All The Claims

1. An orthopedic composition, comprising a homogeneous mixture of a biocompatible polymer, a bioactive particulate ceramic, said ceramic having an average particle size of not more than about 500 nm; and one or more growth factors selected from the group consisting of bone morphogenetic protein, LIM mineralization proteins, transforming growth factors, insulin-like growth factors, platelet-derived growth factors and fibroblast growth factors, wherein said growth factor is present in an amount of no more than about 5 weight percent.
2. The composition of claim 1, wherein at least about 30% of said particulate ceramic has an average particle size of not more than about 100 nm.
3. The composition of claim 1, wherein said ceramic has an average particle size of about 100 nm.
4. The composition of claim 1, wherein said ceramic has an average particle size of about 1 nm to about 500 nm.
5. The composition of claim 4, wherein said ceramic has an average particle size of about 1 nm to about 100 nm.
6. The composition of claim 5, wherein said ceramic has an average particle size of about 1 nm to about 50 nm.
7. The composition of claim 1, wherein said composition comprises about 1% to about 49% by volume of said ceramic and about 51% to about 99% by weight of said polymer.
8. The composition of claim 1, wherein said composition is comprised predominantly of said polymer.
9. The composition of claim 1, wherein said polymer is selected from a resorbable polymer and a non-resorbable polymer.
10. The composition of claim 1, wherein said polymer comprises polyetheretherketone, polyethylene, polymethylmethacrylate, poly(L-lactide), poly(D,L-lactide), poly(L-co-D,L-lactide), polyglycolide, poly(lactide-co-glycolide), poly(hydroxylbutyrate), poly(hydroxyvalerate), tyrosine-derived polycarbonate and combinations thereof.
11. The composition of claim 1, wherein said particulate ceramic is selected from bioactive glass and a calcium-containing ceramic.
12. The composition of claim 11, wherein said calcium-containing ceramic is a calcium phosphate-containing ceramic.
13. The composition of claim 12, wherein said calcium phosphate-containing ceramic is comprised of hydroxyapatite.
14. The composition of claim 1, wherein said homogeneous mixture is obtained by processing the ceramic, the polymer or a combination thereof, with carrier solvents.
15. A shaped, article formed from the composition of claim 1.
16. The article of claim 15, wherein said shaped article is a load bearing member.
17. The article of claim 16, wherein said member is an intervertebral disc implant.
18. The article of claim 16, wherein said article is shaped to form a structure selected from the group consisting of bone plates, bone screws and a load bearing intervertebral disc implant.
19. A bone cement formed from the composition of claim 1.
20. A composition according to claim 1 wherein said growth factor comprises one or more members selected from the group consisting of: bone morphogenetic protein, LIM mineralization proteins (LMPs), transforming growth factors, insulin-like growth factors, platelet-derived growth factors, and fibroblast growth factors.

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 of operating a client in a wireless communication system, comprising:
determining a data transfer inactivity time of at least one of Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connections; and
closing the at least one of TCP connections at the data transfer inactivity time.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data transfer inactivity time is determined based on a Round Travel Time (RTT) from request transmission and response reception in relation to the at least one of TCP connections between the client and a server, and a processing time from a response received from the server to a next request transmission.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data transfer inactivity time is ahead of a time for a server-initiated TCP connection close initiated at the server.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein the server-initiated TCP connection close is performed in response to a message indicating a close of the at least one of TCP connections received from the server.
5. A method of operating a client in a wireless communication system, comprising:
identifying at least one first Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection of which close is initiated by a server, among a plurality of TCP connections; and
batching and closing the at least one first TCP connection with processing on at least one second TCP connection excluding the at least one first TCP connection among the TCP connections.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the processing on the second TCP connection comprises one of connection, closure and a transmitting andor receiving operation of data packet for the at least one second TCP connection.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein the identifying of the at least one first TCP connection comprises:
identifying the at least one first TCP connection among the TCP connections in response to a close message received from the server.
8. The method of claim 5, wherein the identifying of the at least one first TCP connection and the batching and closing of the at least one first TCP connection are performed when a data transfer inactivity time of the first TCP connection is greater than a predetermined reference time.
9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:
when the data transfer inactivity time is not greater than the predetermined reference time, closing the at least one first TCP connection at the data transfer inactivity time.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein the data transfer inactivity time is determined based on a Round Travel Time (RTT) from request transmission and response reception in relation to the at least one first TCP connection between the client and a server, and a processing time from a response received from the server to a next request transmission.
11. The method of claim 9, wherein the data transfer inactivity time is ahead of a server-initiated first TCP connection close time.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the server-initiated first TCP connection close is performed in response to a message indicating a close of the at least one first TCP connection received from the server.
13. An apparatus of a client in a wireless communication system, comprising:
a controller configured to determine a data transfer inactivity time of at least one of Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connections, and closing the at least one of TCP connection at the data transfer inactivity time.
14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the data transfer inactivity time is determined based on a Round Travel Time (RTT) from request transmission and response reception in relation to the at least one of TCP connection between the client and a server, and a processing time from a response received from the server to a next request transmission.
15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the data transfer inactivity time is ahead of a server-initiated TCP connection close time from a server.
16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the server-initiated TCP connection close is performed in response to a message indicating a close of the at least one of TCP connection received from the server.
17. An apparatus of a client in a wireless communication system, comprising:
a controller configured to identify at least one first Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection of which close is initiated by a server, among a plurality of TCP connections, and batching and closing the at least one first TCP connection with processing on at least one second TCP connection excluding the at least one first TCP connection among the TCP connections.
18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processing on the at least one second TCP connection comprises one of connection and closure of the at least one second TCP connection.
19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the controller identifies the at least one first TCP connection among the TCP connections in response to a close message received from the server.
20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the controller identifies the at least one first TCP connection and batches and closes the at least one first TCP connection when a data transfer inactivity time of the at least one first TCP connection is greater than a predetermined reference time.
21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein, when the data transfer inactivity time of the at least one first TCP connection is not greater than the predetermined reference time, the controller closes the at least one first TCP connection at the data transfer inactivity time.
22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the data transfer inactivity time is determined based on a Round Travel Time (RTT) from request transmission and response reception in relation to the at least one first TCP connection between the client and a server, and a processing time from a response received from the server to a next request transmission.
23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the data transfer inactivity time is ahead of a server-initiated first TCP connection close time.
24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the server-initiated first TCP connection close is performed in response to a message indicating the at least one first TCP connection close received from the server.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of constructing a BGA-PGA-Flex probe comprising the steps of:
soldering a BGA socket onto a PGA header to form a BGA-PGA assembly;
testing the BGA-PGA assembly for continuity;
inserting a flex assembly onto the BGA-PGA assembly;
placing solder preforms over each PGA pin; and
using a localized heat source to reflow the flex assembly to the BGA-PGA assembly.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of soldering a BGA socket onto a PGA header comprises using reflow.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of inserting a flex assembly onto the BGA-PGA assembly is preceded by a step of assembling said flex assembly, said step comprising:
placing all SMT components onto a flexible circuit;
using a localized heat source to reflow said SMT components; and
testing said flex assembly for continuity.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein said localized heat source is a reflow oven.
5. The method of claim 3 wherein said localized heat source is a soldering pencil or a heat gun.
6. The method of claim 3 wherein said localized heat source is an IR source.
7. The method of claim 3 wherein said step of using a localized heat source to reflow the flex assembly to the BGA-PGA heats only one side of the assembly and minimizes migration of solder.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein said localized heat source heats said solder preforms to over 183 degrees Celcius.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein said temperature is in the range of 200 degrees Celcius to 250 degrees Celcius.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein said localized heat source is applied for approximately between 60 and 120 seconds.
11. The method of claim 7 wherein said localized heat source is a hot air source.
12. The method of claim 7 wherein said localized heat source is an IR heat source

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 wireless communication network comprising:
a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting symbols represented by bits;
a receiver for receiving the symbols; and
a feed forward data rate controller for generating a data rate control signal which controls data rate of a current transmission based on an estimate of bit error probability for the current transmission to improve performance of the network wherein the estimate of bit error probability is based on number of bit errors that have previously occurred during at least one transmission which occurred prior to the current transmission in the network and wherein the estimate is not based on the number of bit errors during the current transmission.
2. The network as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a feedback power controller for controlling transmit power in the network.
3. A method for controlling data rate of a wireless communications network wherein the receiver receives symbols represented by bits, the method comprising:
generating an estimate of bit error probability for a current transmission; and
generating a control signal which controls data rate of the current transmission based on the estimate of bit error probability to improve performance of the network wherein the estimate of bit error probability is based on number of error bits that have previously occurred during at least one transmission which occurred prior to the current transmission in the network and wherein the estimate is not based on the number of bit errors during the current transmission.
4. A controller for controlling data rate of a wireless communication network wherein the receiver receives symbols represented by bits, the controller comprising:
means for generating an estimate of bit error probability for a current transmission; and
feed forward data rate control means for generating a control signal which controls data rate of a current transmission based on the estimate of bit error probability to improve performance of the network wherein the estimate of bit probability is based on number of bit errors that have previously occurred during at least one transmission which occurred prior to the current transmission in the network and wherein the estimate is not based on the number of bit errors during the current transmission.
5. The controller as claimed in claim 4 further comprising a memory for storing the number of bit errors that have previously occurred during the at least one transmission.