Ecosynthetix Inc.

Greenmark Biomedical Inc.

Evercorn, Inc.

Lions Adhesives, Inc.

Steven Bloembergen

Ian J McLennan

Ramani Narayan

Niels M B Smeets

J Douglas Ireland

Somaieh Salehpour

Juewen Liu

Robert H Wildi

Abdel Elsayed

Nathan Jones

Michael Kuska

Edward Van Egdom

Do I Lee

Uttam Saha

David H Fishman

Scott Raymond Pundsack

Nathan A Jones

David Van Alstyne

Frans Kappen

Brigit Beelen

Ryan Wagner

Scott E Cassar

Aareet Krsna Ganesh Shermon

Amit Lathia

Areet Krsna Ganesh Shermon

Alexander Tseitlin

Abdel Rahman Elsayed

Niels Mb Smeets

Niels MB Smeets

This specification describes a dental imaging and/or curing system and methods of using it, optionally in combination with a fluorescent imaging aid applied to a tooth. In some examples, a system or kit described in this specification combines a fluorescent compound with an intra-oral device. The intra-oral device includes a light source to excite the fluorescent compound. The intra-oral device further includes a sensor to produce an image of fluorescent light emitted from the fluorescent compound. Optionally, the fluorescent compound can include positively charged nanoparticles including a fluorophore, for example fluorescein. Optionally, the intra-oral device can include a blue LED, a bandpass emission filter and a digital camera sensor. This specification also describes an intra-oral device and a method of producing an image of plaque, calculus or active carious lesions in the mouth of a person or other animal.

Dental imaging and/or curing system

A phosphorous compound such as STMP is used as a cross-linking agent while making a starch nanoparticle in an emulsion process. Negative charge of the nanoparticle is reduced or reversed by adding cations and/or cationizing the starch optionally while forming the nanoparticles. Anionic active agents, such as fluoride or fluorescein, are optionally incorporated into the nanoparticle during the formation process. For example, a fluoride salt can also be used, which promotes the crosslinking reaction while also providing fluoride in the nanoparticle. The retention of both calcium and fluoride in the nanoparticle is improved when both salts are used. Alternatively, the nanoparticle may be used without added calcium and/or fluoride. The nanoparticles may be useful for tooth remineralization, the treatment of dentinal hypersensitivity, to treat caries, or as a diagnostic agent to locate carious lesions.

Phosphate crosslinked starch nanoparticle and dental treatments

A binder has at least one isocyanate and at least one biopolymer mixed with water. The biopolymer may be a biopolymer nanoparticle or cooked and chemically modified starch. Optionally, the binder may also include urea. The biopolymer and water are mixed, and the isocyanate is added to the mixture. The binder may have a viscosity that is suitable for being sprayed on a substrate to make a composite material, for example a viscosity of 700 cP or less or 500 cP or less at 40&#xb0; C. The substrate may be wood, another lignocellulosic material, or synthetic or natural fibers. In particular examples, the binder is used to make no added formaldehyde wood composites including particle board and fiberboard. Alternatively, the binder may have a higher viscosity and be used to make plywood.

Biopolymer and isocyanate based binder and composite materials

This patent describes formaldehyde free or formaldehyde reduced binders useful, for example, in a fiber based composite material such as glass or other mineral fiber insulation, non-woven fabric or wood-based board. In one example, melamine is used as an acidic solution or a salt. The salt or solution is used to create an aqueous binder with other components such as a polyol and a crosslinker. A preferred polyol is a nanoparticle comprising high molecular weight starch. In other examples, binders include mixtures of a polyol with urea and a crosslinker. In other examples, a multi-component nanoparticle is made by reacting a polyol such as starch in an extruder with an insolubilizer such as melamine or urea. The resulting particles are mixed with water, optionally with other components such as an additional crosslinker, to create an aqueous binder.

Formaldehyde free binder and multi-component nanoparticle

A delivery device for a active agent comprises nanoparticles based on a biopolymer such as starch. The delivery device may also be in the form of an aptamer-biopolymer-active agent conjugate wherein the aptamer targets the device for the treatment of specific disorders, such as cancer. The delivery device survives for a period of time in the body sufficient to allow for transport and uptake of the delivery device into targeted cells. The degree of crosslinking can provide a desired release profile of the active agent at, near or inside the target cells. The nanoparticles may be made by applying a high shear force in the presence of a cross linker. The particles may be predominantly in the range of 50-150 nm and form a colloidal dispersion of crosslinked hydrogel particles in water.

Aptamer bioconjugate drug delivery device

A binder comprising isocyanate droplets in water, wherein the isocyanate droplets have an average droplet size of 500 microns or less, and the isocyanate droplets have shells comprising a biopolymer or a reaction product of a biopolymer and isocyanate. The biopolymer may be a biopolymer nanoparticle or cooked and chemically modified starch. Optionally, the binder may also include urea. The substrate for the binder may be wood, another lignocellulosic material, or synthetic or natural fibers. In particular examples, the binder is used to make no added formaldehyde wood composites including particle board and MDF.

A delivery device for an active agent comprises nanoparticles based on a biopolymer such as starch. The delivery device may also be in the form of an aptamer-biopolymer-active agent conjugate wherein the aptamer targets the device for the treatment of specific disorders. The nanoparticles may be made by applying a high shear force in the presence of a crosslinker. The particles may be predominantly in the range of 50-150 nm and form a colloidal dispersion of crosslinked hydrogel particles in water. The biopolymer may be functionalized. The aptamer may be conjugated directly to the cross-linked biopolymers. The active agent may be a drug useful for the treatment of cancer. The delivery device survives for a period of time in the body sufficient to allow for the sustained release of a drug and for the transportation and uptake of the conjugate into targeted cells. However, the biopolymer is biocompatible and resorbable.

A process for producing a biopolymer nanoparticles product is disclosed. In this process, biopolymer feedstock and a plasticizer are fed to a feed zone of an extruder having a screw configuration in which the feedstock is process using shear forces in the extruder, and a crosslinking agent is added to the extruder downstream of the feed zone. The biopolymer feedstock and plasticizer are preferably added separately to the feed zone. The screw configuration may include two or more steam seal sections. Shear forces in a first section of the extruder may be greater than shear forces in an adjacent second section of the extruder downstream of the first section. In a post reaction section located after a point in which the crosslinking reaction has been completed, water may be added to improve die performance.

Process for producing biopolymer nanoparticles

A curable aqueous binder composition comprising sheared or extruded cross linked starch particles and a crosslinking agent for use in the formation of composite materials such as mineral, natural organic or synthetic fiber products including mineral fiber insulation, non-woven mats, fiberglass insulation and related glass fiber products as well as wood based products and construction materials. In one application the curable aqueous starch binder composition may be blended with a second non-formaldehyde resin to make fiberglass insulation. In another application the curable aqueous starch binder composition may be mixed into a formaldehyde based resin to make fiberglass roof shingles.

Curable sheared or extruded, cross linked starch nanoparticle latex binder for use with mineral, natural organic or synthetic fibre products and non-woven mats

The invention therefore provides a method of improving print performance in a paper product including applying a coating composition having (i) a pigment and (ii) a starch dispersion of discrete crosslinked native starch particles in an aqueous liquid, wherein the particle size of the starch particles in the starch dispersion ranges from about 40 nm to about 400 &#x3bc;m, to the paper product, wherein the print performance of the paper product is improved. In one embodiment, the coating composition includes a solids content of from 5 to about 75% weight and includes (i) about 100 parts by weight of pigment, and (ii) about 1 to about 300 parts by weight of starch, all based on dry weight.

Methods of using biobased latex binders for improved printing performance

The present invention provides the novel and nonobvious discovery that sugar macromers can be effectively used to provide a new generation of renewable comonomers for bio-synthetic hybrid paper binder systems having a controlled hydrophilic-hydrophobic balance for improved water retention and film forming properties, on machine runnability, offset printability, biodegradability, enhanced recyclability, and other performance attributes.

Use of biobased sugar monomers in vinyl copolymers as latex binders and compositions based thereon

In a process for producing a biopolymer nanoparticles, biopolymer feedstock and a plasticizer are fed to a feed zone of an extruder and the biopolymer feedstock is processed using shear forces. A crosslinking agent is added to the extruder downstream of the feed zone. The process has a production rate of at least 1.0 metric tons per hour. The feedstock and the plasticizer are preferably added separately to the feed zone. The extruder may have single flight elements in the feed zone. The temperatures in the intermediate section of the extruder are preferably kept above 100 C. The screw configuration may include two or more steam seal sections. Shear forces in a first section of the extruder may be greater than shear forces in an adjacent downstream section of the first section. In a post reaction section, water may be added to improve die performance.

Environmentally friendly biopolymer adhesives are described, wherein the adhesives comprise biopolymer particles, more preferably starch microparticles, and most preferably starch nanoparticles, and their aqueous dispersions. Applications for the biopolymer particle adhesives are described, that are environmentally friendly alternatives to petroleum based synthetic adhesives. The biopolymer particle adhesives provide are biodegradable as well as repulpable, and thus provide bio-based recycling-friendly alternatives to synthetic adhesives derived from petroleum resources.

Environmentally friendly biopolymer adhesives and applications based thereon

A method of preparing a resin-fortified polymer emulsion is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method comprises polymerizing at least one monomer in the presence of a surfactant, an initiator, a resin and sugar-based vinyl monomer under emulsion polymerization reaction conditions effective for initiating polymerization, wherein an emulsion polymerization product is formed that comprises a sugar-based vinyl monomer. A composition comprising resin-fortified emulsion polymer comprising a sugar-based vinyl monomer, a resin and at least one emulsion polymerizable monomer is also disclosed. An ink comprising a pigment and a resin-fortified polymer emulsion comprising a sugar-based vinyl monomer, a resin and at least one emulsion polymerizable monomer is also disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

Okemos, MI, United States of America

Steven Bloembergen