Aveka, Inc.

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Terumo Cardiovascular Systems Corporation

Monica A Hamer

William A Hendrickson

James A Baker

Kenneth Brian Wood

Kathryn R Bretscher

Christopher John Rueb

Mai T Nguyen

James Joseph Marti

Gordon R Pryor

John Anderson

Peter Lentz

Joe Rechtiene

A process for separating particles of different sizes comprising projecting a stream of particles into a fluid medium; allowing the particles to develop differing trajectories in the fluid medium; providing at least two separate collection areas for different average size particles from the stream of particles; and collecting particles along said different trajectories.

Process for sizing particles and producing particles separated into size distributions

A method forms self-sustaining particles that comprise a hydrophobic (oleophilic) phase in particulate form, with no need for a rigid shell to encapsulate the phase, and usually with no shell present. The oleophilic phase contains a gelation agent, and preferably an organogelation agent. The particles may be stored alone or in a minor amount (e.g., less than 40% by volume) of water to assist their stability and act as a barrier against their coalescence. These water-separated compositions are not necessarily dispersions or suspensions, but may be merely particles in an aqueous storage environment. The particles have prolonged stability and can be readily, simply, and inexpensively formed. A simple method of manufacture comprises forming a solution of the ingredients (e.g., at least the oleophilic material and gelation agent) at a temperature above their gelation temperature, forming droplets or molten, or liquid or flowable particles of the solutions, and cooling the droplets to form the particulates. Cooling may be effected by exposure to ambient conditions (e.g., room temperature) when the ingredients are properly selected, or an actual cooling environment may be needed.

Organogel particles

Various materials, including generally non-compatible materials may be provided from a single delivery system by a unique encapsulation system. An encapsulation system is advantageously constructed as a core of aqueous liquid having at least 5% by weight water therein, and an encapsulant surrounding the core to form a stable encapsulated particle, the encapsulant comprising at least one layer of hydrophobic particles in contact with and surrounding the core, the core and hydrophobic particles providing an encapsulated system that has an average weight average particle diameter of from 0.05 to 25 micrometers and can support its own weight. The encapsulation system may be provided by a novel method of manufacture comprising providing a mass of hydrophobic particles having average mass diameter size of between 0.05 and 25 micrometers, providing droplets of an aqueous medium to the mass of particles, gently mixing the fine particles of aqueous medium and the hydrophobic particles to form a stable encapsulant system of droplets of the aqueous medium encapsulated by a shell of particles.

Particulate encapsulation of liquid beads

The present invention provides an optical fluorescence based sensor for measuring the concentration of a gas (e.g., CO,or ammonia) in a medium such as blood which has superior dry web sensor performance, enhanced sensor consistency for transparent sensor calibration, improved autoclave stability and rapid rehydration of the sensor. In a preferred embodiment, the sensors of the present invention comprise microcompartments of an aqueous phase having a pH sensitive indicator component and a nonionic amphipathic surfactant within a hydrophobic barrier phase comprising a plurality of dispersed hydrophobic particles.

Emulsion for robust sensing

The present invention provides an optical fluorescence based sensor for measuring the concentration of a gas (e.g., CO.sub.2 or ammonia) in a medium such as blood which has superior dry web sensor performance, enhanced sensor consistency for transparent sensor calibration, improved autoclave stability and rapid rehydration of the sensor. In a preferred embodiment, the sensors of the present invention comprise microcompartments of an aqueous phase having a pH sensitive indicator component and a nonionic amphipathic surfactant within a hydrophobic barrier phase comprising a plurality of dispersed hydrophobic particles.

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Woodbury, MN, United States of America

Monica A Hamer