Author: claimsbot

We claim:

1. A content-coded syringe for medical use, comprising:
a generally tubular body having an open end adapted to receive a plunger, a partially closed end adapted to receive a needle assembly, and a central barrel portion extending between said open end and said partially closed end, said barrel portion defining a fluid chamber adapted to act as a reservoir to receive and hold syringe content, and said open end, said partially enclosed end and said barrel portion being arranged in substantially coaxial alignment;
a plunger slidably disposed in said syringe body, said plunger having a tip end adapted to displace syringe content relative to said partially closed end of said body, a base end adapted to be actuated during use of said syringe, and a stem extending between said tip end and said base end; and
a content code corresponding to a syringe content type to be introduced into said syringe, said content code being permanently and directly formed on said body, said plunger or both, and selected from a set of content codes used on other syringes of like design that are adapted to receive other syringe content types.
2. A content-coded syringe in accordance with claim 1, wherein said content code comprises a color code marking.
3. A content-coded syringe in accordance with claim 1, wherein said content code comprises text code marking.
4. A content-coded syringe in accordance with claim 1, wherein said content code comprises a color code marking and a text code marking.
5. A content-coded syringe in accordance with claim 1, wherein said content code comprises a color-coded text marking.
6. A content-coded syringe in accordance with claim 1, wherein said content code comprises a human-readable code.
7. A content-coded syringe in accordance with claim 1, wherein said content code comprises a machine-readable code.
8. A content-coded syringe in accordance with claim 1, wherein a content code is formed on both of said plunger and said body.
9. A content-coded syringe in accordance with claim 8, wherein said content code formed on said plunger comprises a color code marking and said content code formed on said body comprises a text code marking.
10. A content-coded syringe in accordance with claim 8, wherein said content code formed on said plunger comprises a color code marking and said content code formed on said body comprises a color-coded text marking of a color that matches said color code marking on said plunger.
11. A content-coded syringe set for medical procedure use, comprising:
a plurality of syringes, each syringe including:
a generally tubular body having an open end adapted to receive a plunger, a partially closed end adapted to receive a needle assembly, and a central barrel portion extending between said open end and said partially closed end, said barrel portion defining a fluid chamber adapted to act as a reservoir to receive and hold syringe content, and said open end, said partially enclosed end and said barrel portion being arranged in substantially coaxial alignment; and
a plunger slidably disposed in said syringe body, said plunger having a tip end adapted to displace syringe content relative to said partially closed end of said body, a base end adapted to be actuated during use of said syringe, and a stem extending between said tip end and said base end;
a plurality of needle assemblies each of which is adapted to be mounted on one of said bodies on said partially closed end thereof; and
a plurality of content codes each of which is unique and permanently and directly formed on one of said syringes or one of said needle assemblies or both to identify a syringe content type; and
whereby said syringes may be combined with said needle assemblies and arrayed in a syringeneedle assembly arrangement for use in a medical procedure, with each syringeneedle assembly being pre-charged with syringe content type and bearing one of said content codes to uniquely identify said syringe content and differentiate said syringeneedle assembly from other syringeneedle assemblies in said arrangement.
12. A content-coded syringe set in accordance with claim 11, wherein said content codes comprise color code markings.
13. A content-coded syringe set in accordance with claim 11, wherein said content codes comprise text code markings.
14. A content-coded syringe set in accordance with claim 11, wherein said content codes comprise color code markings and text code markings.
15. A content-coded syringe set in accordance with claim 11, wherein said content codes comprise color-coded text markings.
16. A content-coded syringe set in accordance with claim 11, wherein said content codes comprise human-readable codes.
17. A content-coded syringe set in accordance with claim 11, wherein said content codes comprise machine-readable codes.
18. A content-coded syringe set in accordance with claim 11, wherein said content codes are formed on said syringe bodies.
19. A content-coded syringe set in accordance with claim 11, wherein said content codes are formed on said syringe plungers.
20. A content-coded syringe set in accordance with claim 11, wherein said content codes are formed on said needle assemblies.
21. A method for identifying syringe content in a set of syringes to be arrayed for deployment in a medical procedure, comprising:
selecting a plurality of syringes, each syringe including:
a generally tubular body having an open end adapted to receive a plunger, a partially closed end adapted to receive a needle assembly, and a central barrel portion extending between said open end and said partially closed end, said barrel portion defining a fluid chamber adapted to act as a reservoir to receive and hold syringe content, and said open end, said partially enclosed end and said barrel portion being arranged in substantially coaxial alignment; and
a plunger slidably disposed in said syringe body, said plunger having a tip end adapted to displace syringe content relative to said partially closed end of said body, a base end adapted to be actuated during use of said syringe, and a stem extending between said tip end and said base end;
selecting a plurality of needle assemblies each of which is adapted to be mounted on one of said bodies on said partially closed end thereof;
said syringes or said needle assemblies or both each having a unique content code permanently and directly formed thereon to identify a syringe content type;
mounting said needle assemblies on said syringes to form syringeneedle assembly pairs, as necessary;
introducing syringe content types into said syringes according to said unique content codes such that a correlation exists between said content codes and said syringe content types; and
arraying said syringeneedle assembly pairs in a syringeneedle assembly pair arrangement for use in a medical procedure;
whereby each syringeneedle assembly pair is pre-charged with syringe content and bears one of said content codes to uniquely identify said syringe content and differentiate said syringeneedle assembly pair from other syringeneedle assembly pairs in said arrangement.
22. A method in accordance with claim 21, wherein said content codes comprise color code markings.
23. A method in accordance with claim 21, wherein said content codes comprise text code markings.
24. A method in accordance with claim 21, wherein said content codes comprise color code markings and text code markings.
25. A method in accordance with claim 21, wherein said content codes comprise colored text code markings.
26. A method in accordance with claim 21, wherein said content codes comprise human-readable codes.
27. A method in accordance with claim 21, wherein said content codes comprise machine-readable codes.
28. A method in accordance with claim 21, wherein said content codes are formed on said syringe bodies.
29. A method in accordance with claim 21, wherein said content codes are formed on said syringe plungers.
30. A content-coded syringe set in accordance with claim 21, wherein said content codes are formed on said needle assemblies.
31. A content-coded syringe and needle assembly for medical use, comprising:
a syringe having generally tubular body having an open end adapted to receive a plunger, a partially closed end adapted to receive a needle assembly, and a central barrel portion extending between said open end and said partially closed end, said barrel portion defining a fluid chamber adapted to act as a reservoir to receive and hold syringe content, and said open end, said partially enclosed end and said barrel portion being arranged in substantially coaxial alignment;
a plunger slidably disposed in said syringe body, said plunger having a tip end adapted to displace syringe content relative to said partially closed end of said body, a base end adapted to be actuated during use of said syringe, and a stem extending between said tip end and said base end;
a needle assembly adapted to mount on said partially closed end of said syringe body; and
a content code corresponding to a syringe content type to be introduced into said syringe, said content code being permanently and directly formed on one or more of said body, said plunger or said needle assembly, and selected from a set of content codes used on other syringeneedle assemblies of like design that are adapted to receive other syringe content types.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrode instrument used for thermal ablation therapy, comprising an electrode head having at least a first and second electrode for emitting RF energy, said first and second electrodes being movable between a collapsed configuration, in which said first and second electrodes are proximate to each other, and a deployed configuration, in which said first and second electrodes are remote from each other, and a first linkage mechanism connected between said first and second electrodes for maintaining said first and second electrodes in their deployed configuration.
2. The electrode instrument of claim 1, further comprising an actuator rod connected to said first linkage mechanism, said actuator rod cooperating with said first linkage mechanism to move said first and second electrodes between their collapsed and deployed configurations.
3. The electrode instrument of claim 2, wherein said first linkage mechanism is movable between a first position, in which said first linkage mechanism is substantially parallel to said first and second electrodes when said first and second electrodes are in their collapsed configuration, and a second position, in which said linkage mechanism is at an acute angle relative to said first and second electrodes when said first and second electrodes are in their deployed configuration.
4. The electrode instrument of claim 3, wherein said first linkage mechanism includes a first arm electrically connected to said first electrode and a second arm connected to said first arm, said second arm being electrically connected to said second electrode.
5. The electrode instrument of claim 4, wherein said electrode head assumes a substantially cylindrical shape when said first and second electrodes are in their said collapsed configuration, and wherein said electrode head assumes a substantially triangular shape when said first and second electrodes are in their said deployed configuration.
6. The electrode instrument of claim 5, wherein one of said first and second electrodes is an active electrode and the other of said first and second electrodes is a return electrode.
7. The electrode instrument of claim 6, wherein said electrode head further includes a third and fourth electrode for emitting RF energy, said third and fourth electrodes being movable between a collapsed configuration, in which said third and fourth electrodes are proximate to each other, and a deployed configuration, in which said third and fourth electrodes are remote from each other, and a second linkage mechanism connected between said third and fourth electrodes, for maintaining said third and fourth electrodes in their deployed configuration.
8. The electrode instrument of claim 7, wherein said third electrode is positioned adjacent said first electrode and said fourth electrode is positioned adjacent to said second electrode.
9. The electrode instrument of claim 8, wherein the polarity of said first, second, third, and fourth electrodes can be selectively varied.
10. The electrode instrument of claim 9, wherein one of said first, second, third, and fourth electrodes can be an active electrode for a first predetermined time period and can be a return electrode for a second predetermined time period.
11. The electrode instrument of claim 10, wherein said first and third electrodes emit RF energy between each other, and said second and fourth electrodes emit RF energy between each other.
12. The electrode instrument of claim 11, wherein said first and second electrodes emit RF energy between each other, and said third and fourth electrodes emit RF energy between each other.
13. The electrode instrument of claim 12, wherein said first, second, third, and fourth electrodes are sized and shaped to emit bipolar RF energy.
14. The electrode instrument of claim 1, wherein said first and second electrodes are sized and shaped to emit monopolar RF energy.
15. The electrode instrument of claim 1, wherein said electrode head further includes a tube sized and shaped so as to receive said first and second electrodes when said first and second electrodes are in their said collapsed configuration.
16. The electrode instrument of claim 15, wherein said first and second electrodes have spring memory characteristics.
17. The electrode instrument of claim 16, wherein said tube is moveable between a distal position, in which said first and second electrodes are substantially compressed within said tube, and a proximal position, in which said first and second electrodes are extended from said tube.
18. The electrode instrument of claim 17, wherein said first and second electrodes have a predetermined shape set therein.
19. The electrode instrument of claim 18, wherein said first and second electrodes assume a substantially triangular shape when said tube is in its said proximal position.
20. An electrode instrument used for thermal ablation therapy, comprising an electrode head having at least a first and second electrode, said first and second electrodes being movable between a collapsed configuration, in which said first and second electrodes are proximate to each other, and a deployed configuration, in which said first and second electrodes are remote from each other, and a linkage mechanism connected between said first and second electrodes; and an actuator rod connected to said linkage mechanism so as to cooperate with said linkage mechanism to move said first and second electrodes between their collapsed and deployed configurations.
21. The electrode instrument of claim 1, wherein said linkage mechanism includes a pair of jaws sized and shaped to move said first and second electrodes between their said collapsed and deployed configurations.
22. The electrode instrument of claim 21, wherein said electrode head further includes a sheath sized and shaped so as to receive said first and second electrodes when said first and second electrodes are in their said collapsed configuration.
23. The electrode instrument of claim 22, wherein said electrode head further includes an arm having one end connected to said first electrode and an opposite end connected to said second electrode.
24. The electrode instrument of claim 23, wherein the polarity of said first electrode, said second electrode, and said arm can be selectively varied.
25. The electrode instrument of claim 24, wherein one of said first electrode, said second electrode, and said arm can be an active electrode for a first predetermined time period and can be a return electrode for a second predetermined time period.
26. The electrode instrument of claim 25, wherein the tension of said first electrode, said second electrode, and said arm can be varied.
27. An electrode instrument used for thermal ablation therapy, comprising an effector strip for emitting RF energy and tensioning means for varying the tension of said effector strip.
28. The electrode instrument of claim 27, wherein said tensioning means includes a cam connected to said effector strip.
29. The electrode instrument of claim 27, wherein said effector strip includes a plurality of electrically conductive patches, wherein each of said patches can be selectively activated as an active electrode and as a return electrode.
30. The electrode instrument of claim 27, wherein said effector strip is sized and shaped to emit monopolar RF energy.

1. A semiconductor device, comprising:
a substrate configured to include a plurality of cell regions and a peripheral region arranged around the plurality of cell regions;
a plurality of storage nodes arranged in each of the cell regions;
a first support pattern configured in each cell region to support the plurality of storage nodes; and
a second support pattern configured in the peripheral region to couple first support patterns to each other.
2. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the first support patterns and the second support pattern are positioned on the same plane.
3. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the first support patterns and the second support pattern are of an identical material.
4. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the first support patterns and the second support pattern each include a nitride layer.
5. A semiconductor device, comprising:
a substrate configured to include a plurality of cell regions and a peripheral region arranged around the plurality of cell regions;
a plurality of storage nodes arranged in each of the cell regions;
a conductive layer arranged in the peripheral region;
a first support pattern configured in each cell region to support the plurality of storage nodes; and
a second support pattern configured in the peripheral region to couple first support patterns to each other and including an aperture defining a region to accommodate a plug coupled to the conductive layer.
6. The semiconductor device of claim 5, wherein the first support patterns and the second support pattern are positioned on the same plane.
7. The semiconductor device of claim 5, wherein the first support patterns and the second support pattern are of an identical material.
8. The semiconductor device of claim 7, wherein the first support patterns and the second support pattern each include a nitride layer.
9. The semiconductor device of claim 5, wherein the conductive layer includes a bit line.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
an amplifier;
a first inverter having an input coupled to an output of the amplifier; and
a second inverter having an input coupled to an output of the first inverter and an output, wherein the output of the second inverter is fed back to an input of the amplifier.
2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the amplifier is a CMOS amplifier.
3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the CMOS amplifier is a hybrid Bazes and Chappell amplifier.
4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein:
the amplifier includes a first, a second and a third pMOS transistor and a first, a second and a third nMOS transistor;
a gate of the first pMOS transistor and a gate of the first nMOS transistor are coupled to an input;
a gate of the second pMOS transistor and a gate of the first nMOS transistor are coupled to a drain of the first pMOS transistor and a drain of the first nMOS transistor; and
a gate of the third pMOS transistor and a gate of the third nMOS transistor are coupled to an inverse input.
5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the gate of the second pMOS transistor and the gate of the first nMOS transistor are coupled to the drain of the first pMOS transistor and the drain of the first nMOS transistor via a resistor.
6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second inverter is approximately four times the size of the first inverter.
7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first inverter is approximately one-fourth the size of the output of the amplifier.
8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first inverter is approximately one-fourth the size of the output of the amplifier and the first inverter is approximately one-fourth the size of the second inverter.
9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the output of the second inverter is fed back to the amplifier as negative feedback.
10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the amplifier provides positive feedback.
11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the amplifier provides positive feedback and the output of the second inverter is fed back to the amplifier as negative feedback.
12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the amplifier mixes the positive feedback and the negative feedback.
13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the amplifier further includes a resistor, wherein the resistor is included in a circuit that mixes positive feedback provided by the amplifier and negative feedback provided to the amplifier from the output of the second inverter.
14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an output, wherein the output is coupled to the output of the second inverter.
15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the output does not include precharge artifacts from the amplifier.
16. An apparatus comprising:
an amplifier; and
a delay and gain circuit coupled to an output of the amplifier, wherein an output of the delay and gain circuit is fed back to the amplifier.
17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the output of the delay and gain circuit is fed back to the amplifier as negative feedback.
18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the amplifier provides positive feedback.
19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the amplifier provides positive feedback and the output of the delay and gain circuit is fed back to the amplifier as negative feedback.
20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the amplifier mixes the positive feedback and the negative feedback.
21. The apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the amplifier includes a resistor, wherein the resistor is included in a circuit that mixes the positive feedback and the negative feedback.
22. An amplifier comprising:
an input;
an inverse input;
an output;
a first pMOS transistor having a gate coupled to the input of the amplifier;
a second pMOS transistor;
a third pMOS transistor having a gate coupled to the inverse input of the amplifier and having a source coupled to a source of the first pMOS transistor and to a drain of the second pMOS transistor;
a first nMOS transistor having a gate coupled to the input of the amplifier;
a second nMOS transistor having a gate coupled to a drain of the first pMOS transistor, a drain of the first nMOS transistor, and to a gate of the second pMOS transistor; and
a third nMOS transistor having a gate coupled to the inverse input of the amplifier, a drain coupled to a drain of the third pMOS transistor and a source coupled to a source of the first nMOS transistor and to a drain of the second nMOS transistor, wherein the output of the amplifier is coupled to the drain of the third pMOS transistor and to the drain of the third nMOS transistor.
23. The amplifier according to claim 22, further comprising a resistor, wherein the gate of the second nMOS transistor and the gate of the second pMOS transistor are coupled directly together, and the drain of the first pMOS transistor and the drain of the first nMOS transistor are coupled directly together, wherein the direct coupling of the gate of the second nMOS transistor and the gate of the second pMOS transistor are coupled via the resistor to the direct coupling of the drain of the first pMOS transistor and the drain of the first nMOS transistor.
24. The amplifier according to claim 23, wherein the resistor has a resistance of approximately 5000 ohms.
25. The amplifier according to claim 22, further comprising a control input, wherein the gate of the second nMOS transistor and the gate of the second pMOS transistor are coupled to the control input.
26. The amplifier according to claim 22, wherein a width of each of the first pMOS transistor, the second pMOS transistor and the third pMOS transistor is approximately 9.2 um, and wherein a width of the first nMOS transistor, the second nMOS transistor and the third nMOS transistor is approximately 4 um.
27. The amplifier according to claim 26, wherein a length of each of the first pMOS transistor, the second pMOS transistor, the third pMOS transistor, the first nMOS transistor, the second nMOS transistor and the third nMOS transistor is approximately 80 nm.
28. A system comprising:
a transmitter;
a receiver; and
a transmission line coupled to the transmitter and the receiver;
the receiver including:
an amplifier; and
a delay and gain circuit coupled to an output of the amplifier, wherein

an output of the delay and gain circuit is fed back to the amplifier.
29. The system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the receiver is a high speed serial differential receiver.
30. The system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the delay and gain circuit comprises a first inverter and a second inverter.
31. The system as claimed in claim 30, wherein the first inverter is coupled to the output of the amplifier and the first inverter and the second inverter are connected in series.
32. The system as claimed in claim 31, wherein:
the amplifier includes a first, a second and a third pMOS transistor and a first, a second and a third nMOS transistor;
a gate of the first pMOS transistor and a gate of the first nMOS transistor are coupled to an input;
a gate of the second pMOS transistor and a gate of the first nMOS transistor are coupled to a drain of the first pMOS transistor and a drain of the first nMOS transistor; and
a gate of the third pMOS transistor and a gate of the third nMOS transistor are coupled to an inverse input.
33. The system as claimed in claim 32, wherein the gate of the second pMOS transistor and the gate of the first nMOS transistor are coupled to the drain of the first pMOS transistor and the drain of the first nMOS transistor via a resistor.
34. The system as claimed in claim 31, wherein the second inverter is approximately four times the size of the first inverter.
35. The system as claimed in claim 31, wherein the first inverter is approximately one-fourth the size of the output of the amplifier.
36. The system as claimed in claim 31, wherein the first inverter is approximately one-fourth the size of the output of the amplifier and the first inverter is approximately one-fourth the size of the second inverter.
37. The system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the output of the delay and gain circuit is fed back to the amplifier as negative feedback.
38. The system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the amplifier provides positive feedback.
39. The system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the amplifier provides positive feedback and the output of the delay and gain circuit is fed back to the amplifier as negative feedback.
40. The system as claimed in claim 39, wherein the amplifier mixes the positive feedback and the negative feedback.
41. The system as claimed in claim 39, wherein the amplifier includes a resistor that mixes the positive feedback and the negative feedback.
42. The system as claimed in claim 28, wherein a gain of the feedback is a same magnitude as a loss of the transmission line.
43. A method comprising:
providing delay and gain to an output of an amplifier; and
feeding back an output from the delay and gain to the amplifier.
44. The method as claimed in claim 43, further comprising applying positive feedback to the amplifier.
45. The method as claimed in claim 43, further comprising applying negative feedback to the amplifier.
46. The method as claimed in claim 43, further comprising applying positive feedback to the amplifier and negative feedback to the amplifier.
47. The method as claimed in claim 43, wherein at least one of the delay, gain and feedback counteract and compensate for a frequency dependent loss.
48. A method comprising:
amplifying an input signal; and
compensating for a frequency dependent loss by feeding back an output signal to the amplifying.
49. The method according to claim 48, wherein the compensating further includes adding at least one of a delay and a gain.
50. The method according to claim 48, wherein the feedback is a negative feedback and the negative feedback is delayed for a period of a smallest data bit.
51. A method comprising:
applying positive feedback to an amplifier; and
applying delayed negative feedback to the amplifier.
52. The method as claimed in claim 51, further comprising applying gain to the delayed negative feedback before it is fed back to the amplifier.
53. The method as claimed in claim 51, further comprising mixing the positive feedback and the negative feedback.
54. The method as claimed in claim 53, further comprising balancing a ratio of the mixed positive feedback and negative feedback to compensate for a frequency dependent loss.
55. The method as claimed in claim 53, the mixing further comprising providing a proportional amount of positive feedback and negative feedback to compensate for an inter-symbol interference.
56. The method as claimed in claim 51, wherein the positive feedback is applied immediately and the negative feedback is applied after some time.