147results about How to "Avoid expenses" patented technology

Robotic devices, systems, and methods for use in robotic surgery and other robotic applications, and / or medical instrument devices, systems, and methods includes both a reusable processor and a limited-use robotic tool or medical treatment probe. A memory the limited-use component includes machine readable code with data and / or programming instructions to be implemented by the processor. Programming of the processor can be updated by shipping of new data once downloaded by the processor from a component, subsequent components can take advantage of the updated processor without repeated downloading.

The invention provides aqueous alkaline compositions useful in the microelectronics industry for stripping or cleaning semiconductor wafer substrates by removing photoresist residues and other unwanted contaminants. The compositions typically contain (a) one or more metal ion-free bases at sufficient amounts to produce a pH of about 10-13 and one or more bath stabilizing agents having at least one pKa in the range of 10-13 to maintain this pH during use; (b) optionally, about 0.01% to about 5% by weight (expressed as % SiO2) of a water-soluble metal ion-free silicate; (c) optionally, about 0.01% to about 10% by weight of one or more chelating agents; (d) optionally, about 0.01% to about 80% by weight of one or more water-soluble organic co-solvents; and (e) optionally, about 0.01% to about 1% by weight of a water-soluble surfactant.

The invention provides alkaline compositions useful in the microelectronics industry for stripping or cleaning semiconductor wafer substrates by removing photoresist residues and other unwanted contaminants. The compositions contain (a) one or more bases and (b) one or more metal corrosion inhibiting metal halides of the formula: WzMXy where M is a metal selected from the group Si, Ge, Sn, Pt, P, B, Au, Ir, Os, Cr, Ti, Zr, Rh, Ru, and Sb; X is a halide selected from F, Cl, Br and I; W is selected from H, to an alkali or alkaline earth metal, and a metal ion-free hydroxide base moiety; y is a numeral of from 4 to 6 depending on the metal halide; and z is a numeral of 1, 2 or 3.

Described herein is a monolithic flooring system that includes cove elements that are shaped to provide a transition between floor and wall such that a floor coating may be installed over the cove elements and sub-flooring to create a unitary floor-cove covering making for a surface that is more sanitary and easier to clean. Also described are various shaped cove elements that enable creation of a good transition between wall and floor. The cove elements are preferably made of material similar to the sub-floor, for instance a cementitious material. The floor coating is preferably a resinous material.

Systems and methods are disclosed for generating georeference information with respect to aerial images. In particular, in one or more embodiments, systems and methods generate georeference information relating to aerial images captured without ground control points based on existing aerial images. For example, systems and methods can access a new set of aerial images without ground control points and utilize existing aerial images containing ground control points to generate a georeferenced representation corresponding to the features of the new set of aerial images. Similarly, systems and methods can access a new image without ground control points and utilize an existing georeferenced orthomap to produce a georeferenced orthomap corresponding to the features of the new image. One or more embodiments of the disclosed systems and methods permit users to obtain georeference information related to new images without the need to place ground control points or collect additional georeference information.

A method of treatment of lower extremity body pain is described comprising freezing a portion of the lower extremity, for example, for cryoanalgesia. In one form, a method of treating a Morton's neuroma comprises freezing the neuroma in the foot. In another preferred form, a method of treating plantar fasciitis comprises freezing a tissue portion in or adjacent to the foot. The methods include inserting a cryogenic probe through a skin surface for percutaneous access to a region for cryoanalgesia, and operating the probe to provide one or more successive freeze cycles.

Robotic devices, systems, and methods for use in robotic surgery and other robotic applications, and / or medical instrument devices, systems, and methods includes both a reusable processor and a limited-use robotic tool or medical treatment probe. A memory the limited-use component includes machine readable code with data and / or programming instructions to be implemented by the processor. Programming of the processor can be updated by shipping of new data once downloaded by the processor from a component, subsequent components can take advantage of the updated processor without repeated downloading.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit includes providing a fabricated integrated circuit on a wafer. A test fixture is connected to unencapsulated pads on the integrated circuit to monitor an operating parameter for the circuit and to determine a unique identifier for the die. The parameter is analyzed in post processing.

The present invention relates to methods of treating a subterranean formation with a composition including a compound made by a microorganism or a microorganism that can make the compound. Various embodiments provide methods of using compositions for treatment of subterranean formations including exopolysaccharides or microorganisms that can make exopolysaccharides under downhole conditions. In various embodiments, the present invention provides a method of treating a subterranean formation, including providing at least one exopolysaccharide by subjecting an extremophilic or extremotolerant microorganism to conditions such that the microorganism forms the exopolysaccharide, or by subjecting a microorganism genetically modified using an extremophilic or extremotolerant microorganism to conditions such that the microorganism forms the exopolysaccharide. The method can also include contacting a composition including the exopolysaccharide with a subterranean material downhole.

A renewable energy, single well, primarily self-flow, geothermal heat / power production system that acquires naturally occurring sub-surface geothermal heat to heat water and / or produce mechanical / electrical power using a heat exchangers or a turbine / generator. The sub-surface structures defining a working fluid flow path may be insulated, such as with vacuum insulation, to increase system efficiency and ensure a substantially self-generating working fluid flow.

The inventive system uses a trust network rating system to target advertisements thereby increasing the effectiveness as well as the palatability of the advertisement. A user of an online system sets up a trust network by indicating criteria whereby the user trusts other users. Ratings made by the other users of goods or services are evaluated according to the particular trust network the user has set up. The user receives advertisements only from those vendors who have met thresholds based on the evaluated ratings. This ensures that the user receives only pertinent and interesting advertisements so that the user is more likely to respond positively to the advertisements.

A catalytic conversion process using a fluidized conversion zone, which requires a minimum superficial gas velocity to function properly, and a motor-driven, capacity-limited product compressor zone is started up using a thermal compressor by establishing two start-up gas recirculation circuits, one using the product compression zone running at high pressure to recirculate about 40 to 60 vol-% of the effluent gas stream from the conversion zone and the other running at low pressure and carrying the remaining portion of the effluent gas stream from the fluidized conversion zone where the high pressure circuit supplies motive gas to the thermal compression zone and the low pressure circuit supplies suction gas to the thermal compressor and the resulting compressed discharge gas enables the catalytic process to start up without the use of a dedicated motor-driven start-up compressor.

A single well servicing combination unit comprising: a hydraulic manifold removably connectable to the power-take-off of an external power source to drive a plurality of hydraulic pumps and motors that control a plurality of well servicing units mounted on said combination unit, said well servicing units being interconnectable by plumbing.

A system and method for recording an individual performing an activity such as a golf swing includes a kiosk structure with an easy to use intelligent user interface to allow the individual to use the recording to analyze his or her own performance. The system accommodates input from multiple cameras to allow the playback of different views of the activity without the need to reposition the capture portion of the system in a different location, and can correct or partially correct the images that contain conventional distortion from fish-eye or other lenses that are used to provide close-up images, thereby allowing the use of the system in the spaces of existing facilities. The system may include an array microphone in the kiosk to detect the hit of the target ball while rejecting hits from adjacent stalls, which enables the system to identify and synchronize, at the point of impact, multiple video images of the same swing or of different swings. The system can employ any of a variety of conventional payment systems to allow it to integrate into the operations of the facility in which it will be used. The system can advertise and integrate with other facility operations to allow it to direct business to a professional or other operation of the facility.

A cooling system for internal combustion engines provides directed flows of heated or cooled coolant to various engine components and / or accessories as needed. By providing directed flows, the overall coolant flow volume is reduced from that of conventional cooling systems, allowing for a smaller capacity water pump to be employed which results in a net energy savings for the engine. Further, by reducing the overall coolant flow volume, the hoses and / or galleries required for the directed flows are reduced from those of conventional cooling systems, providing a cost savings and a weight savings. Finally, by preferably employing an impellor type water pump, the expense of an electric water pump and its associated control circuitry can be avoided. The direct flows are established by a multifunction valve which, in a preferred implementation, comprises a two-plate valve wherein each plate is operated by a wax motor.

The invention discloses a remote fire monitoring electric meter system based on Internet of Things. The remote fire monitoring electric meter system comprises electric meter detectors, an Internet of Things monitoring detectors and a monitoring center platform, wherein the electric meter detectors are used for detecting residual current, wire through current and temperature data in a circuit in real time; the Internet of Things monitoring detectors are used for analyzing and processing data sent by the electric meter detectors, judging whether phenomena that the electricity is leaked, the circuit is overloaded and the temperature of electric devices is abnormal occur in the circuit or not, and sending the abnormal phenomena to the monitoring center platform through the Internet of Things; the monitoring center platform is used for comprehensively managing the abnormal data sent by the Internet of Things monitoring detectors, alarming through a central alarming platform when the circuit is abnormal, accurately displaying positions of faults, automatically informing relevant responsible personnel to repair the faults and eliminate hidden danger through calls or short messages. The remote fire monitoring electric meter system can be simultaneously linked with a fire protection monitoring center, so that the fire protection monitoring and early-warning capability can be improved; the remote monitoring is achieved; the fire protection force can be remotely deployed; new generation of information network communication is accelerated and promoted; the electricity safety innovative service mode is promoted.

A cooling system for internal combustion engines provides directed flows of heated or cooled coolant to various engine components and / or accessories as needed. By providing directed flows, the overall coolant flow volume is reduced from that of conventional cooling systems, allowing for a smaller capacity water pump to be employed which results in a net energy savings for the engine. Further, by reducing the overall coolant flow volume, the hoses and / or galleries required for the directed flows are reduced from those of conventional cooling systems, providing a cost savings and a weight savings. Finally, by preferably employing an impellor type water pump, the expense of an electric water pump and its associated control circuitry can be avoided. The direct flows are established by a multifunction valve which, in a preferred implementation, comprises a two-plate valve wherein each plate is operated by a wax motor.

The invention involves vehicle navigation equipment area, and is a control method for a group of vehicles driving. The method is based on each member's navigation system as a platform, by group creating mechanism, position reporting mechanism, message sending mechanism, group termination mechanism to implement the information exchange among team members.

The invention provides a method for selecting a network in a heterogeneous wireless network and the method comprises the steps that: the weight is distributed to at least one attribute value to the network and a mobile terminal; the weight vector, the utility function of a corresponding network, the network attribute value collected by the mobile terminal and the attribute value of the mobile terminal itself of the attribute to which the weight is distributed are inputted into an attribute matrix; the evaluation value of each candidate network is calculated by utilizing the attribute matrix; a final target network is then determined on the basis of the obtained evaluation value of each candidate network. In addition, the invention also includes a device for selecting a network in the heterogeneous wireless network.

A system and method are described whereby an IP telemetry gateway is hosted by an MVNO in order to relay the telemetry information between remote devices located in an IP network and telemetry servers operated by legacy telemetry customers. In an embodiment, the IP network is a CDMA2000 1× wireless network. Once the IP network identifies a device as part of the telemetry network, it assigns such device a static private IP address. A VPN connection is used to extend the private network of remote devices to the IP telemetry gateway. The IP telemetry gateway maps each remote device's legacy address to its corresponding IP address in order to communicate with the legacy servers and the wireless network via circuit switched and packet data connections respectively. Preferably, the remote devices maintain an always on data connection to allow the telemetry servers to address the remote devices at any time.

A USB transmitter 3.3V output stage includes a PMOS cascode transistor connected between a PMOS pullup transistor and a USB port data pin, an NMOS cascode transistor connected between an NMOS pulldown transistor and the data pin, and an output driver circuit that generates a pullup signal range of 0.8V to 3.3V, and a pulldown signal range of 0V to 2.5V, whereby the pullup and pulldown transistors are subjected to 2.5V gate-to-source potentials. A protection / bias circuit biases the PMOS cascode transistor during normal operation such that the pullup resistance matches the pulldown resistance, and turns off the PMOS cascode transistor to shut off the pullup path during a 5V short condition. N-wells of the PMOS pullup and cascode transistors are connected to the 3.3V supply via a resistor.

An optically addressed, photoconductive spatial light modulator (SLM) operates in a transmissive mode and is capable of modulating a wide spectrum of visible light. There is no pixel structure or native pixel resolution in the SLM. The SLM has no photodiodes and does not rectify. A light projection system (100) in which one or more SLMs (128, 130, 132) are placed includes a write (image definition) UV light path (102) and a read (illumination) visible light path (104) to form a color image projection display. The write UV light propagates from an image display pattern source (120) and either sequentially or continuously writes image patterns on the photoconductive SLMs. The read visible light propagates through the SLM and is modulated by an electro-optical material, the optical properties of which change in response to the image structure carried by the write light. The result is a high efficiency display system that delivers high resolution color images through a projection lens (190) onto a display screen.

A method and apparatus for controlling the presentation of video information previously recorded on a digital video disc enables a user to simply select for playback specified segments of the information prerecorded on the video disc with avoidance of objectionable material such as violence, profanity, vulgarity and nudity as identified by a preproduced movie mask file for the particular motion picture or other video information on the video disc. Also disclosed is the structure of such a movie mask file.

A CPU life-extension apparatus and method makes a processor appear to be an upgraded CPU to substantially all software applications accessed thereby, thereby reducing the need and expense of upgrading a selected processor. A CPU life-extension module translates new instructions, intended for a CPU upgrade, into instructions recognized by the processor. In addition, the CPU life-extension module is programmed to monitor reads from and writes to a processor's flags register to modify the flags to emulate those of an upgraded CPU. The CPU life-extension module is configured to respond to interrupts generated by the processor in order to perform its various tasks.

The present invention is directed to a continuous process for pretreating a lignocellulosic feedstock. A feedstock slurry is provided, which has a solids concentration of 10% to 33% by weight. The feedstock slurry is pumped through a heating train of at least two stages, each stage including a pump to increase stage pressure and a direct steam injection to heat the feedstock slurry. Acid is also added to the feedstock slurry prior to the heating train, during a heating stage, or after leaving the heating train; the acid is added at a concentration of 0% to 12% weight of acid on weight of initial feedstock. A heated, acidified feedstock slurry is thus produced. The heated, acidified feedstock slurry is flowed through a pre-treatment reactor at a temperature of 160° C. to 280° C. for a time sufficient to increase efficiency of conversion of cellulose in the feedstock to glucose using cellulase enzymes. After the slurry exits the pre-treatment reactor, it is cooled using two, or more than two flashing stages at successively lower pressures, without intermittent increases in pressure. The steam energy, at or near its flash temperature, from two or more than two of the flashing stages is used to heat the feedstock slurry in the heating train.

A single mounting device is provided for each trolley riser for use with a set of shims in order to accurately align and secure a clamp to a datum. In another aspect, a generally polyhedron-shaped clamp body is used with a mounting plate to secure a clamp in different orientations relative to a manufacturing plant locator.

Methods and kits for determining appropriate treatment for illnesses in humans or animals are disclosed. The method includes:providing a test kit containing a random arrangement of drug(s) and placebo(s) and / or alternative treatment(s) along with a questionnaire or other instrument designed to elicit data concerning the safety, efficacy and desirability of a treatment;administering the drug(s) and placebo(s) and / or alternative treatments to each member of the pool in a random, double blind fashion and following up on patient outcomes as appropriate post-study;assembling a database from the completed pool questionnaires and revealing the random schedule to uncover drug and placebo treatment periods;providing the same kit to a patient in need of the same treatment and comparing the results obtained from the single patient trial with those obtained from the pool to determine an optimal treatment for the patient with the drug; andadministering a treatment consistent with the optimal treatment.