All The Claims

1. A mucosa excising device using an endoscope comprising:
a snare wire having a loop portion at a distal end portion of the snare wire;
a substantially cylindrical cap including a cylindrical wall, and a holding mechanism configured to hold the loop portion of the snare wire along an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall; and
an attachment portion which attaches the cap to an end portion of the endoscope,
wherein the holding mechanism has a plurality of engagement pieces and a plurality of corresponding portions which are arranged along the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical wall, and engage the loop portion to hold the loop portion of the snare wire between the engagement pieces and the corresponding portions, said plurality of engagement pieces being inwardly protruding from the cylindrical wall and being respectively distanced from each other in a circumferential direction of the cylindrical wall;
wherein when the snare wire is drawn in a proximal direction, at least protruded ends of the engagement pieces are displaced in the proximal direction by the loop portion, thereby allowing the loop wire to be released from between the engagement pieces and the corresponding portions, so that the loop portion is disengaged from the holding mechanism.
2. The mucosa excising device using an endoscope according to claim 1, wherein at least one of each of the engagement pieces and each of the corresponding portions elastically depress the loop portion onto the corresponding portion or the engagement piece by an elastic force in a distal direction to hold the loop portion of the snare wire.
3. The mucosa excising device using an endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical wall has an inner flange inwardly protruding from the cylindrical wall, and the engagement pieces are formed in the inner flange, each of the engagement pieces being sectioned from the corresponding portion by a pair of notches which are distanced in the circumferential direction and extended from an inner edge of the inner flange at an angle with the circumferential direction.
4. The mucosa excising device using an endoscope according to claim 3, wherein said each pair of the notches are formed to extend to the cylindrical wall through the inner flange.
5. The mucosa excising device using an endoscope according to claim 4, wherein the each of the engagement pieces is elastically deformed and caused to swivel, and the snare wire is pressed against the corresponding portion by an elastic return force of the engagement piece.
6. The mucosa excising device using an endoscope according to claim 4, wherein the corresponding portions have a flange provided to inwardly protrude from the cylindrical wall, the engagement piece has separation portions separated from each other by a notch portion formed in the inner flange, and the snare wire is supported between the flange and the separation portions.
7. The mucosa excising device using an endoscope according to claim 3, wherein the inner flange has a plurality of lateral notches extending in the circumferential direction, and said each pair of notches extend toward the cylindrical wall from both ends of each lateral notch.
8. The mucosa excising device using an endoscope according to claim 3, wherein a circular end portion of the cylindrical wall has a plurality of lateral notches extending in the circumferential direction between the inner flange and the cylindrical wall, and said each pair of notches extend toward the cylindrical wall from both ends of each lateral notch.
9. The mucosa excising device using an endoscope according to claim 3, wherein said plurality of notches include vertical notches extending at a substantially right angle.
10. The mucosa excising device using an endoscope according to claim 3, wherein said plurality of engagement pieces are arranged in the same interval in the circumferential direction.
11. The mucosa excising device using an endoscope according to claim 3, wherein each of the engagement pieces and each of the corresponding portions directly contact opposite sides of the end portion of the snare wire to hold the end portion therebetween.
12. The mucosa excising device using an endoscope according to claim 1, wherein each of the engagement pieces is movable to swivel to a side where a circular end portion of the cylindrical wall is positioned with respect to the corresponding portion, and the engagement piece holds the snare wire between its outer surface and one surface of the corresponding portion when caused to swivel.
13. The mucosa excising device using an endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the engagement pieces and the corresponding portions are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction of the circular end portion.
14. The mucosa excising device using an endoscope according to claim 1, further comprising: a snare sheath into which the snare wire is inserted; a flexible tube which has an opening on an end side, the opening communicating with the inner side of the cylindrical wall which is arranged outside the insertion portion of the endoscope when the cap is attached to the endoscope, and is used to insert the snare sheath in which the snare is inserted therethrough; and a fixture for fixing the snare sheath to prevent the snare sheath from moving in an axial direction of the snare sheath against the flexible tube, to be capable of being released, the fixture being provided in the vicinity of a base end portion of the flexible tube.
15. The mucosa excising device using an endoscope according to claim 1, wherein at least the protruded ends of the engagement pieces are deformable such that the displacement thereof is due to an elastic deformation.
16. A mucosa excising device using an endoscope comprising:
a snare wire having a loop portion at a distal end portion of the snare wire;
a substantially cylindrical cap having a circular end portion including a holding mechanism configured to hold the loop portion of the snare wire such that all portions of the loop portion are held interior of the circular end portion; and
an attachment portion which attaches the cap to an end portion of an endoscope,
wherein the holding mechanism has a plurality of engagement portions which are provided along the circular end portion of the cap and distanced from each other in a circumferential direction, and each engagement portion has an engagement piece and a corresponding portion configured to hold the loop portion of the snare wire in an elastic manner therebetween so that the loop portion is positioned to be parallel to the circular distal end portion along a circular inner surface of the cylindrical cap;
wherein when the snare wire is drawn in a proximal direction, at least protruded ends of the engagement pieces are displaced in the proximal direction b the loop portion, thereby allowing the loop wire to be released from between the engagement portions and the corresponding portions, so that the loop portion is disengaged from the holding mechanism.
17. The mucosa excising device using an endoscope according to claim 16, wherein at least the protruded ends of the engagement pieces are deformable such that the displacement thereof is due to an elastic deformation.

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 monitoring device (10) for a laser machining device (12) for machining a workpiece (18), comprising:
one or more sensor or sensors (20, 22) that monitor one or more process signals (24) of the laser machining device (12) in a three-dimensional spatial section (26) associated with the workpiece (18), whereby the sensor or sensors (20, 22) transmit signal data to a computing unit (28) so that a warning device or switch off device (28) for one or more laser beams coupled to the computing unit may be activated if the process signal or signals (24) in the spatial section (26) exceed or fall below a prescribed threshold value, wherein the sensor or sensors (20, 22) are independent of the laser machining device (12);
a low-energy laser pointer (40); and
a diffractive grid with which the laser beam of the laser pointer (40) is expanded to form a strip structure or grid structure that is projected into the spatial section (26).
2. The monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor or sensors (20, 22) are positioned so as to be stationary relative to the workpiece (18).
3. The monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor or sensors (20, 22) are configured so as to be moveable relative to the workpiece (18).
4. The monitoring device according to claim 3, characterized in that the sensor or sensors (20, 22) are positioned so as to be stationary relative to the workpiece (18) as said workpiece (18) is machined by the laser machining device (12).
5. The monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor or sensors (20, 22) are selected from the group consisting of: optical sensors and acoustic sensors.
6. The monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that the process signal (24) is an optical signal and the sensor or sensors (20, 22) are correspondingly configured as optical sensors.
7. The monitoring device according to claim 6, characterized in that the sensor or sensors (20, 22) are tuned to the laser-specific wavelength of the laser beams (13).
8. The monitoring device according to claim 6, characterized in that one or more diaphragms are coupled to the sensor or sensors (20, 22).
9. The monitoring device according to claim 6, characterized in that at least one attenuation filter that has been tuned to the wavelength of the laser beam (13) of the laser machining device (12) is provided in front of the sensor or sensors (20, 22).
10. The monitoring device according to claim 6, characterized in that the sensor or sensors (20, 22) are configured as CCD or CMOS sensors that acquire an image and only part of the image acquired by each of the sensors (20, 22) is read out or evaluated.
11. The monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that the process signal (24) is an acoustic signal and that the sensor or sensors (20, 22) are then correspondingly configured as acoustic sensors.
12. The monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that reference points (38\u2032, 38\u2033, 38\u2033\u2032) that can be detected by the sensor or sensors (20, 22) are provided in the spatial section (26).
13. The monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the low-energy laser pointer (40) can be positioned so as to be stationary relative to the workpiece (18).
14. The monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that the process signal (24) is acquired directly from the laser beam (13) or indirectly from a machining site (30) of the workpiece (18).
15. The monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that data (34) for one or more trajectories (14, 16) for travel of the one or more laser beams (13) is preprogrammed in the computing unit (32).
16. The monitoring device according to claim 1, characterized in that the laser machining device (12) is surrounded by laser-protection walls and the monitoring device (10) switches off the laser beam (13) by means of a switch-off device (28) to protect the laser protection walls.
17. The monitoring device according to claim 6, characterized in that one or more optical systems are coupled to the sensor or sensors (20, 22).
18. A monitoring system for a laser machining device, comprising:
one or more sensors independently operable from the laser machining device, wherein said sensor(s) monitor one or more process signals in a three-dimensional spatial section associated with a workpiece processed by one or more laser beams emitted by the laser machining device;
one or more attenuation filters to darken images detected by the one or more sensors;
a warning device or switch-off device for the one or more laser beams, said warning device or switch-off device being activated if a process signal or process signals in the spatial section either exceed or fall below a prescribed threshold value; and
a laser pointer generating a light point or having a diffractive grid with which the laser beam of the laser pointer is expanded to form a strip structure or grid structure, wherein said light point, strip structure or grid structure is projected into the spatial section for detection by the sensor(s) to calibrate the sensor(s) before the laser machining device begins machining the workpiece.

1. A mesostructured material comprising a mineral phase within which are dispersed particles of nanometric dimensions comprising at least one metal oxide in the crystalline state selected from a cerium oxide, a zirconium oxide, a titanium oxide and an oxide of a rare earth other than cerium, said oxide comprising at least one metallic element M in the cationic form, in solid solution within the crystalline lattice of said oxide.
2. A material according to claim 1, which is thermally stable.
3. A material according to claim 1, wherein at least at a local level, it has one or more mesostructures selected from mesoporous mesostructures with three-dimensional hexagonal P63mmc symmetry, with two-dimensional hexagonal symmetry, with three-dimensional cubic Ia3d, Im3m or Pn3m symmetry; from vesicular or lamellar type mesostructures, or from vermicular type mesostructures.
4. A material according to claim 1, wherein said particles with nanometric dimensions are particles with a spherical or isotropic morphology at least 50% of the population of which has a mean diameter in the range 1 to 10 nm, or highly anisotropic rod type particles at least 50% of the population of which has a mean transverse diameter in the range 1 to 10 nm and a mean length that does not exceed 100 nm.
5. A material according to claim 1, wherein the metal oxide present within said particles with nanometric dimensions has a degree of crystallinity of 30% to 100% by volume.
6. A material according to claim 1, wherein the quantity of cations of element M in solid solution (or, if appropriate, of the totality of the solid solution doping agents) represents at least 0.2% of the total quantity of metallic cations present in the oxide.
7. A material according to claim 1, wherein said particles with nanometric dimensions are particles based on cerium oxide, and in that said element M is selected from rare earths other than cerium, transition metals that are capable of being integrated in the cationic form in solid solution into a cerium oxide, and alkaline-earth metals.
8. A material according to claim 1, wherein said particles with nanometric dimensions are particles based on zirconium oxide, and in that said element M is selected from rare earths, transition metals that are capable of being integrated in the cationic form in solid solution into a zirconium oxide, and alkaline-earth metals.
9. A material according to claim 1, wherein said particles with nanometric dimensions are particles based on titanium oxide, and said element M is selected from rare earths, transition metals that are capable of being integrated in the cationic form in solid solution into a titanium oxide, and alkaline-earth metals.
10. A material according to claim 1, wherein said particles with nanometric dimensions are particles based on an oxide of a rare earth other than cerium, and said element M is selected from rare earths other than the rare earth constituting said oxide, transition metals that are capable of being integrated in the cationic form in solid solution into a rare earth oxide, and alkaline-earth metals.
11. A material according to claim 1, wherein said mineral phase is at least partially constituted by silica.
12. A material according to claim 1, wherein the mineral phase also comprises metallic cations of metal M ador clusters based on metal M dispersed within said mineral phase andor on the surface of said mineral phase.
13. A material according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the particles with nanometric dimensions dispersed within the mineral binder phase is in contact with porous portions constituting the internal space of the material.
14. A material according to claim 1, wherein the (mineral binder phaseparticles with nanometric dimensions) molar ratio is in the range 20:80 to 99.5:0.5.
15. A material according to claim 1, which comprises crystallites based on the oxide, hydroxide, oxyhydroxide, carbonate or hydroxycarbonate of said element M.
16. An ordered mesoporous or mesostructured material according to claim 1, wherein said material has a BET specific surface area in the range 750 to 2300 m2 per cm3 of material.
17. A process for preparing a material according to claim 1, which comprises successive steps comprising:
a) producing a mineral mesostructure integrating, within its walls, particles with nanometric dimensions comprising a metal oxide in its crystalline state selected from a cerium oxide, a zirconium oxide, a titanium oxide and a rare earth oxide other than cerium;
b) introducing into the mesoporous structure obtained, a compound based on said element M, the total amount of element M introduced into the structure with respect to the total surface area developed by the mesostructure being less than 5 micromoles of cation per m2 of surface; and
c) subjecting the mesostructure produced to a temperature of at least 300\xb0 C. and not higher than 1000\xb0 C.
18. A preparation process according to claim 17, which step a) is implemented by carrying out the following steps:
a1) forming an initial medium comprising a templating agent, namely a surfactant type amphiphilic compound which can form micelles in the reaction medium;
a2) adding to the medium of step 1a) a colloidal dispersion of particles with nanometric dimensions based on a metal oxide in the crystalline state, selected from cerium oxide, a zirconium oxide, a titanium oxide and a rare earth oxide other than cerium;
a3) forming a mesostructured mineral phase, usually at least partially, or even essentially constituted by silica, said mineral phase by adding a mineral precursor to the medium; and
a4) eliminating the templating agent, in particular by heat treatment or by entrainment by a solvent.
19. A preparation process according to claim 17, wherien step b) is carried out by immersing the mesostructured material obtained at the end of step a) in a solution comprising the element M in a concentration in the range 0.1 to 1.5 mol1 then filtering the medium obtained.
20. A preparation process according to claim 17, wherein step b) is carried out by immersing the mesostructured material obtained at the end of step a) in an aqueous or hydro-alcoholic solution comprising cations of metal M in a concentration in the range 0.2 to 1.5 mol1 then centrifuging the medium obtained at a rate of 2000 to 5000 rpm, for a period not exceeding 30 minutes.
21. A preparation process according to claim 17, wherein, following the impregnationheat treatment procedures of steps b) and c), it comprises one or more subsequent impregnationheat treatment cycles implementing steps of type b) and c) carried out on the solid obtained from the preceding cycle.
22. A material that can be obtained by the process of claim 17, which is a heterogeneous acidic, basic or redox catalyst.
23. A material comprising particles of cerium oxide integrating manganese in solid solution within the walls of its mesostructure, as a catalyst for absorption of oxides of nitrogen.
24. A material obtained by a process according claim 1, as a support for catalytic species.
25. A catalyst obtained by supporting catalytic species on a material according to claim 1.

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 for operation of an internal permanent magnet motor having a rotor, the method comprising:
determining whether a neutral point access signal is received from the rotor;
operating the internal permanent magnet motor using sensorless signals corresponding to a rotor position and a rotor speed of the rotor derived by a first sensorless signal estimation method when the neutral point access signal is received from the rotor; and
operating the internal permanent magnet motor using sensorless signals corresponding to a rotor position and a rotor speed of the rotor derived by a second sensorless signal estimation method when the neutral point access signal is not received from the rotor,
wherein the first sensorless signal estimation method utilizes the neutral point access signal to generate the rotor position and the rotor speed, and
wherein the second sensorless signal estimation method does not utilize the neutral point access signal to generate the rotor position and the rotor speed.
2. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein operating the internal permanent magnet motor using sensorless signals corresponding to a rotor position and a rotor speed of the rotor derived by the first sensorless signal estimation method comprises operating the internal permanent magnet motor using sensorless signals corresponding to a rotor position and a rotor speed of the rotor derived by a pulse width modulated signal modification method.
3. The method in accordance with claim 2 wherein operating the internal permanent magnet motor using sensorless signals corresponding to a rotor position and a rotor speed of the rotor derived by the pulse width modulated signal modification method comprises operating the internal permanent magnet motor at speeds of the permanent magnet motor lees than a predetermined low speed threshold using sensorless signals corresponding to a rotor position and a rotor speed of the rotor derived by the pulse width modulated signal modification method in response to the neutral point access signal.
4. The method in accordance with claim 3 wherein operating the internal permanent magnet motor using sensorless signals corresponding to a rotor position and a rotor speed of the rotor derived by a second sensorless signal estimation method comprises:
injecting a high frequency signal into a flux axis of the permanent magnet motor; and
sensorlessly determining the rotor position and the rotor speed in response to both a flux axis error signal on a flux axis of the permanent magnet motor and a torque axis error signal on the torque axis of the permanent magnet motor, both the flux axis error signal and the torque axis error signal determined in response to current vector signals in a synchronous reference frame.
5. The method in accordance with claim 4 wherein injecting the high frequency signal into the flux axis of the permanent magnet motor comprises injecting a high frequency low speed injection signal into the flux axis of the permanent magnet motor at speeds of the permanent magnet motor less than a predetermined low speed threshold.
6. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein operating the internal permanent magnet motor using sensorless signals corresponding to a rotor position and a rotor speed of the rotor derived by a second sensorless signal estimation method comprises operating the internal permanent magnet motor using sensorless signals corresponding to a rotor position and a rotor speed of the rotor derived by a sensorless high frequency signal injection method.
7. The method in accordance with claim 6 wherein operating the internal permanent magnet motor using sensorless signals corresponding to a rotor position and a rotor speed of the rotor derived by a sensorless high frequency signal injection method comprises:
injecting a high frequency signal into a flux axis of the permanent magnet motor; and
sensorlessly determining the rotor position and the rotor speed in response to both a flux axis error signal on a flux axis of the permanent magnet motor and a torque axis error signal on the torque axis of the permanent magnet motor, both the flux axis error signal and the torque axis error signal determined in response to current vector signals in a synchronous reference frame.
8. The method in accordance with claim 7 wherein injecting the high frequency signal into the flux axis of the permanent magnet motor comprises injecting a high frequency low speed injection signal into the flux axis of the permanent magnet motor at speeds of the permanent magnet motor less than a predetermined low speed threshold.
9. A limp home controller for controlling operation of an internal permanent magnet motor having a rotor, the limp home controller comprising:
a first sensorless speed and position estimator for generating sensorless rotor position and rotor speed signals in accordance with a first sensorless signal estimation method, wherein the first sensorless signal estimation method utilizes a neutral point access signal received from the rotor to generate the sensorless rotor position and rotor speed signals; a second sensorless speed and position estimator for generating sensorless rotor position and rotor speed signals in accordance with a second sensorless signal estimation method, wherein the second sensorless signal estimation method does not utilize the neutral point access signal to generate the sensorless rotor position and rotor speed signals; and
a supervisory controller coupled to the first sensorless speed and position estimator and the second sensorless speed and position estimator, the supervisory controller determining whether the neutral point access signal is received from the rotor and providing the sensorless rotor position and rotor speed signals from the first sensorless speed and position estimator for controlling the operation of the internal permanent magnet motor when the neutral point access signal is received from the rotor and providing the sensorless rotor position and rotor speed signals from the second sensorless speed and position estimator for controlling the operation of the internal permanent magnet motor when the neutral point access signal is not received from the rotor.
10. The limp home controller in accordance with claim 9 wherein the first sensorless speed and position estimator comprises a zero sequence voltage calculator coupled to the permanent magnet motor for receiving the neutral point access signal therefrom and generating a zero sequence voltage signal in response to the neutral point access signal, the first sensorless speed and position estimator generating the sensorless rotor position and rotor speed signals in response to the zero sequence voltage signal.
11. The limp home controller in accordance with claim 10 wherein the first sensorless speed and position estimator derives the sensorless rotor position and rotor speed signals by a pulse width modulated signal modification method in response to the zero sequence voltage signal.
12. The limp home operation controller in accordance with claim 9 wherein the supervisory controller comprises a neutral point access signal detector which determines whether the neutral point access signal is received from the rotor.
13. The limp home operation controller in accordance with claim 12 wherein the supervisory controller further comprises a selector coupled to the first and second sensorless speed and position estimators and the neutral point access signal detector, the selector providing the sensorless rotor position and rotor speed signals from the first sensorless speed and position estimator for controlling the operation of the internal permanent magnet motor when the neutral point access signal detector determines that the neutral point access signal is received from the rotor and for providing the sensorless rotor position and rotor speed signals from the second sensorless speed and position estimator for controlling the operation of the internal permanent magnet motor when the neutral point access signal detector determines that the neutral point access signal is not received from the rotor.
14. The limp home operation controller in accordance with claim 9 wherein the second sensorless speed and position estimator derives the sensorless rotor position and rotor speed signals by a sensorless high frequency signal injection method.
15. An electric motor system comprising:
an internal permanent magnet motor comprising a plurality of phases and including a rotor;
an inverter for generating a plurality of phase signals in response to modulated control signals and coupled to the internal permanent magnet motor for providing each of the plurality of phase signals to a corresponding one of the plurality of phases of the permanent magnet motor;
an inverter controller for generating the modulated control signals in response to a rotor position signal, a rotor speed signal and phase current signals, the phase current signals corresponding to currents of one or more of the plurality of phase signals; and
a limp home controller coupled to the internal permanent magnet motor and the inverter controller for determining whether a neutral point access signal is received from the rotor and providing sensorless rotor position and rotor speed signals to the inverter controller as the rotor position signal and the rotor speed signal, wherein the sensorless rotor position and rotor speed signals are derived by a first sensorless signal estimation method utilizing the neutral point access signal when the neutral point access signal is received from the rotor, the limp home controller further providing sensorless rotor position and rotor speed signals derived by a second sensorless signal estimation method to the inverter controller as the rotor position signal and the rotor speed signal when the neutral point access signal is not received from the rotor.
16. The electric motor system in accordance with claim 15 wherein the limp home controller comprises:
a first sensorless speed and position estimator for generating the sensorless rotor position and rotor speed signals in accordance with the first sensorless signal estimation method;
a second sensorless speed and position estimator for generating the sensorless rotor position and rotor speed signals in accordance with the second sensorless signal estimation method, wherein the second sensorless signal estimation method does not utilize the neutral point access signal to generate the sensorless rotor position and rotor speed signals; and
a supervisory controller coupled to the first sensorless speed and position estimator and the second sensorless speed and position estimator, the supervisory controller determining whether the neutral point access signal is received from the rotor and providing the sensorless rotor position and the rotor speed signals from the first sensorless speed and position estimator as a rotor position signal and a rotor speed signal to the inverter controller when the neutral point access signal is received from the rotor and providing the sensorless rotor position and rotor speed signals from the second sensorless speed and position estimator as the rotor position signal and the rotor speed signal to the inverter controller when the neutral point access signal is not received from the rotor.
17. The electric motor system in accordance with claim 16 wherein the first sensorless speed and position estimator comprises a zero sequence voltage calculator coupled to the internal permanent magnet motor for receiving the neutral point access signal therefrom and generating a zero sequence voltage signal in response to the neutral point access signal, the first sensorless speed and position estimator generating the sensorless rotor position and rotor speed signals by a pulse width modulated signal modification method in response to the zero sequence voltage signal.
18. The electric motor system in accordance with claim 16 wherein the supervisory controller comprises a neutral point access signal detector which determines whether the neutral point access signal is received from the rotor.
19. The electric motor system in accordance with claim 18 wherein the supervisory controller further comprises a selector coupled to the first and second sensorless speed and position estimators and the neutral point access signal detector, the selector providing the sensorless rotor position and rotor speed signals from the first sensorless speed and position estimator as the rotor position signal and the rotor speed signal to the inverter controller when the neutral point access signal detector determines that the neutral point access signal is received from the rotor and for providing the sensorless rotor position and rotor speed signals from the second sensorless speed and position estimator as the rotor position signal and the rotor speed signal to the inverter controller when the neutral point access signal detector determines that the neutral point access signal is not received from the rotor.
20. The electric motor system in accordance with claim 16 wherein the second sensorless speed and position estimator derives the sensorless rotor position and rotor speed signals by a sensorless high frequency signal injection method.