Author: claimsbot

1-158. (canceled)
159. An apparatus comprising:
a first tubular member comprising a threaded end portion;
a second tubular member comprising a threaded end portion;
a tubular sleeve that receives and overlaps with the threaded end portions of the first and second tubular members; and
an expansion device coupled to an interior of one of the first and second tubular members;
wherein the threaded end portion of the first tubular member is threadably coupled to the threaded end portion of the second tubular member;
wherein the first and second tubular members are adapted to receive the expansion device;
wherein portions of the first and second tubular members are radially expanded and plastically deformed by the expansion device.
160. The apparatus of claim 159 wherein the internal diameters of the radially expanded and plastically deformed portions of the first and second tubular members are equal.
161. The apparatus of claim 159 wherein the tubular sleeve comprises an internal flange.
162. The apparatus of claim 159 further comprising:
a structure receiving the first tubular member, the second tubular member, the tubular sleeve and the expansion device; and
wherein the portions of the first and second tubular members are radially expanded and plastically deformed by the expansion device while in the structure.
163. The apparatus of claim 162 wherein the tubular sleeve is radially expanded and plastically deformed by the expansion device into engagement with the structure.
164. The apparatus of claim 162 wherein the structure comprises a wellbore or a wellbore casing.
165. The apparatus of claim 159 wherein opposite ends of the tubular sleeve are tapered.
166. An apparatus comprising:
a first tubular member comprising a threaded end portion;
a second tubular member comprising a threaded end portion;
a tubular sleeve that receives, overlaps with, and is coupled to the threaded end portions of the first and second tubular members; and
an expansion device coupled to an interior of one of the first and second tubular members;
wherein the threaded end portion of the first tubular member is threadably coupled to the threaded end portion of the second tubular member;
wherein the first and second tubular members are adapted to receive the expansion device;
wherein portions of the first and second tubular members are radially expanded and plastically deformed by the expansion device;
wherein the internal diameters of the radially expanded and plastically deformed portions of the first and second tubular members are equal.
167. The apparatus of claim 166 wherein the tubular sleeve comprises an internal flange that abuts the ends faces of the threaded ends of the first and second tubular members.
168. The apparatus of claim 166 wherein the tubular sleeve includes one or more sealing members for sealing an interface between the interior surface of the tubular sleeve and the exterior surfaces of at least one of the first and second tubular members.
169. The apparatus of claim 166 further comprising a structure defining an opening for receiving the first and second tubular members and the tubular sleeve, wherein the tubular sleeve includes one or more sealing members for sealing an interface between the tubular sleeve and the structure.
170. The apparatus of claim 166 further comprising one or more retaining members for coupling the ends of the tubular sleeve to the exterior surfaces of the first and second tubular members.
171. The apparatus of claim 166 wherein the ends of the tubular sleeve are deformed into engagement with the exterior surfaces of the first and second tubular members.
172. The apparatus of claim 166 further comprising:
one or more first resilient locking members for locking the first tubular member to the tubular sleeve; and
one or more second resilient locking members for locking the second tubular member to the tubular sleeve.
173. A method of radially expanding and plastically deforming a first tubular member and a second tubular member comprising:
inserting a threaded end portion of the first tubular member into an end of a tubular sleeve;
inserting a threaded end portion of the second tubular member into another end of the tubular sleeve;
threadably coupling the threaded end portions of the first and second tubular members within the tubular sleeve; and
displacing an expansion device through the interiors of the first and second tubular members to radially expand and plastically deform portions of the first and second tubular members.
174. The method of claim 173 wherein the internal diameters of the radially expanded and plastically deformed portions of the first and second tubular members are equal.
175. The method of claim 174 further comprising abutting a portion of the first tubular member and an end face of an internal flange of the tubular sleeve, and abutting a portion of the second tubular member and another end face of the internal flange of the tubular sleeve.
176. The method of claim 173 further comprising:
positioning the first tubular member, the second tubular member, the tubular sleeve, and the expansion device within a wellbore or wellbore casing; and
then displacing the expansion device through the interiors of the first and second tubular members.
177. The method of claim 176 radially expanding the tubular sleeve into engagement with the wellbore or wellbore casing.
178. The method of claim 173 further comprising:
coupling the end of the tubular sleeve to the threaded end portion of the first tubular member; and
coupling the other end of the tubular sleeve to the threaded end portion of the second tubular member.
179. The method of claim 173 wherein coupling the ends of the tubular sleeve to the ends of the first and second tubular members comprises any one or more of:
coupling the ends of the tubular sleeve to the ends of the first and second tubular members using locking rings;
coupling the ends of the tubular sleeve to the ends of the first and second tubular members using retaining members;
crimping the ends of the tubular sleeve onto the ends of the first and second tubular members; or
heating the tubular sleeve and inserting the ends of the first and second tubular members into the tubular sleeve.

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

Having described the invention the following is claimed:

1. A method of screening protein crystal growth conditions employing picogram, nanogram or to microgram amounts of protein comprising the steps of:
providing a microarray with a plurality of wells in said microarray;
accurately dispensing a volume of from about 0.001 nl to about 250 nl of a protein solution into said wells;
controlling the protein crystal growth conditions of each of said wells so that the protein crystal growth conditions in at least two of said micro-chambers differs; and
observing protein crystal growth or protein precipitation in said wells.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said protein solution comprises a component selected from the group consisting of buffers, surface active agents, salts, alcohols, polyethylene glycol and mixtures thereof.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said protein solution is buffered.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein controlling protein crystal growth comprises employing a precipitate solution that is in fluid communication with the microarray.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein controlling protein crystal growth comprises adding a precipitate solution to the microarray.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein said precipitate solution and said protein solution are in different wells in said microarray and said microarray has channels for fluid communication between a well comprising protein solution and a well comprising a precipitate solution.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein controlling protein crystal growth further comprises employing varying dimensions of the channels.
8. The method of claim 6 wherein said precipitate solution and said protein solution are in fluid communication via micro-channels.
9. The method of claim 5 wherein said precipitate solution and said protein solution are in fluid communication.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein fluid communication is by liquid-liquid diffusion of said precipitate solution and said protein solution.
11. The method of claim 9 wherein said precipitate solution has a lower vapor pressure than the protein solution and fluid communication is by vapor diffusion.
12. The method of claim 5 wherein the protein solution and precipitate solution are in the same well and said crystallization is effected by batch crystallization.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein said wells further comprise a buffer solution.
14. The method of claim 5 wherein the precipitate solution has a volume from about 0.001 nl to about 250 nl.
15. The method of claim 1 wherein protein crystal growth or protein precipitation is observed by microscopy.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the microscopy is differential interference contrast microscopy.
17. The method of claim 1 wherein the protein solution is dispensed into said wells by fast solenoid dispensing.
18. A method of screening protein crystal growth conditions employing picogram to microgram amounts of protein comprising the steps of:
accurately dispensing a volume from about 0.001 nl to about 250 nl of a protein solution onto a platform;
controlling the protein crystal growth condition of the sample; and
observing a protein precipitate or protein crystals in the sample.
19. The method of claim 18 wherein the sample is accurately dispensed by fast solenoid dispensing.
20. The method of claim 18 wherein controlling the protein crystal growth condition comprises employing a protein precipitate solution.
21. The method of claim 20 wherein said precipitate solution has a lower vapor pressure than the protein solution and crystallization is effected by vapor diffusion.
22. The method of claim 20 wherein the protein solution and precipitate solution mixed together and said crystallization is effected by batch crystallization.
23. The method of claim 20 wherein crystallization is effected by liquid-liquid diffusion of said precipitate solution and said protein solution.
24. The method of claim 18 wherein the platform is a microarray.
25. The method of claim 18 wherein protein crystal growth or protein precipitation is observed by microscopy.
26. The method of claim 25 wherein the microscopy is differential interference contrast microscopy.
27. A microarray for screening protein crystal growth at nanogram or picogram protein amounts comprising:
a plurality of wells wherein said wells are adapted for holding volumes of protein solution from about 0.001 nl to about 250 nl;
and further wherein said well comprises a material that is minimally water absorbing; and
an optically clear path from said wells.
28. The microarray of claim 27 wherein said wells further comprise a material that is substantially hydrophobic.
29. The microarray of claim 27 further comprising a plurality of wells for holding a precipitate solution and wherein said microarray has channels for fluid communication between wells holding protein solution and wells holding precipitate solution.
30. The microarray of claim 29 wherein at least two channels have different dimensions.
31. The microarray of claim 27 wherein said wells of said microarray can be sealed to prevent evaporation from said wells.
32. A microarray for screening protein crystal growth at nanogram or picogram protein amounts comprising a plurality of wells wherein said wells are adapted for holding volumes of protein solution from about 0.001 nl 5 to about 250 nl.
33. The microarray of claim 32 wherein said wells comprise a material that is minimally water absorbing.
34. The microarray of claim 32 further comprising an optically clear path from said wells.
35. The microarray of claim 32 wherein said wells comprise a material that is substantially hydrophobic.
36. The microarray of claim 32 further comprising a plurality of wells for holding a precipitate solution and wherein said microarray has channels for fluid communication between wells holding protein solution and wells holding precipitate solution.
37. The microarray of claim 36 wherein at least two channels have different dimensions.
38. The microarray of claim 32 wherein said wells in said microarray can be sealed to prevent evaporation from said wells.

1. A particle beam therapy system that irradiates a charged particle beam, accelerated by an accelerator and scanned by a scanning electromagnet, onto an irradiation subject, the particle beam therapy system comprising:
an irradiation management apparatus that controls the scanning electromagnet, based on target irradiation position coordinates of the charged particle beam; and
a position monitor that measures measurement position coordinates of the charged particle beam, wherein the irradiation management apparatus has a command value creator that outputs a control input to the scanning electromagnet, for scanning the charged particle beam, based on the target irradiation position coordinates and correction data, said correction data having been created in a preliminary irradiation,
wherein (i) said preliminary irradiation is performed prior to said irradiation of said subject and (ii) an excitation pattern of the scanning electromagnet of said preliminary irradiation is the same as an excitation pattern of the scanning electromagnet of a main irradiation plan for actual irradiation of the subject, and
wherein the correction data is created on a basis of the target irradiation position coordinates and the measurement position coordinates measured by the position monitor in said preliminary irradiation.
2. The particle beam therapy system according to claim 1, wherein, the irradiation management apparatus includes (i) a correction data creator that creates the correction data in said preliminary irradiation and (ii) a scanning electromagnet command value creator that creates a basic control input from the measurement position coordinates, wherein
the command value creator outputs, as the control input, a corrected control input obtained by correcting the basic control input, created by the scanning electromagnet command value creator, with the correction data created by the correction data creator.
3. The particle beam therapy system according to claim 2, wherein the correction data is created based on a value obtained by dividing by a coefficient K the difference \u0394BL between the value BL(me) of a BL product of the scanning electromagnet calculated from the measurement position coordinates measured in the preliminary irradiation and the value BL(ex) of a BL product of the scanning electromagnet calculated from the target irradiation position coordinates; and
the coefficient K is a gradient of a tangential line at a point, at which the value of the BL product is BL(ex), on the center line of the hysteresis loop configured with the BL product and the current of the scanning electromagnet.
4. The particle beam therapy system according to claim 3, wherein the irradiation management apparatus has a determination device that determines whether or not the position difference between the measurement position coordinates and the target irradiation position coordinates falls within a predetermined tolerance range; in the case where the position difference does not fall within the predetermined range, the irradiation management apparatus creates the correction data; and in the case where the position difference falls within the predetermined range, the irradiation management apparatus sets the control input to the scanning electromagnet to a value the same as a value in the preliminary irradiation.
5. The particle beam therapy system according to claim 2, wherein the irradiation management apparatus has a determination device that determines whether or not the position difference between the measurement position coordinates and the target irradiation position coordinates falls within a predetermined tolerance range; in the case where the position difference does not fall within the predetermined range, the irradiation management apparatus creates the correction data; and in the case where the position difference falls within the predetermined range, the irradiation management apparatus sets the control input to the scanning electromagnet to a value the same as a value in the preliminary irradiation.
6. The particle beam therapy system according to claim 1, wherein the correction data is created based on a value obtained by dividing by a coefficient K the difference \u0394BL between the value BL(me) of a BL product of the scanning electromagnet calculated from the measurement position coordinates measured in the preliminary irradiation and the value BL(ex) of a BL product of the scanning electromagnet calculated from the target irradiation position coordinates; and
the coefficient K is a gradient of a tangential line at a point, at which the value of the BL product is BL(ex), on the center line of the hysteresis loop configured with the BL product and the current of the scanning electromagnet.
7. The particle beam therapy system according to claim 6, wherein the irradiation management apparatus has a determination device that determines whether or not the position difference between the measurement position coordinates and the target irradiation position coordinates falls within a predetermined tolerance range; in the case where the position difference does not fall within the predetermined range, the irradiation management apparatus creates the correction data; and in the case where the position difference falls within the predetermined range, the irradiation management apparatus sets the control input to the scanning electromagnet to a value the same as a value in the preliminary irradiation.
8. The particle beam therapy system according to claim 1, wherein the irradiation management apparatus has a determination device that determines whether or not the position difference between the measurement position coordinates and the target irradiation position coordinates falls within a predetermined tolerance range; in the case where the position difference does not fall within the predetermined range, the irradiation management apparatus creates the correction data; and in the case where the position difference falls within the predetermined range, the irradiation management apparatus sets the control input to the scanning electromagnet to a value the same as a value in the preliminary irradiation.
9. An irradiation method for irradiating a charged particle beam onto an irradiation subject, the method comprising:
creating irradiation setting data, said setting data including at least target irradiation position coordinates and dosage amounts;
outputting a control input to a scanning electromagnet performing a preliminary irradiation according to said setting data, wherein (i) said preliminary irradiation is performed prior to performing an actual irradiation on a subject and (ii) a scanning-electromagnet excitation pattern of the preliminary irradiation is the same as a scanning-electromagnet excitation pattern of actual irradiation;
recording, in said preliminary irradiation, measurement data including at least measurement position coordinates;
creating correction data based on the target irradiation position coordinates and the measurement position coordinates measured in said preliminary irradiation; and
correcting the control input to the scanning electromagnet based on the correction data created in preliminary irradiation to create a corrected control input for actual irradiation on a subject.

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. An EMI shield for an electronic system enclosure, comprising:
an electrically conductive panel having a plurality of air ventilation channels, wherein the electrically conductive panel has an upstream airflow side and a downstream airflow side;
a first air ventilation channel with a first cross-sectional shape having a first cross-sectional area and a first depth and
a second air ventilation channel with a second cross-sectional shape, having a cross-sectional area greater than the first cross-sectional area, and a second depth larger than the first depth.
2. An EMI shield according to claim 1, wherein the air ventilation channels are adapted to attenuate EMI emissions from the electronic system.
3. An EMI shield according to claim 2, wherein the air ventilation channels are electrically conductive ducts having a substantially constant and unrestricted cross sectional area, extending outwards from the electrically conductive panel.
4. An EMI shield according to claim 3, wherein the air ventilation channels are formed using a pierce and extrude process, having substantially constant and unrestricted cross sectional areas.
5. An EMI shield according to claim 2, wherein the air ventilation channels are voids in the electrically conductive panel, having substantially constant and unrestricted cross sectional areas.
6. An EMI shield according to claim 1, wherein the air ventilation channels have a substantially constant and unrestricted circular cross sectional area.
7. An EMI shield according to claim 1, wherein the air ventilation channels have a substantially constant and unrestricted polygonal cross sectional area.
8. An EMI shield according to claim 1, wherein the first air ventilation channel has a first cross-sectional shape, and the second air ventilation channel has a second cross-sectional shape different than the first cross-sectional shape.
9. An EMI shield for an electronic system enclosure, comprising:
an electrically conductive panel having a plurality of air ventilation channels, wherein the electrically conductive panel has an upstream airflow side and a downstream airflow side, and the electrically conductive panel has a first thickness and a second thickness greater than the first thickness.
10. An EMI shield according to claim 9, wherein the air ventilation channels are adapted to attenuate EMI emissions from the electronic system enclosure.
11. An EMI shield according to claim 10, wherein the first thickness and the second thickness provide accommodation for proximity of components to the electrically conductive panel.
12. An EMI shield according to claim 11, wherein the first thickness is adapted to allow a component of the electronic system to extend outward from the electronic system enclosure through the EMI shield.
13. An EMI shield according to claim 9, wherein the air ventilation channels are oriented to extend away from the electrically conductive panel in a direction approximately normal to the electrically conductive panel.
14. An EMI shield according to claim 9, wherein the air ventilation channels are oriented to extend away from the electrically conductive panel in a direction significantly different than normal to the electrically conductive panel.
15. An EMI shield according to claim 9, wherein the electrically conductive panel thickness varies between a first air ventilation channel of a first depth and a first cross-sectional area, and a second air ventilation channel of a second depth greater than the first depth, having a second cross-sectional area greater than the first cross-sectional area.
16. A method, comprising:
determining the proximity of electronic components within an electronic system enclosure to an EMI shield comprising an electrically conductive panel;
determining cooling airflow needs of the electronic components;
determining EMI shielding needs of the electronic system enclosure for a range of electromagnetic emission frequencies;
determining the cross-sectional shape, cross-sectional area, depth, quantity, and arrangement of air ventilation channels in the EMI shield to improve cooling of components of an electronic system shielded by the electronic system enclosure, while providing adequate EMI shielding at the range of electromagnetic emission frequencies;
analyzing the above determinations and creating a first air ventilation channel with a first cross-sectional shape, cross-sectional area and a first depth, and a second air ventilation channel with a second cross-sectional area greater than the first cross-sectional area, and a second depth greater than the first depth in the EMI shield and
incorporating the created air ventilation channel cross-sectional shape, cross-sectional area, depth, quantity, and arrangement data into an EMI shield design data.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining cooling airflow needs of the electronic components and determining cross-sectional shape, cross-sectional area, depth, quantity, and arrangement of air ventilation channels in the EMI shield includes a computer-based thermal flow simulation.
18. The method of claim 16, wherein incorporating the determined cross-sectional shape, cross-sectional area, depth, quantity, and arrangement of air ventilation channels in the EMI shield design data involves creating and modifying a computer-based representation of three-dimensional design structures.
19. The method of claim 16, wherein determining the EMI shielding needs of the electronic system enclosure includes a computer-based electromagnetic simulation.