Author: claimsbot

1. A liquid ejection apparatus comprising:
a liquid ejection head having a nozzle through which a liquid is ejected;
a maintenance portion that maintains the liquid ejection head;
a pressure source that applies pressure to the maintenance portion; and
a valve unit that controls the pressure applied from the pressure source to the maintenance portion,
wherein the valve unit includes:
a valve body movable in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction;
a first passage defining member and a second passage defining member that are located at opposite sides of the valve body;
a first passage defined between the valve body and the first passage defining member; and
a second passage defined between the valve body and the second passage defining member,

wherein the valve body has a first passage valve that closes the first passage when the valve body moves in the first direction, and a second passage valve that closes the second passage when the valve body moves in the second direction, the first passage valve and the second passage valve being provided at opposite sides of the valve body and associated commonly with the valve body; and
wherein the first passage valve is capable of selectively opening and closing a pressure line defining a portion of a passage extending between the maintenance portion and the pressure source, and the second passage valve is capable of selectively opening and closing an atmospheric air passage that exposes the maintenance portion to the atmospheric air.
2. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressure source is a negative pressure source that applies negative pressure to the maintenance portion.
3. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
an urging member that urges the valve body in the second direction; and
an operated portion operated to move the valve body in the first direction against the urging force of the urging member.
4. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, in accordance with an operated amount of the operated portion, the first passage valve and the second passage valve are switchable among a state in which the first passage valve is open and the second passage valve is closed, a state in which the first passage valve and the second passage valve are both open, and a state in which the first passage valve is closed and the second passage valve is open.
5. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the operated portion depresses the valve body against the urging force of the urging member.
6. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a plurality of valve devices each including the first passage valve and the second passage valve, the operated portion being arranged in correspondence with each of the valve devices.
7. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the valve bodies of at least two of the valve devices are formed by a single valve plate, and wherein a plurality of casing members forming a casing of the valve unit are joined together through the single valve plate.
8. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 3,
wherein the operated portion includes a pressing body that contacts the valve body, an operated body operated to depress the pressing member, and an elastic member, and
wherein the operated potion is maintained under pressurization by the operated body and the pressing body being urged away from each other by the elastic member.
9. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the valve unit includes a casing having a valve chamber that accommodates the valve body and a through hole communicating with the valve chamber,
wherein the operated portion has a pressing body that is passed through the through hole in such a manner that the pressing body contacts the valve body,
wherein the casing has a support tube portion and a valve seat portion, the support tube portion extending in a manner crossing the through hole, the atmospheric air passage extending in the support tube portion, the valve seat projecting from the support tube portion toward the valve body, the valve seat including a distal end having an opening that communicates with the atmospheric air passage and is opposed to the valve body,
wherein the pressing body has a slit defined at a position corresponding to the support tube portion and a hole defined at a position corresponding to the valve seat, and
wherein, while being prevented from interfering with the support tube portion and the valve seat by the slit and the hole, the pressing body is passed through the through hole from the side corresponding to the valve chamber in such a manner that a portion of the pressing body projects from the casing to the exterior and the portion of the pressing body in the valve chamber is capable of contacting the valve body.
10. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the valve unit includes a casing having a through hole, the operated portion having a pressing body passed through the through hole in such a manner that the pressing body is capable of contacting the valve body,
wherein the casing has a second valve seat in which an opening of the atmospheric air passage is defined, the second valve seat being opposed to a substantial center of the valve body,
wherein the valve body includes a thick valve portion projecting from the substantial center toward the pressing body, and a film-like portion that is arranged around the valve portion and has a thickness smaller than the thickness of the valve portion, the second valve seat and the pressing body being capable of contacting the valve portion, and
wherein the casing has a first valve seat in which an opening of the passage extending between the maintenance portion and the negative pressure source is defined, the first valve seat being opposed to the second valve seat with the valve body located between the first valve seat and the second valve seat, the valve body being capable of contacting the first valve seat at the portion of the valve body corresponding to the valve portion.

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 of providing data to a recipient while safeguarding the recipient from maintaining a copy of the data, comprising:
accessing a remote receiving computer that runs a remote virtual machine portion under control of an external device, and independently from an operating system of the remote receiving computer;
streaming the data to the remote virtual machine portion of the receiving computer;
using the remote virtual machine to display and interact with the data, such that a user of the remote receiving computer can interact with the data, but cannot use the remote receiving computer to store the data on a persistent memory device.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing producing the image reconstructs an image from which the stream was created.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing producing the image further comprises producing the image inside a buffer of the remote receiving computer.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising a user utilizing a matrix transformation to modify the image.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising using a matrix transformation to manipulate the image.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the matrix transformation is applied interactively.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the stream comprises only the single image.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the image comprises a medical diagnostic image.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the image is selected from the list consisting of an MRI image, a Cat Scan image, a PET image, and an X-Ray.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising encrypting the data, streaming the encrypted image to the remote virtual machine portion of the receiving computer, and using the remote virtual machine to decrypt the encrypted image, using the remote virtual machine to display and interact with the decrypted data.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises a video.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises a file.

1. A printhead comprising a plurality of nozzles formed on a substrate, each nozzle comprising a nozzle chamber, a nozzle opening defined in a roof of the nozzle chamber and an actuator for ejecting ink through the nozzle opening, wherein at least part of an ink ejection face of the printhead comprises a layer of hydrophobic material, and said hydrophobic material is a silyl compound comprising a hydrophobic group.
2. The printhead of claim 1, wherein each roof forms at least part of the ink ejection face of the printhead, each roof having a hydrophobic outside surface relative to the inside surfaces of each nozzle chamber.
3. The printhead of claim 1, wherein each nozzle chamber comprises a roof and sidewalls walls formed from a ceramic material.
4. The printhead of claim 3, wherein the ceramic material is selected from silicon nitride, silicon oxide or silicon oxynitride.
5. The printhead of claim 3, wherein the roof and sidewalls are formed by a chemical vapour deposition process.
6. The printhead of claim 1, wherein the ink ejection face is hydrophobic relative to ink supply channels in the printhead, the ink supply channels being configured to supply ink to each nozzle.
7. The printhead of claim 1, wherein inside surfaces of each nozzle chamber lack the layer of hydrophobic material.
8. The printhead of claim 7, wherein the hydrophobic material is covalently bonded to at least part of the ink ejection surface.
9. The printhead of claim 7, wherein the hydrophobic material is selectivity deposited onto the ink ejection face by a process of:
(a) filling nozzle chambers on the printhead with a liquid; and
(b) depositing a hydrophobizing compound onto the ink ejection face of the printhead.
10. The printhead of claim 9, wherein the liquid is an inkjet ink.
11. The printhead of claim 9, wherein the step of filling the nozzle chambers is priming the printhead with ink.
12. The printhead of claim 9, wherein the deposition of the hydrophobizing material is chemical vapour deposition.
13. The printhead of claim 9, wherein the printhead face comprises atoms available for covalent bonding with the hydrophobizing material.
14. The printhead of claim 13, wherein the atoms are oxygen or nitrogen atoms.
15. The printhead of claim 9, wherein the hydrophobizing compound is non-polymerizable in the liquid.
16. The printhead of claim 15, wherein the hydrophobizing compound is a silyl monochloride.

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 side rail for a medical table, the side rail comprising:
an elongated body having two terminal ends and that is configured, based on at least a height and a width of the elongated body, to be received by a medical accessory,
wherein the elongated body is formed of a material having a modulus of elasticity that is about 50 gigapascals to about 150 gigapascals and a yield strength that is about 40\xd7107 pascals to about 120\xd7107 pascals,
wherein the elongated body comprises a plurality of mounting holes configured to engage respective fasteners for securing the side rail to the medical table, the plurality of mounting holes defining an inter-hole spacing along the elongated body that is based on the height of the elongated body, the width of the elongated body, and mechanical properties of the material from which the elongated body is formed, such that the side rail, according to a structural strength provided by the inter-hole spacing of the plurality of mounting holes, can support the medical accessory and can flex or deflect up to a predetermined amount when an impact force is applied to the side rail,
wherein the height is about 20 mm to about 35 mm and the width is about 6 mm to about 20 mm, wherein the inter-hole spacing is about 300 mm or less, and wherein an outer spacing distance between respective outermost holes of the plurality of mounting holes and corresponding terminal ends of the two terminal ends is about 150 mm or less, and
a manually controlled accessory lock located at one of the two terminal ends of the elongated body and including a member configured to move inward towards and into the side rail to permit mounting of the medical accessory to the side rail and further configured to move away from the side rail after the medical accessory is mounted so as to block the medical accessory from falling off of the side rail.
2. The side rail according to claim 1, wherein the height is about 25 mm to about 30 mm and the width is about 8 mm to about 10 mm.
3. The side rail according to claim 1, wherein the material has a modulus of elasticity that is about 50 gigapascals to about 80 gigapascals and a yield strength that is about 40\xd7107 pascals to about 60\xd7107 pascals.
4. The side rail according to claim 1, wherein the material has a modulus of elasticity that is about 100 gigapascals to about 130 gigapascals and a yield strength that is about 100\xd7107 pascals to about 120\xd7107 pascals.
5. The side rail according to claim 1, further comprising a metal plating that substantially covers the elongated body.
6. The side rail according to claim 5, wherein the metal plating comprises a nickel based material.
7. The side rail according to claim 6, wherein the metal plating is an electroless nickel plating that is about 0.025 mm thick.
8. The side rail according to claim 1, wherein the side rail defines a first wide side and a second wide side that is opposite the first wide side, the side rail being configured such that when the side rail is supported along the first wide side by two support members that are about 300 mm apart and a 500 newton force is applied midway between the support members to the second wide side, the side rail has a maximum deflection of less than about 5 mm and rebounds without substantially any permanent deformation when the force is released.
9. The side rail according to claim 1, wherein the medical table is an operating room table.
10. The side rail according to claim 1, wherein the material from which the elongated body is formed comprises an aluminum alloy or a titanium alloy having the modulus of elasticity that is about 50 gigapascals to about 150 gigapascals and the yield strength that is about 40\xd7107 pascals to about 120\xd7107 pascals.
11. The side rail according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of mounting holes is centered along a horizontal centerline of the elongated body.
12. The side rail according to claim 1, wherein the side rail, according to a structural strength provided by the outer spacing distance between the respective outermost holes of the plurality of mounting holes and the corresponding terminal ends of the two terminal ends, can support the medical accessory when the medical accessory is secured near the corresponding terminal end of the elongated body, and can flex or deflect up to the predetermined amount when the impact force is applied to the side rail.
13. The side rail according to claim 1, wherein the material comprises Al 7075-T6, and the side rail, according to the structural strength provided by the inter-hole spacing of the plurality of mounting holes, deforms on average by a distance of less than half a distance that a steel side rail of a substantially equivalent geometry deforms when the impact force is applied to the side rail and to the steel side rail.
14. A medical table system comprising:
a table that is configured to support a patient during a medical procedure, the table defining a patient support surface; and
a side rail disposed along an outer surface of the table, the side rail comprising an elongated body having two terminal ends and that is configured, based on at least a height and a width of the elongated body, to be received by a medical accessory,
wherein the elongated body is formed of a material having a modulus of elasticity that is about 50 gigapascals to about 150 gigapascals and a yield strength that is about 40\xd7107 pascals to about 120\xd7107 pascals, and
wherein the elongated body comprises a plurality of mounting holes configured to engage respective fasteners for securing the side rail to the table, the plurality of mounting holes defining an inter-hole spacing along the elongated body that is based on the height of the elongated body, the width of the elongated body, and mechanical properties of the material from which the elongated body is formed, such that the side rail, according to a structural strength provided by the inter-hole spacing of the plurality of mounting holes, can support the medical accessory and can flex or deflect up to a predetermined amount when an impact force is applied to the side rail,
wherein the height is about 20 mm to about 35 mm and the width is about 6 mm to about 20 mm, wherein the inter-hole spacing is about 300 mm or less, and wherein an outer spacing distance between respective outermost holes of the plurality of mounting holes and corresponding terminal ends of the two terminal ends is about 150 mm or less, and
a manually controlled accessory lock located at one of the two terminal ends of the elongated body and including a member configured to move inward towards and into the side rail to permit mounting of the medical accessory to the side rail and further configured to move away from the side rail after the medical accessory is mounted so as to block the medical accessory from falling off of the side rail.
15. The medical table system according to claim 14, wherein the height is about 25 mm to about 30 mm and the width is about 8 mm to about 10 mm.
16. The medical table system according to claim 14, wherein the material has a modulus of elasticity that is about 50 gigapascals to about 80 gigapascals and a yield strength that is about 40\xd7107 pascals to about 60\xd7107 pascals.
17. The medical table system according to claim 14, wherein the material has a modulus of elasticity that is about 100 gigapascals to about 130 gigapascals and a yield strength that is about 100\xd7107 pascals to about 120\xd7107 pascals.
18. The medical table system according to claim 14, further comprising a metal plating that substantially covers the elongated body.
19. The medical table system according to claim 18, wherein the metal plating comprises a nickel based material.
20. The medical table system according to claim 19, wherein the metal plating is an electroless nickel plating that is about 0.025 mm thick.
21. The medical table system according to claim 14, wherein the side rail is configured to withstand an impact force of about 500 newtons that is applied midway between two side rail supports on which the side rail is supported, the supports being spaced about 300 millimeters apart from one another.
22. The medical table system according to claim 14, wherein the table is an operating room table.
23. The medical table system according to claim 14, wherein the material from which the elongated body is formed comprises an aluminum alloy or a titanium alloy having the modulus of elasticity that is about 50 gigapascals to about 150 gigapascals and the yield strength that is about 40\xd7107 pascals to about 120\xd7107 pascals.
24. The medical table system according to claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of mounting holes is centered along a horizontal centerline of the elongated body.
25. The medical table system according to claim 14, wherein the side rail, according to a structural strength provided by the outer spacing distance between the respective outermost holes of the plurality of mounting holes and the corresponding terminal ends of the two terminal ends, can support the medical accessory when the medical accessory is secured near the corresponding terminal end of the elongated body, and can flex or deflect up to the predetermined amount when the impact force is applied to the side rail.
26. The medical table system according to claim 14, wherein the material comprises Al 7075-T6, and the side rail, according to the structural strength provided by the inter-hole spacing of the plurality of mounting holes, deforms on average by a distance of less than half a distance that a steel side rail of a substantially equivalent geometry deforms when the impact force is applied to the side rail and to the steel side rail.
27. A side rail for a medical table, the side rail comprising:
an elongated body having two terminal ends and that is configured, based on at least a height and a width of the elongated body, to be received by a medical accessory,
wherein the elongated body comprises a plurality of mounting holes configured to engage respective fasteners for securing the side rail to the medical table, the plurality of mounting holes defining an inter-hole spacing along the elongated body that is based on the height of the elongated body, the width of the elongated body, and mechanical properties of a material from which the elongated body is formed, such that the side rail, according to a structural strength provided by the inter-hole spacing of the plurality of mounting holes, can support the medical accessory,
wherein the side rail defines a first wide side and a second wide side that is opposite the first wide side, the side rail being configured such that when the side rail is supported along the first wide side by two support members that are about 300 mm apart and a 500 newton force is applied midway between the support members to the second wide side, the side rail, according to the structural strength provided by the inter-hole spacing of the plurality of mounting holes, has a maximum deflection that is less than about 5 mm and rebounds without substantially any permanent deformation of the side rail when the force is released,
wherein the height is about 20 mm to about 35 mm and the width is about 6 mm to about 20 mm, wherein the inter-hole spacing is about 300 mm or less, and wherein an outer spacing distance between respective outermost holes of the plurality of mounting holes and corresponding terminal ends of the two terminal ends is about 150 mm or less, and
a manually controlled accessory lock located at one of the two terminal ends of the elongated body and including a member configured to move inward towards and into the side rail to permit mounting of the medical accessory to the side rail and further configured to move away from the side rail after the medical accessory is mounted so as to block the medical accessory from falling off of the side rail.
28. The side rail according to claim 27, wherein the maximum deflection is less than about 3.0 mm.
29. The side rail according to claim 27, wherein the height is about 25 mm to about 30 mm and the width is about 8 mm to about 10 mm.
30. The side rail according to claim 27, wherein the medical table is an operating room table.
31. The side rail according to claim 27, wherein the material from which the elongated body is formed comprises an aluminum alloy or a titanium alloy having a modulus of elasticity that is about 50 gigapascals to about 150 gigapascals and a yield strength that is about 40\xd7107 pascals to about 120\xd7107 pascals.
32. The side rail according to claim 27, wherein each of the plurality of mounting holes is centered along a horizontal centerline of the elongated body.
33. The side rail according to claim 27, wherein the side rail, according to a structural strength provided by the outer spacing distance between the respective outermost holes of the plurality of mounting holes and the corresponding terminal ends of the two terminal ends, can support the medical accessory when the medical accessory is secured near the corresponding terminal end of the elongated body, and wherein when the side rail is supported along the first wide side by the two support members and the 500 newton force is applied midway between the two support members to the second wide side, the side rail, according to the structural strength provided by the outer spacing of the outer holes, has a maximum deflection that is less than about 5 mm and rebounds without substantially any permanent deformation of the side rail when the force is released.
34. The side rail according to claim 27, wherein the material comprises Al 7075-T6, and the side rail, according to the structural strength provided by the inter-hole spacing of the plurality of mounting holes, deforms on average by a distance of less than half a distance that a steel side rail of a substantially equivalent geometry deforms when the impact force is applied to the side rail and to the steel side rail.
35. A medical table system comprising:
a table that is configured to support a patient during a medical procedure, the table defining a patient support surface; and
a side rail disposed along an outer surface of the table, the side rail comprising:
an elongated body having two terminal ends and that is configured, based on at least a height and a width of the elongated body, to be received by a medical accessory, and
a force absorbing member securing the side rail to the table,
wherein the elongated body comprises a plurality of mounting holes configured to engage respective fasteners for securing the side rail to the table, the plurality of mounting holes defining an inter-hole spacing along the elongated body that is based on the height of the elongated body, the width of the elongated body, and mechanical properties of a material from which the elongated body is formed, such that the side rail, according to a structural strength provided by the inter-hole spacing of the plurality of mounting holes and a configuration of the force absorbing member, can support the medical accessory and deflects towards the table when energy of about 5 Joules to about 100 Joules is applied to the side rail in the form of an impact force and absorbs some of the energy applied to the side rail as the side rail deflects towards the table,

wherein the height is about 20 mm to about 35 mm and the width is about 6 mm to about 20 mm, wherein the inter-hole spacing is about 300 mm or less, and wherein an outer spacing distance between respective outermost holes of the plurality of mounting holes and corresponding terminal ends of the two terminal ends is about 150 mm or less, and
a manually controlled accessory lock located at one of the two terminal ends of the elongated body and including a member configured to move inward towards and into the side rail to permit mounting of the medical accessory to the side rail and further configured to move away from the side rail after the medical accessory is mounted so as to block the medical accessory from falling off of the side rail.
36. The medical table system according to claim 35, wherein the force absorbing member provides a resisting force having a spring force constant that is about 50 Nmm to about 200 Nmm.
37. The medical table system according to claim 35, wherein the force absorbing member is a spring.
38. The medical table system according to claim 37, wherein the spring is a spring washer.
39. The medical table system according to claim 37, wherein the spring force constant of the spring is about 50 Nmm to about 200 Nmm.
40. The medical table system according to claim 35, wherein the side rail, according to the structural strength provided by the inter-hole spacing of the plurality of mounting holes and the configuration of the force absorbing member, deflects towards the table when the energy applied to the side rail in the form of the impact force is about 50 Joules to about 100 Joules.
41. The medical table system according to claim 35, wherein the table is an operating room table.
42. The medical table system according to claim 35, wherein the material from which the elongated body is formed comprises an aluminum alloy or a titanium alloy having a modulus of elasticity that is about 50 gigapascals to about 150 gigapascals and a yield strength that is about 40\xd7107 pascals to about 120\xd7107 pascals.
43. The medical table system according to claim 35, wherein each of the plurality of mounting holes is centered along a horizontal centerline of the elongated body.
44. The medical table system according to claim 35, wherein the side rail, according to a structural strength provided by the outer spacing distance between the respective outermost holes of the plurality of mounting holes and the corresponding terminal ends of the two terminal ends, can support the medical accessory when the medical accessory is secured near the corresponding terminal end of the elongated body and deflects towards the table when energy of about 5 Joules to about 100 Joules is applied to the side rail in the form of the impact force and absorbs some of the energy applied to the side rail as the side rail deflects towards the table.
45. The medical table system according to claim 35, wherein the material comprises Al 7075-T6, and the side rail, according to the structural strength provided by the inter-hole spacing of the plurality of mounting holes, deforms on average by a distance of less than half a distance that a steel side rail of a substantially equivalent geometry deforms when the impact force is applied to the side rail and to the steel side rail.