale arms operably connected to an electronic load cell module. During a first mode of operation a powered support mechanism allows the cantilever-type weigh scale arms to bear the full weight of the weigh platter and any items supported thereon so that the electronic load cell module can accurately measure the weight of items on the weigh platter, and generate weigh data for transmission to the host computer system. During a second mode of operation, the powered support mechanism automatically prevents the electronic load cell module from experiencing the weight of items placed on the weigh platter.
US08822847B2
Some embodiments of the present invention include a digital scale to measure a weight of a user who stands on the digital scale; and to calculate and convey to the user a dosage of a medicament which is appropriate for the user based on the measured user weight. The digital scale may determine the medicament dosage by performing a local query to a locally-stored medicament database which may be stored locally within the digital scale, and/or by performing a remote query to a remotely-stored medicament database which may be stored externally to the digital scale.
US08822844B1
A method for shielding an electrical circuit may include depositing a potting material upon the electrical circuit. The method may include providing a path to a ground of the electrical circuit. The method may also include depositing an electrically conductive coating upon the electrical circuit and over the potting material. The method may further include connecting the electrically conductive coating to the ground of the electrical circuit.
US08822841B2
Disclosed herein are a package substrate and a fabricating method thereof. The package substrate includes a substrate including at least one conductive pad, an insulation layer formed on the substrate and including an opening through which the conductive pad is exposed, a blister prevention layer formed along a top surface of the conductive pad exposed through the opening and a sidewall of the insulation layer, a metal post made of at least one alloy material and formed on the blister prevention layer, and a heat-diffusion prevention film formed on the metal post.
US08822837B2
A wiring board or an electronic component embedded substrate includes a substrate that includes a resin containing a plurality of fillers; and a via that is electrically connected to at least one interconnect provided to the substrate, wherein the via includes a mix area in which metal is provided between the fillers on an inner radial side with respect to the substrate. A method of manufacturing a wiring board or an electronic component embedded substrate includes preparing a substrate that includes a resin containing a plurality of fillers; forming a via formation hole in the substrate; performing an ashing process on at least an inner wall of the via formation hole; and performing electroless plating an the inner wall of the via formation hole.
US08822835B2
A capacitive touch panel sensor in which waviness generated in a film furnished with a transparent electrode pattern can be small. The touch panel sensor according to the present invention includes a first film, a first transparent electrode pattern formed on the first film, a first adhesive layer laminated on the first film so as to cover the first transparent electrode pattern, a second film laminated on the first adhesive layer, a second adhesive layer laminated on the second film, a third film laminated on the second adhesive layer, and a second transparent electrode pattern formed on the third film, wherein Da/Db is 0.5 to 0.9 where a total thickness of the second film and the second adhesive layer is Da, and a distance between the first transparent electrode pattern and the second transparent electrode pattern is Db.
US08822831B2
Lamination circuit board in which ground and conductor layers are laminated via an electrically insulating layer. Various configurations allow the ground layer to realize characteristic impedance matching in the circuit board: (a) One having at least a removal region where at least a projection region, being the conductor layer orthogonally projected onto the ground layer, is removed; (b) One in which in the lamination the conductor layer, a signal transmission line, and the ground layer are laminated in that order via the electrically insulating layer, and having at least a removal region where the conductor layer and the signal transmission line overlap; and (c) One in which in the lamination a signal transmission line, the ground layer, and the conductor layer are laminated in that order via the electrically insulating layer, and having at least a removal region where the conductor layer and the signal transmission line overlap.
US08822824B2
Exemplary methods for manufacturing a wire and resultant wires are disclosed herein. The method includes extruding a receptor cross-linkable polymer that is substantially free of curing agent about a conductive core and extruding a donor polymer in association with a curing agent. The method includes disposing the donor polymer about the receptor polymer and conductive core to create a multi-layer wire pre-product. The method also includes heat curing a multi-layer wire pre-product to form a wire.
US08822819B2
A server enclosure includes an enclosure body, a connecting member, and a loading member. The enclosure body includes a bottom wall and two sidewalls extending from the bottom wall. The two sidewalls is substantially parallel to each other. The connecting member includes a top panel and two resisting panels extending from the top panel. The top panel is substantially parallel to the bottom wall. The loading member includes a bottom panel substantially parallel to the top panel and two connecting panels extending from the bottom panel. A cross section of the loading member, taken along a plane parallel to the sidewall, is U-shaped. The bottom panel is secured on the top panel. The loading member is secured between the two sidewalls.
US08822812B2
One embodiment relates to an arrangement of photovoltaic modules configured for transportation. The arrangement includes a plurality of photovoltaic modules, each photovoltaic module including a frame. A plurality of individual male alignment features and a plurality of individual female alignment features are included on each frame. Adjacent photovoltaic modules are interlocked by multiple individual male alignment features on a first module of the adjacent photovoltaic modules fitting into and being surrounded by corresponding individual female alignment features on a second module of the adjacent photovoltaic modules. Other embodiments, features and aspects are also disclosed.
US08822810B2
A interconnected arrangement of photovoltaic cells is readily and efficiently achieved by using a unique interconnecting strap. The strap comprises electrically conductive fingers which contact the top light incident surface of a first cell and extend to an interconnect region of the strap. The interconnect region may include through holes which allow electrical communication between top and bottom surfaces of the interconnect region. In one embodiment, the electrically conductive surface of the fingers is in electrical communication with an electrically conductive surface formed on the opposite side of the strap through the through holes of the interconnect region. The interconnection strap may comprise a laminating film to facilitate manufacture and assembly of the interconnected arrangement.
US08822808B2
Provided are a photoelectric conversion device capable of controlling an absorbance of the red region at a wavelength of 600 nm or more, and an imaging device having an improved color reproduction by using the photoelectric device. Provided are a photoelectric conversion device that includes a pair of electrodes, and a photoelectric conversion layer disposed between the pair of electrodes, in which the photoelectric conversion layer contains a p-type semiconductor compound and two or more different kinds of unsubstituted fullerenes, and an imaging device that includes the photoelectric conversion device.
US08822807B2
A method is provided for producing a thermoelectric component having at least one pair of thermoelectric legs, including an n-leg and a p-leg, wherein both legs are welded to an electrically conductive contact material, and wherein the n-leg and the p-leg of the pair of legs are welded in separate welding steps to the contact material. A thermoelectric component produced by the method is also provided.
US08822802B1
A guitar amplifier system is disclosed. Specific implementations for the guitar amplifier system may comprise an audio input for an audio signal, a preamplifier coupled to the audio input, a tone control element coupled to the preamplifier, a power amplifier coupled to the tone control element, and an audio output coupled to the power amplifier. In an implementation, the tone control may be configured to control at least one of sound equalization, compression distortion, chorus or reverb. In an implementation, at least one of the preamplifier and the power amplifier may comprise at least one distortion multiplier circuit. The distortion multiplier circuit may comprise an audio signal multiplier configured to amplify an audio signal and output an amplified audio signal. The distortion multiplier circuit may also comprise a first voltage clamping circuit between a Vhigh preset level and a reference node coupled to the field effect transistor drain, and a second voltage clamping circuit between the Vlow preset level and the reference node. The Vhigh preset level and Vlow preset level may be set at different distances from a center voltage to asymmetrically distort the audio signal through asymmetrically limiting gain of the audio signal above the preset level and when compared with below the preset level. The distortion multiplier circuit may also comprise a blocking element configured to block DC biases of the field effect transistor.
US08822801B2
A segmented, interactive audio-visual content progress bar and method of use whose divisions provide an information and instructional index of performance content. The progress bar provides a time linear segmentation of a user component of a performance content and a sound signal corresponding to the performance content. The progress bar provides a time progress marker advancing with time as a corresponding indicator of the user component of the performance content.
US08822792B2
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH393432. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH393432, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH393432 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH393432.
US08822786B1
A novel maize variety designated PH1DAM and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH1DAM with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH1DAM 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 PH1DAM or a locus conversion of PH1DAM with another maize variety.
US08822784B1
A novel maize variety designated X13C711 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof, produced by crossing Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. proprietary inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprises crossing hybrid maize variety X13C711 with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X13C711 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X13C711, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X13C711. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X13C711.
US08822778B1
A novel maize variety designated PH1KWP and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH1KWP with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH1KWP 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 PH1KWP or a locus conversion of PH1KWP with another maize variety.
US08822774B1
A novel soybean variety, designated XB85F13 is provided. Also provided are the seeds of soybean variety XB85F13, cells from soybean variety XB85F13, plants of soybean XB85F13, and plant parts of soybean variety XB85F13. Methods provided include producing a soybean plant by crossing soybean variety XB85F13 with another soybean plant, methods for introgressing a transgenic trait, a mutant trait, and/or a native trait into soybean variety XB85F13, methods for producing other soybean varieties or plant parts derived from soybean variety XB85F13, and methods of characterizing soybean variety XB85F13. Soybean seed, cells, plants, germplasm, breeding lines, varieties, and plant parts produced by these methods and/or derived from soybean variety XB85F13 are further provided.
US08822773B1
A novel soybean variety, designated XB78B13 is provided. Also provided are the seeds of soybean variety XB78B13, cells from soybean variety XB78B13, plants of soybean XB78B13, and plant parts of soybean variety XB78B13. Methods provided include producing a soybean plant by crossing soybean variety XB78B13 with another soybean plant, methods for introgressing a transgenic trait, a mutant trait, and/or a native trait into soybean variety XB78B13, methods for producing other soybean varieties or plant parts derived from soybean variety XB78B13, and methods of characterizing soybean variety XB78B13. Soybean seed, cells, plants, germplasm, breeding lines, varieties, and plant parts produced by these methods and/or derived from soybean variety XB78B13 are further provided.
US08822764B2
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1026201. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1026201. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1026201 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1026201 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US08822758B2
According to the present invention, a technique with which the production of plant biomass can be drastically increased and salt stress resistance can be imparted to a plant is provided.A gene encoding a protein comprising a common sequence consisting of the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 3 and a common sequence consisting of the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2 in such order from the N-terminal side and having a coiled-coil structure, a nucleic acid binding site, and a leucine rich repeat structure has been introduced or an expression control region of the gene that is endogenously presented has been altered.
US08822756B2
The invention provides methods for producing plants, plant materials and seeds that receive multiple desirable attributes for consumers of these products, as well as for commercial plant growers, and to improved plants, plant materials and seeds that are produced by these methods. These inventive methods provide hybrid plants, plant materials and seeds having the mutant shrunken-2i (sh2-i) allele incorporated into their genomes sequentially along with one or more other mutant alleles, such as the sugary-1 (su1), sugary enhancer-1 (se1) and/or shrunken-2 (sh2) alleles, and that have multiple beneficial traits, including an extended sugar retention ability at the post prime eating stage and a significantly enhanced vigor and fitness to the plant, plant material and/or seed during seed germination, seedling emergence from soil, and plant development.
US08822741B2
A process for the fluorination of haloolefins with elemental fluorine in the presence of anhydrous HF proceeds with high yield and selectivity in the product deriving from the addition of fluorine to the carbon-carbon double bond.
US08822737B2
A method of producing a solid glycerol derived material includes the steps of combining glycerol with a metal oxide, the glycerol having a water content of between about 5 and 50%, and the rate of combination of the glycerol and the metal oxide and the amount of the metal oxide being selected so that at least part of the water present in the glycerol reacts with the metal oxide in an exothermic reaction and at least part is driven off by heat produced in the exothermic reaction to produce the solid glycerol derived material.
US08822736B2
The present invention relates to a process for accelerated preparation of linear polymers of polyhydric alcohols using microwave irradiation as the heat element in the presence of specified catalysts.
US08822734B2
Allyl alcohol, particularly from biobased sources such as glycerol, is hydroformylated to products including 4-hydroxybutyraldehyde and 4-hydroxy-2-methylpropionaldehyde by forming a homogeneous reaction mixture including allyl alcohol, a rhodium-based hydroformylation catalyst and a near critical liquefiable petroleum gas or mixture of such gases, reacting the near critical liquefiable petroleum gas (or gas mixture)-expanded allyl alcohol substrate with carbon monoxide and with hydrogen in the presence of the catalyst, and recovering substantially all of the petroleum gas or gases overhead by reducing the pressure and degassing the product mixture. Dense propane is especially useful as a single inert solvent/diluent, and substantially no other solvent/diluent is needed.
US08822726B2
The invention relates to a method for producing diaminodiphenyl alkanes, wherein an aromatic amine, which can be substituted or unsubstituted, is reacted with a C1-C3 aldehyde in the presence of a heterogeneous catalyst, said catalyst being a mesoporous acidic ion exchanger based on a divinylbenzene/styrene copolymer and the catalyst having acid centers in a concentration of 2 to 6 eq/kg measured according to DIN 54403 and the average pore diameter of the catalyst particles being 10 to 32 nm measured according to ASTM D 4222, and the content of polynuclear compounds in the reaction mixture being >10 and ˜15% by weight.
US08822725B2
The invention is directed to a process for the preparation of an aqueous colloidal precious metal suspension, which process comprises reducing a precious metal salt in aqueous solution using a functionalized, water soluble quaternary ammonium salt in the absence of organic solvents, to form elementary nanoparticles.
US08822724B2
A carboxamide can be produced in a high yield by a method for producing a carboxamide, for example, represented by formula (4): (wherein R1 and R3 are as defined below), the method comprising a step of allowing a carboxylic acid ester represented by formula (1): (wherein R1 represents an optionally substituented C1-C20 hydrocarbon group or an optionally substituented C3-C20 heterocyclic group, and R2 represents an optionally substituented C1-C20 hydrocarbon group), an amine represented by formula (2): R3—NH2 (2) (wherein R3 represents a hydrogen atom or an optionally substituented C1-C20 hydrocarbon group), and a formamide compound represented by formula (3): (wherein R3 is as defined above) to react in the presence of a metal alkoxide.
US08822722B2
To provide a fluorescent hydrogel having superior detectability of saccharides such as glucose and minimal invasiveness, a method for producing the same, and a sensor for measuring saccharides using the same. A florescent hydrogel having a structure represented by the following chemical formula 1, a method for producing the same, and a sensor for measuring saccharides using the same.
US08822718B2
A process is proposed for preparing isocyanates by thermally cleaving carbamates to obtain a carbamate cleavage gas comprising the corresponding isocyanate and the corresponding alcohol, which comprises quenching the carbamate cleavage gas in the presence of an ether which functions as an inhibitor for the reverse reaction of the isocyanate with the alcohol.
US08822715B2
A method for producing an aromatic diphosphate comprising: Step 1 which is a step where a specific aromatic monohydroxy compound having a steric hindrance group at ortho-positions is made to react with phosphorus oxyhalide in the presence of a Lewis acid catalyst and then the unreacted phosphorus oxyhalide is removed under a reduced pressure to give a specific; and Step 2 which is a step where the reaction product obtained in the above step is made to react with a specific aromatic dihydroxy compound in an amount of 0.5 mol to 1 mol of halogen contained in the reaction product in the presence of a Lewis acid catalyst to give a specific aromatic diphosphate.
US08822698B2
Novel amino acids derivatives, in particular some amino acid amides derivatives, their process of preparation and their use for inhibiting Met-triggered disorders, in particular cancer.
US08822697B2
The present invention relates to a paramagnetic polynuclear metal complex having enhanced self-relaxation rate and thermodynamic stability, and more particularly, to a synthetic method of a novel DTPA-bis-amide-histidine ligand and DTPA-bis-amide-aspartic acid ligand, a novel gadolinium complex ([Gd(L)H2O]) using the ligand, and a paramagnetic polynuclear metal complex using the gadolinium complex. The paramagnetic polynuclear metal complex is able to fix three or more metals (one gadolinium and two metal ions), thereby providing more excellent self-relaxation rate than the commercially available contrast agents. Thus, it can be widely applied to an MRI contrast agent because of meeting the high self-relaxation rate required as a contrast agent of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
US08822687B2
8α,14-Dihydroxy-7,8-dihydrocodeinone is described.
US08822681B2
The present invention relates to compounds useful as inhibitors of protein kinases, particularly of JAK family kinases. The invention also provides pharmaceutically acceptable compositions comprising said compounds and methods of using the compositions in the treatment of various disease, conditions, or disorders.
US08822671B2
A 2′-modified ribonucleoside having an alkoxymethyl protective group can be imparted with a high duplex-forming ability by introducing, as a substituent, a halogen atom into the protective group moiety. A modified form of RNA having a halogen-substituted alkoxymethyl protective group exhibits a high duplex-forming ability that is comparable to the duplex-forming ability of a 2′-O-methyl modified nucleic acid.
US08822667B2
The present invention provides a nucleic acid molecule capable of binding to c-Met as a substance that can be used for clarification of the pathogenic mechanism of diseases caused by c-Met, diagnosis and treatment of the diseases, and the like, and also the use thereof. The c-Met binding nucleic acid molecule of the present invention is any one of the following nucleic acid molecules (A1), (A2), (B1), and (B2). (A1) a nucleic acid molecule including the base sequence of any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 38 (A2) a nucleic acid molecule that is capable of binding to c-Met and includes a base sequence obtained by substitution, deletion, addition, and/or insertion of one or more bases in the base sequence of any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 38 (B1) a nucleic acid molecule including the base sequence of any one of SEQ ID NOs: 39 to 76 (B2) a nucleic acid molecule that is capable of binding to c-Met and includes a base sequence obtained by substitution, deletion, addition, and/or insertion of one or more bases in the base sequence of any one of SEQ ID NOs: 39 to 76.
US08822661B2
Engineered mutant xylose reductases demonstrate higher preference to xylose than arabinose. Amino acid mutations were engineered in to native xylose reductase from Neurospora crassa. Mutant xylose reductases are useful in the production of xylitol and ethanol.
US08822654B2
The present invention relates to the use of a composition including of at least a mutated antithrombin having an anticoagulant activity substantially reduced with respect to the anticoagulant activity of the non mutated antithrombin, or having no anticoagulant activity, for the preparation of a drug intended for the prevention or the treatment of pathologies associated with cellular injury, such as infection, inflammation or hypoxic injury.
US08822653B2
Plasma kallikrein binding proteins and methods of using such proteins are described.
US08822652B2
Disclosed are monoclonal antibodies that specifically bind to the B7 family member B7H6, including antibodies capable of inhibiting the interaction of B7H6 with NKp30. Also disclosed are anti-B7H6 antibody-drug conjugates comprising an anti-B7H6 monoclonal antibody conjugated to a therapeutic agent. The anti-B7H6 antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates are useful in methods for exerting therapeutic effects against B7H6-expressing cells, as well as in diagnostic methods for the detection of B7H6 or B7H6-expressing cells.
US08822646B2
The invention relates to compositions and methods to inhibit gene expression. In particular, the invention provides co-therapies comprising oligonucleotides plus other therapies to treat cancer.
US08822636B2
Peptides able to inhibit or activate the translocation or function of δPKC are identified. Administration of the peptides for protection or enhancement of cell damage due to ischemia is described. Therapeutic methods to reduce damage to cells or to enhance damage to cells due to ischemia are also described, as well as methods for screening test compounds for δPKC-selective agonists and antagonists.
US08822635B2
Substituted selenophene monomers, and polymers and copolymers having units derived from a substituted selenophene are disclosed. Also provided are methods of making and using the same.
US08822628B2
A crosslinkable liquid crystalline polymer that is formed by polymerizing a precursor monomer in the presence of an aromatic crosslinking agent is provided. The crosslinking agent has the following general formula (I):
US08822620B2
A method is presented for making alkoxy-modified silsesquioxanes (AMS) or co-alkoxy-modified silsesquioxanes (co-AMS,) comprising the steps of (a) combining as a reaction mixture (i) water, (ii) an acid-stable solvent for the water, (iii) a solid strong cationic hydrolysis and condensation catalyst, and (iv) a trialkoxysilane compound, (b) allowing the reaction mixture to react for about 0.5 hours to about 200 hours to form the alkoxy-modified silsesquioxanes; and (c) recovering the alkoxy-modified silsesquioxanes from the reaction mixture. The use of solid strong cationic catalysts in this reaction system is advantageous because they remain as solids throughout the reaction, allowing simplified separation of the solid catalyst from the soluble AMS or co-AMS products, resulting in total or near total recovery of the AMS or co-AMS products, the products being free of, or substantially free of residual acid catalyst, as well as virtual total recovery of the catalyst for recycling. The improved AMS and co-AMS compounds, vulcanizable rubber compounds containing them, and a pneumatic tire having a component made from the vulcanized rubber compounds are also presented.
US08822613B2
The invention relates to a process for preparing a (meth)acrylate copolymer containing quaternary ammonium groups from a monomer mixture selected from: (a) 80 to 99% by weight of a C1-C4-alkyl ester of acrylic acid or methacrylic acid; and (b) 20 to 1% by weight of an alkyl ester of acrylic acid or methacrylic acid with a quaternary ammonium group in the alkyl radical; and (c) 0 to 10% of further copolymerizable vinyl monomers whereby one or more polymerization initiators, optionally one or more molecular weight regulators and one or more solvents or of a solvent mixture are added to the monomer mixture to give a polymerization mixture, which is polymerized at temperatures from 30 to 120 C over a period of 2 to 24 hours, where the polymerization mixture is polymerized to a polymerization syrup with a conversion of the monomers to the copolymer of at least 99% by weight, where the polymerization syrup is subsequently degassed by distillation or by extrusion and the degassed polymerization syrup is further comminuted to a copolymer preparation in the form of a granulate or powder and where the copolymer preparation is characterized by a molecular weight (Mw) of 25.000 to 50.000, a polydispersity index of 2.0 to 3.0 and a residual solvent concentration of less than 10.000 ppm by weight.
US08822599B2
Embodiments of the invention provide crystalline block composites and their use as compatibilizers. The crystalline block composites comprise i) a crystalline ethylene based polymer; ii) a crystalline alpha-olefin based polymer and iii) a block copolymer comprising a crystalline ethylene block and a crystalline alpha-olefin block.
US08822598B2
Embodiments of the invention provide crystalline block composites and their use as compatibilizers.
US08822595B2
Isocyanurate-reactive mixture obtained by reacting an anhydride and a polyol; process for making it; polyisocyanate composition comprising this mixture; binder composition comprising such a polyisocyanate composition; the use of such a polyisocyanate composition and/or binder composition for making a polyisocyanurate and such polyisocyanurates.
US08822591B2
Disclosed is a pigment dispersion containing at least a pigment, a liquid medium and a high-molecular dispersant. The high-molecular dispersant is a block polymer represented by A-B or A-B-C, in which A, B and C each represent a polymer block and the A and C blocks may be the same or different. The block polymer and its production process are also disclosed. The high-molecular dispersant is free of problems of a smell, coloration, a heavy metal and cost, and its use can provide a pigment dispersion excellent in the dispersion stability of a pigment.
US08822581B2
Polystyrene is dispersed into a polyol via a mechanical dispersion process. A stabilizer is present to stabilize the dispersed polymer particles. The stabilizer includes a copolymer of (1) from 10 to 70% by weight of a branched polyol which has a molecular weight of from 4000 to 20,000, from 0.2 to about 1.2 polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated groups per molecule and from about 3 to about 8 hydroxyl groups per molecule with (2) from 30 to 90% by weight of styrene or a mixture of styrene and one or more other low molecular weight monomers.
US08822575B2
The invention relates to mixtures, comprising (a) an oligomeric compound, comprising repeat units of the general formula (I) or acid-addition salts thereof and/or (b) a compound of the general formula (II) or acid-addition salts thereof and (c) at least one compound of the general formula (III) and (d) optionally further additives, and also to the use of these mixtures for the stabilization of non-living organic materials with respect to exposure to light, oxygen, and/or heat. The invention further relates to non-living organic materials, comprising at least one of these mixtures, and to articles produced therefrom. The invention further relates to a process for the stabilization of non-living organic materials, with respect to exposure to light, oxygen, and/or heat.
US08822574B2
The invention relates to a wood material product and a method for producing wood material products from particles containing lignocellulose and adhesives containing formaldehydes, which are intermixed and fed to a forming process after mixing. A zeolite is added to the mixture of adhesives and particles containing lignocellulose.
US08822573B2
A chemical two-component mortar compound including a resin component (A) that contains at least one radically curable, ethylenically unsaturated compound (a) as the curable component, and including a separately arranged so as to inhibit reaction curing component (B) that contains a curing agent for the resin of the resin component (A), with improved adhesion to the surface of partially cleaned and/or moist holes in mineral substrates, characterized by a content of 0.2% to 10% by weight of at least one (meth)acryloxy alkyl trialkoxy siloxane and/or poly(meth)acryloxy alkyl silsesquioxane as an additional component (b) of the resin component (A); it also describes magazines, cartridges or plastic bags containing this chemical two-component mortar compound in two or more chambers that are separate from each other, in which the resin component (A) or the curing component (B) are arranged separately so as to inhibit a reaction; and it also describes its use to chemically fasten structural elements in mineral substrates.
US08822565B2
The invention relates to an aqueous silicone dispersion, containing one or more polyorganosiloxanes (POSs) intended to be crosslinked or having been crosslinked by elimination of water or alcohol, according to a polycondensation mechanism. The present invention also relates to methods for preparing aqueous silicone emulsions and dispersions.
US08822562B2
Ink deposited on a substrate by an ink-jet arrangement to form a protective layer includes hardenable oligomer, hardenable monomer selected from a group including alkoxylated and/or poly-alkoxylated acrylic monomers comprising one or more di- or tri-acrylates, and a photoinitiator. The oligomer has a room temperature viscosity greater than 1 Pa·s. The oligomer to monomer weight ratio is between 1/6 and 1/25. The ink has a room temperature viscosity between 15 and 22 mPa·s and between 5 and 2 mPa·s at 60° C., and a room temperature surface tension between 15 and 28 mN/m. The photoinitiator is activated by a UV source having an appropriate wavelength and intensity.
US08822560B2
Methods of electron beam curing nonfunctional polysiloxanes blended with functional polysiloxanes are provided. The resulting release materials are also provided.
US08822559B2
Methods of electron beam curing nonfunctional polysiloxanes and silanol terminated polysiloxanes are described. The resulting release materials are also described.
US08822555B2
There is provided a novel polyamide particles having an approximately spherical outer shape, which are spongy particles having through-holes in an outer surface part and closed voids in an inside part. The polyamide particles can be produced by dissolving a polyamide in a cyclic amide with heating to obtain a homogeneous solution and then cooling the solution.
US08822554B2
This invention relates to certain novel anion exchange resins and methods of making them. It relates more particularly to aminated cross-linked resin bead polymers containing an inert and/or chloromethylated core, and an aminated outer shell, and to methods for preparing the same. These resins exhibit improved anion exchange properties.
US08822535B2
The present invention concerns the use of oxygen antagonists and other active compounds for inducing stasis or pre-stasis in cells, tissues, and/or organs in vivo or in an organism overall, in addition to enhancing their survivability. It includes compositions, methods, articles of manufacture and apparatuses for enhancing survivability and for achieving stasis or pre-stasis in any of these biological materials, so as to preserve and/or protect them. In specific embodiments, there are also therapeutic methods and apparatuses for organ transplantation, hyperthermia, wound healing, hemorrhagic shock, cardioplegia for bypass surgery, neurodegeneration, hypothermia, and cancer using the active compounds described.
US08822529B2
Provided are long-chain carboxychromanol compounds useful for treating conditions associated with the need to inhibit cyclooxygenase-1, cyclooxygenase-2, and/or 5-lipoxygenase, and pharmaceutical formulations containing the compounds.
US08822523B2
Compounds of formula (I) wherein R1 is C1-C4alkyl, C1-C4haloalkyl or C1-C4alkoxy; R2 is C1-C4alkyl; R3 is hydrogen or halogen; R4 is hydrogen, C1-C4alkyl or C1-C4halogenalkyl; X is methine or nitrogen; A is R5 is hydrogen, halogen, -≡-C1-C6alkyl, -≡-C3-C7cycloalkyl or -≡-aryl; R6 is hydrogen, halogen, -≡-C1-C6alkyl, -≡-C3-C7cycloalkyl or -≡-aryl; and agrochemically acceptable salts/isomers/structural isomers/stereoisomers/diastereoisomers/enantiorners/tautorriers and N-oxides of those compounds are suitable for use as microbiocides.
US08822519B2
The present invention provides a novel compound of formula I, which has an agitation effect on the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor subtype δ (PPARδ), to a pharmaceutical composition comprising the compound, to a process for preparation of the compound and to use of the compound in the manufacture of a medicament for treating or preventing a disease which could be treated or prevented by activating PPARδ thereof, said disease is one or more from the group comprising metabolic syndrome, obesity, dyslipidemia, pathoglycemia, insulin resistance, senile dementia and tumors. The present invention also relates to a new intermediate used in the preparation of the novel compound and a process for preparation of the intermediate.
US08822516B2
This invention is directed to a process for the preparation of high yield alkyl or aryl iodide from its corresponding carboxylic acid using N-iodo amides.
US08822506B2
The present invention relates to the use of succinate dehydrogenase Inhibitors for controlling powdery mildew primary infections in crops and to a method for controlling those primary infections.
US08822501B2
Disclosed is a composition for use as a pest control agent, comprising a compound represented by formula (I) or an agriculturally and horticulturally acceptable salt thereof as active ingredient and an agriculturally and horticulturally acceptable carrier:
US08822500B2
The present disclosure relates to the field of tyrosine kinase enzyme inhibition, in particular anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibition using novel small molecules. Provided are compounds capable to modulate ALK activity, compositions that comprise the compounds, and methods of using the compounds for the treatment or prevention of diseases or conditions that are characterized by ALK activity or expression.
US08822498B2
The present invention provides a convenient and efficient process for the synthesis of d2-benzo[d][1,3]dioxoles.
US08822496B2
The present invention relates to therapeutic combinations comprising (a) Compound (1), or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, as herein described, (b) an interferon alfa and (c) ribavirin and particular regimens for administering this combination. Compound (1) is a selective and potent inhibitor of the HCV NS3 serine protease. The present invention also relates to methods of using such therapeutic combinations for treating HCV infection or alleviating one or more symptoms thereof in a patient.
US08822491B2
The present invention provides compounds (such as compounds of formula I-a) that induce γ globin expression and pharmaceutical compositions thereof. Such compounds may have beneficial therapeutic effects. Compounds and compositions described herein may be used to treat hemoglobinopathies such as β-thalassemia and sickle cell anemia.
US08822489B2
This invention relates to an abuse deterrent dosage form of opioid analgesics, wherein an analgesically effective amount of opioid analgesic is combined with a polymer to form a matrix.
US08822472B2
Disclosed are novel piperazine derivatives that act as agonists of the α7 nAChR. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions, methods of treating inflammatory conditions, methods of treating CNS disorders, methods for inhibiting cytokine release from mammalian cells and methods for the preparation of the novel compounds.
US08822465B2
The present invention relates to a quinoline derivative represented by general formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, hydrate, solvate or prodrug thereof, wherein Ar, R1, R2, R3, X, Y and n have the meanings given in the description. The present invention also relates to the comparatively strong effect of the compound represented by general formula (I) on inhibiting c-Met kinase. The present invention further relates to the use of this compound or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, hydrate, solvate or prodrug thereof in the manufacturing of a medicament for treating the disease caused by abnormally over-expressing c-Met kinase, in particular, for treating or preventing cancer.
US08822463B2
A novel methylcyclohexane derivative, and a pharmaceutical composition including the same that is effective for the prevention or treatment of pain.
US08822461B2
This invention provides compounds having the structure which may be used for the treatment of tumors.
US08822457B2
This application discloses 5-phenyl-1H-pyridin-2-one and 6-phenyl-2H-pyridazin-3-one derivatives according to generic Formulae I-IV: wherein, variables R, X, Y1, Y2, Y2′, Y3, Y4, n and m are defined as described herein, which inhibit Btk. The compounds disclosed herein are useful to modulate the activity of Btk and treat diseases associated with excessive Btk activity. The compounds are further useful to treat inflammatory and auto immune diseases associated with aberrant B-cell proliferation such as rheumatoid arthritis. Also disclosed are compositions comprising compounds of Formulae I-IV and at least one carrier, diluent or excipient.
US08822456B2
The present invention provides compounds of Formula I, and the tautomers thereof, and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts of the compounds and tautomers, wherein the compounds have the structure wherein the variables R1, R2, R3, R4 and x are as defined in the specification. Corresponding pharmaceutical compositions, methods of treatment, methods of synthesis, and intermediates are also disclosed.
US08822454B2
Disclosed are compounds of Formula (I) or prodrugs thereof; wherein: R1 is —CH2CF3 or —CH2CH2CF3; R2 is —CH2CF3, —CH2CH2CF3, or —CH2CH2CH2CF3; R3 is H or —CH3; each Ra is independently F, Cl, —CN, —OCH3, and/or —NHCH2CH2OCH3; and z is zero, 1, or 2. Also disclosed are methods of using such compounds to inhibit the Notch receptor, and pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds. These compounds are useful in treating, preventing, or slowing the progression of diseases or disorders in a variety of therapeutic areas, such as cancer.
US08822453B2
The present invention provides a novel diazepine compound that blocks the IKur current or the Kv1.5 channel potently and more selectively than other K+ channels. The present invention relates to a diazepine compound represented by General Formula (1) or a salt thereof, wherein R1, R2, R3, and R4 are each independently hydrogen, lower alkyl, cyclo lower alkyl or lower alkoxy lower alkyl; R2 and R3 may be linked to form lower alkylene; A1 is lower alkylene optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl and oxo; Y1 and Y2 are each independently —N═ or —CH═; and R5 is group represented by wherein R6 and R7 are each independently hydrogen or organic group; R6 and R7 may be linked to form a ring together with the neighboring group —XA—N—XB—; XA and XB are each independently a bond, lower alkylene, etc.
US08822450B2
Compounds of Formula (I), their preparation and use in preventing or treating bacterial infection is disclosed.
US08822449B2
The invention relates to substituted aminoindanes and analogs thereof of formula (I) and the pharmaceutical use thereof. Medicaments which comprise compounds of this type are suitable for the prevention or treatment of diverse disorders such as, for example, of respiratory disorders, cystic fibrosis disorders, acute or chronic renal disorders or bowel disorders.
US08822447B2
The present invention is directed to substituted indazole compounds of formula (I) pharmaceutical compositions of these compounds and methods of use thereof. The compounds of the present invention are ketohexokinase (KHK) inhibitors, useful for treating or ameliorating a KHK mediated metabolic disorders and/or diseases such as obesity, Type II diabetes mellitus and Metabolic Syndrome X.
US08822446B2
The present invention relates to compounds of formula (I) or pharmaceutical acceptable salts, wherein R1a, R1b, R1c, X, and Y are defined in the description. The present invention relates also to compositions containing said compounds which are useful for inhibiting kinases such as Cdc7 and methods of treating diseases such as cancer.
US08822443B2
To provide a solid herbicidal composition in which decomposition of the herbicidal active ingredient is suppressed, and favorable herbicidal activity is stably exhibited. A solid herbicidal composition comprising (1) 1-(4,6-dimethoxypyrimidin-2-yl)-3-(3-trifluoromethyl-2-pyridylsulfonyl)urea or its salt and (2) at least one surfactant selected from the group consisting of a naphthalene sulfonate condensed with formaldehyde, an alkylnaphthalene sulfonate condensed with formaldehyde, a dialkylnaphthalene sulfonate condensed with formaldehyde and a polycarboxylate.
US08822441B2
This invention discloses a novel compound with the structure of formula I, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts or solvates thereof. In addition, the invention further discloses a method for preparing the compound, a pharmaceutical composition containing the compound, and use thereof in the preparation of a hypoglycemic medicament.
US08822438B2
Methods and compositions for treating cancer are described herein. More particularly, the methods for treating cancer comprise administering a 17α-hydroxylase/C17,20-lyase inhibitor, such as abiraterone acetate (i.e., 3β-acetoxy-17-(3-pyridyl)androsta-5,16-diene), in combination with at least one additional therapeutic agent such as an anti-cancer agent or a steroid. Furthermore, disclosed are compositions comprising a 17α-hydroxylase/C17,20-lyase inhibitor, and at least one additional therapeutic agent, such as an anti-cancer agent or a steroid.
US08822432B2
A composition which can significantly accelerate equol production is provided. When formulated in a pharmaceutical preparation or a food or drink, this composition exerts effects of preventing a vascular disease by the cholesterol lowering function, preventing breast cancer or prostatic cancer, and preventing and/or treating osteoporosis. Also, when formulated in a feed or a pet food, the bone density is enhanced, so that it exerts effects to prevent weak legs of a pig, to strengthen egg shell of a laying hen, to prevent osteoporosis in a dog etc., and the like. It is a composition which comprises lactobionic acid, a salt of lactobionic acid or lactobionolactone as an active ingredient and a food or drink, a feed, a pet food or a pharmaceutical preparation, which contains the composition, and have effects to prevent and treat osteoporosis, an function to increase bone density, an effect to prevent breast cancer or prostatic cancer, and a cholesterol lowering function.
US08822425B2
A method for preventing and/or treating a tumor, the method comprising: intravenously administering an antisense oligonucleotide in an amount of between about 400 to about 800 mg/m2/treatment cycle, the antisense oligonucleotide comprises 8 to 30 nucleotide building blocks, which hybridizes with mRNA of TGF-beta-2, -1 and/or -3 for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition.
US08822422B2
An antitumor agent containing, in combination, at least one kind of antitumor agent selected from the group consisting of an antitumor agent that forms a cross-link with DNA and shows an antitumor effect, an antimetabolite antitumor agent and a taxane antitumor agent, and a histone deacetylase inhibitor. According to the present invention, an antitumor agent causing reduced side effects and having a superior antitumor activity can be provided.
US08822421B2
The instant invention provides amino acid sequences competing with E2F for DNA binding. Methods of using said amino acid sequences for treatment of hormone-refractory prostate cancer are also provided.
US08822407B2
The present invention refers to the preparation of adenine derivative active esters of formula (I) and use thereof for the preparation of stable conjugates between adenine derivative and allergenic proteins having general structure (II) for the modulation of TH2 response in allergic diseases. (I, II).
US08822404B2
A perfuming composition capable of prolonging the release of a perfuming component into the surrounding environment when applied on a body surface. The composition includes isocetyl alcohol as a fragrance evaporation modulator in the presence of high amounts of ethanol. Also, consumer articles containing such compositions and methods for the perfuming of a body surface and for increasing the long-lastingness of a perfuming component using these compositions.
US08822402B2
The present application relates to encapsulated, solid, water soluble benefit agents and products comprising such encapsulates, as well as processes for making and using such encapsulates and products comprising such encapsulates. In one aspect, the present application relates to a melamine formaldehyde and/or urea formaldehyde encapsulation process that offers as solution to the dissolution of solid, water soluble benefit agents during the process's emulsification step.
US08822397B1
Various low VOC compositions of the present disclosure may be suitable for use as surface cleaners. In an exemplary embodiment, the disclosed composition may be used to clean membranes used on roofs and in the roofing industry. In an exemplary embodiment, the disclosed composition comprises various concentrations of soy extract and parachlorobenzotrifluoride (PCBTF). In an embodiment, the composition may further include a VOC and a filler.
US08822396B2
A residue-removing solution for removing residues present on semiconductor substrates after dry etching and/or ashing, the residue-removing solution comprising a Cu surface protective agent including: at least one compound selected from compounds (1), (2) and (3) each having as a basic skeleton a five-membered or six-membered heteratomic structure as defined herein; a compound capable of forming a complex or chelate with Cu (copper); and water. Further, the residue-removing solution has a pH of 4 to 9.
US08822382B2
Ethylene response manipulation formulations are disclosed. The formulations comprise at least one ethylene response manipulation agent which is at least partially encapsulated, a polyol liquid medium, or a hydrogel medium, or a combination of polyol and hydrogel medium. A preferred ethylene response manipulation agent is 1-methylcyclopropene.
US08822380B2
The present invention provides a method for post-emergence selective weed control in turf sites by applying an herbicidal composition comprising sulfentrazone and quinclorac to a locus where weeds are present.
US08822379B2
A seed composition comprising a seed and a first component comprising an agriculturally acceptable complex mixture of dissolved organic material characterized by natural organic matter that is partially humified and methods of seed treating. A method comprising contacting a seed with a first component comprising an agriculturally acceptable complex mixture of dissolved organic material characterized by natural organic matter that is partially humified, where the first component enhances at least one of germination, emergence, root development, seedling vigor, seedling growth, mortality resistance, chlorophyll production, cold resistance, water log resistance, and nutrient uptake compared to similar seed not contacted with the first component.
US08822378B2
N-(Tetrazol-5-yl)- and N-(triazol-5-yl)arylcarboxamides and use thereof as herbicides N-(Tetrazol-5-yl)- and N-(triazol-5-yl)arylcarboxamides of the general formula (I) are described as herbicides. In this formula (I), X, Y, Z and R represent radicals such as hydrogen, organic radicals such as alkyl, and other radicals such as halogen. A and B represent N and CY.
US08822361B2
The cubic boron nitride sintered body tool of the present invention has a cubic boron nitride sintered body including cubic boron nitride particles and a binder phase at at least a cutting edge. The cubic boron nitride sintered body includes 40-70 volume % of cubic boron nitride particles. The binder phase includes a first component and a second component. The first component includes TiC, and the second component includes one or both of TiB2 and AlB2. When the X-ray diffraction intensity of plane (200) of the first component is I1 and the X-ray diffraction intensity of plane (101) of said second component is I2, I1 is the maximum of the X-ray diffraction intensity of all components in the cubic boron nitride sintered body excluding the cubic boron nitride particles, and satisfies 0.01≦I2/I1≦0.1.
US08822359B2
The invention relates to mineral fibers formed of a composition comprising the following oxides, by weight of composition: —SiO235 to 43.5% —Al2O3 18 to 22% —Fe2O3 9 to 16% —CaO 8 to 17% —MgO 7 to 15% —Na2O+K2O 1 to 5% —MnO up to 2%.
US08822357B2
Inflatable airbag for a vehicle which is deployed in the event of an accident involving the vehicle to provide protection for an occupant of the vehicle includes a plurality of ribbons coupled together to define an enclosed, fluid-retaining space and a layer of film laminated on at least one of an outer side of the woven ribbons and an inner side of the ribbons. The ribbons each have a width of less than about 3 mm and preferably about 0.5 to about 1 mm. The ribbons may be made from polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester or polyamide and the layers of film may be made from polyethylene, polyurethane, polyester or polyamide. The ribbons and layers of film may be made of the same or different materials.
US08822353B2
Systems and methods for forming a time-averaged line image having a relatively high amount of intensity uniformity along its length is disclosed. The method includes forming at an image plane a line image having a first amount of intensity non-uniformity in a long-axis direction and forming a secondary image that at least partially overlaps the primary image. The method also includes scanning the secondary image over at least a portion of the primary image and in the long-axis direction according to a scan profile to form a time-average modified line image having a second amount of intensity non-uniformity in the long-axis direction that is less than the first amount. For laser annealing a semiconductor wafer, the amount of line-image overlap for adjacent scans of a wafer scan path is substantially reduced, thereby increasing wafer throughput.
US08822352B1
Metal nitride coatings containing carbon can be either electrically conductive or substantially non-conductive depending on the degree to which they have been exposed to an oxidative environment. Substantially non-conductive metal nitride coatings can be used as protective layers in electrical devices. Particularly in an electrical device containing carbon nanomaterials, the metal nitride coatings can be used to mask the device's operational characteristics. Such devices can contain an electrical interconnect containing a carbon nanomaterial and a substantially non-conductive coating on the carbon nanomaterial. The substantially non-conductive coating can contain at least one substantially non-conductive metal nitride layer and at least some carbon. Methods for making such devices and metal nitride coatings are also described herein.
US08822345B2
A plasma processing apparatus includes a gas distribution member which supplies a process gas and radio frequency (RF) power to a showerhead electrode. The gas distribution member can include multiple gas passages which supply the same process gas or different process gases at the same or different flow rates to one or more plenums at the backside of the showerhead electrode. The gas distribution member provides a desired process gas distribution to be achieved across a semiconductor substrate processed in a gap between the showerhead electrode and a bottom electrode on which the substrate is supported.
US08822343B2
An overlay mark suitable for use in manufacturing nonplanar circuit devices and a method for forming the overlay mark are disclosed. An exemplary embodiment includes receiving a substrate having an active device region and an overlay region. One or more dielectric layers and a hard mask are formed on the substrate. The hard mask is patterned to form a hard mask layer feature configured to define an overlay mark fin. Spacers are formed on the patterned hard mask layer. The spacers further define the overlay mark fin and an active device fin. The overlay mark fin is cut to form a fin line-end used to define a reference location for overlay metrology. The dielectric layers and the substrate are etched to further define the overlay mark fin.
US08822338B2
Provided is a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) apparatus, including: a reaction chamber including an inner pipe having an internal space, and an external pipe configured to cover the inner pipe so as to maintain a sealing state thereof; a wafer holder disposed within the inner pipe and receiving a plurality of wafers stacked therein; and a gas supplier including at least one stem pipe disposed at the outside of the reaction chamber so as to supply a reactive gas thereto, a plurality of branch pipes connected to the stem pipe to introduce the reactive gas from the outside of the reaction chamber into the reaction chamber, and a plurality of spray nozzles provided with the branch pipes to spray the reactive gas to the plurality of respective wafers.
US08822337B2
Deep via trenches and deep marker trenches are formed in a bulk substrate and filled with a conductive material to form deep conductive vias and deep marker vias. At least one first semiconductor device is formed on the first surface of the bulk substrate. A disposable dielectric capping layer and a disposable material layer are formed over the first surface of the bulk substrate. The second surface, located on the opposite side of the first surface, of the bulk substrate is polished to expose and planarize the deep conductive vias and deep marker vias, which become through-substrate vias and through-substrate alignment markers, respectively. At least one second semiconductor device and second metal interconnect structures are formed on the second surface of the bulk substrate. The disposable material layer and the disposable dielectric capping layer are removed and first metal interconnect structures are formed on the first surface.
US08822336B2
A through-silicon via forming method includes the following steps. Firstly, a semiconductor substrate is provided. Then, a through-silicon via conductor is formed in the semiconductor substrate, and a topside of the through-silicon via conductor is allowed to be at the same level as a surface of the semiconductor substrate. Afterwards, a portion of the through-silicon via conductor is removed, and the topside of the through-silicon via conductor is allowed to be at a level lower than the surface of the semiconductor substrate, so that a recess is formed over the through-silicon via conductor.
US08822334B2
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure comprises: providing a substrate (100) on which a dummy gate stack is formed, forming a spacer (240) at sidewalls of the dummy gate stack, and forming a source/drain region (110) and a source/drain extension region (111) at both sides of the dummy gate stack; removing at least part of the spacer (240), to expose at least part of the source/drain extension region (111); forming a contact layer (112) on the source/drain region (110) and the exposed source/drain extension region (111), the contact layer (112) being [made of] one of CoSi2, NiSi and Ni(Pt)Si2-y or combinations thereof, and a thickness of the contact layer (112) being less than 10 nm. Correspondingly, the present invention further provides a semiconductor structure which is beneficial to reducing contact resistance and can maintain excellent performance in a subsequent high temperature process.
US08822332B2
A method for forming gate, source, and drain contacts on a MOS transistor having an insulated gate including polysilicon covered with a metal gate silicide, this gate being surrounded with at least one spacer made of a first insulating material, the method including the steps of a) covering the structure with a second insulating material and leveling the second insulating material to reach the gate silicide; b) oxidizing the gate so that the gate silicide buries and covers the a silicon oxide; c) selectively removing the second insulating material; and d) covering the structure with a first conductive material and leveling the first conductive material all the way to a lower level at the top of the spacer.
US08822326B2
Provided is a method for manufacturing an Sn alloy bump, wherein composition of the Sn alloy bump can be readily controlled. The method for manufacturing an Sn alloy bump formed of an alloy composed of Sn and other one or more types of metals has a step of forming an Sn layer on an electrode pad in a resist opening formed on a substrate by electrolytic plating; a step of laminating Sn and an alloy layer on the Sn layer by electrolytic plating; and a step of forming an Sn alloy bump by melting the Sn layer and the laminated alloy layer after removal of a resist.
US08822318B2
A method and system are disclosed for doping a semiconductor substrate. In one embodiment, the method comprises forming a carbon free layer of phosphoric acid on a semiconductor substrate, and diffusing phosphorous from the layer of phosphoric acid in the substrate to form an activated phosphorous dopant therein. In an embodiment, the semiconductor substrate is immersed in a solution of a phosphorous compound to form a layer of the phosphorous compound on the substrate, and this layer of phosphorous is processed to form the layer of phosphoric acid. In an embodiment, this processing may include hydrolyzing the layer of the phosphorous compound to form the layer of phosphoric acid. In one embodiment, an oxide cap layer is formed on the phosphoric acid layer to form a capped substrate. The capped substrate may be annealed to diffuse the phosphorous in the substrate and to form the activated dopant.
US08822314B2
An epitaxial growth method includes plasma treating a surface of a bulk crystalline Aluminum Nitride (AlN) substrate and subsequently heating the substrate in an ammonia-rich ambient to a temperature of above 1000° C. for at least 5 minutes without epitaxial growth. After heating the surface, a III-nitride layer is epitaxially grown on the surface.
US08822303B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor component that including the following steps is provided. A plurality of stacked structures is formed on a substrate. A first dielectric layer is formed to cover the stacked structures, wherein the first dielectric layer has a plurality of overhangs, the overhangs wrap top portions of the stacked structures. A dry conformable etching process is performed to conformably remove the first dielectric layer until a portion of the first dielectric layer located outside of the overhangs is removed. A second dielectric layer is formed on the stacked structures, wherein the second dielectric layer connects the adjacent overhangs to form an air gap between the stacked structures.
US08822301B2
The present invention relates to electrically active devices (e.g., capacitors, transistors, diodes, floating gate memory cells, etc.) having dielectric, conductor, and/or semiconductor layers with smooth and/or dome-shaped profiles and methods of forming such devices by depositing or printing (e.g., inkjet printing) an ink composition that includes a semiconductor, metal, or dielectric precursor. The smooth and/or dome-shaped cross-sectional profile allows for smooth topological transitions without sharp steps, preventing feature discontinuities during deposition and allowing for more complete step coverage of subsequently deposited structures. The inventive profile allows for both the uniform growth of oxide layers by thermal oxidation, and substantially uniform etching rates of the structures. Such oxide layers may have a uniform thickness and provide substantially complete coverage of the underlying electrically active feature. Uniform etching allows for an efficient method of reducing a critical dimension of an electrically active structure by simple isotropic etch.
US08822299B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a gate dielectric layer comprising an oxide, and at least one conductive layer on a substrate, forming a mask on the conductive layer and patterning the at least one conductive layer by etching the at least one conductive layer using the mask as an etch mask to thereby form a gate electrode, wherein the oxide of the gate dielectric layer and the material of the at least one conductive layer are selected such that a byproduct of the etching of the at least one conductive layer, formed on the mask during the etching of the at least one conductive layer, comprises an oxide having a higher etch rate with respect to an etchant than the oxide of the gate dielectric layer.
US08822275B2
A composite wafer includes a molded wafer and a second wafer. The molded wafer includes a plurality of first components, and the second wafer includes a plurality of second components. The second wafer is combined with the molded wafer to form the composite wafer. At least one of the first components is aligned with at least one of the second components to form a multi-component element. The multi-component element is singulatable from the composite wafer.
US08822264B2
An object is to provide favorable interface characteristics of a thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer without mixing of an impurity such as moisture. Another object is to provide a semiconductor device including a thin film transistor having excellent electric characteristics and high reliability, and a method by which a semiconductor device can be manufactured with high productivity. A main point is to perform oxygen radical treatment on a surface of a gate insulating layer. Accordingly, there is a peak of the oxygen concentration at an interface between the gate insulating layer and a semiconductor layer, and the oxygen concentration of the gate insulating layer has a concentration gradient. The oxygen concentration is increased toward the interface between the gate insulating layer and the semiconductor layer.
US08822260B2
A novel surface texturing provides improved light-trapping characteristics for photovoltaic cells. The surface is asymmetric and includes shallow slopes at between about 5 and about 30 degrees from horizontal as well as steeper slopes at about 70 degrees or more from horizontal. It is advantageously used as either the front or back surface of a thin semiconductor lamina, for example between about 1 and about 20 microns thick, which comprises at least the base or emitter of a photovoltaic cell. In embodiments of the present invention, the shallow slopes are formed using imprint photolithography.
US08822257B2
A method of fabricating a solar cell is disclosed. The method includes the steps of forming a sacrificial layer on a silicon substrate, forming a doped silicon layer atop the sacrificial substrate, forming a silicon film atop the doped silicon layer, forming a plurality of interdigitated contacts on the silicon film, contacting each of the plurality of interdigitated contacts with a metal contact, and removing the sacrificial layer.
US08822256B1
A method for fabricating infrared sensors is disclosed. a chalcogenide layer is initially deposited on a substrate. A group of vias is then formed within the chalcogenide layer. After the vias have been converted to a group of studs, a vanadium oxide layer is deposited on the chalcogenide layer covering the studs. Next, the vanadium oxide layer is separated into multiple vanadium oxide membranes. After the chalcogenide layer has been removed, each of the vanadium oxide membranes is allowed to be freestanding while only supported by a corresponding one of the studs. The vanadium oxide membranes will be used as infrared sensors.
US08822255B2
A method of manufacturing a solar cell, which includes an edge deletion step using a laser beam, and a manufacturing apparatus which is used in such a method, the method and the apparatus being capable of preventing a shunt and cracks from being generated are provided. By radiating a first laser beam to a multilayer body, which includes a transparent electrode layer, a photoelectric conversion layer, and a back electrode layer sequentially formed on a transparent substrate, from a side of the transparent substrate, the photoelectric conversion layer and the back electrode layer in a first region are removed, and by radiating a second laser beam into the region such that the second laser beam is spaced from a peripheral rim of the region, the transparent electrode layer in a second region is removed.
US08822243B2
A light emitting device comprises a first layer of an n-type semiconductor material, a second layer of a p-type semiconductor material, and an active layer between the first layer and the second layer. A light coupling structure is disposed adjacent to one of the first layer and the second layer. In some cases, the light coupling structure is disposed adjacent to the first layer. An orifice formed in the light coupling structure extends to the first layer. An electrode formed in the orifice is in electrical communication with the first layer.
US08822242B2
Methods are disclosed for monitoring the amount of metal contamination imparted during wafer processing operations such as polishing and cleaning. The methods include subjecting a silicon-on-insulator structure to the semiconductor process, precipitating metal contamination in the structure and delineating the metal contaminants.
US08822238B2
A method for placing a component on a target platform includes providing component alignment marks, target platform reference marks, a first multiple-sensor probe including first sensors, and a second multiple-sensor probe including third sensors. The method further includes determining second sensors included in the first sensors, and sensing a first signal from a first one of the alignment marks by at least one of the second sensors. The method further includes determining fourth sensors included in the third sensors. The method further includes sensing a second signal from a second one of the alignment marks by at least one of the fourth sensors, and detecting a deviation of the component from the target platform associated with a first position of one of the second sensors that sense the first signal and a second position of one of the fourth sensors that sense the second signal.
US08822235B2
An electronic component is provided on a substrate. A thin-film capacitor is attached to the substrate, the thin-film capacitor includes a pyrochlore or perovskite dielectric layer between a plurality of electrode layers, the electrode layers being formed from a conductive thin-film material. A reactive barrier layer is deposited over the thin-film capacitor. The reactive barrier layer includes an oxide having an element with more than one valence state, wherein the element with more than one valence state has a molar ratio of the molar amount of the element that is in its highest valence state to its total molar amount in the barrier of 50% to 100%. Optionally layers of other materials may intervene between the capacitor and reactive barrier layer. The reactive barrier layer may be paraelectric and the electronic component may be a tunable capacitor.
US08822234B2
A method of fabricating a miniaturized semiconductor device so as to form MTJ elements therein include the steps of depositing a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) precursor layer on a substrate and planarizing the precursor layer; forming a sacrificial and patternable dielectric layer on the MTJ precursor layer; patterning the sacrificial dielectric layer in accordance with predetermined placements and shapes of a to-be-formed hard mask, the patterning forming corresponding openings in the sacrificial dielectric layer; depositing an etch-resistant conductive material such as Cu in the openings for example by way of plating, and selectively removing the sacrificial dielectric layer so as to leave behind the etch-resistant conductive material in the form of a desired hard mask. Using the hard mask to etch and thus pattern the MTJ precursor layer so as to form MTJ elements having desired locations, sizes and shapes.
US08822229B2
The inventions provides a method for immunologically determining a keratan sulfate level which method includes bringing an anti-keratan sulfate monoclonal antibody into contact with a biological sample, the anti-keratan sulfate monoclonal antibody exhibiting a relative reaction specificity between keratan sulfate-I and keratan sulfate-II represented by IC50KS-I/KS-II of 0.4 to 5, to thereby provide a signal; and detecting keratan sulfate contained in the biological sample from the signal. On the basis of the method, the invention also provides a joint disease detection method and a method for assessing the effect of a remedy for a joint disease and a candidate substance therefor. Through these methods, a very small amount of keratan sulfate contained in a sample, can be determined. Particularly, these methods can determine, at high-sensitivity and high-specificity, the total keratan sulfate including keratan sulfate-I, which have been difficult to determine through a conventional technique. The methods also enables detect a joint disease and assess the effect of a remedy for a joint disease or a candidate substance therefor.
US08822228B2
The present invention relates to a method of producing silver films having large nanoparticles caused by cracking during anaerobic annealing to provide surfaces that exhibit increased metal enhanced fluorescence. Preferably the annealing process is conducted on a silver film having a thickness from about 14 to 17 nm for about an hour at a temperature of approximately 190° C. to about 210° C. resulting in the conversion of the just-continuous films into large particulate films, not readily assessable by other chemical deposition techniques.
US08822227B2
A method for controlling actuation of label particles in a biosensor device, e.g., using frustrated total internal reflection, includes applying a predetermined actuation force on the label particles and determining the effect of the applied actuation force in a binding volume or surface of a sensor cartridge of the biosensor device. A feedback control of the actuation force is applied.
US08822225B2
A method of identifying a patient who is non-compliant with prescribed diet and/or phosphate binder regimen calculates a phosphorus-protein ratio (PPR) by calculating the patient's protein intake, measuring the patient's serum phosphorus concentration, and estimating the amount of phosphorus removed by the patient's kidneys from measured residual urea clearance. The PPR is the ratio between the total amount of phosphorus removed from the patient and the patient's protein intake. The method enables identifying a patient that is non-compliant with prescribed diet and/or phosphate binder regimen if the PPR is outside of an acceptable range.
US08822222B2
A method and apparatus are provided for delivering an agent into a cell through the application of nanosecond pulse electric fields (“nsPEF's”). The method includes circuitry for delivery of an agent into a cell via known methods followed by the application of nanosecond pulse electric fields to said cell in order to facilitate entry of the agent into the nucleus of the cell. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention is directed to a method of enhancing gene expression in a cell comprising the application of nanosecond pulse electric fields to said cell. An apparatus for generating long and short pulses according to the present invention is also provided. The apparatus includes a pulse generator capable of producing a first pulse having a long duration and low voltage amplitude and a second pulse having a short duration and high voltage amplitude.
US08822221B2
Disclosed herein are methods and compositions for targeted integration of an exogenous sequence into the human PPP1R12C locus, for example, for expression of a polypeptide of interest.
US08822216B2
The present invention provides for a method of evaluating whether a compound is effective in activating a calcium-calmodulin dependent kinase IIα promoter in a human neuronal cell which comprises: (a) contacting the human neuronal cell which has been stably transformed by a recombinant nucleic acid molecule comprising a gene of interest operatively linked to a nucleic acid encoding a calcium-calmodulin dependent kinase IIα promoter which has a nucleotide sequence of the promoter in ATCC Accession No. 98582 with the compound, and (b) comparing the expression level of the gene of interest in the neuronal cell in step (a) with the level in the neuronal cell in the absence of the compound, thereby determining whether the compound is effective in activating the calcium-calmodulin dependent kinase IIα promoter.
US08822215B2
Methods and compositions are provided for the differentiation and characterization of mammalian fibroblast from mesenchymal stem cells. The methods of the invention provide a means to obtain mesenchymal stem cell-derived fibroblast populations, e.g., seeded on a scaffold, which may be used in wound healing.
US08822214B2
This invention relates to the transient expression of heterologous polypeptides in mammalian cell lines. Specifically it relates to an expression-enhanced cell line derived from a parent cell line, the expression-enhanced cell line comprising nucleic acid encoding Epstein-Barr Virus Nuclear Antigen 1 or a functional derivative, analogue, or variant thereof; and further comprising: (a) a nucleic acid encoding an exogenous glutamine synthetase; (b) a nucleic acid encoding an endogenous glutamine synthetase, wherein the endogenous glutamine is arranged to have enhanced enzymatic activity and/or enhanced expression relative to the parent cell line under comparable conditions; or (c) both (a) and (b).
US08822212B2
A method for forming at least a tooth root in a tooth containing a tooth crown, including: forming a culture core containing the tooth and a cell-containing base material, the tooth being wrapped with the cell-containing base material, and culturing the culture core in a medium to form at least the tooth root in the tooth contained therein, wherein the cell-containing base material contains at least one kind of cells selected from periodontal ligament-derived cells, bone marrow-derived cells, dental follicle-derived cells, dental pulp-derived cells and dental papilla-derived cells, and the medium contains a component contained in a conditioned medium of a serum-free-cultured cell line of a human uterocervical squamous carcinoma cell line; an additive containing at least one selected from IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-9, EGF, IGF-I, GH, PDGF-AB, VEGF, LIF, HGF, FGF-2, FGF-1, BMP-2, BMP-4, M-CSF, dexamethasone, insulin, thyroxine, thyrocalcitonin, ascorbic acid and β-glycerophosphate; or both of them.
US08822210B2
An incubator (1) has an incubation chamber (2) and a shaking device (4) to shake receptacles (5) placed in the incubation chamber (2). A device chamber (3) adjoins the incubation chamber (2) and accommodates at least parts of the shaking device (4). The shaking device (4) has a base plate (8) that seals off the incubation chamber (2) from the device chamber 3. A shaking table (11) is on the inner face (9) of the base plate (8) and can be moved in a horizontal plane by a drive arm (10). A motor (34) is arranged on the outer face (37) of the base plate (8). The motor (34) drives a drive shaft (14) that is rotatably mounted in the base plate (8) and that is operatively connected to the drive arm (10).
US08822208B2
The bioreactor is for use in performing biological and/or biochemical reactions and includes a vessel, an agitator, a reaction assembly, and a harvesting outlet. The vessel of the bioreactor includes several ports including a mixing port, a reaction port, and a harvesting port. The agitator extends through the mixing port into the vessel while the harvesting outlet extends through the harvesting port and permits the withdrawal of reaction medium to another vessel. The reaction assembly extends through the reaction port into the vessel and has multiple components including a gas conduit adapted to introduce gas into a reaction medium in the vessel, a sampling device adapted to remove a portion of the reaction medium from the vessel without contamination of the remaining reaction medium, and an introduction conduit permitting the introduction of at least the reaction medium into the vessel.
US08822205B2
Methods and apparatus relating to FET arrays for monitoring chemical and/or biological reactions such as nucleic acid sequencing-by-synthesis reactions. Some methods provided herein relate to improving signal (and also signal to noise ratio) from released hydrogen ions during nucleic acid sequencing reactions.
US08822203B2
The invention, in various embodiments, provides systems, methods and solutions for perfusing an organ ex vivo.
US08822198B2
The invention describes the development of a new buffer system for cell culture media for establishing a CO2 regulation in the bioreactor with eukaryotic cells. This technology makes it possible to obtain CO2 regulation for process control, process optimization and scaling. In addition, the invention describes a specific cell culture medium with specific buffer substances.
US08822195B2
Highly productive D-lactic acid fermentation uses a transformant obtained by introducing into a host cell a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide according to any one of the following (A) to (C) in such a manner that the polypeptide is expressed, which polypeptide has a D-lactate dehydrogenase activity higher than those of conventional polypeptides: (A) a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:1 or 2; (B) a polypeptide having the same amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO:1 or 2 except that one or several amino acids are substituted, deleted, inserted and/or added, which polypeptide has a D-lactate dehydrogenase activity; and (C) a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence which has a sequence identity of not less than 80% to the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:1 or 2, which polypeptide has a D-lactate dehydrogenase activity.
US08822193B2
A species of Burkholderia sp with no known pathogenicity to vertebrates but with pesticidal activity (e.g., plants, insects, fungi, weeds and nematodes) is provided. Also provided are natural products derived from a culture of said species and methods of controlling pests using said natural products.
US08822189B2
Thermostable enzyme technology for algal bioconversion The present invention relates to thermostable enzyme systems suitable for use in the production of biofuels and bio-products from algae, and to a method of producing energy feedstocks, stocks, specifically (i) fermentable sugars and (ii) lipid fractions from algae, for the production of biofuels such as bioethanol, biobutanol and bio-oils or biodiesel, as well as other value-added biomolecules (e.g. proteins, peptides, oils, pigments, nucleic acids).
US08822188B2
The present disclosure relates to the use of polypeptides having silicase activity for the modification or synthesis of silica, silicones and other silicium (IV) compounds. The present invention also relates to the use of polypeptides having silicase activity for the modification of glass, sand, asbestos, computer chips, glass wool, fiber glass, optical fibers and silicones, for the removal of sand from oil-sands, for the removal of asbestos, and for sandblasting.
US08822187B1
This application relates to the polypeptides, nucleic acid molecules, vectors, transfected cells, and methods for synthesis of triterpenes, including botryococcene.
US08822181B2
A method for forming a fusion protein that is expressed as a recombinant protein body-like assembly in host eukaryotic cells and organisms other than higher plants as host systems is disclosed. More particularly, peptides and proteins are fused to protein sequences that mediate the induction of recombinant protein body-like assembly (RPBLA) formation, are stably expressed and accumulated in these host cells after transformation with an appropriate vector. Methods for preparing the fusion protein are also disclosed.
US08822172B2
A method of measuring isolevuglandin and/or levuglandin adducts associated with oxidative injury in a subject includes obtaining a bodily sample from a subject suspected of including isolevuglandin and/or levuglandin phospholipid adducts, hydrolyzing isolevuglandin and/or levuglandin phospholipid adducts from the sample with an enzyme that forms isolevuglandin and/or levuglandin phospholipid derivatives, and determining the amount of isolevuglandin and/or levuglandin phospholipid derivatives by mass spectrometry.
US08822171B1
Methods for screening for substances capable of modulating the phosphorylation of tau protein are disclosed, and in particular paired helical filament (PHF) tau, and the use of such modulators in the treatment of tauopathies. The assays and screening methods are based on the identification of new phosphorylation sites in PHF tau and new kinases and combinations of kinases as therapeutic targets, in particular the identification of casein kinase 1 as a kinase which phosphorylates tau protein.
US08822162B2
Genetically-engineered cyanochrome fluorophore molecules (fluorophores) with increased fluorescence and with absorbing fluorescence in the blue and green (blue/green) portion of the light spectrum are provided. These fluorophores are derived from the domains of phytochromes, and in particular cyanobacterial phytochromes. Methods for generating these fluorophores and various applications of these fluorophores are also provided.
US08822157B2
Provided are pesticidal, particularly insecticidal, proteins which resemble S-layer proteins, as well as variants or mutants thereof, and DNAs encoding them. Further provided are methods and means for using said DNA or protein for controlling pests, particularly plant insect pests.
US08822156B2
The present invention provides methods of: identifying pathogens in biological samples from humans and animals, resolving a plurality of etiologic agents present in samples obtained from humans and animals, determining detailed genetic information about such pathogens or etiologic agents, and rapid detection and identification of bioagents from environmental, clinical or other samples.
US08822151B2
Point-of-care binding assays include at least one target nucleic acid binding in a multiplex structure with at least one sequence in a partner nucleic acid associated with a label, due to complementary base pairings between at least one sequence in the target nucleic acid and at least one sequence in the partner nucleic acid. The assays overcome the inherent deficiencies of antibody-protein antigen assays. In a preferred embodiment, color tagged nucleic acid sequences are used to bind a complementary target nucleic acid. The tagged nucleic acid sequences are preferably made from deoxyribonucleotides, ribonucleotides, or peptide nucleotides.
US08822145B2
Provided are isolated genomic polynucleotide fragments that encode human SNARE YKT6, human glucokinase, human adipocyte enhancer binding protein (AEBP1) and DNA directed 50 kD regulatory subunit (POLD2), vectors and hosts containing these fragments and fragments hybridizing to noncoding regions as well as antisense oligonucleotides to these fragments. The invention is further directed to methods of using these fragments to obtain SNARE YKT6, human glucokinase, AEBP1 protein and POLD2 and to diagnose, treat, prevent and/or ameliorate a pathological disorder.
US08822134B2
The disclosed resist developer is used when developing by irradiating an energy beam onto a resist layer containing a polymer of α-chloromethacrylate and α-methylstyrene for rendering or exposure, and contains a fluorocarbon-containing solvent (A) and an alcohol solvent (B), the latter of which has higher solubility relative to the resist layer than the former.
US08822121B2
A toner to develop an electrostatic charge image, a toner supply device employing the toner, an apparatus to form an image employing the toner, and a method of forming an image using the toner are provided. The toner includes at least a binder resin, a colorant, and a releasing agent. By using the binder resin including a combination of a reduced molar weight binder resin, an increased molar weight binder resin, and the releasing agent having an effecdtive compatibility with the binder resin together, the toner has accurately-controlled dynamic viscoelastic properties represented by a loss tangent. The toner to develop an electrostatic charge image according to an embodiment has development stability, development lifetime, fixability, charging stability, gloss, an anti-offset property, and heat storage ability at predetermined levels or higher.
US08822118B2
Toner containing a binder resin that contains at least one kind of resin having a crystalline polyester unit as its main component and a releasing agent containing a straight-chain mono ester having 48 or more carbon atoms accounting for 40% by weight or more of the releasing agent.
US08822117B2
The present invention relates to a chemical toner composition and a method for preparing the same. The chemical toner composition includes: a resin emulsion; a pigment dispersion; a wax dispersion; and a dispersible polymer coagulant, wherein the dispersible polymer coagulant is a copolymer comprising unsaturated ester monomers and amino-containing monomers. Accordingly, the present invention uses a novel dispersible polymer coagulant to prepare uniform toner particles with excellent roundness and improved flowability and to reduce moisture absorption.
US08822116B2
An erasable electrophotographic toner includes a binder resin, a near-infrared absorbing material, a decolorizing agent and an organic white pigment.
US08822110B2
Disclosed is a photosensitive resin composition for a color filter that includes (A) an acrylic-based copolymer including a structural unit represented by the following Chemical Formula 1, wherein R1, R2, Q, and n are the same as defined in the specification; (B) an acrylic-based photopolymerizable monomer; (C) a photopolymerization initiator; (D) a colorant; and (E) a solvent.
US08822108B2
Methods for designing, fabricating, and using attenuated phase shift reticles, or photomasks are disclosed. Methods are also disclosed for subdividing the radiation blocking regions of previously fabricated reticles of previously existing designs. The methods may include forming radiation blocking regions that are subdivided, by cut lines, into discrete, spaced apart sections with dimensions (e.g., surface area, etc.) configured to minimize or eliminate the buildup of electrostatic energy by the radiation blocking regions and/or the discharge of electrostatic energy from the radiation blocking regions and the damage that may be caused by such electrostatic discharge. The methods may include configuring the reticle to prevent radiation from passing through the cut lines between adjacent sections of a subdivided radiation blocking region.
US08822105B2
The present invention provides a photo-mask and a method for manufacturing the same. The method for manufacturing the photo-mask comprising: forming a shading pattern layer on a substrate; forming a protecting layer covering the shading pattern layer and the substrate; and; forming a reduced reflection layer on the protecting layer, wherein a refractive index of the protecting layer is greater than a refractive index of the reduced reflection layer. The present invention can mitigate a light reflection problem of a substrate of the conventional photo-mask.
US08822102B2
A manifold device for a tube type solid oxide fuel cell including a manifold body including at least one of a first opening for fluid inflow and a second opening for fluid outflow; at least one of a first manifold unit in the manifold body, the first manifold unit distributing fluid flowing in the first opening portion into channels, and a second manifold unit in the manifold body, the second manifold unit integrating fluid flowing in channels out to the second opening; and a plurality of tube type ports, each tube type port having a tube type body contacting and protruding from an outer surface of the manifold body, being connected to and in fluid communication with the channels, and including a heat interception unit in a portion of the tube type body.
US08822090B2
A fuel cell assembly including a fuel reforming unit for reforming a fuel supply for a series of fuel cells constituting a fuel cell stack. The reformed fuel supply is routed first to the anode of the fuel cell most adjacent the reforming unit, and thereafter to a manifold external to the stack. The manifold intakes that portion of the reformed fuel supply not fully exhausted after passing through the first anode and feeds such reformed fuel to successive fuel cells in series, thus providing staged fuel supply throughout the stack and optimal fuel utilization in producing electricity. The reforming unit includes a series of baffles for directing the reformed fuel supply to the first anode and to the manifold to maximize utilization of fuel consumed by cells in the stack. Also, cooling occurring as a result of the endothermic reaction occurring in the reforming unit is captured and spread optimally throughout the stack to achieve optimal temperature gradients throughout the stack, thus enabling optimal operation of and increased life of the stack.
US08822089B2
A fuel cell is operated with high power such that which a humidified gas and a dry gas are selectively supplied as oxidant to a cathode of the fuel cell. This method includes (S1) supplying a humidified gas while a power is constantly maintained or until the power begins to decrease; (S2) after supplying the humidified gas, supplying a dry gas to obtain a greater power than an average power of the step (S1); and (S3) after obtaining a predetermined power in the step (S2), repeatedly supplying a humidified gas in case the power decreases and supplying a dry gas in case the power decreases again afterwards, thereby increasing the power such that the predetermined power is maintained. This method provides an optimal operating condition to a fuel cell, thereby ensuring a high power.
US08822087B2
The present invention is to provide a metal-air battery which can inhibit decrease of discharge capacity and increase of battery's internal resistance caused by the repeated charge and discharge. The metal-air battery comprises: a cathode; an electrolyte layer; and an anode, wherein the cathode, the electrolyte layer, and the anode are laminated in the order mentioned; the cathode comprises a plurality of cathode material layers arranged at intervals; and the direction for laminating the cathode, the electrolyte layer, and the anode intersect with the array direction of the plurality of cathode material layers.
US08822086B2
The invention provides a solvent for an electrolyte solution, an electrolyte solution, and a gel-like electrolyte superior in oxidation resistance and flame resistance. A solvent for an electrolyte solution comprising at least one boric ester represented by the following formula (I), and a boric ester represented by the following formula (II): B(ORf)3 (I); B(OCH2CH2CN)3 (II) wherein, in formula (I), each Rf independently represents CH2(CF2)nCF3 or CH(CF3)2, n is an integer from 0 to 6, and at least a part of each of —ORf and —OCH2CH2CN included in the boric esters is transesterified.
US08822083B2
A negative electrode for a lithium-ion secondary battery, has a current collector and an active-material layer bound on a surface of the current collector. The active-material layer includes active materials, binders, conductive additives, and buffer materials. The active materials include Si and/or Sn, and the buffer materials comprise a silicone composite powder in which a spherical silicone-rubber powder is covered with a silicone resin.
US08822080B2
The present invention provides a Li3V2(PO4)3-based positive active material for a lithium secondary battery, which has high discharge capacity and excellent storage performance, particularly high-temperature storage performance; and a lithium secondary battery made using the positive active material. The positive active material for a lithium secondary battery has general formula Li3V2(PO4)3−x(BO3)x (0
US08822077B2
An object of the invention is to provide a lithium secondary battery using a fused salt at ambient temperature where a high capacity is able to be maintained even when it is stored at a high temperature environment or even when it is subjected to charge and discharge repeatedly and also to provide an electrode for a nonaqueous electrolytic lithium secondary battery. There is disclosed a lithium secondary battery using at least a fused salt at ambient temperature having ionic conductivity in which at least one of the positive and negative electrode contains a powder which solely comprises an inorganic solid electrolyte having lithium ionic conductivity. There is also disclosed an electrode for a lithium secondary battery using, at least, a ionic liquid having ionic conductivity which contains a powder solely comprising inorganic solid electrolyte having lithium ionic conductivity.
US08822070B2
A battery includes: a battery element having a cathode and an anode; a package can containing the battery element and being electrically connected to one of the cathode and the anode; and external connection terminal being connected to the other one of the cathode and the anode; and having a plate-like base contained in the package can and a leading portion extending to outside of the package can; and an insulating member separating the external connection terminal from the battery element. The base of the external connection terminal is spaced from an internal wall face of the package can, and the insulating member has notches at a position where the base of the external connection terminal is layered on the insulating member in the thickness direction of the package can.
US08822069B2
A battery pack includes a bare cell including an electrode assembly arranged within a can having an opening that is sealed by a cap plate, a protective circuit module (PCM) arranged on the cap plate, a lead member connecting the PCM to the cap plate; a coupling member inserted into the cap plate and coupled to the lead member. The coupling member is made out of a different material than that of the cap plate, each of the coupling member and the lead member include nickel. By including such a coupling member, the strength and durability of the weld connecting the cap plate to the PCM is improved and the contact resistance is lowered.
US08822059B2
A lithium ion battery includes at least one battery cell. The battery cell includes a cathode electrode, an anode electrode, and a separator. The separator is sandwiched between the cathode electrode and the anode electrode. At least one of the cathode electrode and the anode electrode includes a current collector. The current collector is a carbon nanotube layer consisting of a plurality of carbon nanotubes.
US08822050B2
An electric storage apparatus has an electric-generating element performing charge and discharge and a case accommodating the electric-generating element and an electrolytic solution. The case has an injection portion, a cap, a worked portion, and a valve. The injection portion is used for injecting the electrolytic solution into the case. The cap closes the injection portion. The worked portion is formed along the outer shapes of the injection portion and the cap by working the wall face of the case. The valve is used for discharging gas produced within the case to the outside of the case and is provided between the injection portion and the worked portion.
US08822045B2
The present invention provides methods of protecting a surface of an aluminum nitride substrate. The substrate with the protected surface can be stored for a period of time and easily activated to be in a condition ready for thin film growth or other processing. In certain embodiments, the method of protecting the substrate surface comprises forming a passivating layer on at least a portion of the substrate surface by performing a wet etch, which can comprise the use of one or more organic compounds and one or more acids. The invention also provides aluminum nitride substrates having passivated surfaces.
US08822037B2
A surface-treated steel plate obtained by forming, on at least one surface of the steel plate by cathodic electrolysis, a surface-treating film which contains a mixed oxide of an oxide of Fe and at least one of an oxide of Zr or an oxide of Ti, and a polycarboxylic acid, the amount of Zr or Ti, or the total amount of Zr and Ti if both of them are present, being from 3 to 300 mg/m2 and the amount of C being from 0.1 to 5.0 mg/m2.
US08822029B2
A polyacrylonitrile-based polymer which satisfies at least one of [a] to [d]:[a] Z-average molecular weight (Mz) determined by gel-permeation chromatograph is 800,000 to 6,000,000 and degree of polydispersity (Mz/Mw) (Mw denotes weight average molecular weight) is 3.0 to 10.0;[b] Z+1-average molecular weight (Mz+1) determined by GPC method is 3,000,000 to 10,000,000 and degree of polydispersity (Mz+1/Mw) is 6.0 to 25.0;[c] Mzm determined by gel-permeation chromatograph multi-angle laserlight scattering photometry is 400,000 to 1,000,000 and degree of polydispersity (Mzm/Mwm) is 3.0 to 10.0; and[d] Z-average radius of gyration (Rz) determined by gel-permeation chromatograph multi-angle laserlight scattering photometry is 25 to 45 nm and its ratio to weight average radius of gyration (Rz/Rw) is 1.3 to 2.5.
US08822028B2
Provided is a removable acrylic pressure sensitive adhesive comprising (A) 70-96.5 weight % of (meth)acrylic acid ester monomer having C1-C14 alkyl group; (B) 0.5-27 weight % of one or more functional group containing monomers selected from the group consisting of carboxyl group containing monomer, hydroxyl group containing monomer, epoxy group containing monomer, vinyl ester group containing monomer and cyano group containing monomer; and (C) 0.6-3 weight % of a cross linking agent having 5-13 alkylene oxide groups and acrylate group or vinyl group in 100 weight % of the monomers and the cross linking agent, and the adhesive of the present invention is a water based adhesive and pro-environmental, and demonstrates excellent adhesiveness at room temperature and under aging atmosphere and excellent dimensional stability as well, so that it can be widely used for various pressure sensitive adhesive sheets for outdoor/indoor advertisement, automobile, printing, decorating, etc.
US08822025B2
A layered coating composition for use in producing a cool dark coating composition. The coating system includes an IR reflecting layer, having IR-reflective pigments in a resinous binder. A radiation absorbing layer is coated onto the IR reflecting layer. The radiation absorbing layer includes nano-sized pigments dispersed in a resinous binder.
US08822024B2
The invention relates to a membrane that heals on its own after being damaged mechanically as well as a method for producing said membrane which is used for pneumatic structures featuring an internal operating pressure of 10 mbar to 500 mbar. The inventive membrane is provided with a plastic layer on the pressure side, said plastic layer being interspersed with blisters that have a diameter ranging from 10μ to 200μ.
US08822010B2
A surface of an anode body made of a metal material having a valve action is oxidized so as to form a dielectric layer, a conductive polymer precursor solution is stuck to the surface of the dielectric layer, the solvent is evaporated in an atmosphere of a relative humidity of 30 to 45% to be removed, electropolymerization is carried out so as to obtain a semiconductor layer having projections being 2 to 70 μm high on the outer surface thereof, a conductive carbon layer is laminated using a conductive carbon paste, and a conductive metal layer containing a metal conductive powder and a binder is laminated so as to obtain an element for an electronic component, and the element for an electronic component is encapsulated by a resin so as to obtain an electronic component.
US08822008B2
A replaceable wear liner pad assembly can be used to provide an array of tiles for lining a trough structure, the trough structure being made of a magnetically attractive material. The replaceable wear liner assembly includes magnetic members encapsulated within a resilient polymeric material, the polymeric material being transparent to magnetic fields. The polymeric material may have the general consistency of truck tire rubber. One side of the tile has a sheet or portion of a set gauge thickness such that in use the magnetic members are maintained at a set standoff distance from the underlying trough structure. The resilient material is far more flexible than the magnetic elements, such that the assembly can flex somewhat. The pad assembly is free of mechanical fasteners. Individual elements of the tile array may be replaced when worn, rather than the entire array. The underside of the pad assembly may provide a seal against the underlying trough structure to discourage leakage at the apertures formerly used for conventional wear liner stud assemblies.
US08822006B2
A core of a vacuum insulation member and a vacuum insulation member using the same are disclosed. The core of a vacuum insulation member includes: a plurality of plates which are spaced apart from each other; and a support member supporting the plurality of plates between the plates.
US08822001B2
The present invention provides a multilayer plastic bottle comprising layers of PET and a polyamide such as, for example, MXD6, that is free from occurrence of delamination upon dropping or upon exposure to impact. The present inventors have found that when forming a barrier layer containing an adhesion promoting agent according to the present invention, an impact energy applied to the barrier layer is well reduced and the resultant multilayer bottle is improved in interlaminar bonding strength and prevented from suffering from delamination upon dropping, etc.
US08822000B2
The present invention provides a nanostructure on an upper surface of which a small-diameter carbon nanotube (CNT) is formed and which improves an adhesive strength between a substrate and the CNT while controlling an orientation of the CNT, and a method for manufacturing the nanostructure. The nanostructure includes a substrate 101, a porous layer 102 formed on the substrate 101 to have a fine pore, a fine pore diameter control layer 103 formed on the porous layer 102, and a carbon nanotube 701 formed to extend from the fine pore defined by the fine pore diameter control layer 103, and one end of the carbon nanotube is fixed by the fine pore diameter control layer 103. It is preferable that the substrate 101 and the fine pore diameter control layer 103 be electrically conductive. It is preferable that the porous layer 102 be an anode oxide film. It is preferable that a melting point of the fine pore diameter control layer 103 be 600° C. or higher.
US08821997B2
An inkjet recording medium and a coating composition for forming an inkjet recording medium. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an inkjet recording medium is disclosed comprising an inkjet-receptive coating on a paper substrate. The inkjet-receptive coating contains a synergistic combination of pigments, binder and a multivalent metal salt such that the inkjet recording medium exhibits improved inkjet print properties, particularly when printed with a high speed inkjet printer using pigmented inks.
US08821988B2
A method for surface engineering a metal substrate involves mixing precursor powders with a polymer binder to create a coating mix and coating the substrate with the coating mix. The substrate is then heated via induction heating, with the frequency and duration of the heating being controlled so as to cause a reaction of the precursor powders to create one or more types of ceramics or intermetallics, evaporate the polymer binder, melt a portion of the substrate, and cause the synthesized compounds to mix with the substrate and form a compositionally graded surface modification. The compound(s) created by the reactions are mixed with molten portion of the substrate and upon re-solidification of the substrate, are distributed at decreasing percentages along a depth of the substrate so that their content varies from 100% at a surface of the substrate to 0% at a defined depth of the substrate.
US08821987B2
Methods and apparatus for processing using a remote plasma source are disclosed. The apparatus includes an outer chamber, a remote plasma source, and a showerhead. Inert gas ports within the showerhead assembly can be used to alter the concentration and energy of reactive radical or reactive neutral species generated by the remote plasma source in different regions of the showerhead. This allows the showerhead to be used to apply a surface treatment to different regions of the surface of a substrate. Varying parameters such as the remote plasma parameters, the inert gas flows, pressure, and the like allow different regions of the substrate to be treated in a combinatorial manner.
US08821986B2
Provided are processes for the low temperature deposition of silicon-containing films using activated SiH-containing precursors. The SiH-containing precursors may have reactive functionality such as halogen or cyano moieties. Described are processes in which halogenated or cyanated silanes are used to deposit SiN films. Plasma processing conditions can be used to adjust the carbon, hydrogen and/or nitrogen content of the films.
US08821978B2
A method of forming a layered structure comprising a domain pattern of a self-assembled material utilizes a negative-tone patterned photoresist layer comprising non-crosslinked developed photoresist. The developed photoresist is not soluble in an organic casting solvent for a material capable of self-assembly. The developed photoresist is soluble in an aqueous alkaline developer and/or a second organic solvent. A solution comprising the material capable of self-assembly and the organic casting solvent is casted on the patterned photoresist layer. Upon removal of the organic casting solvent, the material self-assembles, thereby forming the layered structure.
US08821970B2
This disclosure features use of a paper or polymer film that includes a slip agent that can transfer to its surfaces. Once the paper or film is pressed against a glass sheet, this will leave a thin surface roughness of slip agent that can prevent or reduce glass surface scratches from other surfaces or particles during shipping or finishing (e.g., cutting to size, conveyance of glass), thereby improving the yield of glass shipments between glass forming plants and customers. The thin discontinuous layer of slip agent remaining on the glass surface can be washed off easily in subsequent washing processes. The paper or film can have the slip agent imbibed within the paper or coated on it as a surface member.
US08821966B2
A method for manufacturing an image display device includes the step of forming a cured resin layer by interposing a photo-curable resin composition between a protection member and a display-side panel including an image display unit and a frame member and then photo-curing the photo-curable resin composition, with the photo-curable resin composition being disposed across between the image display unit and the frame member. In the manufacturing method, a high-viscosity resin composition having a viscosity of 3000 mPa·s or more and 12000 mPa·s or less is used as the photo-curable resin composition. Alternatively, after a gap between the image display unit and the frame member is sealed with a sealing film, a photo-curable resin composition is interposed between the display-side panel and the protection member.
US08821964B1
A method for forming a semiconductor bearing thin film material. The method includes providing a metal precursor and a chalcogene precursor. The method forms a mixture of material comprising the metal precursor, the chalcogene precursor and a solvent material. The mixture of material is deposited overlying a surface region of a substrate member. In a specific embodiment, the method maintains the substrate member including the mixture of material in an inert environment and subjects the mixture of material to a first thermal process to cause a reaction between the metal precursor and the chalcogene material to form a semiconductor metal chalcogenide bearing material overlying the substrate member. The method then performs a second thermal process to remove any residual solvent and forms a substantially pure semiconductor metal chalcogenide thin film material overlying the substrate member.
US08821957B2
The invention concerns in particular a method for depositing a nanometric multilayer thin film on a substrate from a liquid solution containing at least one surfactant. The method includes the following steps: forming a film from the solution; contacting the substrate; and depositing the film on the substrate. The invention is particularly formed to enable depositing black films on different types of surfaces, in particular for obtaining highly organized films. The films obtained by the method are particularly useful in electronics and optics.
US08821956B2
The invention relates to a protein that can be added to a food product or beverage without thereby providing the food product or beverage with a strong astringent taste, an undesirable colouring and/or an off-taste. More in particular, the invention relates to a potato protein glycated with a reducing sugar, wherein the reducing sugar is preferably chosen from the group consisting of reducing monosaccharides, reducing disaccharides, dextran and combinations thereof.
US08821954B2
A whitish whole-wheat flour and a process for producing the flour are described wherein the wheat bran is separated into a fine bran and a coarse bran fraction and the course bran is pulverized to a smaller size and mixed into the flour.
US08821953B2
A method and an apparatus for decocting ingredients in a solvent. The apparatus including a container for containing the solvent, a recipient for containing the ingredients, the recipient being placed inside the container, a pipe connecting a bottom part of the container and a bottom part of the recipient, a pump placed in series with the pipe for circulating the solvent from the bottom part of the container to the bottom part of the recipient.
US08821952B2
Embodiments of the present application relate to mildly acidic milk drinks and methods for preparation of mildly acidic milk drinks having a pH between about 4.7 and about 5.4. The acidic milk drinks generally include a milk product and a low ester pectin (LM-pectin). The milk product may be present in an amount sufficient to provide milk solids non-fats (MSNF) content in an amount of less than or equal to about 8.5% by weight of the acidified milk drink. The LM-pectin may have a degree of esterification (DE) in the range of about 25% to about 45% and a degree of amidation in the range of about 10% to about 20%.
US08821950B2
The present invention provides an innovative packaging for microwave preparation of expandable food, such as cookies, an innovative food product prepared from the packaging and the method of preparation thereof. The innovative packaging includes first and second susceptor sheet portions each having an accordion-like shape; one or more members for spacing the susceptor sheet portions at a predetermined distance; and an expandable uncooked food placed between the two susceptor sheets, wherein the food is in intimate contact with sheet portions and becomes efficiently browned and crisped during microwave cooking. The food is preferably a cookie dough.
US08821937B2
Layered phyllosilicates are useful for adsorbing and/or binding to cholesterol and, thereby, reducing blood cholesterol in a patient. Accordingly, provided herein is a method of reducing hypercholesteremia in a mammal comprising administering to the mammal a protonated and at least partially exfoliated layered phyllosilicate material alone and in combination with other cholesterol-reducing agents in an amount effective to reduce hypercholesteremia in the mammal. Also provided are methods of treating a cardiovascular disorder associated with atherosclerosis in a mammalian subject comprising administering to the subject a layered phyllosilicate material in an amount effective to reduce atherosclerotic lesion formation in the subject.
US08821934B2
The object of the present invention is to overcome conventional demerits of pullulan powders prepared by conventional techniques, i.e., they could not be homogeneously mixed with non-reducing saccharides composed of glucose units when mixed together, and the resulting mixtures do not easily dissolve in water; and to provide a pullulan-containing powder with an improved rate of water dissolution, as well as to provide preparations and uses thereof. The present invention solves the above object by providing a pullulan-containing powder which uniformly comprises pullulan as a main ingredient and a non-reducing saccharide, and their process and uses; wherein the pullulan-containing powder is prepared by the steps of preparing a solution dissolving pullulan and a non-reducing saccharide homogeneously, pulverizing the solution, and collecting the resulting pullulan-containing powder. The powder has an improved rate of water dissolution, while retaining satisfactory resistance to humidity without fear of causing separation between the pullulan and the non-reducing saccharide.
US08821914B2
There is provided pharmaceutical compositions for the treatment of pain comprising a pharmacologically-effective amount of an opioid analgesic, or a pharmaceutically-acceptable salt thereof, presented in particulate form upon the surfaces of carrier particles comprising a pharmacologically-effective amount of an opioid antagonist, or a pharmaceutically-acceptable salt thereof, which carrier particles are larger in size than the particles of the opioid analgesic. The compositions are also useful in prevention of opioid abuse by addicts.
US08821913B2
The present invention relates to a controlled release system, in particular to a controlled release system containing temozolomide.
US08821911B2
The present invention discloses a coating for a medical implant, wherein at least a part of said coating contains an osseointegration agent and the same and/or a different part of the coating contains an antimicrobial metal agent.
US08821900B2
An object of the present invention is to provide an anti-adhesion material having sufficient in vivo degradability and excellent anti-adhesion characteristics, and also superior to conventional ones in terms of handling properties under wet conditions. The anti-adhesion material (1) of the present invention has a sheet-like base layer (10) containing a water soluble polymer (e.g., pullulan), a first cover layer (20) placed on a surface on one side of the base layer (10) and containing an aliphatic ester, and a second cover layer (30) placed on a surface on the other side of the base layer (10) and containing an aliphatic ester. The optical thickness of each of the first cover layer (20) and the second cover layer (30) is set to be 27 nm or greater and smaller than 160 nm.
US08821886B2
Recombinant protein of the catalytic subunit of the phosphatase Serine/threonine protein of Angiostrongylus costarricensis, and active peptides used in the production of an intranasal anthelmintic vaccine.
US08821882B2
A vaccine preparation characterized in that Neospora caninum-derived dense granule protein 7 or apical membrane antigen 1 or an immunologically active variant or derivative thereof is included in liposomes each having an oligosaccharide capable of binding to a carbohydrate recognition molecule on the surface of antigen-presenting cells on the surface of the liposome.
US08821881B2
Fraction A of Quil A can be used together with at least one other adjuvant for the preparation of an adjuvant composition, where the included adjuvant components act synergistically to enhance level of immune response and have synergistic immunomodulating activity on the co-administered antigens or immunogens.Other adjuvants can comprise saponins, naturally occurring, synthetic or semisynthetic saponin molecules; e.g. saponins and saponin fractions from Quil A, cell wall skeleton, blockpolymers, TDM, lipopeptides, LPS and LPS-derivatives, Lipid A from different bacterial species and derivatives thereof, e.g., monophosphoryl lipid A. CpG variants, CT and LT or fractions thereof.
US08821879B2
This invention relates to stable formulations of multiple antibodies comprising a plurality of anti-botulism antibodies and an effective amount of a succinate buffer, an effective amount of arginine, wherein the antibodies are present in substantially equal concentrations and the pH of the formulation is between about 5 and about 6.5.
US08821875B2
The present invention is based on the unexpected finding that, in addition to catalase, SOD is also involved in protecting tumor cells, wherein the inhibition effects of the two protective enzymes support one another in a complementary manner. The invention thus relates to pharmaceutical compositions containing at least two antibodies or the biologically active fragments thereof, wherein the one antibody is directed against the catalase and the other antibody is directed against the superoxide dismutase, as well as their use for treating a tumor disease.
US08821874B2
Disclosed herein is a method of treating dry eye with a KLK-13 antibody.
US08821871B2
The present invention relates to antibody molecules against anticoagulants, in particular dabigatran, and their use as antidotes of such anticoagulants.
US08821870B2
Compositions and methods for treating dry age related macular degeneration (dry AMD) by administration to an intraocular location of an anti-neovascular agent (such as bevacizumab) in either a liquid or solid polymeric vehicle (or both), such as a biodegradable hyaluronic acid or PLGA (or PLA).
US08821856B2
Methods and compositions are provided for delivering a polynucleotide encoding a gene of interest to a target cell using a virus. The virus envelope comprises a cell-specific binding determinant that recognizes and binds to a component on the target cell surface, leading to endocytosis of the virus. A separate fusogenic molecule is also present on the envelope and facilitates delivery of the polynucleotide across the membrane and into the cytosol of the target cell. The methods and related compositions can be used for treating patients having suffering from a wide range of conditions, including infection, such as HIV; cancers, such as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and breast cancer; and hematological disorders, such as severe combined immunodeficiency.
US08821854B2
The present invention describes compositions and methods for inhibiting microbial infections associated with the use of sanitary products, such as diapers, bandages, sanitary napkins, tampons, and the like. The present invention comprises providing for use a sanitary product containing an effective amount of a viable, non-pathogenic, lactic acid-producing bacteria, such as Bacillus coagulans, or an extracellular product thereof, useful for inhibiting growth of parasites and pathogens on the epithelial tissue in contact with the sanitary product during use of the product. The present invention also provides for enhancing biodegradation of sanitary products after use and disposal. Also described herein are methods using the product and systems containing the compositions.
US08821852B2
The present invention pertains to vaccines suitable for administering systemically that comprise live aro mutant bacteria, an adjuvant, an aromatic supplement, or both an adjuvant and an aromatic supplement. The present invention also pertains to the manufacture of such a vaccine and a method of protecting an animal by administration of the vaccine.
US08821851B2
Disclosed are methods of purifying compounds that reduce or prevent an inflammatory response in a mammal, use of such compounds in treating a mammal having or being at risk of developing inflammation, as well as serum containing such purified compounds. Also disclosed are animal models that are more representative of humans in the study of inflammatory responses or as screening tools for discovering or developing new therapeutics or lead candidate compounds for inhibition of an inflammatory response.
US08821845B2
The present invention relates to a concentrated ingredient for treating and/or modifying surfaces, especially for treating and/or modifying the skin and/or the hair. The invention also relates to the use of this ingredient in cosmetic compositions, for example in shampoos, shower gels or leave-in or rinse-out hair conditioners. The ingredient comprises a conditioning agent and a polymer for aiding deposition.
US08821843B2
The invention relates to a polymer suited for modifying the styling performance and the rheology of a cosmetic preparation, a composition thereof, a method of making it as well as the use of said polymer and the composition respectively. The copolymer comprises at least one non-ionic ethylenically unsaturated C1-C4 (meth)acrylate as monomer A; an ethylenically unsaturated monomer B having as hydrogen bond donor an amide group, said ethylenically unsaturated monomer B being an ethylenically unsaturated monomer having a cyclic amide moiety, as monomer B1 and/or, an ethylenically unsaturated monomer having an acyclic amide group, as monomer B2; at least one ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid as monomer C; a macromonomer D; optionally at least one cross-linker E; and optionally at least one further monomer F.
US08821824B2
A process for removal of tritium from materials that are contaminated thereby envisages the use of a detritiation reactor RT, in which the reaction for the removal of tritium from the waste takes place, the waste being recovered by a flow of moist inert gas in which an extremely low percentage of humidity is used. The heated waste releases a current of tritiated gases, the current of gases being removed from the reactor via the moist inert gas, which conveys it into a membrane reactor RM for decontamination. The membrane reactor, in fact, is able to remove selectively the tritium present in the mixture of gases: there is thus the dual advantage of purifying the mixture of gases and of recovering the tritium contained therein.
US08821821B2
Elemental fluorine is often manufactured electrochemically from a solution of KF in hydrogen fluoride and contains varying amounts of entrained electrolyte salt in solid form as impurity. The invention concerns a process for the purification of such impure elemental fluorine by contact with liquid hydrogen fluoride, e.g., in a jet gas scrubber or by bubbling the raw fluorine through liquid hydrogen fluoride. After this purification step, any entrained hydrogen fluoride is removed by adsorption, condensing it out or both. After passing through a filter with very small pores, the purified fluorine is especially suited for the semiconductor industry as etching gas or as chamber cleaning gas in the manufacture of semiconductors, TFTs and solar cells, or for the manufacture of micro-electromechanical systems (“MEMS”).
US08821820B2
A process for improving catalytic activity of a copper-promoted zeolitic catalyst with a chabazite structure, the copper-promoted zeolitic catalyst having a temperature-programmed reduction (TPR) signal in a temperature range from 230° C. to 240° C. as examined in a TPR with a test gas having a hydrogen content of 5% by volume, a heating rate of 10 K/min, and a catalyst sample weight containing from 3 to 8 milligrams of copper calculated as metal.
US08821819B2
A promoted activated carbon sorbent is described that is highly effective for the removal of mercury from flue gas streams. The sorbent comprises a new modified carbon form containing reactive forms of halogen and halides. Optional components may be added to increase reactivity and mercury capacity. These may be added directly with the sorbent, or to the flue gas to enhance sorbent performance and/or mercury capture. Mercury removal efficiencies obtained exceed conventional methods. The sorbent can be regenerated and reused. Sorbent treatment and preparation methods are also described. New methods for in-flight preparation, introduction, and control of the active sorbent into the mercury contaminated gas stream are described.
US08821816B2
Provided herein are substrates for matrix-assisted laser-desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometric analysis. Each spot includes 3-hydroxypicolinic acid matrix and no analyte.
US08821802B2
An apparatus for producing a scent, constituted of: a directional air mover arranged to produce an air flow exhibiting an angular velocity in relation to a central linear axis of the air flow; a plurality of electronically controlled scent producing elements arranged about the produced air flow, each of the plurality of electronically controlled scent producing elements distal of the directional air mover such that scent from any of the plurality of electronically controlled scent producing elements are not deposited on any surface of the directional air mover; and a control unit in communication with each of the directional air mover and the plurality of electronically controlled scent producing elements. Preferably, the plurality of electronically controlled scent producing elements is arranged radially about the central linear axis of the air flow.
US08821801B2
A nitric oxide delivery system, which includes a gas bottle having nitrogen dioxide in air, converts nitrogen dioxide to nitric oxide and employs a surface-active material, such as silica gel, coated with an aqueous solution of antioxidant, such as ascorbic acid. A nitric oxide delivery system may be used to generate therapeutic gas including nitric oxide for use in delivering the therapeutic gas to a mammal.
US08821793B2
A substrate with hermetically sealed vias extending from one side of the substrate to another and a method for fabricating same. The vias may be filled with a conductive material such as, for example, a fritless ink. The conductive path formed by the conductive material aids in sealing one side of the substrate from another. One side of the substrate may include a sensing element and another side of the substrate may include sensing electronics.
US08821791B2
A liquid sample is aspirated using an aspirating tube provided with a flow path extending lengthwise in the interior of the tube, and an aspiration orifice for aspirating the liquid sample formed near the tip of the tube. The aspiration of the liquid sample to the aspirating tube is monitored during aspiration. Liquid sample is aspirated by the aspirating tube, and the collected material in the aspirating tube in the region at the tip side from the region containing the liquid sample to be used for measurement is delivered to a detecting part provided externally to the aspirating tube, and whether or not liquid sample is contained in the collected material is detected in the detecting part.
US08821786B1
A method of forming an oxide-dispersion strengthened alloy and a method for forming an oxide-alloy powder where the oxide-nanoparticles are evenly distributed throughout the powder. The method is comprised of the steps of forming an oxide-nanoparticles colloid, mixing the oxide-nanoparticles colloid with alloy-microparticles forming an oxide-alloy colloid, drying the oxide-alloy colloid solution to form an oxide-alloy powder, applying pressure to the oxide-alloy powder, and heating the oxide-alloy powder to a sintering temperature. The oxide-nanoparticles are sized to be between 1-10 nanometers in diameter. The ratio of oxide-nanoparticles to alloy-microparticles should be 1-5% by weight. Heating of the oxide-alloy powder can use a spark plasma sintering process.
US08821785B2
A method of forming a fully consolidated joint between first and second components comprising the steps of forming a slot in the first component; inserting at least part of the second component into the slot; inserting a powder material into the slot; heating the powder material to form a pressure tight skin; and applying hot isostatic pressure to the pressure tight skin to form a fully consolidated joint. Also a method of repairing a component.
US08821783B2
A continuous multi-layer film includes a support layer having a first film surface, and a hard coat layer, formed on the support layer, having a second film surface, and having a curling tendency in an inward direction. In the decurling method, the multi-layer film is transported. A first transition of the support layer in the multi-layer film being transported into a rubber phase is induced by supplying fluid vapor on the support layer. After supplying the fluid vapor, a second transition of the support layer from the rubber phase into a glass phase is induced. The multi-layer film is transported while a portion of the support layer in the rubber phase is prevented from contacting a solid object. The hard coat layer is formed from a polymer produced from an ultraviolet curable compound, and the support layer is formed from cellulose acylate.
US08821766B2
The present invention aims at providing lithium manganate having a high output and an excellent high-temperature stability. The above aim can be achieved by lithium manganate particles having a primary particle diameter of not less than 1 μm and an average particle diameter (D50) of kinetic particles of not less than 1 μm and not more than 10 μm, which are substantially in the form of single crystal particles and have a composition represented by the following chemical formula: Li1+xMn2-x-yYyO4 in which Y is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Al, Mg and Co; x and y satisfy 0.03≦x≦0.15 and 0.05≦y≦0.20, respectively, wherein the Y element is uniformly dispersed within the respective particles, and an intensity ratio of I(400)/I(111) thereof is not less than 33% and an intensity ratio of I(440)/I(111) thereof is not less than 16%.
US08821764B2
In an anisotropic conductive adhesive containing a conductive particle, the conductive particle includes a resin particle that is provided with a cavity formed therein and a conductive layer surrounding a surface of the resin particle. The cavity is formed by mixing the resin particle with a reactant and partially removing the reactant from the resin particle. Thus, the conductive particle may readily absorb an external pressure, thereby providing an improved malleability to the conductive particle.
US08821760B2
A method and an apparatus for generating a gas containing hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO), as a raw material for chemical utilization in, for example, synthesis processes based on export gas from a metallurgical process, are shown. Part of the export gas is subjected to CO conversion with the addition of water vapor, crude synthesis gas with a defined quantity ratio of H2 to CO being formed. Even the water vapor required for CO conversion can be at least partially generated in at least one steam generator in the method.
US08821752B2
The present invention provides an etching composition, comprising a silyl phosphate compound, phosphoric acid and deionized water, and a method for fabricating a semiconductor, which includes an etching process employing the etching composition. The etching composition of the invention shows a high etching selectivity for a nitride film with respect to an oxide film. Thus, when the etching composition of the present invention is used to remove a nitride film, the effective field oxide height (EEH) may be easily controlled by controlling the etch rate of the oxide film. In addition, the deterioration in electrical characteristics caused by damage to an oxide film or etching of the oxide film may be prevented, and particle generation may be prevented, thereby ensuring the stability and reliability of the etching process.
US08821751B2
A CMP composition and associated method are provided that afford good corrosion protection and low defectivity levels both during and subsequent to CMP processing. This composition and method are useful in CMP (chemical mechanical planarization) processing in semiconductor manufacture involving removal of metal(s) and/or barrier layer material(s) and especially for CMP processing in low technology node applications.
US08821744B2
A substrate processing method using a substrate processing apparatus includes a first step and a second step. The first step is to apply a negative voltage pulse from a pulsed power supply to be included in the apparatus. The second step is to apply floating potential for an interval of time between the negative voltage pulse and a positive voltage pulse from the pulsed power supply subsequent to the negative voltage pulse. In addition, the apparatus includes a chamber, a first electrode, a second electrode, an RF power supply, and the pulsed power supply. The second electrode is provided so that the second electrode faces the first electrode to hold a substrate. The RF power supply applies an RF voltage having a frequency of 50 MHz or higher to the second electrode. The pulsed power supply repeatedly applies a voltage waveform with the RF voltage to the second electrode.
US08821740B2
Provided is a nanowire manufacturing method, comprising forming a plurality of grid patterns on a substrate, forming a nanowire on the grid patterns, and separating the grid pattern and the nanowire. According to the present invention, the width and height of the nanowire can be adjusted by controlling the wet-etching process time period, and the nanowire can be manufactured at a room temperature at low cost, the nanowire can be mass-manufactured and the nanowire with regularity can be manufactured even in case of mass production.
US08821736B1
A method for making a perpendicular magnetic recording disk includes forming a template layer below a Ru or Ru alloy underlayer, with a granular Co alloy recording layer formed on the underlayer. The template layer is formed by depositing a solution of a polymer with a functional end group and nanoparticles, allowing the solution to dry, annealing the polymer layer to thereby form a polymer layer with embedded spaced-apart nanoparticles, and then etching the polymer layer to a depth sufficient to partially expose the nanoparticles so they protrude above the surface of the polymer layer. The protruding nanoparticles serve as controlled nucleation sites for the Ru or Ru alloy atoms. The nanoparticle-to-nanoparticle distances can be controlled during the formation of the template layer. This enables control of the Co alloy grain diameter distribution as well as grain-to-grain distance distribution.
US08821734B2
An oil purifying liquid filter, having an annular ring element receiving space, wherein the ring element has two axial end disks, a cover selectively fastened to a housing to close the receiving space, an inlet that is formed within the housing on a crude side, an outlet that is formed within the housing on a pure side, a first additional opening that is formed within the housing, a second additional opening that is formed within the cover, a first closure that is formed on the first end disk of the filter element in order to close the first additional opening, and a second closure that is formed on the second end disk of the filter element to selectively close the second additional opening.
US08821733B2
The present invention provides compositions, systems and methods for using coal from coal processing sources to remove coal fines from a mixture and form a coal-on-coal composite particle.
US08821728B2
A system of treating high nitrogen content waste water is disclosed, where the system includes a precipitation and conditioning subsystem, an ammonia stripper subsystem, and a denitrification subsystem. The system is adapted to reduce nitrogen contamination to level below about 10 ppm and in certain embodiments below 3 ppm.
US08821720B2
Disclosed herein is a filtering apparatus for treating ballast water. The apparatus is constructed so that a housing cover plate and an exhaust unit are removably coupled to each other at an upper position of a housing. The exhaust unit includes a base flange on a portion thereof coupled to the housing cover plate and the base flange includes a projecting step that projects to be inserted into a core through hole formed in the housing cover plate. A core serving as a discharge passage of foreign substances includes a shaft coupling unit on a portion thereof coupled to the driving shaft, and is coupled at the shaft coupling unit to the driving shaft via a coupling structure. The outer diameters of the coupling structure and the shaft coupling unit are formed to be smaller than the outer diameter of the core.
US08821718B2
Automated fluid handling system comprising a housing (20) and two or more fluid handling units (26) arranged as interchangeable modular components with an external fluidics section (30) and an internal non fluidics section (32), and wherein the housing (20) comprises a liquid handling panel (22) with two or more of component positions for receiving said interchangeable modular components (26) such that the external fluidics section (30) is separated from the non fluidics section (32) by the liquid handling panel (22).
US08821714B2
The invention describes a catalyst comprising at least one material with a hierarchical porosity comprising silicon and at least one hydrodehydrogenating element from group VIB and/or group VIII of the periodic table of the elements. Said material with a hierarchical porosity comprising silicon is constituted by at least two elementary spherical particles, each of said spherical particles comprising zeolitic nanocrystals having a pore size in the range 0.2 to 2 nm and a matrix based on silicon oxide, which is mesostructured, having a pore size in the range 1.5 to 30 nm and having amorphous walls with a thickness in the range 1 to 30 nm, said elementary spherical particles having a maximum diameter of 100 μm. The matrix based on silicon oxide may contain aluminum. The catalyst also optionally comprises at least one doping element in a controlled quantity selected from phosphorus, boron and silicon, optionally at least one element from group VB of the periodic table of the elements, and optionally an element from group VIIA. The invention also concerns hydrocracking/hydroconversion and hydrotreatment processes employing said catalyst.
US08821709B2
Methods and systems for electrochemically generating an oxidation product and a reduction product may include one or more operations including, but not limited to: receiving a feed of at least one organic compound into an anolyte region of an electrochemical cell including an anode; at least partially oxidizing the at least one organic compound at the anode to generate at least carbon dioxide; receiving a feed including carbon dioxide into a catholyte region of the electrochemical cell including a cathode; and at least partially reducing carbon dioxide to generate a reduction product at the cathode.
US08821700B2
A photoelectrochemical cell (100) includes: a semiconductor electrode (120) including a conductor (121), a first n-type semiconductor layer (122) having a nanotube array structure, and a second n-type semiconductor layer (123); a counter electrode (130) connected to the conductor (121); an electrolyte (140) in contact with the second n-type semiconductor layer (123) and the counter electrode (130); and a container (110) accommodating the semiconductor electrode (120), the counter electrode (130) and the electrolyte (140). Relative to a vacuum level, (I) band edge levels of a conduction band and a valence band in the second n-type semiconductor layer (123), respectively, are higher than band edge levels of a conduction band and a valence band in the first n-type semiconductor layer (122), (II) a Fermi level of the first n-type semiconductor layer (122) is higher than a Fermi level of the second n-type semiconductor layer (123), and (III) a Fermi level of the conductor (121) is higher than the Fermi level of the first n-type semiconductor layer (122).
US08821692B2
Method for fast pyrolysis of lignocellulose including: mechanically comminuting the lignocellulose to lignocellulose particles; at least one of completely drying and preheating the lignocellulose particles; mixing the lignocellulose particles with heat transfer particles so as to provide a mixture; heating the heat transfer particles, prior to the mixing, to a temperature between 500° C. and 650° C.; and heating, in a pyrolysis reactor with oxygen excluded, the lignocellulose particles using the heat transfer particles so as to establish a temperature between 400° C. and 600° C. for 1 to 50 seconds and so as to react the lignocellulose particles so as to provide pyrolysis coke, pyrolysis condensate, and pyrolysis gas.
US08821684B2
A substrate plasma processing apparatus includes a substrate holding electrode and a counter electrode which are arranged in a chamber, a high frequency generating device which applies a high frequency of 50 MHZ or higher to the substrate holding electrode, a DC negative pulse generating device which applies a DC negative pulse voltage in a manner of superimposing on the high frequency, and a controller controlling to cause intermittent application of the high frequency and cause intermittent application of the DC negative pulse voltage according to the timing of on or off of the high frequency.
US08821683B2
A substrate processing apparatus includes a plasma source facing a substrate, and a shielding member placed between the substrate and the plasma source. The plasma source diffuses a plasma radially and the shielding member has a through hole through which a part of the radially diffused plasma passes. A substrate processing method is used for performing a plasma processing on a substrate in a substrate processing apparatus including a plasma source facing the substrate and a shielding member placed between the plasma source and the substrate. The shielding member has a through hole. The method includes the step of diffusing a plasma radially by the plasma source.
US08821682B2
Systems and methods of imaging and repairing defects on and below the surface of an integrated circuit (IC) are described. The method may be used in areas as small as one micron in diameter, and may remove the topmost material in the small spot, repeating with various layers, until a desired depth is obtained. An energetic beam, such as an electron beam, is directed at a selected surface location. The surface has an added layer of a solid, fluid or gaseous reactive material, such as a directed stream of a fluorocarbon, and the energetic beam disassociates the reactive material in the region of the beam into radicals that chemically attack the surface. After the defect location is exposed, the method uses the energetic beam to etch undesired materials, and deposit various appropriate materials to fill gaps, and restore the IC to an operational condition.
US08821661B2
A method of manufacturing a honeycomb structure including a honeycomb unit includes forming a honeycomb molded body having a plurality of cells extending from a first end face to a second end face of the honeycomb molded body along a longitudinal direction of the honeycomb molded body and separated by a plurality of cell walls, placing the honeycomb molded body in a degreasing apparatus so that the first end face faces downward and the second end face faces upward, feeding introduced gas into the degreasing apparatus, degreasing the honeycomb molded body at a temperature of approximately 200° C. to approximately 400° C., and firing the degreased honeycomb molded body at a temperature of approximately 500° C. to approximately 900° C. to obtain the honeycomb unit.
US08821659B2
Real-time alignment of substrates is conducted by way of placing a first substrate together with a second substrate located over the first substrate in a fixed relative position onto a first substrate holder. The first substrate holder is operative to support the first substrate. A second substrate holder is operative to contact and control the position of the second substrate relative to the first substrate. A pattern recognition system is operative to view reference marks on the first and second substrates for determining their relative alignment, and a positioning mechanism coupled to the first substrate holder and/or the second substrate holder will align the first substrate relative to the second substrate based on their relative alignment as determined by the pattern recognition system. Thereafter, the substrates are fully laminated to secure them to each other.
US08821658B2
A method of thermal forming of refractory alloy suture needles is disclosed. Needle blanks made from refractory alloys are used to form surgical needles, which are heated to a temperature above the ductile to brittle transition temperature but below the recrystallization temperature of the refractory alloy. The heated needle blanks are then mechanically formed into a surgical needle.
US08821653B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure comprise carbon steels and methods of manufacturing thick walled pipes (wall thickness greater than or equal to about 35 mm) there from. In one embodiment, a steel composition is processed that yields an average prior austenite grain size greater than about 15 or 20 μm and smaller than about 100 μm. Using this composition, a quenching sequence is provided that yields a microstructure of greater than or equal to about 50% by volume, and less than or equal to about 50% by volume, lower bainite, without substantial ferrite, upper bainite, or granular bainite. After quenching, pipes may be tempered. The quenched and tempered pipes may exhibit yield strengths greater than about 450 MPa (65 ksi) or 485 (70 ksi). Mechanical property measurements find the quenched and tempered pipes suitable for 450 MPa grade and 485 MPa grade, and resistance to sulfide stress corrosion cracking.
US08821652B2
Steel for induction hardening wherein coarsening of austenite crystal grains can be prevented even at a high temperature of over 1100° C. such as which occurs at projecting parts of steel parts at the time of induction hardening, the steel for induction hardening characterized by containing, by mass %, C: 0.35 to 0.6%, Si: 0.01 to 1%, Mn: 0.2 to 1.8%, S: 0.001 to 0.15%, Al: 0.001 to 1%, Ti: 0.05 to 0.2%, and Nb: 0.001 to 0.04%, restricting N: 0.0060% or less, P: 0.025% or less, and O: 0.0025% or less, satisfying Nb/Ti≧0.015, and having a balance of iron and unavoidable impurities.
US08821649B2
Characteristics of a magnetic material are improved without using a heavy rare earth element as a scarce resource. By incorporating fluorine into a magnetic powder and controlling the crystal orientation in crystal grains, a magnetic material securing magnetic characteristics such as coercive force and residual flux density can be fabricated. As a result, the resource problem with heavy rare earth elements can be solved, and the magnetic material can be applied to magnetic circuits that require a high energy product, including various rotating machines and voice coil motors of hard discs.
US08821634B2
A high temperature furnace comprising hot zone insulation having at least one shaped thermocouple assembly port to reduce temperature measurement variability is disclosed. The shaped thermocouple assembly port has an opening in the insulation facing the hot zone that is larger than the opening on the furnace shell side of the insulation. A method for producing a crystalline ingot in a high temperature furnace utilizing insulation having a shaped thermocouple assembly port is also disclosed.
US08821630B2
The invention relates to compositions and methods for modifying cementitious materials such as by reducing setting time. Polymer compositions of the invention are derived by polyetherifying mono-glycerols, optionally with alkylene glycols, to obtain polyglycerol homopolymers or copolymers, and then carboxylating the obtained polyglycerol homopolymers and/or copolymers with an organic acid having at least two carboxylic functionalities. The set retardation effect of the carboxylated-carboxylic polyglycerol polymer compositions in cementitious materials is reduced is compared to polyglycerol polymer not having the carboxylated-carboxylic groups, while its water reducing ability is maintained without loss of early compressive strength. Cementitious compositions and methods involving the carboxylated-carboxylic polyglycerol are also covered by the invention.
US08821627B2
The present invention relates to effect pigments based on substrates having an outer coating comprising metal oxide, hydroxide and/or oxide hydrate and at least one organic coupling agent.
US08821625B2
A method of re-circulating washwater used to clean production components for the manufacture of fibrous insulation, e.g. fiberglass is disclosed. The method includes providing a bulk washwater recovery loop to re-circulate washwater used to clean the downstream air components, as well as a separate hoodwall washwater recovery loop to re-circulate hoodwall washwater. Re-circulated hoodwall washwater may be used to clean the forming hood components and for preparation of binder dispersions. In the latter case, the pH of the hoodwall washwater is measured and the binder dispersion may be prepared with 100% hoodwall washwater, 100% makeup water, or a blend of each depending on and in response to the pH measurement.
US08821623B2
A non-aqueous inkjet ink including at least a pigment, a dye and organic solvents, wherein the total amount of the pigment and the dye is at least 3 mass % relative to the total amount of the ink, the content ratio of the pigment to the dye is in the range from 7:3 to 4:6, the pigment has a DBP oil absorption in the range from 60 cm3/100 g to 140 cm3/100 g, and the organic solvents include at least two organic solvents including an organic solvent with an α value of at most 10 and an organic solvent with an α value of at least 30.
US08821615B2
The disclosure relates to a process for treating a gas mixture containing carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide, including the following steps: deacidificating the gas mixture by bringing the gas mixture into contact with a first lean absorbent solution stream, delivering a deacidified gas mixture, and a first rich absorbent solution stream; regenerating the first rich absorbent solution stream, delivering the first lean absorbent solution stream and a sour gas stream; distillating the sour gas stream, delivering a first carbon-dioxide-rich stream and a hydrogen-sulphide-rich stream; purifying the first carbon-dioxide-rich stream by bringing the first carbon-dioxide-rich stream into contact with a second lean absorbent solution stream, delivering a second carbon-dioxide-rich stream and a second rich absorbent solution stream, the molar concentration of carbon dioxide in the second carbon-dioxide-rich stream being greater than the molar concentration of carbon dioxide in the first carbon-dioxide-rich stream. The disclosure also relates to an installation designed to implement this process.
US08821611B2
A titanium metal or a titanium alloy having submicron titanium boride substantially uniformly dispersed therein and a method of making same is disclosed. Ti power of Ti alloy powder has dispersed within the particles forming the powder titanum boride which is other than whisker-shaped or spherical substantially uniformly dispersed therein.
US08821607B2
A particle capture unit adopted to be exposed to a space in which particles fly includes at least a first layer formed of a plurality of first fiber-like materials and a second layer formed of a plurality of second fiber-like materials. The first fiber-like materials are thinner than the second fiber-like materials and arrangement density of the first fiber-like materials in the first layer is higher than that of the second fiber-like materials in the second layer, the second layer is interposed between the first layer and the space, and the first and second layers are hardened and bonded together by sintering.
US08821605B2
The present invention relates to sintered abrasive grit agglomerates based on aluminum oxide, having homogeneously distributed nanoscale pores in the range of 100-300 nm, with a pore volume of at least 15%. The average diameter of primary particles of the aluminum oxide primary particles is less than 5 μm, wherein said primary particles are connected to each other without additional adhesive agent.
US08821604B2
A polycrystalline diamond compact includes a substrate and a polycrystalline diamond table attached to the substrate. The polycrystalline diamond table includes an upper surface and at least one peripheral surface. Diamond grains of the polycrystalline diamond table define a plurality of interstitial regions. The polycrystalline diamond table includes a region having silicon carbide positioned within at least some of the interstitial regions thereof. In an embodiment, the first region extends over only a selected portion of the upper surface and/or at least a portion of the at least one peripheral surface. In another embodiment, the first region substantially contours the upper surface and a chamfer.
US08821598B2
In certain embodiments, a system includes a first water supply pump configured to pump water from a gas scrubber sump of a gas scrubber directly to a quench chamber sump of a quench chamber via a first water supply line.
US08821595B2
This invention relates to alternative diesel fuels with improved cold flow properties. The alternative fuel may be a biodiesel which typically comprises fatty acid methyl or ethyl esters; or a diesel fuel blend including diesel fuel derived from a Fischer-Tropsch (FT) reaction and possibly comprising or containing crude-derived diesel fuel and biodiesel. The cold flow properties are improved by adding a higher alcohol component which is not a naturally occurring component of the biodiesel, nor the diesel fuel.
US08821591B2
A hair cosmetic article includes a composition A including an alkali agent; a composition B including an oxidizing agent; a composition C including a powdery oxidation assistant; and a hair cosmetic applicator including a container part (4) in which a hair cosmetic material (3) produced by mixing the compositions A, B and C and having a viscosity of 3 to 30 Pa·s at 30° C., an application part (2) by which the hair cosmetic material (3) is applied to a hair-bundle, and an extension part (5) having a liquid-leading passage (51) which communicates the container part (4) to the application part (2). The application part (2) includes a discharge port (21) and a comb part (23), and the comb part (23) includes a plurality of comb teeth (22) which are disposed substantially annularly so as to surround the discharge port (21).
US08821581B2
A prosthetic wrist can replace a portion of an anatomical wrist. A bone replacing portion can be provided that also includes an augment member to assist in fixation of the bone portion or the prosthesis to the bone. The various prosthesis embodiments can allow for a hemi- or total, or revision wrist arthroplasty. Modular portions can allow for intraopertative customization.
US08821574B2
A valve assembly for an implant has an inner shell, a self-sealing material disposed within the inner shell, and an insertion pathway extending through the self-sealing material. At least one gap is formed in the self-sealing material that intersects with the insertion pathway to define a proximal pathway section and a distal pathway section. A filling tube is passed through the valve assembly for filling the outer shell of the implant with a fluid. After the implant is filled, the filling tube is removed. As the filling tube is removed, if the self-sealing material within the distal section of the pathway is unable to self-seal before the fluid reaches its proximal end, the fluid is diverted into the gap. The time that elapses before the gap is completely filled by the fluid provides sufficient time for the self-sealing material within the proximal section of the pathway to self-seal.
US08821572B2
An intraocular lens (IOL) delivery device is disclosed. The device includes an intraocular lens cartridge having an internal coating wherein the coating includes a polymeric material that is compatible with a polymeric material of a material that forms the cartridge. Preferably, the polymeric material of the coating, the cartridge or both is a polyurethane material.
US08821566B2
Provided is alloy for medical use and a medical device that is novel and useful. The alloy for medical use according to, for example, an embodiment of the present invention is mainly composed of three kinds of elements of gold (Au), platinum (Pt), and niobium (Nb). A total content of the three kinds of elements can be no smaller than 99% by weight, in which a platinum content can be no smaller than 5% by weight and no greater than 50% by weight and a niobium content can be no smaller than 3% by weight and no greater than 15% by weight. By adjusting the content ratio of the three elements, for example, it is possible to reduce or prevent artifacts in an MRI. Non-magnetization is also possible.
US08821562B2
A crimping method that crimps a stent over multiple catheters. The method includes differentially crimping a stent on certain portions of a balloon catheter so that a second catheter can be threaded through the uncrimped portion of the stent and exit through the links of a conventional stent design or through a specific hole in the stent designed for a branched vessel.
US08821560B2
Disclosed are an optical stimulation probe structure having a probe body inserted into a subject, a fixing body that fixes the probe body and a light radiator that transmits an optical signal to the probe body, wherein the probe body is made of an optical transmission material capable of transmitting an optical signal, such that the optical signal transmitted from the light radiator is transmitted through the probe body to the subject, and a method for manufacturing the same.
US08821552B2
The invention relates to a plate-implant for use in osteosynthesis, comprising at least one first plate component with throughbores for receiving fastening screws and a connection means, at least one second plate component with throughbores for receiving fastening screws and a receiving means for receiving a connection means. According to the invention, each plate component is slidable in one direction relative to the other plate component, the plate components being provided with a device limiting their slide path relative to each other. The device comprises a clamping screw (18) having a thread and a screw head and, in the mounted state of the two plate components (2, 3), the thread cooperates with the connection means (5) and the screw head with a longitudinal borehole (14) provided in the second plate component (3) in such a way that a clamping effect is obtained between the screw head and the longitudinal borehole (14) and between the connection means (5) and the receiving means (6).
US08821551B2
The present invention is a method and device for the correction and reduction of bone deformities, such as metatarsus primus adductus, using a plate body with winged buttresses and dorsal loop. The method and device can be affixed to a bone without any drilling or violating of the bone and can use a tethering technique which does not require drilling into the second metatarsal, nor does it require the placement of a prominent suture knot/button device medially along the first metatarsal.
US08821547B2
A spinous process implant with two plates that are connected together with a post. The implant is configured for each plate to be positioned on outer lateral sides of spinous processes with the post extending through the interspinous space. One or both plates may be movable along the length of the post to accommodate different anatomies such as for relatively wide or thin spinous processes. The post includes an enlarged head at a first end to prevent the first plate from disassociating from the post in a first direction. The post also includes a boss at a second end to prevent the second plate from disassociating from the post in a second direction. Methods of attaching the implants to the spinous processes are also disclosed.
US08821546B2
Techniques for anterior partial transpedicular stabilization are disclosed. The techniques may be realized as a vertebral stabilization assembly including a first vertebral screw having a shaft with a first end, a threaded portion, and an engaging portion, and a second vertebral screw having a shaft with a first end, a threaded portion, and an engaging portion, the threaded portions configured for threading engagement of the vertebral screw with a vertebral body of a first vertebra. The vertebral stabilization assembly may further include a beveled connecting member having a first end and a second end configured to be disposed adjacent to a first side portion of an anterior side of the first vertebra, the first end of the beveled connecting member configured to engage with the first vertebral screw and the second vertebral screw.
US08821544B2
A surgical filament snare assembly including an anchor capable of being fixated in bone and having a filament engagement feature. A first filament has a noose with first and second noose limbs connected, preferably slidably, to the filament engagement feature. The first and second noose limbs emerge from the anchor as first and second free filament limbs that are capable of being passed through tissue to be repaired and then passable through the noose. The noose is capable of receiving the free filament limbs and strangulating them when tension is applied to at least one of the free filament limbs and the noose to enable incremental tensioning of the tissue after anchor fixation. Preferably, the snare assembly further includes a flexible sleeve joining at least some portion of the first and second free filament limbs to facilitate passing of the free filament limbs as a single unit.
US08821537B2
A staple for attaching a sheet-like implant to tissue or bone may include first and second arms, and first and second flukes. In some embodiments, the first arm has a proximal end and a distal end, and the second arm has a proximal end and a distal end. A bridge extends from the proximal end of the first arm to the proximal end of the second arm. The first fluke has a proximal end abutting the distal end of the first arm, and the first fluke extends distally from the first arm. The first fluke has a lateral extent larger than a lateral extent of the first arm and is mounted eccentrically thereto. The first fluke includes a proximal surface projecting at an outward angle in a proximal direction away from the distal end of the first arm to engage the tissue or bone when inserted therein. The second fluke has similar features. This arrangement causes the first and second flukes to rotate in response to a pullout force on the bridge. Methods for attaching a sheet-like implant to a target tissue are also disclosed.
US08821529B2
A device for occluding a septal defect is provided. In general, the occluding device has a contracted state that allows the occluding device to be received within a delivery device for deployment to the site of the defect and an expanded state that is achieved when the occluding device is deployed from the delivery device. The occluding device has a proximal portion, which may be substantially circular, a distal portion, which may be substantially ovaloid, and a connecting portion extending between the two. The distal portion may define first and second outer parts at opposite ends of the major axis, which may be bent or curved. The configuration of the proximal and distal portions allow the occluding device to securely engage the septal wall and be kept in position at the septal defect without causing substantial interference with the functioning of adjacent heart structures.
US08821524B2
A surgical system having feedback control for pneumatic actuators includes a pneumatic pressure source and a vitrectomy cutter having a cutting mechanism, a first pneumatic input port, and a second pneumatic input port. A pneumatic actuator is configured to direct pneumatic pressure to one of the first and second pneumatic input ports. A first pressure transducer is located and configured to detect actual pressure at the first pneumatic input port, and a second pressure transducer is located and configured to detect actual pressure at the second pneumatic input port. A controller communicates with the first and second pressure transducers and the pneumatic actuator. It is configured to change the pneumatic actuator actuation timing based on the data communicated from the first and second pressure transducers.
US08821520B2
A device for loading a surgical knotting element on an applicator tool. One embodiment of the device includes a channel dimensioned to receive an applicator tool comprising a coupling. A surgical knotting element comprises a coupling complementary to the coupling of an applicator tool and a suture path. A carriage receives the surgical knotting element. The carriage is moveable in a transverse direction relative the channel between a first position where the knotting element is misaligned with the channel and a second position where the couplings are engaged with one another.
US08821511B2
An instrument guide system for use with a surgical navigation system, the instrument guide system comprising a handle assembly, an instrument attachment assembly, a shaft connecting the handle assembly to the instrument attachment assembly, an electromagnetic sensor assembly removably mounted within an opening in the handle assembly, and an instrument removably attachable within a bore of the instrument attachment assembly.
US08821508B2
A bone fixation plate for fixation of fractures having a small terminal bone fragment, such as fractures of the distal radius. The plate includes an elongated body, and two hook members extending from a first end of the elongated body. A contoured region is configured to approximate the surface contour of the distal radius proximate the volar rim, the dorsal rim, or the radial arm. Each hook member is configured to provide subchondral support to a distal bone fragment, without causing shortening of the fragment into the metaphyseal bone, and without providing a bending torque directed to the base of the plate. The tooth members of the hook plate are preferably sharpened at their tips and edges to facilitate their impaction. A holder/impactor for gripping the radial hook plate, and for further facilitating impacting of the hook plate without the need to pre-drill pilot holes, is also provided.
US08821504B2
The embodiments provide provides devices, instruments, and associated methods for treating joint pain. A joint is evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging to detect any defects in the subchondral bone. For example, using T2-weighted MRI images, bone marrow lesions or edemas can be identified, and using T1-weighted MRI images, associated regions of sclerotic bone adjacent to the bone marrow lesion can be identified. The treatment method may involve introducing a bone void filler material at the site to address the bone marrow lesion or edema, and/or drilling and inserting an implant to address the sclerotic bone, bone marrow lesion or edema, and insufficiency or stress fractures. An access path is mapped to a location in the subchondral region where the insufficiency fracture resides. The access path attempts to preserve an articular surface of the joint. A reinforcing member that stabilizes the insufficiency fracture is then implanted via the access path.
US08821502B2
An instrument for multilevel compression and distraction of vertebrae in a spinal column includes a first arm, a second arm, a third arm, a linking member, and a coupler. The first arm includes a distal end with a first aperture for receiving a first screw extender that attaches to a first vertebra. The second arm includes a distal end with a second aperture for receiving a second screw extender that attaches to a second vertebra. The third arm includes a distal end with a third aperture for receiving a third screw extender that attaches to a third vertebra. The linking member pivotally links proximal ends of the first, second, and third arms. The coupler positions the distal ends of the first arm and the second arm relative to the third arm to compress and distract the first vertebra and the second vertebra relative to the third vertebra.
US08821500B2
A cutting block assembly comprising first and second interlocking blocks for resecting a distal femur. The first block has a first surface for providing a guiding surface for making an anterior chamfer cut on the femur and a second surface for providing a guiding surface for making a posterior chamfer cut on the femur. The second block is adapted to detachably couple to the first block. The second block has a first surface for providing a guiding surface for making an anterior cut on the femur and a second surface for providing a guiding surface for making a posterior cut on the femur.
US08821497B2
Apparatus and method of use which can be used to immobilize maxilla and mandible in dental occlusion utilizing the tissue of the interdental space.
US08821493B2
Disclosed are devices and methods for creating a bore in bone. The devices and methods described involve driving a rotating bit in an axial direction such that both rotation and linear movement are controlled and measurable. The instrument is useful for a surgeon to control and simultaneously measure the travel of the tool into the bone and prevent injury to surrounding structures.
US08821478B2
Medical devices and methods for making and using medical devices are disclosed. An example medical device may include an elongate inner member having a guidewire lumen extending therethrough. An outer member may be disposed about the inner member. An inflation lumen may be formed between the inner member and the outer member. The medical device may be configured to have a first stiffness when the inflation lumen is free of inflation media and a second stiffness different from the first stiffness when inflation media is disposed within the inflation lumen. In addition, the inner member may include a collapsible region that is configured to deflect radially inward when inflation media is disposed within the inflation lumen.
US08821472B2
The present invention provides an apparatus comprising a housing and a flexible reservoir adapted to contain a fluid and having a septum member formed from a needle-penetratable self-sealing material. The flexible reservoir is arranged within the housing in combination with mounting means arranged within or formed by the housing, wherein the mounting means engages the septum member to thereby mount the flexible reservoir relative to the housing. In this way a secure fixation between the reservoir and the housing is provided without having to interfere with the general flexibility of the reservoir, e.g. substantially the entire flexible reservoir apart from the outlet/mounting means may be arranged free to move relative to the housing, this allowing the reservoir to be emptied to a high degree.
US08821471B2
A drug bag is housed inside a container, which has two shells movable between an open position and a closed position; and a gripper fitted outside the shells and defined by two jaws movable between a grip position and a release position to grip and release at least one conduit allowing access to the content of the bag.
US08821469B2
A disposable pants-type wearing article includes belt-shaped leg elastic members. Respective opposite side edges of front and rear waist regions of the article are fusion-bonded together to define joined regions. The belt-shaped leg elastic members respectively have front side upper ends lying in the front waist region and included by the put flat and joined together regions and rear side upper ends lying in the rear waist region and included by the put flat and joined together regions. In the joined regions, lower edges of the upper ends and lower edges of the rear side upper ends are displaced one from another in such a manner that the one pair of the lower edges lies below the other pair of the lower edges.
US08821466B2
Described here are body liners and methods for treating accidental bowel leakage using one or more body liners. The body liners may be formed from one or more liner layers and in some instances may comprise one or more adhesive regions to connect the body liners to the skin of a wearer. The body liners may be configured to absorb fluid, and may selectively distribute fluid relative to the body liner.
US08821445B2
A seal assembly establishes sealing engagement with a plurality of differently dimensioned instruments passing through a trocar. The seal assembly is a caged seal assembly movably disposed within the trocar and includes at least two seal segments disposable into and out of a sealing orientation relative to the instrument. A cage structure of the seal assembly includes at least two cage segments each connected to a seal segment, a biasing assembly connected to the cage structure and disposed and structured to normally bias the seal segments into sealing orientation.
US08821443B2
A fluid delivery device for administering a first medicament and a second medicament includes a first fluid reservoir configured to contain the first medicament and a second fluid reservoir configured to contain the second medicament. The fluid delivery device may include one or more basal drive mechanisms to provide a basal delivery of one or more of the first and second medicaments. The fluid delivery device may further include one or more bolus drive mechanisms to provide a bolus delivery of one or more of the first and second medicaments.
US08821433B2
Methods of establishing an insulin delivery rate in a pump and an insulin pump are disclosed. A method includes selecting a set of alerts from one or more sets of alerts. The method also includes initiating a test process based on the set of alerts. The method further includes, upon activation of each alert in the selected set of alerts, prompting a user to input a blood glucose level.
US08821429B2
An intragastric implant comprises an anchor and a therapeutic device or a diagnostic device. The anchor is adapted to extend between the fundus and the pyloric valve of a stomach, to be retained without attachment to the stomach wall, and to anchor the device within the stomach with a relatively stable position and orientation. The therapeutic or diagnostic device is adapted to extend from the esophagus or stomach to the intestines or stomach. The therapeutic or diagnostic device, when extending into the esophagus, will be slidably received through the gastroesophageal junction and, when extending into the intestines, will be slidably received in the pyloric valve.
US08821425B2
A therapeutic pressure strap for applying pressure across a muscle or muscle groups on a mammalian limb is described. The strap is particularly well suited for treating “tennis elbow”. The strap contains an adjustable fastening means for securing and tightening the strap around a limb. The strap also possesses a plurality of pressure members (e.g., elongated rubber tubes) that apply separate and discrete areas or points of pressure in a line across a muscle or muscle group and generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the limb.
US08821422B2
The present invention generally relates to a device for applying a pulsating pressure to a local region of the body and applications thereof. The device may be used to increase the blood flow in a local region of the body, and in preferred embodiments provides a device for regulating the core body temperature of a patient.
US08821417B2
A method of monitoring human body movement includes measuring the motion of movable body parts using one or more measurement devices applied to the movable body parts during activity of the human body. A movement economy profile of the human body movement is calculated using the data from the measurement devices, where the movement economy includes determining movement relative to speed of the human body.
US08821407B2
Methods and apparatus for interpreting vaginal measurement data by electronic means without the need for the user to take part in the data interpretation process. More specifically, an intelligent probe monitors folliculogenesis and correlates the ovarian function data to probe profile characteristics of the female reproductive cycle. A fertile window is defined with reference to the correlation between folliculogenesis and probe cyclic profiles.
US08821403B2
An apparatus for assessing cardiovascular status of a mammal comprises a system for locally applying a pressure to an artery capable of restricting blood flow through said artery, a wideband external pulse transducer having an output and situated to measure suprasystolic signals proximate to said artery, and a computing device receiving said output for calculating vascular compliance values. The method described is particularly useful for determining cardiac output, assessing whether a pregnant female has preeclampsia or a patient has cardiac insufficiency, or assessing cardiac arrhythmias.
US08821400B2
Systems and methods for minimizing or eliminating transient non-glucose related signal noise due to non-glucose rate limiting phenomenon such as ischemia, pH changes, temperatures changes, and the like. The system monitors a data stream from a glucose sensor and detects signal artifacts that have higher amplitude than electronic or diffusion-related system noise. The system replaces some or the entire data stream continually or intermittently including signal estimation methods that particularly address transient signal artifacts. The system is also capable of detecting the severity of the signal artifacts and selectively applying one or more signal estimation algorithm factors responsive to the severity of the signal artifacts, which includes selectively applying distinct sets of parameters to a signal estimation algorithm or selectively applying distinct signal estimation algorithms.
US08821391B2
Methods and devices are provided for providing surgical access into a body cavity. In one embodiment, a surgical access device is provided that includes a housing coupled to a retractor. The housing can be have one or more movable sealing ports for receiving surgical instruments. Each movable sealing port can include one or more sealing elements therein for sealing the port and/or forming a seal around a surgical instrument disposed therethrough. Each movable sealing port can be rotatable relative to the housing and each sealing element can be rotatable relative to the housing along a predetermined orbital path.
US08821387B2
A removable, resilient atraumatic sheath for arthroscopic instruments. The sheath covers sharp edges on the arthroscopic instrument, particularly the distal tip of the rigid cannula, and thereby protects tissue and objects near a surgical site from accidental trauma. The sheath may be provided in the form of an inflow/outflow sheath that allows a surgeon to irrigate and drain a surgical field without the use of a separate irrigation instrument. The sheath is provided with a cylindrical grip on the proximal end to resiliently squeeze the proximal end of the arthroscopic instrument. A lever is provided to move the grip radially outwardly to release the grip from the arthroscopic instrument.
US08821386B2
A micro robot system movable on three dimensional space includes a micro robot unit including a magnet module having a certain magnetization direction and configured to rotate and proceed along a wall by a processional rotating magnetic field, and an electromagnetic field generation unit configured to set an alignment direction of the micro robot unit to have a certain angle with respect to the magnetization direction and configured to generate a magnetic field in the alignment direction to drive the micro robot unit.
US08821385B2
An insertion apparatus includes insertion unit, a rotation drive mechanism, a first rotation member which is arranged inside the insertion unit and rotates by the rotation drive mechanism, a second rotation member which is attached to an outer peripheral surface of the insertion unit and is adjacent to the first rotation member, and a helical rotation member which is rotatable in accordance with rotation of the second rotation member. The insertion apparatus include a magnetic force generation mechanism which generates a magnetic force that enables the first rotation member and the second rotation member to be attracted to and coupled and enables the second rotation member to rotate follow rotation of first rotation member. The magnetic force generation mechanism is arranged at a tubular end portion of the first rotation member and a tubular end portion of the second rotation member adjacent to the end portion.
US08821384B2
An endoscope includes an attachment unit detachably attached to an outer peripheral direction side of an insertion section to be rotatable about a longitudinal axis with respect to an insertion main body, and including a gear portion formed over an all-round inner peripheral portion of the attachment unit, a rotary gear meshing with the gear portion to allow the attachment unit to be attached to the insertion section, and a base portion defining a gear arrangement portion where the rotary gear is arranged on an outer peripheral portion of the insertion section. In the endoscope, a channel, extended through an inside of an operation section and an inside of the insertion section from an outer surface of the operation section and opened to an outside of the insertion section in the gear arrangement portion, is defined.
US08821383B2
A slotted cannula for endoscopic surgical procedures is disclosed. The slotted cannula has a tubular body having a distal end, a proximate end, an open slot extending longitudinally from the beginning of the proximate end to the proximity of the distal end, and a pair of wings integrally formed on the proximate end. The tubular body is made from a transparent material and has an inner diameter large enough to accommodate an endoscope.
US08821382B2
An image pickup unit includes a board to which an image pickup device is electrically connected, the board is provided with a first terminal portion which includes a plurality of terminals and is used when a first endoscope is configured, and a second terminal portion which includes a plurality of terminals and is used when a second endoscope is configured, a folding portion is provided between the first terminal portion and the second terminal portion of the board, when the board is used as an image pickup unit of the second endoscope, the board is folded at the folding portion, and a signal transmission member is connected to the second terminal portion, and at least one of a terminal size and a space between terminals in the second terminal portion is set to be larger than at least one of a terminal size and a terminal space in the first terminal portion.
US08821369B2
A method of providing support to an anatomical structure of the pelvis includes making a vaginal incision for providing access for placement of a mesh support device below a urethra of a patient without penetrating an abdominal wall of the patient. The mesh support device includes a sling portion and first and second soft tissues connected to first and second ends of the sling portion. The mesh support device is delivered through the vaginal incision using an introducer including a curved elongate shaft having a distal portion and a proximal portion connected to a handle. A suture is passed through a hollow tubular section of the first soft tissue anchor. The suture passed through an aperture in a distal end of the introducer and the introducer is advanced over the suture until the first soft tissue anchor is located at the distal end of the introducer.
US08821361B2
A centrifugal separator comprising: a driving portion; and a swing rotor including, a rotor body, a through-hole passing through the rotor body, pin insert grooves which are provided parallel to the through-hole so as to oppose each other and only partially penetrate the rotor body, and a bucket including, a bucket body that has a contact surface which is configured to contact the rotor body during centrifugal separation, and a cap assembly that seals the bucket body and has a swing shaft extending in a direction perpendicular to an longitudinal direction of the bucket, wherein the swing rotor is rotated when the bucket is inserted into the through-hole, to swing the bucket, and the swing shaft can be moved in the longitudinal direction of the bucket relative to the bucket body and rotated about a longitudinal central axis of the bucket.
US08821360B2
A method including: a step of carrying a continuous web; a cut-off step of cutting the continuous web into individual worn articles 1; a first folding step of folding the diaper body 2 so that a skin-contact surface of a front portion 20 and a skin-contact surface of a back portion 21 lie one each other; and a folding step of folding a pair of side panels 3, wherein in the folding step, the pair of side panels 3 are folded as second pads 32, which rotate in a folding direction in which the side panels 3 are folded with respect to a first pad 31, rotate in the folding direction, while the diaper body 2 is held on the first pad 31 and while the side panels 3 are held by the second pads 32.
US08821357B2
A dumbbell caster assembly includes a first omnidirectional wheel assembly mechanically coupled to a grip. A second omnidirectional wheel assembly is mechanically coupled to the grip. The omnidirectional wheel assemblies can include a plurality of wheel sub-wheels. The dumbbell caster assembly allows a user to perform exercises, such as push-up exercises and abdominal exercises, that require omnidirectionality.
US08821346B2
A clutch actuator unit is provided that includes a housing having a mounting space and a penetration aperture for receiving an operating rod. A slide pad and slider are disposed along an inner side surface of the mounting space, and are configured to move back and forth within the housing. An operating rod that is connected to the slider through the penetration aperture is moved back and forth, along with the slider and slide pad, through the aperture via a drive portion. A stopper is also integrally formed along the front surface of the slide pad to limit the movement of the slider accordingly. In doing so, the disclosed actuator is able to dynamically locate certain stroke positions and provide an improved shifting operation.
US08821344B2
A method for controlling a transmission gear change to a desired gear includes disengaging an offgoing transmission control element, changing engine speed to a synchronous speed of the desired gear, decreasing engine output torque, and engaging an oncoming transmission control element.