1. A method of forming a bilayer membrane by contact of amphipathic monolayers, comprising the steps of:
introducing an organic solvent containing amphipathic molecules into a chamber formed on a substrate;
introducing a liquid immiscible with the organic solvent into the organic solvent in plural portions;
forming a plurality of amphipathic monolayers at the interfaces between the liquid introduced in plural portions and the organic solvent; and
contacting the plurality of amphipathic monolayers with each other to form a bilayer membrane by controlling the liquid or the organic solvent in the chamber.
2. A method of forming a bilayer membrane by contact of amphipathic monolayers according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:
introducing the organic solvent into a first microchannel formed on the substrate;
introducing the liquid immiscible with the organic solvent into a second microchannel, which crosses the first microchannel from both sides of the first microchannel to form an intersection, from both ends of the second microchannel toward the intersection;
forming the amphipathic monolayers opposing each other at the interfaces between the liquid and the organic solvent; and
contacting and fusing the opposing amphipathic monolayers to form bilayer membrane by controlling the pressure of the liquid in the second microchannel with syringe pumps and contacting the interfaces of the liquid introduced from the both ends of the second microchannel with each other.
3. An apparatus for forming a bilayer membrane by contact of amphipathic monolayers comprising:
(a) a chamber formed on a substrate;
(b) an organic solvent containing amphipathic molecules introduced into the chamber;
(c) a liquid immiscible with the organic solvent and introduced into the organic solvent in plural portions; and
(d) a means for controlling to form a plurality of amphipathic monolayers at the interfaces between the liquid and the organic solvent, and to control the liquid or the organic solvent in the chamber;
(e) wherein a bilayer membrane is formed by contacting the plurality of amphipathic monolayers with each other using the means for controlling.
4. An apparatus for forming a bilayer membrane by contact of amphipathic monolayers according to claim 3, comprising:
(a) a first microchannel formed on the substrate and having the organic solvent introduced thereto;
(b) a second microchannel crossing the first microchannel from both sides of the first microchannel to form an intersection and having the liquid immiscible with the organic solvent introduced from both ends of the second microchannel toward the intersection; and
(c) syringe pumps controlling the pressure of the liquid in the second microchannel;
(d) wherein the amphipathic monolayers opposing each other being formed at the interfaces between the liquid in the second microchannel and the organic solvent, and the opposing amphipathic monolayers being brought into contact and fused with each other to form a bilayer membrane by contacting the interfaces of the liquid introduced from the both ends of the second microchannel with the control of the pressure of the liquid using the syringe pumps.
5. A method of forming a bilayer membrane by contact of amphipathic monolayers according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:
filling the chamber with the organic solvent, the chamber being separated into a plurality of compartments by a constriction portion formed on the substrate body;
providing dropwise the liquid immiscible with the organic solvent into each compartment with a pipette to arrange a plurality of liquid droplets;
forming the amphipathic monolayers at the interfaces between the plurality of liquid droplets and the organic solvent; and
contacting the interfaces of the plurality of liquid droplets with each other by controlling the liquid or the organic solvent, so that the amphipathic monolayers contact with each other and fuse to form a bilayer membrane.
6. An apparatus for forming a bilayer membrane by contact of amphipathic monolayers according to claim 3, comprising:
(a) a chamber separated into a plurality of compartments by a constriction portion formed on the substrate body;
(b) the organic solvent introduced into the chamber;
and
(c) a pipette for providing dropwise the liquid immiscible with the organic solvent into each compartment to arrange a plurality of liquid droplets;
(d) wherein the amphipathic monolayers being formed at the interfaces between the liquid droplets and the organic solvent, and the interfaces of the plurality of liquid droplets being brought into contact with each other by controlling the liquid or the organic solvent, so that the amphipathic monolayers contact with each other and fuse to form a bilayer membrane.
7. A method of forming a bilayer membrane by contact of amphipathic monolayers according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:
filling the chamber with the organic solvent, the chamber being separated into a plurality of compartments by a constriction portion formed on the substrate body;
introducing the liquid immiscible with the organic solvent into each compartment to arrange a plurality of liquid droplets by controlling syringe pumps;
forming the amphipathic monolayers at the interfaces between the plurality of liquid droplets and the organic solvent; and
contacting the interfaces of the plurality of liquid droplets with each other by controlling the liquid or the organic solvent so that the amphipathic monolayers contact with each other and fuse to form a bilayer membrane.
8. An apparatus for forming a bilayer membrane by contact of amphipathic monolayers according to claim 3, comprising:
(a) the chamber which is separated into a plurality of compartments by a constriction portions formed on the substrate;
(b) the organic solvent introduced into the chamber; and
(c) syringe pumps for introducing the liquid immiscible with the organic solvent into the each compartment to arrange a plurality of liquid droplets;
(d) wherein the amphipathic monolayers being formed at the interfaces between the plurality of liquid droplets and the organic solvent, and the interfaces of the plurality of liquid droplets being brought into contact with each other by controlling the liquid with the syringe pumps so that the amphipathic monolayers contact with each other and fuse to form a bilayer membrane.
9. A method of forming a bilayer membrane by contact of amphipathic monolayers according to claim 1, 2, 5, or 7, wherein the liquid is an aqueous solution.
10. An apparatus for forming a bilayer membrane by contact of amphipathic monolayers according to claim 3, 4, 6, or 8, wherein the liquid is an aqueous solution.
11. An apparatus for forming a bilayer membrane by contact of amphipathic monolayers according to claim 6 or 8, wherein the plurality of compartments is two compartments.
12. An apparatus for forming a bilayer membrane by contact of amphipathic monolayers according to claim 6 or 8, wherein the plurality of compartments is three compartments.
13. An apparatus for forming a bilayer membrane by contact of amphipathic monolayers according to claim 6 or 8, wherein the plurality of compartments is five compartments and the outward appearance is substantially a square shape.
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 billing a sender of a message for a reply to the message, the method comprising:
creating a first message;
adding to the first message a first indication indicating at least to a message transmitting system that a sender of the first message is billed for a reply message to the first message;
giving a time limit to the first indication, the time limit indicating how long the first indication is valid;
transmitting the first message containing the first indication to a receiver; and
when the receiver replies by reply message to the first message:
adding a second indication to the reply message, the second indication containing at least a part of the first indication and indicating to the message transmitting system that this reply message is a reply to the first message;
checking, in response to the second indication, whether the first indication is still valid; and
billing the sender of the first message for the reply message on the basis of the second indication only if the first indication is still valid.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving the first message in a message server transmitting messages;
generating an identifier in the message server;
adding the identifier to the first indication;
transmitting the message containing the first indication from the message server to the receiver;
storing into the message server a first billing key with the time limit, the first billing key comprising at least the identifier; and
including into the second indication at least the identifier in the first indication; and
using the first billing key when checking whether or not the first indication is valid.
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:
forming a second billing key using at least the identifier in the second indication;
checking prior to transmitting the reply message to the receiver of the reply message whether a valid first billing key corresponding to the second billing key can be found in the message server; and
only if a valid first billing key is found:
transmitting the reply message to the receiver of the reply message; and
billing the sender of the first message for the reply message.
4. A communication system comprising
at least one message server for transmitting a first message from a sender to a receiver; and
at least two terminal equipment for transmitting a first message and answering to it, the terminal equipments being arranged to add to the first message and to a reply message to the first message an indication indicating to the message server that the sender of the first message is billed for the reply message to the first message; wherein
the message server is further arranged to identify the first message, to generate an identifier, to add the identifier to the indication prior to transmitting the first message to the receiver, to store a first billing key comprising at least the identifier at most for a predefined time and after the predefined time has expired, to change the first billing key to invalid, to separate a second billing key comprising at least the identifier from the reply message, to check prior to transmitting the reply message to the receiver if the first billing key corresponding to the second billing key is valid, and only in response to a valid first billing key to transmit the reply message to the receiver and to bill the sender of the first message for the reply message.
5. The communication system of claim 4, wherein
the message server is further arranged in response to an invalid first billing key to transmit to the terminal equipment of the sender of the reply message the reason why the reply message will not be delivered to the receiver; and
the terminal equipment is further arranged in response to receiving the reason to indicate the reason to the user of the terminal equipment and in response to an instruction received from the user to transmit the reply message without the indication.
6. A message server for transmitting messages from a sender to a receiver, the message server comprising memory and being arranged to identify a first message in response to an indication in the first message, the indication indicating that the sender of the first message will be billed for a reply message to the first message, to generate an identifier in response to the first message, to add the identifier to the indication in the first message prior to transmitting the first message to the receiver, to store into memory a first billing key comprising at least the identifier at most for a predefined time and after the predefined time has expired, to change the first billing key to invalid, in response to a reply message to the first message to check if the first billing key indicated in the reply message is valid, and only in response to a valid first billing key to transmit the reply message to the receiver and to bill the sender of the first message for the reply message.
7. The message server of claim 6, further being arranged to maintain a count of reply messages sent to the first message, to compare the count to predefined information on how many reply messages can be sent to the first message in such a manner that the sender of the first message is billed for the reply messages, and in response to the count equalling the predefined information, to change the first billing key to invalid.
8. Terminal equipment arranged to transmit messages to a telecommunications system, wherein the terminal equipment is arranged to add to a message an indication with a time limit, the indication indicating that the sender of the message pays for a reply message to the message if the reply message is sent within the given time limit.
9. The terminal equipment of claim 8, further being arranged to add the indication with the time limit to the message in response to a setting in the terminal equipment.
10. The terminal equipment of claim 8, further being arranged to add the indication with the time limit to the message in response to an instruction provided by the user of the terminal equipment through the user interface of the terminal equipment.
11. The terminal equipment of claim 8, wherein the terminal equipment is a mobile station.
12. Terminal equipment arranged to receive messages from a telecommunications system and to reply to them by messages, wherein the terminal equipment is arranged to identify a received message as a first message, whose reply message will be paid for by a sender of the first message, from a first indication in the first message, and to add to a reply message to the first message a second indication which indicates that the reply message is a reply to the first message and which second indication contains at least a part of the first indication, to receive information that the telecommunications system was unable to deliver the reply message in such a manner that the sender of the first message was billed for the reply message and, in response to the information, to transmit the reply message without the second indication.
13. The terminal equipment of claim 12, wherein the terminal equipment is a mobile station.
14. A communication system comprising
at least one message server for transmitting a first message from a sender to a receiver; and
at least two terminal equipment for transmitting a first message and answering to it by a message, the terminal equipments being arranged to add to the first message and to a reply message to the first message an indication indicating to the message server that the sender of the first message is billed for the reply message to the first message and to add to the first message a time limit indicating the time how long the indication is valid; wherein
the message server is arranged to identify the reply message, to check whether or not the indication is still valid, and to bill the sender of the first message for the reply message only if the indication is still valid.