What is claimed is:
1. A photoelectric switch comprising:
a light emitting means for periodically emitting pulsed detection light;
a light receiving means for photoelectrically converting said pulsed detection light and thereby outputting corresponding light detection signals; and
a signal processing means for generating an on-off judgment output for switching on or off said photoelectric switch;
said signal processing means including:
a level shifting means for shifting the level of the light detection signals towards a specified level during a specified light receiving period by an amount corresponding to the difference between said specified level and the level of the light detection signal at a time immediately before said pulsed detection light is expected to arrive; and
a condition judging means for judging, on the basis of the light detection signal with the level shifted by said level shifting means, whether or not at least one of conditions to be used for generating said on-off judgment output is satisfied;
wherein said condition judging means serves to generate said on-off judgment output at least on the condition that the levels of the light detection signal at a first timing when a peak of the light detection signal is expected to arrive and at a second timing when a bottom of the light detection signal after an overshoot period is expected to arrive are in a specified size relationship.
2. The photoelectric switch of claim 1 wherein said condition judging means serves to generate said on-off judgment output on an additional condition that the level of the light detection signal at said first timing and said specified level are in a specified size relationship.
3. A photoelectric switch comprising:
a light emitting means for periodically emitting pulsed detection light;
a light receiving means for photoelectrically converting said pulsed detection light and thereby outputting corresponding light detection signals; and
a signal processing means for generating an on-off judgment output for switching on or off said photoelectric switch;
said signal processing means including:
a level shifting means for shifting the level of the light detection signals towards a specified level during a specified light receiving period by an amount corresponding to the difference between said specified level and the level of the light detection signal at a time immediately before said pulsed detection light is expected to arrive; and
a condition judging means for judging, on the basis of the light detection signal with the level shifted by said level shifting means, whether or not at least one of conditions to be used for generating said on-off judgment output is satisfied;
wherein said light emitting means is controlled to emit light at least three times per period of light emission from a fluorescent lamp in an environment of said photoelectric switch; and
wherein said condition judging means obtains a plurality of comparison results by comparing a specified level and the level of the light detection signal at times when a peak of said pulsed detection light is expected to arrive and generates said on-off judgment output according to the majority of the comparison results obtained within a period of light emission.
4. The photoelectric switch of claim 1 wherein said light emitting means includes a driving means for outputting a driving pulse signal at a timing specified by a light emission control signal and a light emitting element for emitting pulsed detection light to a specified target region in response to said driving pulse signal outputted from said light emitting means;
wherein said light receiving means includes a light receiving element for receiving reflection of said pulsed detection light arriving from said target region and carrying out photoelectric conversion on the received reflected light and an amplifier for generating a light detection signal by amplifying the output from said light receiving element.
5. The photoelectric switch of claim 4 wherein said condition judging means serves to generate said on-off judgment output on an additional condition that the level of the light detection signal at said first timing and said specified level are in a specified size relationship.
6. The photoelectric switch of claim 3 wherein said light emitting means includes a driving means for outputting a driving pulse signal at a timing specified by a light emission control signal and a light emitting element for emitting pulsed detection light to a specified target region in response to said driving pulse signal outputted from said light emitting means;
wherein said light receiving means includes a light receiving element for receiving reflection of said pulsed detection light arriving from said target region and carrying out photoelectric conversion on the received reflected light and an amplifier for generating a light detection signal by amplifying the output from said light receiving element.
7. The photoelectric switch of claim 4 wherein said level shifting means comprises an AC signal transmitting circuit having an input side and an output side, said AC signal transmitting circuit functioning to transmit AC components of signals on said input side to said output side, to initialize DC potential to be superposed to the AC component on said output side to a specified potential level, and to repeatedly initialize the DC potential to be superposed to the AC component on said output side to said specified potential immediately before the timing at which said pulsed detection light is expected to arrive.
8. The photoelectric switch of claim 5 wherein said level shifting means comprises an AC signal transmitting circuit having an input side and an output side, said AC signal transmitting circuit functioning to transmit AC components of signals on said input side to said output side, to initialize DC potential to be superposed to the AC component on said output side to a specified potential level, and to repeatedly initialize the DC potential to be superposed to the AC component on said output side to said specified potential immediately before the timing at which said pulsed detection light is expected to arrive.
9. The photoelectric switch of claim 6 wherein said level shifting means comprises an AC signal transmitting circuit having an input side and an output side, said AC signal transmitting circuit functioning to transmit AC components of signals on said input side to said output side, to initialize DC potential to be superposed to the AC component on said output side to a specified potential level, and to repeatedly initialize the DC potential to be superposed to the AC component on said output side to said specified potential immediately before the timing at which said pulsed detection light is expected to arrive.
10. The photoelectric switch of claim 7 wherein said AC signal transmitting circuit comprises a capacitor inserted between an input terminal and an output terminal and a switch inserted between said output terminal and a position at a specified potential, said switch being controlled to be switched on and off by a gate control signal in synchronism with said light emission control signal.
11. The photoelectric switch of claim 8 wherein said AC signal transmitting circuit comprises a capacitor inserted between an input terminal and an output terminal and a switch inserted between said output terminal and a position at a specified potential, said switch being controlled to be switched on and off by a gate control signal in synchronism with said light emission control signal.
12. The photoelectric switch of claim 9 wherein said AC signal transmitting circuit comprises a capacitor inserted between an input terminal and an output terminal and a switch inserted between said output terminal and a position at a specified potential, said switch being controlled to be switched on and off by a gate control signal in synchronism with said light emission control signal.
13. The photoelectric switch of claim 7 further comprising a microprocessor wherein calculations for ascertaining said size relationship is carried out by software by means of said microprocessor by using digital data obtained by AD conversion of signals outputted from said AC signal transmitting circuit.
14. The photoelectric switch of claim 8 further comprising a microprocessor wherein calculations for ascertaining said size relationship is carried out by software by means of said microprocessor by using digital data obtained by AD conversion of signals outputted from said AC signal transmitting circuit.
15. The photoelectric switch of claim 9 further comprising a microprocessor wherein calculations for ascertaining said size relationship is carried out by software by means of said microprocessor by using digital data obtained by AD conversion of signals outputted from said AC signal transmitting circuit.
16. The photoelectric switch of claim 4 comprising a light emitting apparatus and a light receiving apparatus which are separated from each other, said light emitting means being contained in said light emitting apparatus, said light receiving means and said signal processing means being contained in said light receiving apparatus, said light emission control signals being transmitted from said light emitting apparatus to said light receiving apparatus through a communication line.
17. The photoelectric switch of claim 5 comprising a light emitting apparatus and a light receiving apparatus which are separated from each other, said light emitting means being contained in said light emitting apparatus, said light receiving means and said signal processing means being contained in said light receiving apparatus, said light emission control signals being transmitted from said light emitting apparatus to said light receiving apparatus through a communication line.
18. The photoelectric switch of claim 6 comprising a light emitting apparatus and a light receiving apparatus which are separated from each other, said light emitting means being contained in said light emitting apparatus, said light receiving means and said signal processing means being contained in said light receiving apparatus, said light emission control signals being transmitted from said light emitting apparatus to said light receiving apparatus through a communication line.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for the treatment of cancer, or preventing cancer recurrence or progression, comprising administering to a patient, who has undergone a primary cancer therapy, a compound of formula (I), or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof,
on a dosing schedule comprising at least four 28-day treatment cycles,
wherein the 28-day treatment cycle comprises four consecutive weeks in which the compound of formula (I), or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, is administered once a week for the first three weeks of the treatment cycle and the compound of formula (I), or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, is not administered during the fourth week;
wherein ring A is
and
Z1 and Z2 are each independently hydroxyl; or Z1 and Z2 together form a cyclic boronic ester having 2-20 carbon atoms, and optionally one or more heteroatoms selected from N, S, or O.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the compound of formula (I), or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, is administered orally.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the compound of formula (I), or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, is administered on days 1, 8, and 15 of each treatment cycle.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the dosing schedule comprises about twenty-six treatment cycles.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the compound of formula (I), or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, is administered at a first dose for at least four treatment cycles, and a second dose in the treatment cycles 5 through 26.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first dose is about 3.0 mg and the second dose is about 4.0 mg.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first dose is about 3.0 mg, and the second dose is about 3.0 mg.
8. The method of claim 5, wherein the first dose is about 2.3 mg, and the second dose is about 3.0 mg.
9. The method of claim 5, wherein the first dose is about 2.3 mg, and the second dose is about 2.3 mg.
10. The method of claim 5, wherein the first dose and the second dose are the same.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the compound of formula (I) is a compound of formula (IV)
or an ester or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein said compound of formula (IV) is administered to the patient in a form of an ester, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the ester is a compound of formula (IIIa)
or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the compound of formula (IIIa) is in a solid dosage form.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the solid dosage form is capsule.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the capsule contains a mixture of ixazomib citrate, microcrystalline cellulose, talc, and magnesium stearate.
17. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary cancer therapy comprises a proteasome inhibitor based regimen, or an immunomodulating drug based regimen, or both.
18. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary cancer therapy comprises an autologous stem cell transplant.
19. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary cancer therapy comprises a proteasome inhibitor based regimen, or an immunomodulating drug based regimen, or both, followed by autologous stem cell transplant.
20. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary cancer therapy comprises a proteasome inhibitor based regimen, or an immunomodulating drug based regimen, or both, followed by a conditioning regimen comprising melphalan and autologous stem cell transplant.
21. The method of claim 17, 19 or 20, wherein the proteasome inhibitor based regimen comprises bortezomib, ixazomib, carfilzomib, disulfiram, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, salinosporamid A, ONX0912, CEP-18770, or Epoxomicin.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein the proteasome inhibitor based regimen comprises bortezomib.
23. The method of claim 17, 19 or 20, wherein the immunomodulating drug based regimen comprises lenalidomide or pomalidomide.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein the immunomodulating drug based regimen comprises lenalidomide.
25. The method of claim 18, 19 or 20, wherein the first 28-day treatment cycle begins at least 75 days after autologous stem cell transplant.
26. The method of claim 18, 19 or 20, wherein the first 28-day treatment cycle begins prior to 115 days after autologous stem cell transplant.
27. The method of claim 1, wherein the cancer is multiple myeloma, mantle cell lymphoma, follicular cell lymphoma, T-cell lymphoma, peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), or Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia.
28. The method of claim 1, wherein the cancer is multiple myeloma or refractory multiple myeloma.
29. The method of claim 1, wherein the cancer is amyloidosis.
30. The method of claim 1, wherein the patient is an individual diagnosed with multiple myeloma or refractory multiple myeloma.
31. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is a maintenance therapy to prevent relapse or recurrence of multiple myeloma in the patient who has undergone a primary cancer therapy.
32. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is a maintenance therapy to prevent progression of multiple myeloma in the patient who has undergone a primary cancer therapy.
33. The method of claim 31 or 32, wherein the patient has achieved complete or partial clinical and hematolotic recovery following the primary cancer therapy.
34. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is a maintenance therapy for treating a patient at risk of developing or experiencing a recurrence of a proteasome-mediated disorder.
35. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is a maintenance therapy for treating a patient at risk of developing or experiencing a recurrence of a cancer selected from multiple myeloma.