Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

3m Innovative Properties Company

Robert J Rothrum

F Andrew Ubel

Robert L Wheeler

Kelly T McGurran

Joel A Vokaty

Linda C Chaffee

Stephen C P Joseph

Gary N Brotherton

Stephen C Joseph

Gary Brotherton

An assembly for feeding liquid to the inlet port of a liquid spraying device or spray gun. The assembly includes a stiff container that defines an opening into a cavity in the container, and a flexible liner positioned within the cavity in the container has an outer surface generally corresponding in shape to the inner surface of the container, an inner surface defining a cavity in the liner, and an annular lip along the top end of the side wall defining an opening into the cavity in the liner. An included adapter assembly has a central portion with a through opening that is adapted to engage the inlet port of a liquid spraying device, a transverse portion including a peripheral part adapted for engagement within the flexible liner adjacent said top end of the container, and means for sealing the flexible liner around the peripheral part of the adapter assembly. An air supply assembly connected to the container supplies air at a relatively low pressure (e.g., in the range of about 0.5 to 8 pounds per square inch or 3.5 to 55 kilopascals) between the outer surface of the flexible liner and the inner surface of the container which improves the flow of liquids through the liquid spraying device or spray gun to which the assembly is attached, and allows that spraying device or spray gun to be used in any orientation.

Pressure assisted liquid supply assembly

An assembly for making accurate mixtures of liquid components and feeding that liquid mixture to the inlet port of a sprayer. The assembly includes a container of stiff polymeric material comprising a side wall with a frusto conical inner surface, and a bottom wall at the bottom end of the side wall opposite a top end of the side wall that defines an opening into a cavity in the container. A flexible liner positioned within the cavity in the container has an outer surface corresponding in shape to the inner surface of the container, an inner surface defining a cavity in the liner, and an annular lip along the top end of the side wall defining an opening into the cavity in the liner. An indicating sheet of resiliently flexible polymeric material is positioned between the side wall of the container and the flexible liner, conforms in shape to the inner surface of the container, and bears indicia that indicate the levels to which a plurality of different component liquids can be sequentially poured into the cavity in the flexible liner to achieve a predetermined ratio between the liquids.

Liquid supply assembly

An assembly for making accurate mixtures of liquid components and feeding that liquid mixture to the inlet port of a sprayer. The assembly includes (1) a container of stiff visually transparent polymeric material comprising a side wall with a frusto conical inner surface, and a bottom wall at the bottom end of the side wall opposite a top end of the side wall that defines an opening into a cavity in the container. A flexible liner positioned within the cavity in the container has an outer surface corresponding in shape to the inner surface of the container, an inner surface defining a cavity in the liner, and an annular lip along the top end of the side wall defining an opening into the cavity in the liner. An indicating sheet of resiliently flexible polymeric material is positioned between the side wall of the container and the flexible liner, conforms in shape to the inner surface of the container, and bears indicia visible through the side wall of the container that indicates the levels to which a plurality of different component liquids can be sequentially poured into the cavity in the flexible liner to achieve a predetermined ratio between the liquids.

The present invention provides a tube and cable restraint comprising: a strip of flexible material having a generally elongated rectangular loop-section adapted to form a loop about the tube with an attachment means near the first end of the loop-section adapted to secure (e.g., adhere) the strip to a surgical drape and a refastenable loop forming means adapted to secure (e.g., adhere) the second end of the loop-section to the first end thereby forming a loop around the tube or cable. In another embodiment, the restraint is adapted to secure a tubular drape around a projecting object such as a microscope eyepiece.

Method for making a refastenable tube and cable restraint

An apparatus for sealing an environment defined by a periphery is provided. The sealing apparatus includes a first frame defining an opening and being disposed on the periphery of the environment and a second frame defining an opening. A flexible material is rotatably interconnected between the first frame opening and the second frame opening to form an iris aperture. The size of the iris aperture can be adjusted by rotating the second frame with respect to the first frame. The first frame may be secured with respect to the second frame in order to fix the size of the iris aperture. For securing the frames with respect to one another, hook and loop fastening material may be provided. The environment and periphery may, for example, be a surgical patient and a surgical drape, respectively.

Surgical drape having improved sealing apparatus

The present invention provides a universal surgical drape kit, comprising: a plurality of drape panels each having a top surface and a bottom surface; and a plurality of tape attachment strips comprising a backing, an adhesive layer covering one side of said backing, and a liner. At least two of the tape attachment strips are adhesively attached to the top surface and along at least a portion of one edge of the drape panels and a second portion of the tape attachment strips overhangs the drape panels and is covered with a liner. The present invention also provides a surgical drape, comprising: a sheet of drape fabric having a rectangular fenestration cut therein; and four tape attachment strips comprising a backing, an adhesive layer covering one side of said backing, and a liner. The four tape attachment strips are adhesively attached to the top surface of the sheet along the edges of the fenestration and a second portion of the tape attachment strips overhangs the fenestration and is covered with a liner.

Surgical drapes having tape attachment strips

Refastenable tube and cable restraint for medical use

The present invention provides a garment (e.g., a surgical gown) having adhered thereto a conformable, thin polymeric barrier film. The barrier film provides fluid resistance to the garment while still allowing the garment to 'breathe.' In addition, preferred barrier films are resistant to the transmission of pathogens. The barrier film of the present invention, prior to being applied to a fabric substrate, is preferably provided as an assembly in the form of an individual sheet, a roll of material, or a pad of stacked sheets. The assembly preferably comprises a relatively thin, conformable polymeric film; a pressure sensitive adhesive attached to at least a portion of one surface of said film; a means for protecting said adhesive prior to application of the film to a fabric substrate; and a means for handling said adhesive coated film during application of said film to said fabric substrate, wherein said handling means is attached to said film more tenaciously than said protecting means is attached to the adhesive surface of said film.

Garment having barrier layer adhered thereto

The present invention provides a fluid collection pouch which may be easily attached to a surgical drape or directly to a patient's skin. The fluid collection pouch comprises a front panel and a rear panel joined along common side edges (thus defining a fluid receiving chamber). The pouch has an open top end to which is adhesively attached a portion of a tape attachment strip. A second portion of the tape attachment strip overhangs the open top end of the pouch and is covered with a liner. In use, the liner is removed (thus exposing an additional portion of the adhesive surface of the tape attachment strip) and the exposed adhesive is placed against the surface to which the pouch is being attached. This design provides a leak free seal between the surface and the pouch, and fluid is able easily to flow over the sealed region into the pouch without being inhibited or directed away. The present invention also provides a fenestrated surgical drape having a pre-attached fluid collection pouch and methods of making such fluid collection pouches and drapes.

Surgical fluid collection pouch

A multi-cycle refastenable tape closure system is disclosed. The tape closure system comprises a fastener tape component having double-coated surfaces of pressure sensitive adhesive having the same or substantially similar pressure sensitive adhesive properties and preferably also a release tape component having opposing surfaces of pressure sensitive adhesive and a low adhesion release layer. The fastener tape component and the release tape component are capable of firmly adhering to opposing body coverings or along opposing edges of one body covering and capable of releasably adhering to each other to provide a multi-cycle refastenable contact of opposing body coverings or closure of the body covering opposing seams in an overlapping, low profile manner. A method of using a multi-cycle refastenable tape closure system is also disclosed.

Multi-cycle refastenable tape closure systems

The present invention provides a universal surgical drape kit, having: a plurality of drape panels each having a top surface and a bottom surface; and a plurality of tape attachment strips comprising a backing, an adhesive layer covering one side of the backing, and a liner. At least two of the tape attachment strips are adhesively attached to the top surface and along at least a portion of one edge of the drape panels and a second portion of the tape attachment strips overhangs the drape panels and is covered with a liner. The present invention also provides a surgical drape, comprising: a sheet of drape fabric having a rectangular fenestration cut therein; and four tape attachment strips comprising a backing, an adhesive layer covering one side of the backing, and a liner. The four tape attachment strips are adhesively attached to the top surface of the sheet along the edges of the fenestration and a second portion of the tape attachment strips overhangs the fenestration and is covered with a liner.

Growing community of inventors

Coon Rapids, MN, United States of America

Robert J Rothrum