Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Schneider (usa) Inc.

Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Remington Arms Company, Inc.

Caritech Inc.

Robert N Hamlin

Roger H Appeldorn

Shari J Wilson

Rick L Shockey

James J Arkell

Robert A Tassel

A method of producing laminated inflatable, substantially inextensible expander members having composite properties enhancing their use on intravascular catheters, such as angioplasty catheters is described. Diverse polymeric compounds of differing properties are coextruded to create a multilayer parison. The parison is subsequently drawn and expanded in a blow molding operation to yield an expander member exhibiting enhanced properties including lubricity, burst-strength, limited radial expansion, bondability, and rupture characteristics.

Multilayer catheter balloon

Carrier tape (12) is disclosed which absorbs kinetic energy and protects the leads (34, 34') of electronic circuit components (32) from bending or being otherwise damaged in an industry drop test. The components (32) are supported in pockets (22) by platforms (40) which are free of ridges extending above the bottoms of the components (32). The free ends of the leads (34) simultaneously engage ramp portions (42) of the pocket sidewalls (24) which are inclined upwardly and outwardly from the pocket bottoms (26) to center the components (32) in the pockets (22). The pockets (22) are of a size to sandwich the components (32) against the platforms (40) when the carrier tape (12) is in a stacked arrangement such as by being wound on a reel (58). The pocket bottoms (26) include undercuts (54) allowing the pocket bottoms (26) in an upper layer to sandwich two different components (32) in two circumferentially adjacent pockets (22) of the lower layer. In other forms, the pockets (22) include protrusions (60) having abutment surfaces (64) which abut with the cover tape (56) for clamping the components (32) against the platforms (40) of the lower layer and which deflect the platforms (40) of the upper layer for raising the components (32) against the cover tape (56).

Energy absorbing carrier tape

A carrier tape (12) is disclosed including a plurality of longitudinally spaced pockets (22) extending parallel to index holes (20). Each pocket (22) includes side walls (24) and a bottom (26) having provisions (28) for holding a microchip (32). Abutments (38) having semicircular cross sections are integrally formed on the side walls (24) for engaging the free ends of the leads (34) of the microchip (32) to prevent their engagement with the side walls (24). A greater number of abutments (38) at lesser spacings are provided than the leads (34) of the microchip (32) to prevent the leads (34) from hooking between the abutments (38). The abutments (38) are arranged to minimize the number of leads (34) actually engaged and to minimize the actual area contacted by the free ends of the leads (34) with the abutments (38). The shape of the abutments (38) also optically disperses major portions of the reflection of the leads (34). False indications of lead problems during non-contacting, electro-optical visual inspection of the microchip (32) within the pocket (22) are thereby eliminated.

Pockets for microchip carriers

Multilayer extrusion of angioplasty balloons

A closure for use in joining together container portions to enclose an opening in a container. The closure includes a pair of intermeshable closure members, each having a structured surface. The structured surfaces adhere to each other when brought into contact to secure the container portions together.

Container with intermeshable closure members

A catheter assembly especially designed for the performance of atherectomy procedures which include an elongated flexible plastic tube which can be routed through the vascular system to the location of the atheroma to be removed and a working catheter insertable through the guide catheter in the form of an elongated flexible plastic tube having a series of fibers integrally formed with or otherwise attached to the distal end portion of the working catheter and normally laying flat against the wall of the catheter. The proximal end of the working catheter is adapted for connection to a high speed motor whereby the working catheter can be rotated relative to the surrounding guide catheter. As the distal end portion of the working catheter is advanced distally beyond the end of the guide catheter, centrifugal force acts upon the fibers to cause them to extend radially outward from the core of the working catheter and when advanced against an atheroma, flail the lesion, reducing it small particles which can be aspirated out the proximal end of the catheter assembly.

Fiber tip atherectomy catheter

An intraocular lens assembly suitable for implantation into either the anterior or posterior chamber of the human eye has a lens body supported in the eye by first and second support members extending from the lens body for engaging adjacent portions of the anterior or posterior chamber of the eye, at least one of the support members comprising an asymmetric spring-like support loop of circular cross-section extending outwardly from the peripheral edge of the lens body; the support loop has first and second leg portions attached to the periphery of the lens body diverging outwardly from the lens body, each leg portion containing a sloped portion with the sloped portion of each leg being of nearly equal lengths; the outer edge of the support loop is received in and biased against the natural cavities and angles of the eye from which the natural lens has been removed and has one or more contact portions for engaging the adjacent portions of the eye.

Intraocular lens with asymetric vaulted support loops

A dispenser for metering predetermined charges of shot or other particulate material by means of a slidable charging plate, incorporates a shear slide device which prevents shot that become trapped between a supply hopper and the charging plate from either jamming the charging plate or being sheared into irregular pieces. The device also withholds the trapped shot from the metered charge, and thereby increases the uniformity of the quantities metered.

Growing community of inventors

Stillwater, MN, United States of America

Robert N Hamlin