All The Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An oximeter sensor comprising:
a light emitting element;
a light detecting element; and
a memory device for storing digital data comprising expiration data relating to the oximeter sensor.
2. The oximeter sensor of claim 1 wherein said expiration data comprises a sensor warranty expiration date.
3. The oximeter sensor of claim 1 wherein said expiration data is an expiration date after which time said sensor can no longer be certified as being effective.
4. The oximeter sensor of claim 3 wherein an oximeter monitor coupled to said oximeter sensor briefly drives a high current through said light emitting element to disable said light emitting element after said expiration date.
5. The oximeter sensor of claim 3 wherein an oximeter monitor coupled to said oximeter sensor refuses to function after said expiration date.
6. The oximeter sensor of claim 3 wherein an oximeter monitor coupled to said oximeter sensor displays a sensor expiration message after said expiration date.
7. The oximeter sensor of claim 1 wherein said expiration data is a date after which time sterilization should not be performed on said sensor.
8. The oximeter sensor of claim 1 wherein said expiration data comprises:
a counter that encodes the number of sterilization cycles that have been performed on said sensor; and
a maximum number of sterilization cycles allowed for said sensor.
9. The oximeter sensor of claim 1 wherein said expiration data comprises a maximum usage time for the use of said oximeter sensor.
10. The oximeter sensor of claim 9 wherein said expiration data further comprises a total usage time to date for said oximeter sensor.
11. The oximeter sensor of claim 10 wherein an oximeter monitor coupled to said oximeter sensor encodes the total usage time for said sensor in said memory device and compares the total usage time to said maximum usage time to determine when said sensor has expired.
12. A method for storing data in an oximeter sensor, the method comprising:
emitting light from a light emitting element;
detecting light from the light emitting element using a photodetector; and
storing digitally encoded data in a memory in the sensor, the digitally encoded data comprising expiration data relating to the oximeter sensor.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein storing said digitally encoded data further comprises storing a sensor warranty expiration date in said memory.
14. The method of claim 12 wherein storing said digitally encoded data further comprises storing an expiration date in said memory after which time said sensor cannot be certified as being effective.
15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:
driving a high current through said light emitting element to disable said light emitting element after said expiration date.
16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:
displaying a sensor expiration message after said expiration date on an oximeter monitor coupled to said sensor.
17. The method of claim 12 wherein storing said digitally encoded data further comprises storing an expiration date after which time sterilization cycles should not be performed on said sensor.
18. The method of claim 12 wherein storing said digitally encoded data further comprises storing a counter that encodes the number of sterilization cycles that have been performed on said sensor and a maximum number of sterilization cycles allowed for said sensor in said memory.
19. The method of claim 12 wherein storing said digitally encoded data further comprises storing a maximum usage time for the use of said oximeter sensor.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein storing said digitally encoded data further comprises storing a total usage time to date for said oximeter sensor.
21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:
displaying a sensor expiration message on a display screen when the total usage time for said sensor reaches the maximum usage time.

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 composition for treating or preventing a flavivirus or pestivirus infection, comprising a Jab1 (Jun-activation binding protein 1) protein.
2. The composition as set forth in claim 1, wherein the Jab1 protein has an amino acid sequence designated as SEQ ID No. 2.
3. The composition as set forth in claim 1, wherein the Jab1 protein is encoded by a nucleotide sequence designated as SEQ ID No. 1.
4. A composition for treating or preventing a flavivirus or pestivirus infection, comprising a nucleic acid having a nucleotide sequence coding for a Jab1 protein.
5. The composition as set forth in claim 4, wherein the nucleic acid having the nucleotide sequence coding for the Jab1 protein is a recombinant vector having a nucleotide sequence coding for an amino acid sequence designated as SEQ ID No. 2.
6. The composition as set forth in claim 4, wherein the nucleic acid having the nucleotide sequence coding for the Jab1 protein is a recombinant vector having a nucleotide sequence designated as SEQ ID No. 1.
7. The composition as set forth in claim 5 or 6, wherein the recombinant vector is a recombinant viral vector.
8. The composition as set forth in claim 7, wherein the recombinant viral vector is selected from among recombinant retrovirus, adenovirus, adeno-associated virus and herpes simplex virus.
9. A composition for treating or preventing a flavivirus or pestivirus infection, comprising a recombinant virus expressing a Jab1 protein.
10. The composition as set forth in claim 9, wherein the recombinant vector expressing the Jab1 protein is a recombinant virus expressing a Jab1 protein having an amino acid sequence designated as SEQ ID No. 2.
11. The composition as set forth in claim 9, wherein the recombinant vector expressing the Jab1 protein is a recombinant virus expressing a Jab1 protein encoded by a nucleotide sequence designated as SEQ ID No. 1.
12. The composition as set forth in claim 9, wherein the recombinant vector is selected from among adenovirus, adeno-associated virus and herpes simplex virus.
13. The composition as set forth in claim 12, wherein the recombinant vector is selected from among retrovirus and adenovirus.
14. The composition as set forth in any one of claims 1, 4 and 9, wherein the infection is a flavivirus infection.
15. The composition as set forth in claim 14, wherein the flavivirus is West Nile virus.
16. The composition as set forth in any one of claims 1, 4 and 9, wherein the infection is associated with fever, rash, bleeding, jaundice, arthralgia, myalgia, encephalitis or meningitis.
17. A method of screening a compound stimulating expression of a Jab1 protein, comprising:
(a) culturing a cell expressing the Jab1 protein;
(b) contacting the cell cultured at (a) with candidate compounds for stimulating expression of the Jab1 protein;
(c) comparing an expression level of the Jab1 protein at (b) with that in a control not contacted with the candidate compounds; and
(d) identifying a compound increasing expression levels of the Jab1 protein.
18. A method of screening a compound stimulating interaction between a Jab1 protein and a capsid (Cp) protein, comprising:
(a) culturing a cell transformed with both a recombinant vector expressing the Jab1 protein and another recombinant vector expressing the Cp protein of flavivirus or pestivirus;
(b) contacting the cell cultured at (a) with candidate compounds for stimulating interaction between the Jab1 protein and the Cp protein;
(c) comparing an expression level of the Cp protein at (b) with that in a control not contacted with the candidate compounds; and
(d) identifying a compound reducing expression levels of the Cp protein.
19. The method as set forth in claim 17 or 18, wherein the comparison of expression levels at (c) is carried out in protein or mRNA levels.
20. The method as set forth in claim 19, wherein the comparison of expression levels is carried out by an immunoassay method.
21. The method as set forth in claim 19, wherein the comparison of expression levels is carried out in mRNA levels by RT-PCT (Reverse Transcription-Polymerization Chain Reaction).

1.-14. (canceled)
15. A tool for grasping and placing a delivery system near a bone comprising: a handle connected to a docking port, said docking port configured to attached to a rigid structure attached to a bone repair delivery system; and a plunger disposed in said handle configured to push and release said rigid structure into a bone location.
16. A tool of claim 15, wherein the bone repair delivery system comprises a plurality of operably linked segments of at least two types: a first segment type comprising a covering material defining at least one compartment configured to retain a bone growth substance; and a second segment type configured to connect segments of the first type; said delivery system configured to retain a bone growth substance.
17. A tool of claim 16, wherein the bone repair delivery system comprises segments of the first type that vary in size.
18. A tool of claim 16, wherein the second segment type is comprised of a covering material.
19. A tool of claim 16, wherein the segments of the first type are pre-filled with approximately equivalent amounts of bone growth substance.
20. A tool of claim 16, wherein the second type segments are configured to retain little or no bone growth substance.
21. A tool of claim 15, wherein the bone repair delivery system is designed for use in a sternum closure procedure.
22. A tool of claim 15, wherein the bone repair delivery system is used in filling an irregular shaped bone void.
23. A tool of claim 22, wherein at least two segments of the first type within the bone void are packed substantially parallel.
24. A tool of claim 15, wherein the bone repair delivery system is terminally sterilized.
25. A tool of claim 15, wherein the bone delivery system is sterilized by a method chosen from the group consisting of: gamma radiation, electron beam radiation, UV irradiation, cobalt source radiation; autoclaving, dry heating, and by supercritical fluid exposure.
26. A tool of claim 16, wherein the bone growth substance is sterilized by a method other than that used to sterilize the covering material.
27. A tool of claim 15, wherein the bone delivery system comprises a bone growth substance contained within a covering material, the volume of the bone growth substance is less than the maximum volume of the compartment, wherein said covering material containing said bone growth substance is configured to fit an irregular bone void.
28. A tool of claim 27, wherein bone growth substance in excess of that used to fill the void, and excess covering material, is removed and discarded.
29. A tool of claim 15, wherein the bone delivery system is configured to be used in a discectomy.

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 producing a mirror unit, comprising the steps of:
forming a multilayered film on a substrate, the multilayered film having two materials periodically laminated in layers on the substrate;
providing substrate deforming means in association with the substrate, the deforming means having a function for producing deformation of a shape of the substrate;
partially removing the multilayered film; and
producing deformation, by use of the substrate deforming means, of the substrate shape of a period component corresponding to a half or more of the size of the substrate surface.
2. A method according to claim 1, wherein, in said multilayered film partially removing step, the multilayered film is partially removed while taking the period of the multilayered film as unit.
3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising measuring a wavefront of light reflected by the mirror unit.
4. A method according to claim 1, wherein, where a wavelength of the light is \u03bb, an error of the wavefront not less than \u03bb2 (rms) is corrected by using the substrate deforming means and an error of the wavefront less than \u03bb2 (rms) is corrected by partially removing the multilayered film.