Author: claimsbot

1. A method of making an implantable medical device for controllably releasing a therapeutic agent, the method comprising:
providing a medical device having inner and outer surfaces;
forming a first porous layer having a first average pore size on at least one of the inner and outer surfaces;
loading therapeutic agent into the first porous layer; and
forming a second porous layer with a second average pore size on top of an outer surface of the first porous layer,
wherein the second average pore size is less than the first average pore size.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the porous layers is formed using a GLAD process.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the porous layers are formed using an ion bombardment process.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first porous layer is formed in the stent using an ion bombardment process.
5. A method of making an implantable medical device for controllably releasing a therapeutic agent, the method comprising:
providing a medical device having inner and outer surfaces;
applying a series of protrusions to at least one of the inner and outer surfaces;
forming a first porous layer having a first average pore size on the at least one of the inner and outer surfaces having the protrusions;
melting the protrusions to create reservoirs under the first porous layer;
loading therapeutic agent into the reservoirs through the first porous layer; and
forming a second porous layer with a second average pore size on top of an outer surface of the first porous layer,
wherein the second average pore size is less than the first average pore size.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the protrusions are formed of a polymeric material.
7. The method of claim 5 wherein at least one of the porous layers is formed using a GLAD process.
8. A method of making an implantable medical device for controllably releasing a therapeutic agent, the method comprising:
providing a medical device having inner and outer surfaces;
forming a reservoir layer comprised of a plurality of pores in or on at least one of the inner and outer surfaces;
loading the plurality of pores with therapeutic agent, and
forming a membrane layer on top of an outer surface of the reservoir layer.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the pores in the reservoir layer are formed by ion bombardment.
10. The method of claim 8 wherein the pores in the reservoir layer are formed by a laser.
11. The method of claim 8 wherein the membrane layer is porous.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the membrane layer is applied using the GLAD process.
13. The method of claim 8 wherein the membrane layer is biodegradable.
14. A implantable medical device for releasing therapeutic agent, comprising:
a medical device body;
a plurality of reservoir-defining structures disposed on a surface of the body; and
a plurality of reservoirs defined by the reservoir-defining structures,
wherein for each reservoir the implantable medical device further comprises:
therapeutic agent located in the reservoir; and
a cover extending over the reservoir,
wherein the cover is adapted to permit an opening from the reservoir such that the therapeutic agent is released from the reservoir when the medical device is implanted.
15. The device of claim 14 wherein the reservoir-defining structures comprise a plurality of columns.
16. The device of claim 15 wherein the reservoir-defining structures comprise a plurality of dividers formed by the columns.
17. The device of claim 15 wherein the reservoir-defining structures comprise a plurality of plates formed by the columns.
18. The device of claim 14 wherein the reservoir-defining structures comprise a plurality of plates.
19. The device of claim 14 wherein the cover extends almost completely over the respective reservoir such that an opening exists for the reservoir.
20. The device of claim 19 wherein the opening is between about one and one-hundred nanometers.
21. The device of claim 14 wherein the cover is a thermal shape memory alloy.
22. The device of claim 14 wherein the cover extends over the entire reservoir.
23. The device of claim 22 wherein the cover is comprised at least partially of a biodegradable material.
24. The device of claim 23 wherein the bio-degradable material erodes in vivo to form at least one opening sized to release the therapeutic agent from the reservoir.
25. The device of claim 23 wherein the biodegradable material is comprised of a magnesium alloy.
26. The device of claim 22 wherein the cover has at least one opening sized to release the therapeutic agent from the reservoir in vivo.
27. The device of claim 26 wherein the at least one opening is centrally disposed.
28. The device of claim 26 wherein the opening is between about one and one-hundred nanometers.
29. The device of claim 14 wherein the cover is made from the same material as the plurality of reservoir-defining structures.
30. The device of claim 14 wherein the cover is applied using a GLAD process.
31. The device of claim 14 wherein the implantable medical device is a stent.
32. The device of claim 14 wherein the cover is comprised of a biocompatible coating.
33. A method for making an implantable medical device for releasing therapeutic agent, comprising:
providing a medical device body;
positioning a plurality of reservoir-defining structures on a surface of the body to form at least one reservoir defined by the reservoir-defining structures;
loading therapeutic agent into the reservoir; and
covering the reservoir almost completely such that an opening exists for the reservoir so that the therapeutic agent is released when the medical device is implanted.
34. A method for making an implantable medical device for releasing therapeutic agent, comprising:
providing a medical device body;
positioning a plurality of reservoir-defining structures on a surface of the body to form at least one reservoir defined by the reservoir-defining structures;
loading therapeutic agent into the reservoir;
covering the reservoir with a cover; and
forming a hole in the cover so that the therapeutic agent releases through the opening when the medical device is implanted.
35. A method for coating an implantable medical device comprising:
providing a medical device having inner and outer surfaces;
forming a roughened layer in or on at least one of the inner and outer surfaces;
applying a coating to the roughened layer.
36. The method of claim 35 wherein the roughened layer is formed by a laser.

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 in a mobile router configured for establishing communications within an ad hoc network, the method including:
establishing concurrent attachments by the mobile router to respective attachment routers based on having received respective advertisement messages specifying respective parent metrics relative to a single clusterhead of the ad hoc network;
selecting by the mobile router an advertised metric relative to the single clusterhead based on adding a prescribed increment to a maximum one of the parent metrics, the advertised metric having a maximum cost relative to the parent metrics; and
advertising reachability by the mobile router to reach the single clusterhead based on the mobile router outputting a router advertisement message specifying the advertised metric relative to the single clusterhead, the router advertisement message enabling the mobile router to position itself within a directed acyclic graph directed toward the single clusterhead based on the mobile router providing the directed acyclic graph with concurrent paths toward the single clusterhead using the respective concurrent attachments.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing includes adding, to a routing table, a first routing table entry for each attachment router and that specifies a corresponding identifier for reaching the corresponding attachment router, and that specifies the corresponding parent metric.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein each identifier is a corresponding selected attachment address used by the mobile router for attachment to the corresponding attachment router, the attachment address within a range of a corresponding address prefix having been advertised within the corresponding advertisement message.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein each identifier is mapped by the mobile router to a corresponding data link to the corresponding attachment router.
5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:
sending, to each of the attachment routers and in response to having established each corresponding attachment, a first neighbor advertisement message specifying a first reachable prefix advertised by the mobile router in the router advertisement message, a corresponding metric for reaching the first reachable prefix, and a corresponding sequence identifier that enables validation of the corresponding first reachable prefix relative to any stored router entries in the attachment routers.
6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:
receiving a second neighbor advertisement message from an attached mobile router having attached to the mobile router, the second neighbor advertisement message specifying at least one second reachable prefix that is reachable via the attached mobile router, a corresponding advertised metric for reaching the at least one second reachable prefix via the attached mobile router, and a corresponding advertised sequence identifier; and
selectively adding the at least one second reachable prefix, the corresponding advertised metric, and the corresponding advertised sequence identifier to the routing table based on at least one of: (1) determining the advertised sequence identifier identifying the second neighbor advertisement message does not specify an older advertisement of the at least one second reachable prefix relative to any corresponding stored sequence identifiers stored in the routing table for the at least one second reachable prefix, and (2) determining the advertised metric is less than any corresponding stored metric stored in the routing table for the at least one second reachable prefix;
the sending including:
(1) incrementing a minimum of said stored metrics corresponding to the sequence identifier identifying a most recent advertisement of the at least one second reachable prefix, and
(2) adding the at least one second reachable prefix, the increment of the minimum of the corresponding stored metrics, and the corresponding sequence identifier to the first neighbor advertisement message.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing includes selecting each one of the attachment routers based on the corresponding advertised metric determined to be within a prescribed acceptable range.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending, to each of the attachment routers, a neighbor advertisement message specifying at least one reachable prefix that is reachable by the mobile router, a corresponding metric for reaching at least one reachable prefix by the mobile router, and a corresponding sequence identifier that enables validation of the corresponding at least one reachable prefix relative to any stored router entries in the attachment routers.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the concurrent paths are unequal cost paths.
10. An apparatus configured for establishing communications within an ad hoc network, the apparatus comprising:
an attachment resource configured for establishing concurrent attachments to respective attachment routers based on the apparatus having received respective advertisement messages specifying respective parent metrics relative to a single clusterhead of the ad hoc network; and
a router advertisement resource configured for advertising the apparatus as a mobile router providing reachability to reach the single clusterhead based on outputting a router advertisement message specifying an advertised metric relative to the single clusterhead, the router advertisement resource configured for selecting the advertised metric relative to the single clusterhead based on adding a prescribed increment to a maximum one of the parent metrics, the advertised metric having a maximum cost relative to the parent metrics, the router advertisement message enabling the apparatus to position itself within a directed acyclic graph directed toward the single clusterhead based on the apparatus providing the directed acyclic graph with concurrent paths toward the single clusterhead using the respective concurrent attachments.
11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a routing table configured for storing routing table entries, the attachment resource configured for adding, to the routing table, a first routing table entry for each attachment router and that specifies a corresponding identifier for reaching the corresponding attachment router, and that specifies the corresponding parent metric.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each identifier is a corresponding selected attachment address used by the apparatus for attachment to the corresponding attachment router, the attachment address within a range of a corresponding address prefix having been advertised within the corresponding advertisement message.
13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus is configured for mapping each identifier to a corresponding data link to the corresponding attachment router.
14. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:
a neighbor advertisement resource configured for sending, to each of the attachment routers and in response to the attachment resource having established each corresponding attachment, a first neighbor advertisement message specifying a first reachable prefix advertised by the apparatus in the router advertisement message, a corresponding metric for reaching the first reachable prefix, and a corresponding sequence identifier that enables validation of the corresponding first reachable prefix relative to any stored router entries in the attachment routers.
15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:
a neighbor discovery resource configured for parsing a second neighbor advertisement message having been received from an attached mobile router having attached to the apparatus, the second neighbor advertisement message specifying at least one second reachable prefix that is reachable via the attached mobile router, a corresponding advertised metric for reaching the at least one second reachable prefix via the attached mobile router, and a corresponding advertised sequence identifier;
the neighbor discovery resource selectively adding the at least one second reachable prefix, the corresponding advertised metric, and the corresponding advertised sequence identifier to the routing table based on at least one of: (1) determining the advertised sequence identifier identifying the second neighbor advertisement message does not specify an older advertisement of the at least one second reachable prefix relative to any corresponding stored sequence identifiers stored in the routing table for the at least one second reachable prefix, and (2) determining the advertised metric is less than any corresponding stored metric stored in the routing table for the at least one second reachable prefix;
the neighbor advertisement resource configured for sending the first neighbor advertisement message based on:
(1) incrementing a minimum of said stored metrics corresponding to the sequence identifier identifying a most recent advertisement of the at least one second reachable prefix, and
(2) adding the at least one second reachable prefix, the increment of the minimum of the corresponding stored metrics, and the corresponding sequence identifier to the first neighbor advertisement message.
16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the establishing includes selecting each one of the attachment routers based on the corresponding advertised metric determined to be within a prescribed acceptable range.
17. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a neighbor advertisement resource configured for sending, to each of the attachment routers, a neighbor advertisement message specifying at least one reachable prefix that is reachable by the apparatus, a corresponding metric for reaching at least one reachable prefix by the apparatus, and a corresponding sequence identifier that enables validation of the corresponding at least one reachable prefix relative to any stored router entries in the attachment routers.
18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the concurrent paths are unequal cost paths.
19. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions for a mobile router to establish communications within an ad hoc network, the sequences of instructions including instructions for:
establishing concurrent attachments by the mobile router to respective attachment routers based on having received respective advertisement messages specifying respective parent metrics relative to a single clusterhead of the ad hoc network;
selecting by the mobile router an advertised metric relative to the single clusterhead based on adding a prescribed increment to a maximum one of the parent metrics, the advertised metric having a maximum cost relative to the parent metrics, and
advertising reachability by the mobile router to reach the single clusterhead based on the mobile router outputting a router advertisement message specifying the advertised metric relative to the single clusterhead, enabling the mobile router to position itself within a directed acyclic graph directed toward the single clusterhead based on the mobile router providing the directed acyclic graph with concurrent paths toward the single clusterhead using the respective concurrent attachments.
20. The medium of claim 19, wherein the concurrent paths are unequal cost paths.

1. A process for preparing hollow ceramic or metal microspheres, comprising the steps of: forming ceramic or metal slurry, comprising ceramic or metal powders, water and dispersant and having a certain solid phase content, into a stable foam slurry by using a foaming agent; introducing the stable foam slurry into a centrifugal atomization equipment to atomize it into hollow slurry droplets, while being sprayed into a molding chamber; drying rapidly to form hollow microsphere green body; collecting the hollow microsphere green body and sintering.
2. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ceramic or metal powder is selected from oxide ceramic, non-oxide ceramic, solid waste materials such as coal gangue, fly ash, tailings, sludge, waste stones, and metalalloy materials.
3. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in the ceramic or metal slurry having a certain solid phase content, the volume of said powders is 5-60% of the total volume of the solution after the addition of said powders; the dispersant is 0.1-3% of the total volume; the foaming agent is 0.1-1% of the total volume, and balance being water.
4. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said dispersant is selected from commonly-used dispersants, particularly ammonium citrate, ammonium polymethacrylate, tetramethylethylene diamine, calgon and others; said foaming agent is selected from commonly-used foaming agents, particularly triton, propyl gallate and others.
5. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein ceramic or metal slurry having certain solid phase contend is prepared by mixing the ceramic or metal powders with water and dispersant and ball-milling; the foaming agent is added to the ceramic or metal slurry having a certain solid content followed by stirring sufficiently to prepare the slurry into a stable foam slurry.
6. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stable foam slurry has a slurry foaming rate of between 20% and 600% and a diameter of air bubble of between 0.001 mm and 1.5 mm, and is substantially without apparent antifoaming or foam joining phenomenon for 1-10 days shelf time
7. A device for preparing hollow ceramic or metal microspheres, comprising a centrifugal atomization equipment, a molding chamber, an exhaust gas system, a separation system, and a hot-blast air system providing hot-blast air for molding chamber;
wherein the centrifugal atomization equipment is located at upper part, with its lower part being connected with the molding chamber, an exhaust gas system is connected to the upper part of the molding chamber, a separation system is arranged below the molding chamber, the molding chamber is connected with the hot-blast air system.
8. The device according to claim 7, wherein the foam slurry is atomized into hollow slurry droplets by said centrifugal atomization equipment.
9. The device according to claim 7, wherein the temperature in the molding chamber is 80-500\xb0 C.
10. A hollow microsphere, wherein said microsphere has a diameter of 0.001-1.5 mm, such as 1-100 microns, or 500-1500 microns, and contains ceramic or metal components other than silicates, such as high temperature (heat-resistant) ceramics and high temperature (heat-resistant) metalsalloys selected from non-oxide systems, particularly selected from the group consisting of ZrO2, Si3N4, WC and SiC.

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 device for regulating a fluid flow through a drain, comprising:
first and second downwardly-sloping, gravity flow valves configured to each be biased in a closed position;
first and second downwardly-sloping valve seats; and
wherein a first end portion of the first valve is seated beneath the first valve seat when the first valve is in a closed position, and wherein a second end portion of the second valve is seated beneath the second valve seat when the second valve is in a closed position.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second valves comprises a tapered valve having a circular horizontal cross-section.
3. The device of claim 2, wherein each of the first and second valves comprises a tapered valve having a circular horizontal cross-section.
4. The device of claim 3, wherein each of the first and second valves comprises inner and outer portions, and wherein the outer portion has an average thickness that is less than 90% of an average thickness of the inner portion.
5. The device of claim 1, wherein a bottom surface of at least one of the first and second valves comprises ribs configured to strengthen the valve.
6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a stem coupled to the first and second valves, and wherein the stem is disposed through a central portion of each of the first and second valves.
7. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second valves is biased to be convex in an upstream direction.
8. The device of claim 1, wherein the first valve has a first outer 5 mm edge interval having a first average thickness, and the second valve has a second outer 5 mm edge interval having a second average thickness, and wherein the first average thickness is less than 95% of the second average thickness.
9. The device of claim 8, wherein the first average thickness is less than 90% of the second average thickness.
10. The device of claim 1, further comprising a housing that includes the first and second valve seats, and wherein each of the first and second valves is disposed within the housing.
11. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second valves are separated by no more than three inches.
12. The device of claim 1, further comprising a stem coupled to each of the first and second valves.
13. The device of claim 12, wherein the stem further comprises first and second bumps, and wherein the first and second valves are coupled to stem such that a portion of the first valve is configured to rest upon the first bump, and a portion of the second valve is configured to rest upon the second bump.
14. The device of claim 12, wherein the stem further comprises first and second recessed portions, and wherein the first and second valves are disposed in the first and second recessed portions, respectively.
15. The device of claim 1, further comprising an ultraviolet light emitter.
16. A cartridge configured to be inserted into a urinal that includes the device of claim 1.
17. A urinal that includes the device of claim 1.
18. A floor drain that includes the device of claim 1.