General Mills, Inc.

Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc.

Scott A Tolson

James N Weinstein

Peter A Huberg

Bernhard H Van Lengerich

Philip K Zietlow

James R Borek

Thomas M Jarl

Julie L Holmstrom

Gregory A Clanton

Gerald J Rudolph

Scott A Spadgenske

David J Hansen

A connector port or 'header' for an implantable medical device comprises a molded plastic connector module having a longitudinal bore formed therethrough and a plurality of slots formed inwardly of one side surface thereof and intersecting the longitudinal bore. The slots receive electrical contact members therein and individual seal members are inserted through the longitudinal bore between each of the contact members such that when the in-line terminal pin of a medical lead is inserted into the longitudinal bore, contacts on the lead terminal are aligned with and mate to the electrical contacts in the connector block. The seal members prevent body fluids from compromising the resulting electrical connection.

Connector port construction technique for implantable medical device

A complexly patterned extrudate is constituted by a confectionery food piece having a main body which is formed from a compressible material, such as foam. More specifically, the body has a first color and is provided with at least one fine line or plane of a second color or hue. The fine line or plane preferably extends through the body and has a thickness of less than 1 mm.

Confectionery food piece having colored fine line

An extrudable food product is provided by a food cooker extruder ( ) and is mixed with an additive to form a patterned food product, using a pattern forming die ( ). The cross-sectional area of the patterned food product is reduced from an inlet end ( ) to an outlet end ( ) by a factor of at least 50:1 at an average convergence angle of &lE;45&deg; while maintaining the cross-sectional pattern to form a reduced cross-sectional patterned dough, and then is extruded through a die port ( ) having an opening equal to the reduced cross-sectional area to form a complexly patterned extrudate. The food product comprising, multiple extrudates are simultaneously formed with the flow rates for each extrudate being adjustable by an adjuster plug ( ) including a smooth cylindrical portion ( ) extendable into a passageway ( ) having a circular cross section of a larger diameter than the cylindrical portion ( ). A color additive is injected to provide a topical coating to the periphery of the flowing dough to lubricate and reduce friction of the periphery of the flowing dough with the passageway ( ) and to produce a surface coloration on the periphery of the flowing dough.

Apparatus and methods for making multiple, patterned extrudates

Apparatus (,) and methods are disclosed where plastic extrudable food product is provided such as by an extruder or pump and is combined with another food product without intermixing to form a complexly patterned food product, such as by a pattern forming die (,). The cross-sectional area of the patterned food product is reduced from an inlet end (,) to an outlet end (,) by a factor of 4:1 to as much as 50:1 at an average convergence angle of 5 to 65&deg; while maintaining the cross-sectional pattern to form a reduced cross-sectional patterned food product, and then is extruded through a die port having an opening equal to the reduced cross-sectional area to form a complexly patterned extrudate.

Apparatus and methods for making multiple, complexly patterned extrudates

Disclosed are apparatus (10) for making a complexly patterned extrudate. The apparatus (10) includes a food cooker extruder (12) for providing at least one extrudable food product, at least one food color supply (18), a pattern forming die (20) for mixing the food color and extrudate food product to form a complexly patterned food product, a reducing passageway for reducing the cross sectional area of the patterned dough from an inlet end (34) to outlet end (36) of at least 50:1 at an average convergence angle of .ltoreq.45.degree. and an extruder exit port at the discharge end of the reducing passageway. The methods comprise the steps of: providing a plastic extrudable food mass; providing at least one color; mixing the food mass and color to form an organized complexly patterned food dough having an initial cross sectional area; reducing the initial cross sectional area by a factor of at least 50:1 with an average convergence angle of .ltoreq.45.degree. while maintaining the cross sectional pattern to form a reduced cross sectional patterned dough, and extruding the reduced cross sectional dough through a die port having an opening of equal to the reduced cross sectional area to form a complexly patterned extrudate.

Method for making a complexly patterned extrudate

Puffed food product having body with intersecting colored lines

Apparatus and methods are disclosed where plastic extrudable food product is provided such as by a food cooker extruder and is mixed with an additive to form a patterned food product, such as by a pattern forming die. The cross-sectional area of the patterned food product is reduced from an inlet end to an outlet end by a factor of at least 50:1 at an average convergence angle of &lt;45.degree. while maintaining the cross-sectional pattern to form a reduced cross-sectional patterned dough, and then is extruded through a die port having an opening equal to the reduced cross-sectional area to form a complexly patterned extrudate. In a preferred form, the additive is injected through ports into an interstitial gap imparted by an annular shoulder between the periphery of the flowing dough and the interior wall surface of the passageway to provide a topical coating to the periphery of the flowing dough to lubricate and reduce friction of the periphery of the flowing dough with the passageway and to produce a surface coloration on the periphery of the flowing dough.

Apparatus and method for making multiple patterned extrudates

Disclosed are apparatus (10) for making a complexly patterned extrudate. The apparatus (10) includes a food cooker extruder (12) for providing at least one extrudable food product, at least one food color supply (18), a pattern forming die (20) for mixing the food color and extrudate food product to form a complexly patterned food product, a reducing passageway for reducing the cross sectional area of the patterned dough from an inlet end (34) to outlet end (36) of at least 50:1 at an average convergence angle of .ltoreq.45.degree. and an extruder exit port at the discharge end of the reducing passageway.

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Arden Hills, MN, United States of America

Scott A Tolson