3m Innovative Properties Company

Robert Steven Kody

Mario Alberto Perez

Terry R Hobbs

John M Sebastian

Robert D Taylor

Christopher K Haas

Jonathan F Hester

Philip P Soo

Daniel J Rogers

Ravi K Sura

Joseph P Keller

Stephen P Polski

Mary R Boone

Thomas P Klun

Larry R Krepski

Caroline M Ylitalo

Richard E Raby

Michael K Domroese

David F Slama

Diane R Wolk

James Stephen Mrozinski

Andrew T Ruff

Paul D Graham

Timothy J Lindquist

James F Sanders

Matthew Justin Michel

Brian Edward Spiewak

David W Kuhns

Philip D Radovanovic

Raymond L Watrous

Myles Lee Brostrom

Troy K Ista

Clifford Norman MacDonald

John W Longabach

Harold Todd Freemyer

Oh Sang Woo

Shannon K Hughes

David J Colburn

Kimberley D Klepzig

Paul DeRoussel

Stefan R Reimann

Peter B Zenk

Jeffrey O Ernslander

Julie S Prudich

A stethoscope includes a flexible chest piece including a top surface, a bottom surface, a side surface defining a slope between the top surface and the bottom surface, and a groove extending along an inner circumference of the chest piece. A diaphragm is positioned within the groove.

Stethoscope

Stethoscope with one-piece tubing, chest piece and diaphragm-rim

The positions of orthodontic appliances such as brackets and buccal tubes on a patient's teeth are determined using digital data that represents the shapes of the patient's teeth. Certain landmarks of the teeth such as the marginal ridges are determined using software, and the software adjusts positions of the virtual appliances on the teeth as needed in order to bring the marginal ridges into proper alignment at the conclusion of treatment. The resulting positions are optionally used to determine the location of the appliances in an indirect bonding apparatus such as a transfer tray.

Methods and systems for determining the positions of orthodontic appliances

The invention features integrated membrane assemblies for selectively transferring a constituent to or from a fluid. The assemblies include two or more flat sheet membrane elements and at least one common manifold connected to the interior regions of the membrane elements.

Membrane modules and integrated membrane cassettes

The present invention relates to the field of toughening and reinforcing brittle matrix materials, and more specifically to the structural fibers made from an oriented film, which enhance the toughness of matrix materials such as concrete, cement, and other cementitious products.

Toughened cementitious composites

The invention provides an image receptor medium which includes a biaxially oriented, melt-processed image receptive film comprising a) an immiscible blend of at least one semicrystalline polymer component and at least one ink absorptive polymer component and b) at least one inorganic filler. The image receptor medium may further include one or more additional layers such as support or adhesive layers.

Biaxially oriented ink receptive medium

The present invention includes a membrane construction for selectively transferring a constituent to or from a fluid. The membrane construction includes a multi-layer fluid impermeable support sheet having a plurality of supports on at least one side of the support sheet that form a plurality of flow channels. At least one layer of the multi-layer support sheet is a bonding layer. A fluid permeable layer extends over the flow channels and is bonded to the plurality of the supports by the bonding layer.

Fluid separation membrane module

Microfiber articles and methods and intermediates for their production, the microfiber articles being preferably produced from co-extruded multi-layer films, and the articles having a multi-layer construction that allows selection of the different layers to have different properties.

Microfiber articles from multi-layer substrates

The present invention relates to aliphatic polyester microfibers, films having a microfibrillated surface, and methods of making the same. Microfibers of the invention can be prepared by imparting fluid energy, typically in the form of high-pressure water jets, to a highly oriented, highly crystalline, aliphatic polyester film to liberate microfibers therefrom. Microfibrillated films of the invention find use as tape backings, filters for particulate contaminants, such as face masks and water or air filters, fibrous mats, such as those used for removal of oil from water and those used as wipes, and thermal and acoustical insulation. Microfibers of the invention, when removed from the film matrix may be used in the preparation of woven or nonwoven articles and used as wipes for the removal of debris or dust from a surface. The microfibers and microfibrillated articles of the invention may be biodegradable, rendering them useful for geotextiles.

Aliphatic polyester microfibers, microfibrillated articles and use thereof

The invention provides an image receptor medium which comprises a biaxially oriented, melt-processed image receptive film comprising a) an immiscible blend of at least one semicrystalline polymer component and at least one ink absorptive polymer component and b) at least one inorganic filler. The image receptor medium may further comprise one or more additional layers such as support or adhesive layers.

Biaxially-oriented ink receptive medium

A receptor medium with an oriented film having at least one microfibrillated surface is described. The receptor medium can receive jettable materials, which include inks, adhesives, particulate dispersions, electrically, thermally or magnetically modifiable materials, biological fluids, chemical reagents and combinations thereof. The microfibrillated surface provides good ink receptive properties particularly for solvent based inks.

Receptor medium having a microfibrillated surface

Described are hydrophilic fibrillated articles that include melt-processable polymer and hydrophilic component such as hydrophilic surfactant or hydrophilic polymer, as well as methods of preparing such articles.

Microfibrillated articles comprising hydrophillic component

Described are microfiber articles and methods and intermediates for their production, the microfiber articles being preferably produced from co-extruded microlayer films, and the articles having a microlayer construction that allows selection of the different layers to have different properties such that the article can have a desired combination of properties.

Fibrous films and articles from microlayer substrates

Microporous materials and articles are disclosed. The microporous materials contain a crystallizable propylene-containing polymer, a beta-nucleating agent, and a diluent that is miscible with the polymer at a temperature above the melting temperature of the polymer and that phase separates from the polymer at a temperature below the polymer crystallization temperature. The invention is also directed to methods of forming the microporous material using thermal induced phase separation and subsequent processing.

Microporous materials and methods of making the same

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Minneapolis, MN, United States of America

Robert Steven Kody