1. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
a carriage;
a recording head mounted on the carriage, having a nozzle, and configured to form an image by ejecting recording liquid from the nozzle;
a self-maintenance mechanism configured to maintain the recording head in a predetermined condition and includes
a cap member configured to cap the recording head, and
an absorption mechanism configured to absorb recording liquid through the cap member from the recording head; and
a shielding member configured to prevent a flying liquid droplet generated when the absorption mechanism absorbs the recording liquid from attaching to a predetermined member of the image forming apparatus,
wherein the predetermined member includes a linear encoder scale configured to determine a position of the carriage in a scanning direction, and
the shielding member is arranged at a position to cover both shortest and longest lines drawn between the cap member and the linear encoder scale.
2. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the recording liquid is absorbed from the recording head when the recording head is capped by the cap member, and is absorbed by the absorption mechanism after the recording head is separated from the cap member.
3. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shielding member is arranged on a sidewall which is arranged in an orthogonal direction to a movement of the carriage on which the recording head is mounted.
4. The image forming apparatus of claim 3, wherein the shielding member is arranged on the sidewall in a direction substantially parallel to a nozzle surface of the recording head.
5. The image forming apparatus of claim 3, wherein the shielding member is arranged on the sidewall to be tilted with an angle to the nozzle surface of the recording head.
6. The image forming apparatus of claim 3, wherein the shielding member is arranged on the sidewall in a direction substantially vertical to the nozzle surface of the recording head.
7. The image forming apparatus of claim 3, wherein the shielding member is integrated into one piece with the carriage.
8. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predetermined member includes a full-tank detector configured to detect an amount of recording liquid in a tank.
9. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shielding member has a size greater than an opening area of the cap member.
10. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shielding member is arranged on a sidewall of the carriage.
11. The image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shielding member includes an absorption material.
12. An image forming apparatus, comprising:
carriage means;
recording head means mounted on the carriage, having a nozzle, for forming an image by ejecting recording liquid from the nozzle;
self-maintenance means for maintaining the recording head in a predetermined condition and includes
cap means for capping the recording head means, and
absorption means for absorbing recording liquid through the cap means from the recording head means; and
shielding means for preventing a flying liquid droplet generated when the absorption means absorbs the recording liquid from attaching to a predetermined member of the image forming apparatus,
wherein the predetermined member includes a linear encoder scale configured to determine a position of the carriage means in a scanning direction, and
the shielding means is arranged at a position to cover both shortest and longest lines drawn between the cap means and the linear encoder scale.
13. A method for maintaining an area near a recording head of an image forming apparatus in a clean condition; said method comprising
(a) ejecting recording liquid through a nozzle of the image forming apparatus;
(b) absorbing recording liquid through a cap member of the image forming apparatus;
(c) utilizing a shielding member to prevent a flying liquid droplet, generated when the recording liquid is absorbed in (b), from contaminating one or more other predetermined members, inc1uding a linear encoder scale configured to determine a position of the carriage in a scanning direction, of the image forming apparatus,
wherein the shielding member is arranged at a position to cover both shortest and longest lines drawn between the cap member and the linear encoder scale.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1-20. (canceled)
21. Irradiation verification apparatus for beam therapy systems, the irradiation verification apparatus comprising:
living cell material which is fixed in location in the three spatial co-ordinates x, y and z in a container having an insert, on cell supports of the insert, the cell supports being arranged between cell support holders and, for irradiation verification, the z co-ordinate of the irradiation verification apparatus being adjusted in the direction of the beam axis Z so that, after the irradiation, regions having killed cell material can be demarcated in spatial co-ordinates, with reference to an irradiation scheme, from regions having cell material of the irradiation verification apparatus that is still active,
wherein the container having the insert and the cell supports and the cell support holders comprise a beam-transparent material,
the cell support holders have a base plate and a top plate located opposite the base plate, between which the cell supports are arranged orthogonally to the holding plates, the holding plates having blind holes aligned with one another, in which the ends of the cell supports are arranged,
the cell supports are solid rods, on the outer surfaces of which the cell material is fixed.
22. Irradiation verification apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the cell supports comprise neither metals nor elements having a higher atomic mass number than oxygen, have a density close to water of about 1 gcm3 and preferably comprise polystyrene.
23. Irradiation verification apparatus according to claim 22 wherein the cell supports are arranged between the holding plates in rows offset from one another.
24. Irradiation verification apparatus according to claim 22 wherein the cell supports have a length l of 25 mm\u2266l\u226675 mm, preferably about 50 mm.
25. Irradiation verification apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the cell supports have a diameter d in millimetres between 1.0 mm\u2266d\u22665 mm, especially 1.5 mm\u2266d\u22665 mm, preferably about 3 mm.
26. Irradiation verification apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the minimum spacing a in millimetres between the cell supports is between 0.5 mm\u2266a\u22665 mm, preferably 2.5 mm.
27. Irradiation verification apparatus according to claim 21, wherein between the holding plates there are arranged at least three, preferably four, spacers.
28. Irradiation verification apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the spacers are arranged between projections on peripheral sides of the holding plates.
29. Irradiation verification apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the base plate has deeper blind holes for fixing one end of the solid rods than the top plate.
30. Irradiation verification apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the blind holes of the holding plates have a tapered countersink of the outer edge.
31. Irradiation verification apparatus according to claim 21, wherein at least one of the holding plates has through-holes distributed between the blind holes on the upper side.
32. Irradiation verification apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the holding plates have markings for identifying the positions of the cell supports.
33. Irradiation verification apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the insert has standing legs directed to the base region of the container.
34. Irradiation verification apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the container has an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture for a nutrient liquid andor for gas(es), especially oxygen.
35. Irradiation verification apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the container has a cylindrical inner wall and, in the base region, at least one stirring apparatus for the distribution of nutrient liquid to the living cell material on the outer surfaces of the rod-shaped cell supports.
36. Irradiation verification apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the irradiation verification apparatus has, in the direction of the y spatial co-ordinate, a higher location resolution for a Y deflection direction of the beam than in the direction of the x spatial co-ordinate for the X deflection direction of the beam.
37. Irradiation verification apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the irradiation verification apparatus has, in the direction of the z spatial co-ordinate, the same location resolution for the Z propagation direction of the beam as in the direction of the x spatial co-ordinate for the X deflection direction of the beam.
38. Irradiation verification apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the irradiation verification apparatus has a number S of cell supports (3) of 150\u2266S\u2266900, especially 400\u2266S\u2266900.
39. A method for the operation of the irradiation verification apparatus comprising:
providing outer surfaces of rod-shaped cell supports with active living cell material,
assembly of an insert of a container of the irradiation verification apparatus, with arrangement of the cell supports having living cell material between two holding plates of the insert and securing of the assembled insert by means of spacers,
introducing the insert into the container, which in the meantime has been filled with nutrient liquid,
supplying gas(es), especially oxygen, by way of an inlet aperture, to the container,
orienting the x, y and z spatial co-ordinates of the irradiation verification apparatus relative to the beam direction,
implementing a planned irradiation scheme, with simultaneous or subsequent temperature control of the nutrient liquid in order to preserve the results,
disassembly of the cell supports from the insert,
separating the rod-shaped cell supports into slices and detection of the still living cell material on the separated slices,
comparing the results with reference to the selected analytical end-points and the irradiation plan.
40. The method of claim 39 the irradiation verification apparatus comprises:
living cell material which is fixed in location in the three spatial co-ordinates x, y and z in a container having an insert, on cell supports of the insert, the cell supports being arranged between cell support holders and, for irradiation verification, the z co-ordinate of the irradiation verification apparatus being adjusted in the direction of the beam axis Z so that, after the irradiation, regions having killed cell material can be demarcated in spatial co-ordinates, with reference to an irradiation scheme, from regions having cell material of the irradiation verification apparatus that is still active,
wherein the container having the insert and the cell supports and the cell support holders comprise a beam-transparent material,
the cell support holders have a base plate and a top plate located opposite the base plate, between which the cell supports are arranged orthogonally to the holding plates, the holding plates having blind holes aligned with one another, in which the ends of the cell supports are arranged,
the cell supports are solid rods, on the outer surfaces of which the cell material is fixed.