3m Innovative Properties Company

Kindeva Drug Delivery, L.p.

Jason P Smith

Steven P Floeder

James A Masterman

Carl J Skeps

Jeffrey P Adolf

Steven R Dreger

Techniques are described for automatically detecting defects in webs using ultraviolet light to excite fluorescing agents in various layers of the web. In one example. a system for detecting defects in the web includes an inspection device and a processing unit. The inspection device includes a lighting unit, a filter, and an image capture device. The lighting unit is configured to emit ultraviolet light having a first wavelength to the web, the web including a fluorescing agent configured to emit light having a second wavelength upon excitation by the ultraviolet light. The image capture device is configured to capture one or more images of the light having the second wavelength after the light has passed through the filter. The processing unit is configured to determine whether the web includes a defect based on the one or more images.

Ultraviolet light-based inspection for detecting coating defects in manufactured webs using fluorescing agents

A process of making a microneedle array comprising providing a microneedle array having a plurality of microneedles of a desired shape, illuminating at least a portion of said microneedle array that comprises at least one microneedle, capturing an observed image of said at least one microneedle using an optical device, electronically processing said observed image and determining at least one shape parameter for said at least one microneedle, accepting said microneedle array if said at least one shape parameter is within an acceptable range, thereby providing a microneedle array that comprises a known shape of the plurality of microneedles.

Process and apparatus for inspecting microneedle arrays

A system for preferentially marking defects on a web is described. The system includes a web of material to be converted into individual sheets of a plurality of different grade levels, a database storing anomaly data of anomalies on the web, wherein an anomaly is a potential defect in at least one of the plurality of different grade levels, a marker that associates a unique mark with at least one of the grade levels, and a controller to retrieve the anomaly data from the database and to signal the marker as to where to make a mark, wherein the marker applies the mark associated with at least one of the grade levels for which the anomaly may cause a defect. The system may provide advantages, such as that a converter of various products from a single web roll may determine which regions of the web satisfy each grade level.

Growing community of inventors

Saint Paul, MN, United States of America

Jason P Smith