1. A sterilization device for a stethoscope having a chestpiece member, the chestpiece member having a face portion adapted to contact a patient, the sterilization device comprising:
a cover member adapted to operably engage the chestpiece member such that the cover member is movable with respect to the face portion between a closed position covering the face portion and an open position uncovering the face portion, while remaining operably engaged with the chestpiece member, and the cover member being normally biased to cover the face portion; and
an ultraviolet light source operably engaged with the cover member and configured to emit ultraviolet radiation for interacting with the face portion only when the cover member is covering the face portion, the ultraviolet light source thereby providing anti-microbial sterilization of at least the face portion of the chestpiece member.
2. A sterilization device according to claim 1, wherein the cover member is pivotably attached to the chestpiece member such that the cover member rotates substantially parallel to the face portion so as to swivel laterally with respect thereto for selectively covering and uncovering the face portion.
3. A sterilization device according to claim 1, wherein the cover member is pivotably attached to the chestpiece member such that the cover member rotates substantially perpendicularly to the face portion in a flip-over configuration with respect thereto for selectively covering and uncovering the face portion.
4. A sterilization device according to claim 1, further comprising a biasing member operably engaged between the cover member and the chestpiece member, the biasing member being configured to normally bias the cover member to cover the face portion.
5. A sterilization device according to claim 1, wherein the cover member is further configured to form a seal with the face portion, when covering the face portion, so as to cooperate therewith to contain the ultraviolet radiation emitted by the ultraviolet light source.
6. A sterilization device according to claim 1, wherein the cover member further comprises an interior surface directed toward the face portion when the cover member is covering the face portion, the interior surface being further configured to reflect the ultraviolet radiation toward the face portion.
7. A sterilization device according to claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet light source comprises at least one light emitting diode capable of emitting the ultraviolet radiation.
8. A sterilization device according to claim 1, further comprising an attachment element configured to attach the cover member to the chestpiece member.
9. A sterilization device according to claim 1, further comprising an actuation device operably engaged between the cover member and the chestpiece member, the actuation device being configured to actuate the ultraviolet light source only when the cover member is covering the face portion.
10. A stethoscope comprising:
a chestpiece member having a face portion adapted to contact a patient and to transmit sound therefrom to a binaural member; and
an ultraviolet light source operably engaged with and incorporated into the chestpiece member, the ultraviolet light source being configured to emit ultraviolet radiation for interacting with the face portion to provide anti-microbial sterilization of at least the face portion of the chestpiece member.
11. A stethoscope according to claim 10, further comprising a cover member configured to operably engage the chestpiece member such that the cover member is movable with respect to the face portion and normally biased to cover the face portion.
12. A stethoscope according to claim 11, wherein the ultraviolet light source is further configured to emit the ultraviolet radiation for interacting with the face portion only when the cover member is covering the face portion.
13. A stethoscope according to claim 11, wherein the cover member is pivotably attached to the chestpiece member such that the cover member rotates substantially parallel to the face portion so as to swivel laterally with respect thereto for selectively covering and uncovering the face portion.
14. A stethoscope according to claim 11, wherein the cover member is pivotably attached to the chestpiece member such that the cover member rotates substantially perpendicularly to the face portion in a flip-over configuration with respect thereto for selectively covering and uncovering the face portion.
15. A stethoscope according to claim 11, further comprising a biasing member operably engaged between the cover member and the chestpiece member, the biasing member being configured to normally bias the cover member to cover the face portion.
16. A stethoscope according to claim 11, wherein the cover member is further configured to form a seal with the face portion, when covering the face portion, so as to cooperate therewith to contain the ultraviolet radiation emitted by the ultraviolet light source.
17. A stethoscope according to claim 11, wherein the cover member further comprises an interior surface directed toward the face portion when the cover member is covering the face portion, the interior surface being further configured to reflect the ultraviolet radiation toward the face portion.
18. A stethoscope according to claim 11, wherein the ultraviolet light source is operably engaged with the cover member and configured to emit the ultraviolet radiation toward the face portion.
19. A stethoscope according to claim 11, wherein the ultraviolet light source is further configured to be operably engaged with the face portion so as to emit the ultraviolet radiation toward the cover member.
20. A stethoscope according to claim 11, further comprising an attachment element configured to attach the cover member to the chestpiece member.
21. A stethoscope according to claim 11, further comprising an actuation device operably engaged between the cover member and the chestpiece member, the actuation device being configured to actuate the ultraviolet light source only when the cover member is covering the face portion.
22. A stethoscope according to claim 10, wherein the ultraviolet light source comprises at least one light emitting diode capable of emitting the ultraviolet radiation.
23. A stethoscope according to claim 10, wherein the face portion of the chestpiece member comprises an ultraviolet radiation-transparent material, and the ultraviolet light source is disposed within the chestpiece member such that ultraviolet radiation emitted therefrom is directed through the ultraviolet radiation-transparent material to provide anti-microbial sterilization of at least the face portion of the chestpiece member.
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 memory system comprising:
an active storage circuit; and
at least one base storage circuit coupled to the active storage circuit through at least one pass gate, at least one driver and a bit line, wherein the at least one pass gate and the at least one driver have a device size substantially similar to a device size of each one of a plurality of devices in the active storage circuit and the at least one base storage circuit, wherein the at least one pass gate includes at least one save pass gate and at least one restore pass gate.
2. The memory system of claim 1, wherein the memory system is included in a microprocessor.
3. The memory system of claim 1, wherein the at least one restore pass gate has a device size substantially similar to a device size of each one of a plurality of devices in the active storage circuit and the at least one base storage circuit and wherein the at least one save pass gate has a device size sufficient to overcome a parasitic read operation.
4. The memory system of claim 1, further comprising a pre-charge circuit coupled to the at least one bit line.
5. The memory system of claim 1, further comprising a keeper circuit coupled to the at least one bit line.
6. The memory system of claim 1, further comprising a timing and control circuit coupled to the at least one bit line.
7. The memory system of claim 1, wherein the at least one base storage circuit includes a plurality of base storage circuits and wherein each one of the plurality of base storage circuits corresponds to a processing thread in a multi-thread processor.
8. A memory system comprising:
an active storage circuit having a first active node and a second active node;
a plurality of base storage circuits, each one of the base storage circuits including a corresponding first base node and a corresponding second base node;
a first bit line coupled between the first active node and each one of the plurality of first base nodes, the first bit line including a first save pass gate and a first save driver coupled in series to the first node and a first restore pass gate and a first restore driver coupled in series to the first node; and
a second bit line coupled between the second active node and each one of the plurality of second base nodes, the second bit line including a second save pass gate and a second save driver coupled in series to the second node and a second restore pass gate and a second restore driver coupled in series to the second node, wherein the first save pass gate, the first save driver, the first restore pass gate, the first restore driver, the second save pass gate, the second save driver, the second restore pass gate and the second restore driver have a device size substantially similar to a device size of each one of a plurality of devices in the active storage circuit and the plurality of base storage circuits.
9. Method of swapping data between two storage circuits comprising:
activating a first pass gate between a first storage circuit and a first bit line wherein the first pass gate is a save pass gate and wherein the save pass gate is activated at least a first time delay before the second pass gate is activated;
activating a second pass gate between a second storage circuit and the first bit line;
driving the data stored in the first storage circuit to the first bit line; and
storing the data on the first bit line in the second storage circuit.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein driving the data stored in the first storage circuit to the first bit line includes amplifying the data stored in the first storage circuit in an amplification circuit having device sizes substantially equal to the devices in the first storage circuit and the second storage circuit.
11. The method of claim 9, wherein driving the data stored in the first storage circuit to the first bit line includes amplifying the data stored in the first storage circuit in an amplification circuit having device sizes sufficient to overcome a parasitic read operation.
12. The method of claim 9, wherein the first time delay is equal to about two gate delays.
13. The method of claim 9, wherein the first time delay is sufficient to allow a sufficient voltage differential to be developed on the first bit line.
14. The method of claim 9, further comprising applying a keeper circuit to the first bit line.
15. The method of claim 9, wherein the first storage circuit is an active storage circuit and the second storage circuit is a base storage circuit and wherein the base storage circuit includes a plurality of base storage circuits and wherein each one of the plurality of base storage circuits corresponds to a processing thread in a multi-thread processor.
16. Method of performing a data swap in a multi-threaded microprocessor comprising:
activating a first active pass gate between a first node of an active storage circuit and a first bit line and activating a second active pass gate between a second node of the active storage circuit and a second bit line;
activating a first base pass gate between a first node of a base storage circuit and the first bit line, wherein the first pass gate is a save pass gate and wherein the save pass gate is activated at least a first time delay before the second pass gate is activated, and activating a second base pass gate between a second node of a base storage circuit and the second bit line;
driving the data stored in the active storage circuit to the first bit line and the second bit line; and
storing the data on the first bit line and the second bit line in the base storage circuit.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the base storage circuit is one of a plurality of base storage circuits coupled to the first bit line and the second bit line and wherein each one of the plurality of base storage circuits corresponds to one of a plurality of processing threads and wherein activating the first base pass gate and activating the second base pass gate includes receiving a thread select control signal that corresponds to a selected process thread and a corresponding base storage circuit.