What is claimed:
1. An isolated polynucleotide comprising a sequence selected from the group consisting of:
(a) SEQ ID NO: 1;
(b) complements of SEQ ID NO: 1;
(c) sequences consisting of at least 20 contiguous residues of SEQ ID NO: 1;
(d) sequences that hybridize to SEQ ID NO: 1, under moderately stringent conditions;
(e) sequences having at least 75% identity to SEQ ID NO: 1;
(f) sequences having at least 90% identity to SEQ ID NO: 1; and
(g) degenerate variants of SEQ ID NO: 1.
2. An isolated polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of:
(a) SEQ ID NO: 2, 10, 12-23, 25-27, 29-30 and 32-39,
(b) sequences encoded by a polynucleotide of claim 1; and
(c) sequences having at least 70% identity to a sequence encoded by a polynucleotide of claim 1; and
(d) sequences having at least 90% identity to a sequence encoded by a polynucleotide of claim 1.
3. An expression vector comprising a polynucleotide of claim 1 operably linked to an expression control sequence.
4. A host cell transformed or transfected with an expression vector according to claim 3.
5. An isolated antibody, or antigen-binding fragment thereof, that specifically binds to a polypeptide of claim 2.
6. A method for detecting the presence of a cancer in a patient, comprising the steps of:
(a) obtaining a biological sample from the patient;
(b) contacting the biological sample with a binding agent that binds to a polypeptide of claim 2;
(c) detecting in the sample an amount of polypeptide that binds to the binding agent; and
(d) comparing the amount of polypeptide to a predetermined cut-off value and therefrom determining the presence of a cancer in the patient.
7. A fusion protein comprising at least one polypeptide according to claim 2.
8. An oligonucleotide that hybridizes to SEQ ID NO: 1 under moderately stringent conditions.
9. A method for stimulating andor expanding T cells specific for a tumor protein, comprising contacting T cells with at least one component selected from the group consisting of:
(a) polypeptides according to claim 2;
(b) polynucleotides according to claim 1; and
(c) antigen-presenting cells that express a polypeptide according to claim 1,
under conditions and for a time sufficient to permit the stimulation andor expansion of T cells.
10. An isolated T cell population, comprising T cells prepared according to the method of claim 9.
11. A composition comprising a first component selected from the group consisting of physiologically acceptable carriers and immunostimulants, and a second component selected from the group consisting of:
(a) polypeptides according to claim 2;
(b) polynucleotides according to claim 1;
(c) antibodies according to claim 5;
(d) fusion proteins according to claim 7;
(e) T cell populations according to claim 10; and
(f) antigen presenting cells that express a polypeptide according to claim 2.
12. A method for stimulating an immune response in a patient, comprising administering to the patient a composition of claim 11.
13. A method for the treatment of a cancer in a patient, comprising administering to the patient a composition of claim 11.
14. A method for determining the presence of a cancer in a patient, comprising the steps of:
(a) obtaining a biological sample from the patient;
(b) contacting the biological sample with an oligonucleotide according to claim 8;
(c) detecting in the sample an amount of a polynucleotide that hybridizes to the oligonucleotide; and
(d) compare the amount of polynucleotide that hybridizes to the oligonucleotide to a predetermined cut-off value, and therefrom determining the presence of the cancer in the patient.
15. A diagnostic kit comprising at least one oligonucleotide according to claim 8.
16. A diagnostic kit comprising at least one antibody according to claim 5 and a detection reagent, wherein the detection reagent comprises a reporter group.
17. A method for inhibiting the development of a cancer in a patient, comprising the steps of:
(a) incubating CD4 andor CD8 T cells isolated from a patient with at least one component selected from the group consisting of: (i) polypeptides according to claim 2; (ii) polynucleotides according to claim 1; and (iii) antigen presenting cells that express a polypeptide of claim 2, such that T cell proliferate;
(b) administering to the patient an effective amount of the proliferated T cells,
and thereby inhibiting the development of a cancer in the patient.
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 servicing a printhead, the method comprising:
moving the printhead along a path away from a printing position adjacent a drum rotatable about a rotation axis to a service position away from the drum, said path orthogonal to said rotation axis;
conducting a service operation on the printhead at the service position;
moving the printhead back to the printing position to reposition the printhead adjacent the drum.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said moving the printhead away from the printing position comprises:
moving the printhead in a rotational path.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said moving the printhead away from the printing position comprises:
moving the printhead along a linear path.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said conducting said service operation comprises any of wiping, capping, spitting or drop detection functions.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said conducting said service operation comprises:
moving a service station from a rest position to a servicing position adjacent the printhead.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein said moving the printhead along the path back to the printing position includes engaging a fixed registration surface with a datum to accurately position the printhead at the printing position.
7. A method for servicing a printhead, the method comprising:
moving the printhead along an arc-shaped path away from a printing position adjacent a drum rotatable about a rotation axis to a service position away from the drum;
conducting a service operation an the printhead at the service position;
moving the printhead back to the printing position to reposition the printhead adjacent the drum.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein said moving the printhead along the path back to the printing position includes engaging a fixed registration surface with a datum to accurately position the printhead at the printing position.
9. A drum printer, comprising:
a rotatable drum having a print medium supporting surface and mounted for rotation about a rotation axis;
a printhead disposed adjacent the supporting surface, the printhead mounted on a print bar support structure; and
an actuator for moving the print bar support structure along a path orthogonal to said rotation axis between a printing position and a service, position.
10. The printer of claim 9, wherein the print bar comprises a page wide array of printheads including said printhead.
11. The printer of claim 9, wherein said printhead is an inkjet printhead comprising an array of fluid ejecting nozzles.
12. The printer of claim 11, wherein the printhead nozzle array is positioned adjacent to the surface of the drum in the printing position to provide high print quality of the printed output.
13. The printer of claim 9, wherein said print bar frame structure is pivotable for rotational movement about a pivot axis, and said path is an arc.
14. The printer of claim 13, wherein said pivot axis is parallel to said rotation axis.
15. The printer of claim 9, wherein said path is a linear path.
16. The printer of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of datums for accurately registering the frame structure at the printing position.
17. The printer of claim 9, further comprising a service station for performing a service function on the printhead at the service position.
18. A method for servicing a plurality of print bars, the method comprising:
moving the plurality of print bars along a path away from a printing position to a service position away from the surface of a drum, each print bar having a page wide array of printheads thereon;
conducting a service operation on the plurality of print bars at the service position;
moving the plurality of print bars along the path back to the printing position to accurately reposition the print bars for printing operations.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein said moving the plurality of print bars away from the printing position comprises:
moving the plurality of print bars in a rotational path.
20. The method of claim 18, wherein said moving the plurality of print bars away from the printing position comprises:
moving the plurality of print bars along a linear path.
21. The method of claim 18, wherein said conducting said service operation comprises any of wiping, capping, spitting or drop detection functions.
22. The method of claim 18, wherein said conducting said service operation comprises:
moving a service station from a rest position to a servicing position adjacent the plurality of print bars.
23. The method of claim 18, wherein said moving the plurality of print bars along the path back to the printing position includes engaging a fixed registration surface with a datum to accurately position the plurality of print bars at the printing position.
24. A drum printer, comprising:
a rotatable drum having a print medium supporting surface;
a plurality of print bars disposed adjacent the supporting surface, the print bars mounted on a print bar support structure;
an actuator for moving the print bar support structure along a path between a printing position and a service position, wherein said path is a linear path.
25. The printer of claim 24, further comprising a service station for performing service functions on the print bars at the service position.
26. A drum printer, comprising:
a rotatable drum having a print medium supporting surface;
a plurality of print bars disposed adjacent the supporting surface, the print bars mounted on a print bar support structure;
an actuator for moving the print bar support structure along a path between a printing position and a service position;
a plurality of datums for accurately registering the print bar support structure at the printing position.
27. A drum printer, comprising:
a rotatable drum having a print medium supporting surface;
a plurality of print bars disposed adjacent the supporting surface, the print bars mounted on a print bar support structure;
an actuator for moving the print bar support structure along a path between a printing position and a service position, wherein said path is orthogonal to an axis of rotation of said drum.
28. A drum printer, comprising:
a rotatable drum having a print medium supporting surface;
a first set and a second set of print bars disposed adjacent the supporting surface;
the first set mounted on a first print bar support structure for movement along a first linear constrained path;
the second set mounted on a second print bar support structure, for movement along a second linear constrained path;
a first actuator for moving the first print bar support structure along said first constrained path between a first set printing position and a first set service position;
a second actuator for moving the second print bar support structure along said second constrained path between a second set printing position and a second set service position.
29. The printer of claim 28, further comprising:
a first service station for performing service functions on the first set of print bars at the first service position;
a second service station for performing service functions on the second set of print bars at the second service position.
30. The printer of claim 28, wherein each print bar comprises a page wide array of printheads.
31. The printer of claim 28, wherein each print bar comprises an inkjet printhead comprising an array of fluid ejecting nozzles.
32. The printer of claim 31, wherein each array of fluid ejecting nozzles is positioned adjacent to the surface of the drum in the printing position to provide high print quality of the printed output.
33. A drum printer, comprising:
a rotatable drum having a print medium supporting surface and mounted for rotation about an axis;
a print bar having an array of fluid ejecting nozzles mounted thereon;
print bar support means for supporting the print bar at a print position adjacent the surface at a printing position and at a service position;
means for moving the print bar support means along a path orthogonal to said axis, between the printing position and the service position.
34. The printer of claim 33, wherein said array is a page wide array of printheads.
35. The printer of claim 33, wherein the print bar comprises an inkjet printhead comprising an array of fluid ejecting nozzles.
36. The printer of claim 35, wherein the printhead nozzle array is positioned adjacent to the surface of the drum in the printing position to provide high print quality of the printed output.
37. The printer of claim 33, wherein said print bar support means is pivoted for rotational movement about a pivot axis, and said path is an arc.
38. The printer of claim 37, wherein said pivot axis is parallel to an axis of rotation of said drum.
39. The printer of claim 33, wherein said path is a linear path.
40. The printer of claim 33, further comprising datum means for accurately registering the print bar support means at the printing position.
41. The printer of claim 33, further comprising a service station for performing service functions on the print bars at the service position.
42. A method for servicing print bars, the method comprising:
moving a first set of the print bars in a first direction away from a first printing position to a first service position away from the surface of a drum, each print bar having a page wide array of printheads thereon;
moving a second set of the print bars in a second direction which is opposite said first direction, from a second printing position to a second service position;
conducting a service operation on the first set and the second set of print bars at the respective first and second service positions;
moving the first set and the second sets of print bars back to the respective first and second printing positions to accurately reposition the print bars for printing operations.
43. The method of claim 42, wherein said moving the first set of print bars away from the first printing position comprises moving the first set along a first linear path, and said moving the second set of print bars away from the second printing position comprises moving the second set along a second linear path.
44. The method of claim 43, wherein said moving the first set and the second sets of print bars back to the respective first and second printing positions includes engaging respective first and second fixed datums with respective registration surfaces.