All The Claims

1. A surgical procedure for the removal of a prostate gland comprising: (a) positioning an implant material within a prostatic urethra, bladder neck and at least a portion of the urethral outlet adjacent to the prostate gland, (b) removing the prostate gland, thereby creating a bladder neck and a urethral stump which contains the implant material whereupon the implant material is severed during removal of the prostate such that a first region of implant material is positioned within the urethral stump and a second region of implant material is positioned within the bladder neck, (c) securing the bladder neck to the urethral stump in an anastomosis procedure, thereby forming a shortened urethra.
2. The surgical procedure of claim 1, further comprising removing the implant material from the shortened urethra by flowing a removal fluid through the shortened urethra.
3. The surgical procedure of claim 1, wherein an implant-forming composition is injected into the urethra in liquid form and wherein the implant-forming composition solidifies to form the implant material.
4. The surgical procedure of claim 3, wherein a catheter is positioned in the urethra prior to injection of the implant-forming composition such that the implant material is formed around the catheter and wherein removing the catheter creates a hollow lumen in the implant material.
5. The surgical procedure of claim 3, wherein the implant-forming composition undergoes solidification as a result of a physiological stimulus.
6. The surgical procedure of claim 5, wherein the implant-forming composition undergoes solidification upon warming from an administration temperature that is lower than body temperature to body temperature.
7. The surgical procedure of claim 6, wherein the implant-forming composition comprises a reverse thermosensitive polymer.
8. The surgical procedure of claim 7, further comprising removing the implant material from the shortened urethra by flowing a chilled removal fluid through the shortened urethra.
9. The surgical procedure of claim 3, wherein the implant-forming composition undergoes solidification as a result of a chemical interaction.
10. The surgical procedure of claim 9, wherein the chemical interaction comprises ionic crosslinking.
11. The surgical procedure of claim 10, wherein an additional material comprising an ionic crosslinking agent is administered with the implant-forming composition.
12. The surgical procedure of claim 9, further comprising removing the implant material from the shortened urethra by flowing a removal fluid that comprises a chelating agent or an ion exchange agent through the shortened urethra.
13. The surgical procedure of claim 9, wherein the chemical interaction comprises a polymerization reaction.
14. The surgical procedure of claim 1, wherein the implant material is inserted into the urethra in solid form.
15. The surgical procedure of claim 14, wherein the implant material comprises a water-soluble polymer.
16. The surgical procedure of claim 14, wherein the implant material comprises a water-soluble sponge.
17. The surgical procedure of claim 1, wherein the implant material comprises paramagnetic or ferromagnetic particles and wherein a magnetic field assists in securing the bladder neck to the urethral stump.

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 electronic microscope apparatus for measuring an element image of a specimen, comprising:
an electron beam application section which applies to the specimen an electron beam generated in an electron beam source;
an elastically scattered electron detector which detects elastically scattered electrons transmitted through the specimen;
an electron beam energy analyzer which analyzes the energy of an electron beam of nonelastically scattered electrons transmitted through the specimen; and
a controller which controls the electron beam application section, the elastically scattered electron detector and the electron beam energy analyzer to obtain an image relating to the specimen;
wherein the controller controls the electron beam application section so that the electron beam application section applies the electron beam to the same application position on the specimen for a predetermined time period, forms a plurality of time-divided elastically scattered electron images from the elastically scattered electrons detected by the elastically scattered electron detector, and forms, in a time division manner, on the basis of outputs from the electron beam energy analyzer, a plurality of first energy filter images including a core loss of the element to be observed, and at least two sorts of second and third energy filter images of lower-loss energy in comparison with the first energy filter images, and
wherein the controller further computes an amount of specimen drift by using the plurality of elastically scattered electron images, corrects a specimen drift in the plurality of first to third energy filter images on the basis of the amount of specimen drift to add up the plurality of first to third energy filter images in each which the specimen drift has been corrected, and forms a first element image with respect to the element to be observed on the basis of the first to third energy filter images drift-corrected and added up.
2. The electronic microscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller forms the first element image by forming a background image using the second and third energy filter images drift-corrected and added up, and by subtracting the background image from the first energy filter images drift-corrected and added up.
3. The electronic microscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller forms the first element image by dividing the first energy filter images drift-corrected and added up by the second energy filter images drift-corrected and added up.
4. The electronic microscope apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a characteristic X-ray spectrometer which detects a characteristic X-ray spectrum generated from the specimen by application of the electron beam, and which outputs a characteristic X-ray signal,
wherein the controller forms a plurality of time-divided second element images from the characteristic X-ray signal, and forms a second element image of a high SN by correcting a specimen drift in the plurality of second element images on the basis of the amount of specimen drift computed to add up the second element images in each which the specimen drift has been corrected.
5. An electronic microscope apparatus for measuring an element image of a specimen, comprising:
an electron beam application section which applies to the specimen an electron beam generated in an electron beam source;
an elastically scattered electron detector which detects elastically scattered electrons transmitted through the specimen;
an electron beam energy analyzer which analyzes the energy of an electron beam of nonelastically scattered electrons transmitted through the specimen, and which outputs an electron beam energy loss spectrum signal with respect to the nonelastically scattered electrons; and
a controller which controls the electron beam application section, the elastically scattered electron detector and the electron beam energy analyzer to obtain an image relating to the specimen;
wherein the controller controls the electron beam application section so that the electron beam application section applies the electron beam to the same application position on the specimen for a predetermined time period, and forms a plurality of time-divided elastically scattered electron images from the elastically scattered electrons detected by the elastically scattered electron detector, and a plurality of the time-divided electron beam energy loss spectrum signals on the basis of the electron beam energy loss spectrum signal from the electron beam energy analyzer, and
wherein the controller further computes an amount of specimen drift by using the plurality of elastically scattered electron images, corrects a specimen drift in the electron beam energy loss spectrum signals on the basis of the amount of specimen drift to add up the plurality of elastically scattered electron images in each which the specimen drift has been corrected, and forms a first element image of a high SN with respect to the element to be observed on the basis of the electron beam energy loss spectrum signals.
6. The electronic microscope apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a characteristic X-ray spectrometer which detects characteristic X-ray spectrum generated from the specimen by application of the electron beam, and which outputs a characteristic X-ray signal, wherein the controller forms a plurality of time-divided second element images from the characteristic X-ray signal with respect to the element to be observed, and forms a second element image of a high SN by correcting a specimen drift in the plurality of second element images on the basis of the amount of specimen drift computed to add up the plurality of second element images in each which the specimen drift is corrected.
7. An electronic microscope apparatus for measuring an element image of a specimen, comprising:
an electron beam application section which applies to the specimen an electron beam generated in an electron beam source;
an elastically scattered electron detector which detects elastically scattered electrons transmitted through the specimen;
an electron beam energy analyzer for analyzing the energy of an electron beam of nonelastically scattered electrons transmitted through the specimen; and
a controller which controls the electron beam application section, the elastically scattered electron detector and the electron beam energy analyzer to obtain an image relating to the specimen;
wherein the controller controls the electron beam application section so that the electron beam application section applies the electron beam to the same application position on the specimen for a predetermined time period, forms a plurality of time-divided elastically scattered electron images from the elastically scattered electrons detected by the elastically scattered electron detector, and forms, in a time division manner, on the basis of outputs from the electron beam energy analyzer, a plurality of first energy filter images including a core loss of the element to be observed, and at least two sorts of second and third energy filter images of lower-loss energy in comparison with the first energy filter images, and
wherein the controller further performs image computation on the plurality of elastically scattered electron images and the plurality of first energy filter images at the same point in time, computes an amount of specimen drift by using a plurality of images obtained by the image computation, corrects a specimen drift in the plurality of first to third energy filter images on the basis of the amount of specimen drift to add up the plurality of first to third filter images in each which the specimen drift has been corrected, and forms a first element image with respect to the element to be observed on the basis of the first to third energy filter images drift-corrected and added up.
8. The electronic microscope apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the controller forms a background image by using the second and third energy filter images drift-corrected and added up, and forms the first element image by subtracting the background image from the first energy filter images drift-corrected and added up.
9. The electronic microscope apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the controller forms the first element image by dividing the first energy filter images drift-corrected and added up by the second energy filter images drift-corrected and added up.
10. The electronic microscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller forms a contrast image of a high SN by adding up while correcting a specimen drift in the plurality of elastically scattered electron images on the basis of the amount of specimen drift computed.
11. The electronic microscope apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the controller forms a contrast image of a high SN by adding up while correcting a specimen drift in the plurality of elastically scattered electron images on the basis of the amount of specimen drift computed.
12. The electronic microscope apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the controller forms a contrast image of a high SN by adding up while correcting a specimen drift in the plurality of elastically scattered electron images on the basis of the amount of specimen drift computed.
13. The electronic microscope apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a characteristic X-ray spectrometer which detects a characteristic X-ray spectrum generated from the specimen by application of the electron beam, and which outputs a characteristic X-ray signal, wherein the controller forms a plurality of time-divided second element images from the characteristic X-ray signal, and forms a second element image of a high SN by adding up while correcting a specimen drift in the plurality of second element images on the basis of the amount of specimen drift computed.
14. The electronic microscope apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a characteristic X-ray spectrometer which detects a characteristic X-ray spectrum generated from the specimen by application of the electron beam, and which outputs a characteristic X-ray signal, wherein the controller forms a plurality of time-divided second element images from the characteristic X-ray signal, and forms a second element image of a high SN by adding up while correcting a specimen drift in the plurality of second element images on the basis of the amount of specimen drift computed.
15. The electronic microscope apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a characteristic X-ray spectrometer which detects a characteristic X-ray spectrum generated from the specimen by application of the electron beam, and which outputs a characteristic X-ray signal, wherein the controller forms a plurality of time-divided second element images from the characteristic X-ray signal, and forms a second element image of a high SN by adding up while correcting a specimen drift in the plurality of second element images on the basis of the amount of specimen drift computed.

1. Cooled continuous casting mold (1) for casting metal, especially steel, with a casting format (GF) formed by two opposite wide sides (2, 3) and two opposite narrow sides (4, 5), where the wide sides (2, 3) have a cooling zone designed for the maximum casting width with several cooling channels (7) that extend in the direction of casting, are connected to a coolant circuit, and comprise inlet and outlet channels (8), and where, in the area of the narrow sides (4, 5), the cooling channels (7) can be at least partially blocked by blocking elements, wherein the narrow sides (4, 5) can be adjusted to set up a predetermined casting format with the desired casting width; in that the blocking elements are designed to block, at least partially, the cooling channels (7), and, alternatively or additionally, to block the inlet andor outlet channels (8) in the adjustment region; and in that the cooling channels andor the inlet andor outlet channels are blocked in such a way that the blocking action decreases from the narrow side into the casting format.
2. Continuous casting mold according to claim 1, wherein the blocking starts from the maximum cooling width and extends beyond the narrow sides into the casting format by a maximum of 100 mm.
3. Continuous casting mold according to claim 1, wherein the at least partial blocking takes place in the mold plate, in the steel intermediate plate of a cassette mold, andor in the water box.
4. Continuous casting mold according to claim 1, wherein, to realize the decreasing blocking action, the blocking elements (10) have a form (12) which tapers toward the center of the mold.
5. Continuous casting mold according to claim 1, wherein the coolant is water, and in that the water flow rate in the region of the cooling channels andor inlet andor outlet channels that can be at least partially blocked is a maximum of 25 ms and a minimum of 0.5 ms.
6. Continuous casting mold according to claim 1, wherein the water flow rate of the cooling channels in the cooling zone with cooling channels that are not blocked is a minimum of 0.5 ms.
7. Continuous casting mold according to claim 6, wherein the blocking elements (10) can be moved back and forth along with the associated narrow side (4, 5).
8. Continuous casting mold according to claim 1, wherein the blocking elements (10) in the form of pins are mounted on a narrow side support (11).

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. A clip of a generally U-shape capable of alternating between a folded state and an extended state comprising:
a shank;
a first and a second upwardly turning leg at each end of the shank;
a first arm pivotally attached to the first leg and a second arm pivotally attached to the second leg; and
a means for maintaining the shank, the legs and the arms in the generally U-shaped configuration when the clip is in the extended state.
2. The clip of claim 1 where the first arm and the second arm pivot inwardly towards the shank to form the folded state.
3. The clip of claim 2 where the first leg is longer than the second leg and the second arm rests against the shank and the first arm rest against the second arm when the clip is in a folded state.
4. The clip of 3 where the shank has a first depression for receiving a spine on the second arm and the second arm has a second depression for receiving a spine on the first arm.
5. The clip of claim 2 further comprising a means for attaching a key ring or other device to the clip.
6. The clip of claim 5 where the means for attaching is an opening in the shank or an opening in a portion attached to the shank.
7. The clip of claim 6 where the means for attaching is located on the shank adjacent to either the first leg or the second leg
8. The clip of claim 2 further comprising a magnet attached to the clip for securing the clip to a metal object.
9. The clip of claim 8 where the magnet is located on the shank.
10. The clip of claim 2 where one of the first or second legs is longer than the other of the first of second legs to facilitate forming the folded state.
11. The clip of claim 10 where the shank has a first depression to receive a spine on the arm attached to a shorter leg and the shorter leg has a second depression to receive a spine on the arm attached to a longer leg.
12. The clip of claim 2 where the means for maintaining the shank, the legs and the arms in the generally U-shaped configuration when the clip is in the extended state is the angularities created in the pivotal attachment of the first arm to the first leg and the pivotal attachment of the second arm to the second leg.
13. The clip of claim 1 further comprising a rib structure incorporated into the shank, the first and second legs and the first and second arms.
14. The clip of claim 4 further comprising a rib structure incorporated into the shank, the first and second legs and the first and second arms.
15. The clip of claim 7 further comprising a rib structure incorporated into the shank, the first and second legs and the first and second arms.
16. The clip of claim 9 further comprising a rib structure incorporated into the shank, the first and second legs and the first and second arms.
17. The clip of claim 11 further comprising a rib structure incorporated into the shank, the first and second legs and the first and second arms.