Abstract: An improved apparatus for thermally developing a flexographic printing element to reveal a relief image on the surface and a method of using the apparatus to develop a flexographic printing element. The apparatus typically comprises means for softening or melting a crosslinked photopolymer on the imaged and exposed surface of the flexographic printing element; at least one roll that is contactable with the imaged surface of the flexographic printing element and capable of moving over at least a portion of the imaged surface of the flexographic printing element to remove the softened or melted non-crosslinked photopolymer on the imaged and exposed surface of the flexographic printing element; and means for maintaining contact between the at least one roll and the imaged and exposed surface of the flexographic printing element. A layer of resilient compressible material is positioned between the flexographic printing element and a supporting conveying means.

Abstract: A system for treating a vascular condition includes a catheter having an inner member and an outer member, the outer member concentrically arranged about the inner member and a retractable drug delivery device disposed at a distal end of the inner member. A coating disposed on at least a portion of an outer surface of the retractable drug delivery device includes at least one therapeutic agent.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are controlled release drug delivery systems. The systems comprise a medical device at least one nonoporous surface, at least one bioactive agent and optionally a biodegradable polymer. The nanoporous surfaces of the medical devices contain nanopores capable of acting as reservoirs for drugs that are controllably released.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a process and an apparatus for treating a photosensitive element to form a relief structure suitable for flexographic printing plate. The apparatus comprises an enclosure, a conveyor, a heatable roller with absorbent material conducted over it, and a roller that can significantly smooth or uniformly roughen the relief structure of the flexographic printing plate. Previously selectively cured photosensitive elements are developed by means of the heatable roller by blotting with the absorbent material, and the resulting relief structure is made uniform by way of a smoothing or roughening roller. The flexographic plates produced by the method and apparatus are especially suited to processes that require substantially smoothed or uniformly roughened printing plate surfaces, which are capable of producing better quality printing.

Abstract: A drug coating is formed by vaporizing a drug in a deposition chamber having an implantable medical device such as a stent loaded therein. A vacuum is utilized to lower the pressure within the deposition chamber, thereby reducing the temperature necessary to vaporize the drug. The drug is then deposited onto the implantable medical device while in a vapor phase to form the drug coating.

Abstract: The invention provides a bio-sensing nanodevice comprising: a stabilized biologically-derived G-protein coupled receptor—the olfactory receptor—on a support, a real time receptor-ligand binding detection method, an odorant delivery system and an odorant recognition program. The biologically-derived G-protein coupled receptor can be stabilized on nanotechnology using surfactant peptide. The said nanodevice provides a greater surface area for better precision and sensitivity to odorant detection. The invention further provides a microfluidic chip containing a stabilized biologically-derived G-protein coupled receptor—the olfactory receptor—immobilized on a support, and arranged in at least two dimensional microarray system. The invention also provides a method of delivering odorant comprising the step of manipulating the bubbles in complex microfluidic networks wherein the bubbles travel in a microfluidic channel carrying a variety of gas samples to a precise location on a chip.

Abstract: A drug delivery stent is formed by a metallic or polymeric tubular strut which is shaped into a generally cylindrical configuration, the tubular strut having a central lumen for containing a therapeutic substance or drug therein. The tubular strut has a continuous channel extending from the inside surface of the strut to the outside surface of the strut positioned spirally about or in a corkscrew fashion around a circumference of the tubular strut for delivering the therapeutic substance or drug to a stenotic lesion. The spiral or corkscrew channel width may be varied along the length of the strut to control elution rate and/or flexibility of the stent. The pitch of the spiral or corkscrew channel may also be varied along the length of the strut to control flexibility of the stent. The stent may be carried on a balloon of a balloon catheter to a site of a stenotic lesion where the stent is implanted.

Abstract: A system for treating a vascular condition includes a stent having a biodegradable coating on the stent framework. The coating releases a therapeutically effective amount of therapeutic agent as a function of degradation of the coating. Also provided is a method of treating a vascular condition by placing a stent having a biodegradable coating at a treatment site and delivering a therapeutically effective amount of therapeutic agent at the treatment site as a function of degradation of the coating. Also provided is a method of improving the performance of a medical device by including a biodegradable coating on the surface of the device and releasing a therapeutically effective amount of a therapeutic agent at the treatment site as a function of degradation of the coating.

Abstract: An electronic circuit that drives a driven element to which driving voltage or driving current is supplied. The electronic circuit includes a signal line, a unit circuit connected to the signal line, and a voltage supply line. The unit circuit includes a driving transistor, a switching element, and a capacitive element. The driving transistor includes a gate terminal, a first terminal, a second terminal connected to the voltage supply line, and a channel formed between the first terminal and the second terminal. The switching element controls electrical connection between the gate terminal of the driving transistor and one of the first terminal and the second terminal. The capacitive element includes a first electrode connected to the gate terminal of the driving transistor and a second electrode connected to the signal line. A conductive state between the first terminal and the second terminal is controlled by a gate voltage applied to the gate terminal.

Abstract: A method for achieving accurate page margins on a media and a duplex imaging apparatus thereof. The method comprises: detecting a leading edge position by an edge sensor and a first left-to-right position of the media by an alignment sensor in a first imaging path; imaging a first side of the media in a print zone of the duplex imaging apparatus; removing the media from the print zone and disposing the media in a second imaging path; detecting a leading edge position by the edge sensor and a second left-to-right position of the media by the alignment sensor; determining a carrier reset distance by calculating a difference between first and second left-to-right positions, and shifting a print image by a distance substantially equal to the carrier reset distance thereby achieving accurate page margins for imaging a second side of the media with the print image. In another embodiment, the first left-to-right position can be determined by feeding the media into a preset first left-to-right position.

Abstract: The present invention provides a wet or dry bio-sensitized photoelectric conversion device (photodetector or photovoltaic) comprising: a stabilized biologically-derived sensitizer, such as a stablilized photosystem I (PS-I), deposited on nanowires, semiconductor material, electrodes and a support. The nanowires provide a greater surface area of the light absorption layer for better energy conversion efficiency and are chosen such as to complement the absorption spectrum of the sensitizer and protect the sensitizer from photobleaching.

Abstract: The size of a print area may be determined using a hand-held printer including an internal tracking device, such as an optical mouse device. Based on the size of the print area, and one or more user settings, an image to be printed on the print surface by the hand-held printer may be scaled and/or repositioned. The hand-held printer may print the image to a desired size while centering the image or otherwise repositioning it, scaling it to fit within user-defined margins or areas, and the like.

Abstract: A duplexing auto-document feeder for an all-in-one device having an input tray for stacking a plurality of sheets in feeding communication with a unidirectional feedpath including a simplex path and a duplex path. An image sensor is aligned with first and second platens along the unidirectional feedpath and a selectively actuatable gate is disposed downstream of the input tray directing each of the plurality of sheets through one of a simplex or duplex scanning path. An image sensor is in optical communication with the first and second platens and the simplex and duplex paths.

Abstract: A memory has an ECC-enabled mode and an ECC-disabled mode in which the portion of the memory dedicated to use as storing ECC in the ECC-enabled mode is used for storing general purpose information (data) in the ECC-disabled mode. This is achieved in a non-volatile memory (NVM) by having the data and the portion of the memory with the corresponding ECC on the same word line. This is particularly important in an NVM because of complication relating to erase. In the ECC-enabled mode the ECC and corresponding data should be erased, programmed, and read together in order to avoid a significant layout and performance penalty. This is best achieved by having the ECC and the data on the same word line.

Abstract: A multi-function device and a method of operation are described, wherein the multi-function device includes a scanner, a printer, and a controller. The controller is operable to communicate with the scanner, the printer, and a second device, operable to convert scanned image data to electronic data in the printer format, and operable to convert scanned image data to electronic data in a standard format readable by the second device. The controller is also responsive to a user control communicating with the controller for implementing a copy and scan mode, wherein while in the copy and scan mode, the scanner performs a single scanning operation for each page of a desired original to produce scanned image data representing the desired original. The controller converts the scanned image data to electronic data in a printer format and to electronic data in a standard format, and transmits the printer formatted electronic data to the printer and the standard formatted electronic data to the second device.

Abstract: To gain a better understanding of brain tumor angiogenesis, new techniques for isolating brain endothelial cells (ECs) and evaluating gene expression patterns were developed. When transcripts from brain ECs derived from normal and malignant colorectal tissues were compared with transcripts from non-endothelial cells, genes predominantly expressed in the endothelium were identified. Comparison between normal- and tumor-derived endothelium revealed genes that were specifically elevated in tumor-associated brain endothelium. These results confirm that neoplastic and normal endothelium in human brains are distinct at the molecular level, and have significant implications for the development of anti-angiogenic therapies in the future.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a printing mechanism having a media path. A print media source is provided for supplying a sheet of print media to the printing mechanism. A drive unit is provided, with a drive shaft coupled to the drive unit. A media sensor device is mounted to the drive shaft, wherein as the drive shaft is rotated in a first direction the media sensor device is moved from a first position that is out of the media path to a second position that is in the media path for sensing the sheet of print media. As the drive shaft is rotated in a second direction opposite to the first direction the media sensor device is moved from the second position that is in the media path for sensing the sheet of print media to the first position that is out of the media path.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a mid-frame for supporting the sheet of print media. A unitary carrier support frame is positioned above the mid-frame. The unitary carrier support frame defines a first guide member and a second guide member, wherein a longitudinal extent of each of the first guide member and the second guide member is in a direction substantially perpendicular to the sheet feed direction. A printhead carrier is provided having a first bearing member for engaging the first guide member, and a second bearing member for engaging the second guide member.

Abstract: Printer (1) has a pivotally mounted autocompensating system (19) mounted at an intermediate position in paper guide (17). That system (19) is driven by a motor (40) through a slip drive (70, 72, 74). The motor also drives paper feed system (15). When the motor turns in a direction to feed by system (15), the intermediate system is moved away from the paper guide. When a sheet reaches a position to be fed by the intermediate system, the motor is reversed, and the intermediate system pivots against the paper for moving it further through the paper guide.

Abstract: Disclosed are compounds of formula(I): wherein Ar1, Ar2, R1, R2, R3, R4 and Xa are defined herein. The compounds of the invention inhibit Itk kinase and are therefore useful for treating diseases and pathological conditions involving inflammation, immunological disorders and allergic disorders. Also disclosed are processes for preparing these compounds and to pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds.