There is disclosed a polarization-modulating element for modulating a polarization state of incident light into a predetermined polarization state, the polarization-modulating element being made of an optical material with optical activity and having a circumferentially varying thickness profile.

A biochip for the integration of all steps in a complex process from the insertion of a sample to the generation of a result, performed without operator intervention includes microfluidic and macrofluidic features that are acted on by instrument subsystems in a series of scripted processing steps. Methods for fabricating these complex biochips of high feature density by injection molding are also provided.

In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a compound power converter in which the majority of power passes from input to output through only a single stage of power conversion. At least one embodiment includes a main converter with an auxiliary output. The auxiliary output energizes a reservoir that provides input power for a supplemental converter capable supplying the main output. The supplemental converter improves regulation and can provide holdover power for Power Factor Correction (PFC) or Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) operation.

A system, method, and apparatus for providing three level inverter modulation is disclosed. In one embodiment, control signals can be provided to control a three level inverter in a power converter based on at least one feedback signal.

A full bridge DC-DC converter to which a current doubler is applicable is provided and includes a transformer and a switching circuit that converts a high direct current voltage into a high alternating current voltage and then outputs the high alternating current voltage to the primary side of the transformer. In addition, an output circuit receives and processes the output of the secondary side of the transformer and supplies the processed output to an electric load. The output circuit includes a first inductor, a first contact resistor, a second inductor, a second contact resistor, a first diode, a third contact resister, a second diode, and a fourth contact resister.

A voltage regulator coupled to an unregulated DC input voltage source by an input terminal, and to a load by an output terminal is disclosed. The voltage regulator converts an input voltage at the input terminal to an output voltage at the output terminal. The voltage regulator includes one or more slaves, and each slave includes a switching circuit which serves as a power switch for alternately coupling and decoupling the input terminal to an intermediate node. The voltage regulator also includes a filter coupled to the slaves, the filter including one or more inductor banks each of which having a predetermined number of inductors.

The invention discloses a voltage source converter and a voltage source converter system. The voltage source converter comprises: a multi-level voltage source converter, being adapted to output a multiple levels of a first voltage at one of two first output terminals through a multiple of first conducting paths; a first energy store; and a first switching element, being arranged to directly connected with the first output terminal, and being adapted to switch the first energy store in or out of the first conducting path so as to combine a level of the voltage of the first energy store with the level of the first voltage as a second voltage output at a second output terminal. By having the topology as above, the voltage class of each of the power semiconductors can be kept lower with the number of the power semiconductors unchanged. Besides, VDRM is lowed as compared to conventional topology. This renders the reduction of the cost and the increase of the liability.

Aspects of the disclosure provide a sync mark detector. The sync mark detector includes a first unit configured to decay over time a value indicating a length of a bit format, a second unit configured to compare the decayed value with a detected length of the bit format to determine a new length, and a third unit configured to detect a sync mark based on the detected length and the new length.

According to one embodiment, a multilayer optical recording medium including a substrate, a guide layer group that is provided on the substrate and has guide layers in which positional information in a radial direction is recorded, and a recording layer group that is provided on the substrate and has recording layers in which information can be recorded. In the recording layer group, positional information of the recording layers associated with the positional information recorded in the guide layers and control information of the optical device where reflected light volumes of the laser beams on the guide layers and the recording layers become maximum at the positions in the radial direction are recorded at the positions in the radial direction of the recording layers.

A method of storing data includes providing a write signal for a write head of a hard disk drive, generating a transition pulse signal derived from the write signal using a transition pulse generator, and generating a logic signal to drive a thermal source associated with the write head of the hard disk drive. The logic signal includes the logical summation of a cyclical base pulse signal and the transition pulse signal.

An apparatus includes a writer, an arrangement comprising a plasmonic near-field transducer (NFT) adjacent the writer and comprising a material having a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR), and a lead arrangement connected to the NFT arrangement. In some configurations, the NFT arrangement includes a heat sink, and the lead arrangement is connected to the heat sink. In other configurations, the lead arrangement is connected directly to the NFT.

A shoulder orthosis is provided having an arm support and an optional arm spacer connected to the arm support. The arm support includes an arm retainer and a supportive strapping system. One optional arm spacer includes a pair of individual pillows which are attachably combinable with one another at a first face of the first individual pillow and a face of the second individual pillow to form one combined pillow having a first shape. The individual pillows are alternately attachably combinable with one another at a second face of the first individual pillow and the face of the second individual pillow to form another combined pillow having a second shape different from the first shape.

A system and method for long-term monitoring of cardiac conditions such as arrhythmias is disclosed. The invention includes a pulse generator including means for sensing an arrhythmia. The pulse generator is coupled to at least one subcutaneous electrode or electrode array for providing electrical stimulation such as cardioversion/defibrillation shocks and/or pacing pulses. The electrical stimulation may be provided between multiple subcutaneous electrodes, or between one or more such electrodes and the housing of the pulse generator. In one embodiment, the pulse generator includes one or more electrodes that are isolated from the can. These electrodes may be used to sense cardiac signals.

The present invention relates to a vehicular air cleaner. A DOR (Direct Ozone Reduction) system for suppressing deterioration of a purifying function of an ozone purifying material is provided. Active oxygen is produced by an ozone purifying function of activated carbon. The probability that the active oxygen contacts with a fin of a radiator on a rear surface side is higher than that on a front surface side of the radiator. Accordingly, the activated carbon on the rear surface side of the radiator is easily oxidized as compared with the activated carbon on the front surface side. Therefore, in the fin, a coating amount of the activated carbon on the front surface side of the radiator is adjusted to be larger than a coating amount of the activated carbon on the rear surface side. Thus, the probability that the active oxygen contacts with the activated carbon can be reduced.

A paper coating or binding formulation comprises an aqueous polymer dispersion comprising a copolymer obtained by polymerization of an unsaturated monomer and a carbohydrate derived compound and a tetrasulfonate-based fluorescent whitening agent. The carbohydrate derived compound can be selected from the group consisting of dextrins, maltodextrins, and mixtures thereof. Methods of preparing a paper coating or binding formulation and improving the whitening properties of paper are also provided. Furthermore, paper including a copolymer obtained by polymerization of an unsaturated monomer and a carbohydrate derived compound and a tetrasulfonate-based fluorescent whitening agent is also disclosed.

The present invention provides stable aqueous thermosetting binder compositions having a total solids content of 15 wt. % or higher, preferably, 20 wt. % or higher, and having extended shelf life comprising one or more reducing sugar, one or more primary amine compound, and one or more stabilizer acid or salt having a pKa of 8.5 or less. The total amount of stabilizer used may range from 5 to 200 mole %, based on the total moles of primary amine present in the binder. The stabilizer may be an organic stabilizer chosen from a monocarboxylic acid, a dicarboxylic acid, a fatty acid, an acid functional fatty acid ester, an acid functional fatty acid ether, or an inorganic stabilizer chosen from a mineral acid, a mineral acid amine or ammonia salt, and a Lewis acid, and mixtures thereof. The compositions can be used to provide binders for substrate materials including, for example, glass fiber.

The present invention relates to compositions and methods for improving outcomes in vascular interventional procedures. In particular, the present invention relates to compositions and methods for improving outcomes in vascular interventional procedures using an anti-no-reflow guide wire that attenuates the “no-reflow” phenomenon that is associated with negative outcomes.

A modular process for organosolv fractionation of lignocellulosic feedstocks into component parts and further processing of said component parts into one or more of a de-lignified cellulose stream, a sugar stream, small-chain alcohol streams and four structurally distinct classes of lignin derivatives. The modular process comprises a first processing module configured for digesting lignocellulosic feedstocks with an organic solvent thereby producing a cellulosic solids fraction and a liquid fraction, a second processing module configured for recovering small-chain alcohols and optionally a first class of lignin derivatives from the cellulosic solids fraction, a third processing module configured for recovering from the liquid fraction at least one of a second class and a third class of lignin derivatives or mixtures thereof, and waste stream comprising a fourth class of lignin derivatives. The fourth processing module may optionally recover the fourth class of lignin derivatives.

Disclosed are two-component lignosulfonate adhesives, methods of synthesizing two-component lignosulfonate adhesives, kits comprising two-component lignosulfonate adhesives and methods of using two-component lignosulfonate adhesives.

A molecule possessing a primary or secondary amino group and an additional functionality capable of providing a novel or improved property to a cellulose material has been permanently attached to the cellulose material in aqueous media using a water-soluble carbodiimide as the coupling agent/activator. One such molecule is 5-aminofluorescein (abbreviated as “A-fluo”) and one such cellulose material is a papermaking pulp. Papers made from a pulp furnish containing, for example, 0.01 wt. % of the “A-fluo”-attached pulp show an embedded marker feature authenticable upon UV or visible light excitation. The “A-fluo”-attached pulp can also be used for the marking and identification of a pulp furnish.

The invention describes families of compounds that utilize multihydroxyl phenyl groups to provide adhesive properties. Selection of the multihydroxy phenyl group along with linkers or linking groups and the linkages between the linkers or linking groups with polyalkylene oxides, provides materials that can be engineered to afford controllable curing time, biodegradation and/or swelling.

A polymer composition suitable for wood treatment or binding comprises a reaction product of at least a polyol and at least a crosslinking agent. The crosslinking agent has at least 2 carboxylic acid groups per molecule. A wood product comprising a wood substrate and a polymer composition as well as a wood treatment process are also disclosed.

A sizing composition for insulating products based on mineral wool, in particular on glass or on rock, includes at least one monosaccharide and/or at lest one polysaccharide, and at least one organic polycarboxylic acid having a molar mass of less than or equal to 1000. Another subject-matter of the present invention is the insulating products based on mineral fibres thus obtained and the process for the manufacture thereof.

A cellulose resin produced by binding cardanol or a derivative thereof and abietic acid or a derivative thereof to cellulose or a derivative thereof.

Biomaterials that support cell attachment and growth are provided. In one aspect, biomaterials are provided comprising a first polymer matrix comprising reactive amino moieties and a second polymer matrix that interpenetrates with the first polymer matrix, where the second polymer matrix comprises a poly(alkylene oxide) comprising two or more alkylene oxide oligomers joined by gamma-thioether carbonyl linkages. In another aspect, biomaterials are provided comprising at least one biopolymer comprising amino groups, thiol groups, and bifunctional modifiers connecting at least some of the amino groups to at least some of the thiol groups; and at least one poly(alkylene oxide) cross-linked to at least two thiol groups of the biopolymer. The biomaterials may further comprise a pharmacologically active agent or cells. Methods of administering such biomaterials to a patient in need thereof are also provided.

An ocular implant having an inlet portion and a Schlemm's canal portion distal to the inlet portion, the inlet portion being disposed at a proximal end of the implant and sized and configured to be placed within an anterior chamber of a human eye, the Schlemm's canal portion being arranged and configured to be disposed within Schlemm's canal of the eye when the inlet portion is disposed in the anterior chamber.

A device and method for delivering a vascular device to a target site is provided that maintains a proximal portion of the vascular device within a tubular sleeve by positioning a stop of an inner member at a distal opening of the tubular sleeve to block the opening. Once the stop has been moved distally via movement of the inner member to clear the opening, a band of increased thickness on the inner member can urge the proximal portion of the vascular device out of the tubular sleeve to deploy the vascular device. The vascular device may be recaptured within a delivery sheath prior to the full deployment of the proximal portion of the vascular device from the tubular sleeve by re-positioning the stop at the distal opening to hold the vascular device within the tubular sleeve as the delivery device is retracted with respect to the delivery sheath.

A vascular bypass graft having a primary member and a secondary member is disclosed. The secondary member extends from a distal second end of the primary member and has a common fluid pathway there between. The secondary member may have a flared or diffused proximal first end that facilitates low pressure fluid return and may be integrally formed with the primary member. An adjustable or fixed stenosis is provided in the secondary member which allows the fluid flow through the vascular bypass graft to be modified. The stenosis may be adjusted either manually or by way of a controller. The primary member is surgically connected to a patient's vascular system to provide an alternate route for blood flow around a vascular occlusion. The secondary member is surgically connected to another point in the vascular system to allow continuous circulation of blood through the graft thereby preventing clotting and graft failure.

An intraocular lens is disclosed with an optic that changes shape in response to forces exerted by the zonules of the eye. A haptic with an inner and outer ring couples the optic to the capsular bag of the eye. The haptic stresses the optic when the intraocular lens is in a natural state such that the internal stress is present throughout the accommodation range in order to prevent ripples and/or waves in the optic.

Ocular implant delivery assemblies are provided which include a cannula having a lumen extending therethrough, a proximal end, a proximal end opening, a distal end, a distal end opening, and a lumen extending through the cannula. A cap is provided having a closed distal end, being in contact with the outer wall of the cannula, and covering the distal end and the distal end opening of the cannula, the cap being structured to allow the distal end and the distal end opening of the cannula to pass through the cap as the cannula is passed into an eye. An ocular implant is located in the lumen. The implant may be sealed in the cannula without the addition of a liquid carrier or it may be contained in a liquid carrier medium in the cannula. The implant may be made up of a number of microparticles having different compositions or different forms. The assembly also includes a sleeve located on the proximal end of the cannula and suitable for coupling the assembly to a syringe containing a pushing gel.

An accommodating intraocular lens (AIOL) includes an optic adapted to produce a trapezoidal phase shift and a plurality of haptics. Each haptic extends from a haptic-optic junction to at least one transverse arm contacting a capsular bag of the eye, and each haptic has sufficient length and rigidity to stretch a capsular bag of the eye to contact ciliary muscles of the eye. The haptic-optic junctions vault the optic forward relative to the haptics and compression of the haptics by the ciliary muscles moves the anterior optic forward. A combined accommodative power produced by the motion of the anterior optic and the trapezoidal phase shift is at least 0.5 Diopters.

The invention encompasses devices and methods for treating one or more damaged, diseased, or traumatized intervertebral discs to reduce or eliminate associated back pain. Specifically, the invention encompasses intervertebral nucleus and annulus implants that are resistant to migration in and/or expulsion from an intervertebral disc space. The invention further encompasses kits including the implantable devices of the invention and associated delivery tools to treat annular and nuclear tissue.

A method of forming an orthopedic implant, the method comprising the steps of providing a first implant component and a second implant component, the first implant component having a stem and a second implant component including a head defining a female taper sized to receive the stem; coupling the stem to the female taper of the head; forming a modular injunction between the stem and head; applying a seal to the modular injunction to limit bodily fluid from contacting the modular injunction; and forming the orthopedic implant.

A modular, adjustable, prosthetic hip/shoulder spacer adapted to being implanted in the hip or shoulder joint; the spacer comprises a frame that supports a rotatable cylinder from which a neck extends with the ball element of the joint attached to its end, and rotating the cylinder reposition the ball in the socket; the stem is connected to the base of the frame and is implanted in the long bone (femur or humerus); the stem may be modified to include a system for delivering medication to the implantation site following surgery. The stem leg and stem base may be modified to form a modular unit to adjust the relation between a center line of the stem leg and a center line of the frame and position of the neck and ball.

An elbow prosthesis is provided and may include a first stem component attached to one of a humerus and an ulna, a second stem component attached to the other of the humerus and the ulna, and a joint disposed between and coupling the first stem component and the second stem component to permit relative movement between the first stem component and the second stem component about a first axis. The elbow prosthesis may additionally include a condyle extending from the joint and including an axis of rotation that is eccentric from the first axis.

The present invention provides a method for producing a sulfonate ester efficiently and in high yield. The present invention is an invention of a method for producing a sulfonate ester compound, which comprising reacting: (a) a compound having a sulfo group (—SO3H); and(b) a compound having a group represented by the general formula [1]: —OR1 [1] [wherein, R1 represents a sulfonyl group represented by the general formula [2]: —SO2—R2 [2] (wherein, R2 represents a halogen atom, a haloalkyl group, an alkoxy group, or an optionally substituted alkyl group or an optionally substituted aryl group) or an acyl group represented by the general formula [3]: (wherein, R3 represents an optionally substituted alkyl group or an optionally substituted aryl group)]; in the presence of an organic base which is capable of forming a salt with said sulfo group.

A ligand design allows compact nanoparticle materials, such as quantum dots (QDs), with excellent colloidal stability over a wide range of pH and under high salt concentrations. Self-assembled biomolecular conjugates with QDs can be obtained which are stable in biological environments. Energy transfer with these ligands is maximized by minimizing distances between QDs/nanoparticles and donors/acceptors directly attached to the ligands or assembled on their surfaces.

The present invention describes an inoculation process for inoculating a nucleating additive to a cast iron alloy in a pouring distributor by means of using a transferred arc plasma torch, with an anode partially immersed in the cast iron alloy and a cathode located on the surface of said alloy, the anode or the cathode or both comprising graphite, preferably synthetic crystalline graphite, which supplies said nucleating additive to the iron alloy. The invention thus describes an inoculation device useful for carrying out the inoculation process.

In one aspect, the invention is directed to a decoupler assembly for between an endless drive element and a shaft. The endless drive element may be, for example, an accessory drive belt from a vehicular engine. The shaft may be, for example, the input shaft of a belt-driven accessory, such as an alternator or a compressor. The decoupler assembly includes a hub that mounts to the shaft, a pulley that is rotatable with respect to the hub, a dampening spring and a clutch member. A part of the pulley is supported on a pulley support surface on the hub. There is a gap between the pulley and the pulley support surface. The gap has lubricant therein to facilitate sliding between the pulley and the pulley support surface. By eliminating the use of a polymeric bushing between pulley and the hub, there are several advantages that are provided.

A starting device of a spark-ignition multi-cylinder engine is provided. The device includes a multi-cylinder engine body having cylinders, fuel injection valves, ignition plugs, an intake valve drive mechanism for opening and closing intake valves, a hydraulic variable valve phase mechanism for changing a close timing of each intake valve, an engine-driven hydraulic pressure supply source for supplying a hydraulic pressure, and a start controller for controlling the fuel injection valves, the ignition plugs, and the variable valve phase mechanism. When the supplied hydraulic pressure is below a predetermined pressure, the variable valve phase mechanism locks the close timing. When an engine temperature in an engine-start is high, the start controller retards a fuel injection timing of the cylinder on intake stroke at an engine stopped timing and retards an ignition timing thereof. The start controller does not retard the close timing of the intake valve until the engine-start completes.

A torque limiting device, particularly for power transmission elements, is provided. The torque limiting device includes a first connecting member and a second connecting member, which is connected rotatably to a driven element. The first connecting member includes a motor driving disk and the second connecting member includes a sliding disk, and further includes a pin supporting body which comprises a drum that is assembled on the second connecting member and includes a plurality of radial holes, each one of which accommodates a pin that is pressed, toward the center of the drum, by elastic means, and abuts, with at least one of its faces which is inclined with respect to the central rotation axis of the second connecting member, against at least one corresponding abutment face.

A rotational vibration damper includes a primary side (32) and a secondary side (46) which is rotatable with respect to the primary side (32) around an axis of rotation (A) against the action of a damper element arrangement (28). At least one damper element unit (42) of the first group (70) and at least one damper element unit (42') of the second group (70') are pre-loaded, and the primary side (32) and the secondary side (46) are pre-loaded in a basic relative rotation position with respect to one another. Proceeding from the basic relative rotation position of the primary side (32) with respect to the secondary side (46), a pre-loading path (V, V') of at least one pre-loaded damper element unit (42) is shorter than a maximum relative rotation path of the primary side (32) with respect to the secondary side (46).

A multi-legged apparatus enables a multi-legged robot to provide a natural motion, and includes a body portion comprising a body, a front leg portion comprising a front fixing portion fixed to the body, and a front rotating portion rotatably connected to the front fixing portion, a rear leg portion connected to the body and a rear leg portion comprising a rear rotating portion rotatably connected to the rear fixing portion, and a first link rotatably connected, at both ends, to the front and rear rotating portions, respectively. The body portion additionally includes a driving portion which rotates one of the front and rear rotating portions. By employing the first link and the driving portion, the body of the multi-legged robot is moved to and fro and left and right naturally in accordance with the movement of the legs, in a similar pattern as that generally shown in actual multi-legged animals.

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide robotic control modules for use in a robotic control system of a vehicle, including structures, systems and methods, that can provide (i) a robotic control module that has multiple functional circuits, such as a processor and accompanying circuits, an actuator controller, an actuator amplifier, a packet network switch, and a power supply integrated into a mountable and/or stackable package/housing; (ii) a robotic control module with the noted complement of circuits that is configured to reduce heat, reduce space, shield sensitive components from electro-magnetic noise; (iii) a robotic control system utilizing robotic control modules that include the sufficiently interchangeable functionality allowing for interchangeability of modules; and (iv) a robotic control system that distributes the functionality and processing among a plurality of robotic control modules in a vehicle.

A vision correction method for establishing the position of a tool center point (TCP) for a robot manipulator includes the steps of: defining a preset position of the TCP; defining a preset coordinate system TG with the preset position of the TCP as its origin; capturing a two-dimensional picture of the preset coordinate system TG to establish a visual coordinate system TV; calculating a scaling ratio λ of the vision coordinate system TV relative to the preset coordinate system TG; rotating the TCP relative to axes of the preset coordinate system TG; capturing pictures of the TCP prior to and after rotation; calculating the deviation ΔP between the preset position and actual position of the TCP; correcting the preset position and corresponding coordinate system TG using ΔP, and repeating the rotation through correction steps until ΔP is less than or equal to a maximum allowable deviation of the robot manipulator.

A system for locating goods stored in a storage area includes a computer, radio frequency transceivers and modular hangers. Ordered goods are placed in storage units that each have addresses at a central filling center. The filled storage units are shipped to local storage areas where they are coupled to hook units to form modular hangers and stored on rails. The identifications of the goods and the electronic addresses for corresponding hangers are stored on a local computer database. When a user wants to pick up goods stored in the containers, the user inputs the identification or order information for the goods and the computer will cause the radio frequency transmitter to emit a data packet that includes a search address and illumination data. The hangers compare the search address to the electronic address. If there is a match, the hanger is illuminated so the ordered goods can be found.

A reagent for conjugation to a biomolecule, wherein the reagent is a single molecule with at least three functional parts and has schematic structure (I): a) wherein a trifunctional cross-linking moiety is coupled to b) an affinity ligand via a linker 1, said affinity ligand being capable of binding with another molecule having affinity for said ligand, to c) an effector agent, optionally via a linker 2, said effector agent exerting its effect on cells, tissues and/or humorous molecules in vivo or ex vivo, and to d) a biomolecule reactive moiety, optionally via a linker 3, said moiety being capable of forming a bond between the reagent and the biomolecule.

The present disclosure provides a photoreactive synthetic regulator of protein function. The present disclosure further provides a light-regulated polypeptide that includes a subject synthetic regulator. Also provided are cells and membranes comprising a subject light-regulated polypeptide. The present disclosure further provides methods of modulating protein function, involving use of light.

A variable-voltage variable-frequency power source for an electric motor that drives a re-circulation pump for a boiling water nuclear reactor. The power source has a semiconductor electric power converter and a speed controller for controlling the semiconductor electric power converter. When a part of the semiconductor electric power converter comes into an inoperative state, that part is electrically disconnected, and the variable-voltage variable-frequency power source temporarily stops outputting power, thereby idling the re-circulation pump. Thereafter, the power source re-starts outputting power before the re-circulation pump completely stops. Thus, the re-circulation pump keeps operating, without stopping.

Illustrative embodiments provide a nuclear fission reactor, a vented nuclear fission fuel module, methods therefor and a vented nuclear fission fuel module system.