Author: claimsbot

1. A reader comprising:
a near-field light device having (i) one or a plurality of quantum dots and (ii) an output end laminated on an upper layer of the one or plurality of quantum dot layers;
an energy source supplying the plurality of quantum dots of said near-field light device with energy; and
a light receiving device which is configured to receive light caused by near-field light formed by the near-field light device, which is supplied energy by activated said energy source, upon reproduction of record information on a recording medium.
2. A reproducing apparatus comprising:
the reader according to claim 1;
a reproducing device which is configured to reproduce information on the basis of output from the light receiving device; and
a controlling device which is configured to control the reader.
3. A recordingreproducing apparatus comprising:
the reader according to claim 1;
a reproducing device which is configured to reproduce information on the basis of output from the light receiving device; and
a controlling device which is configured to control the reader.

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. Method for controlling the flow rate in a peristaltic pump comprising occlusion means for compressing a flexible tube, creating at least one zone of occlusion moving cyclically from an upstream part to a downstream part of the pump, the occlusion means comprising mobile compression means that compress the tube toward a counter surface, the occlusion means being actuated by control means placed on a rotation shaft, wherein the occlusion means in the furthest downstream part of the pump remain in the occlusive position for a greater portion of the cycle than the occlusion means in a further upstream part of the pump, wherein the zone of occlusion downstream is not removed until the pressure in the section of tubing directly upstream of this zone of occlusion is equal to or greater than the pressure in the section of tubing directly downstream of this occlusion.
2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the zone of occlusion downstream is not removed until the new zone of occlusion upstream has begun to move downstream.
3. Peristaltic pump comprising occlusion means for compressing a flexible tube, creating at least one zone of occlusion able to move cyclically from an upstream part to a downstream part of the pump, the occlusion means comprising mobile compression means that compress the tube toward a counter surface, the occlusion means being actuated by control means placed on a rotation shaft, wherein the counter surface at its furthest downstream point in the pump is closer to the rotation shaft of the control means of the compression means than it is at another point.
4. Peristaltic pump according to claim 3, wherein the control means for the compression means are proportioned so as to remove the zone of occlusion in the downstream part of the pump only when the new zone of occlusion in the upstream part has begun to move downstream.
5. Peristaltic pump according to claim 3, wherein the control means for the compression means are proportioned so as to remove the zone of occlusion in the furthest downstream part of the pump only when the pressure in the section of the tubing directly upstream of this zone of occlusion is equal to or greater than the pressure in the section of tubing directly downstream of this occlusion.
6. Peristaltic pump according to claim 3, wherein the control means for the compression means are proportioned so as to keep said compression means in the occlusive position in the furthest downstream part of the pump for a greater portion of the cycle than a further upstream part of the pump.
7. Peristaltic pump according to claim 3, wherein the pump is a finger pump.
8. Peristaltic pump according to claim 7, wherein the control means for the finger furthest downstream are proportioned so as to keep said finger in the occlusive position for a greater portion of the cycle than the finger furthest upstream.
9. Peristaltic pump according to claim 7, wherein the control means for the finger furthest downstream are proportioned so as to keep said finger in the occlusive position when the finger furthest upstream is going into the occlusive position.
10. Peristaltic pump according to claim 7, wherein the counter surface is flat, and in that the counter surface and the rotation shaft of the control means for the fingers are closer together in the downstream zone than in the upstream zone of the pump.
11. Peristaltic pump according to claim 10, wherein the counter surface is inclined with respect to the plane perpendicular to the fingers.
12. Peristaltic pump according to claim 10, wherein the counter surface is perpendicular to the fingers and the rotation shaft of the control means for the fingers is inclined with respect to the plane perpendicular to the fingers.
13. Peristaltic pump according to claim 7, wherein the counter surface between the finger furthest upstream and the finger furthest downstream is concave.
14. Peristaltic pump according to claim 7, wherein the finger pump is curvilinear, and the downstream end of the counter surface is closer to the rotation shaft of the control cam for the fingers than another point of the counter surface.
15. Peristaltic pump according to claim 14, wherein the counter surface has a spiral arc shape whose center coincides with the rotation shaft of the control cam for the fingers.
16. Peristaltic pump according to claim 7, wherein the finger furthest downstream is longer than one of the other fingers.
17. Peristaltic pump according to claim 7, wherein the control means for the finger furthest downstream are equipped with means for enabling a spring to compress said finger toward the counter surface for a part of the cycle without allowing the rotation of the shaft of the control means to make said finger move.
18. Peristaltic pump according to claim 3, wherein the height, which is defined as being the difference between a) the distance between the point of the counter surface closest to the rotation shaft of the control means for the fingers and said rotation shaft and b) the distance between the point of the counter surface furthest from the rotation shaft of the control means for the fingers and said shaft, is between one-tenth and one-half of the inside diameter of the flexible tubing for which the pump is provided.
19. Peristaltic pump according to claim 3, wherein the counter surface is equipped with means for changing its longitudinal orientation.
20. Peristaltic pump according to claim 3, wherein the pump is a roller pump.
21. Method according to claim 1, wherein the occlusion means in the furthest downstream part of the pump remain in the occlusive position for a greater portion of the cycle than the compression means in the furthest upstream part of the pump.
22. Peristaltic pump according to claim 8, wherein the control means for the finger furthest downstream are proportioned so as to keep said finger in the occlusive position for a greater portion of the cycle than the other fingers.
23. Peristaltic pump according to claim 14, wherein the finger pump is curvilinear, and the downstream end of the counter surface is closer to the rotation shaft of the control cam for the fingers than the upstream end of the counter surface.
24. Peristaltic pump according to claim 18, wherein the height, which is defined as being the difference between a) the distance between the point of the counter surface closest to the rotation shaft of the control means for the fingers and said rotation shaft and b) the distance between the point of the counter surface furthest from the rotation shaft of the control means for the fingers and said shaft, is equal to approximately one-fifth of the inside diameter.
25. Peristaltic pump according to claim 3, wherein the counter surface is removable and replaceable.
26. Peristaltic pump comprising occlusion means for compressing a flexible tube, creating at least one zone of occlusion able to move cyclically from an upstream part to a downstream part of the pump, the occlusion means comprising mobile compression means that compress the tube toward a counter surface, the occlusion means being actuated by control means placed on a rotation shaft, wherein the control means for the compression means are proportioned so as to keep said compression means in the occlusive position in the furthest downstream part of the pump for a greater portion of the cycle than a further upstream part of the pump, wherein the pump is a finger pump.
27. Peristaltic pump according to claim 3, wherein the control means for the compression means are proportioned so as to keep said compression means in the occlusive position in the furthest downstream part of the pump for a greater portion of the cycle than said compression means in the furthest upstream point of the pump.
28. Peristaltic pump according to claim 3, wherein the counter surface at its furthest downstream point in the pump is closer to the rotation shaft of the control means of the compression means than it is at its furthest upstream point.
29. Peristaltic pump according to claim 7, wherein the finger furthest downstream is longer than the finger furthest upstream.

1. A scaffold for promoting restoration of a tissue when implanted at an anatomical site in a patient, comprising:
at least a portion of a liver-derived devitalized mammalian parenchymatous tissue combined with a target mammalian cell population, wherein the combined tissue and cell population is sized and shaped for implantation in the patient at the anatomical site remote from the tissue requiring restoration.
2. The scaffold of claim 1 wherein the devitalized mammalian liver tissue further comprises a basement membrane.
3-5. (canceled)
6. The scaffold of claim 1 wherein the cell population is a population of stem cells introduced into the tissue.
7. The scaffold of claim 6 wherein the stem cells comprise autogeneic stem cells.
8. The scaffold of claim 6 wherein the stem cells comprise allogeneic stem cells.
9. The scaffold of claim 6 wherein the stem cells comprise xenogeneic stem cells.
10. The scaffold according to claim 1 wherein the tissue undergoing restoration comprises an endocrine tissue.
11. The scaffold of claim 1 wherein the target cell population comprises mammalian endocrine cells.
12. The scaffold of claim 11 wherein the mammalian endocrine cells comprise pancreatic islet cells.
13. The scaffold of claim 11 wherein the mammalian endocrine cells comprise pituitary cells.
14. The scaffold of claim 11 wherein the mammalian endocrine cells comprise thyroid cells.
15. The scaffold of claim 11 wherein the mammalian endocrine cells comprise cells from the adrenal gland.
16-18. (canceled)
19. The scaffold of claim 10 wherein the mammalian endocrine cells are autogeneic.
20. The scaffold of claim 10 wherein the mammalian endocrine cells are allogeneic.
21. The scaffold of claim 10 wherein the mammalian endocrine cells are xenogeneic.
22. A method for promoting restoration of a tissue when implanted at an anatomical site in a patient, comprising:
providing at least a portion of a liver-derived devitalized mammalian parenchymatous tissue combined with a target mammalian cell population, wherein the combined tissue and cell population is sized and shaped for implantation at the anatomical site in the patient; and
implanting the combined tissue and cell population into a site remote from the tissue requiring restoration.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein the scaffold is implanted subcutaneously.
24. The method of claim 22, wherein the scaffold is implanted into the abdominal cavity.
25. The method of claim 22, wherein the scaffold is implanted into the thoracic cavity.
26. The method of claim 22, wherein the scaffold is implanted subcutaneously.

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 flip-flop circuit having an input to receive an input signal and having an output to provide an output signal, comprising:
a flip-flop having a data input, a clock input, and a data output;
a first pass gate having an input to receive the input signal, an output coupled to the data input of the flip-flop, and a control terminal to receive a first control signal;
a second pass gate having a first data terminal coupled to the data input of the flip-flop, a second data terminal coupled to the output of the flip-flop circuit, and a control terminal to receive a second control signal; and
a third pass gate having an input coupled to the data output of the flip-flop, an output coupled to the output of the flip-flop circuit, and a control terminal to receive a third control signal,
wherein the first, second, and third control signals are unique signals that are generated in response to a clock enable signal and a bypass signal.
2. The flip-flop circuit of claim 1, wherein the flip-flop circuit further includes a control circuit comprising:
a first OR gate having inputs to receive the clock enable signal and the bypass signal, and having an output to generate the first control signal;
a second OR gate having inputs to receive the bypass signal and a logical complement of the clock enable signal, and having an output to generate the second control signal; and
an inverter having an input to receive the bypass signal and having an output to generate the third control signal.
3. The flip-flop circuit of claim 1, wherein the first control signal comprises the clock enable signal, the second control signal comprises a logical combination of the clock enable signal and the bypass signal, and the third control signal comprises a logical complement of the bypass signal.
4. The flip-flop circuit of claim 3, wherein the second pass gate is conductive if either the clock enable signal is de-asserted or the bypass signal is asserted.
5. The flip-flop circuit of claim 1, further comprising:
a pull-down transistor coupled between the data input of the flip-flop and ground potential and having a gate to receive a reset signal.
6. The flip-flop circuit of claim 5, wherein assertion of the reset signal forces the output of the flip-flop to a logic low state.
7. The flip-flop circuit of claim 1, further comprising:
a fourth pass gate having an input to receive a scan chain signal, a control terminal to receive a fourth control signal, and an output;
a fifth pass gate having an input coupled to the output of the fourth pass gate, a control terminal to receive a fifth control signal, and an output coupled to the data input of the flip-flop; and
a pull-down transistor coupled between the input of the fifth pass gate and ground potential and having a gate responsive to the fourth control signal.
8. The flip-flop circuit of claim 7, wherein the fourth control signal comprises a reset signal.
9. The flip-flop circuit of claim 8, wherein the fifth control signal comprises a logical combination of the reset signal and a test signal.
10. The flip-flop circuit of claim 1, wherein the second pass gate is configured to selectively route either the output signal to the data input of the flip-flop or the input signal to the output of the flip-flop circuit.