The Procter Gamble Company

Baxter International Inc.

Baxter Healthcare Sa

Yann-Per Lee

Keith Joseph Stone

Saeed Fereshtehkhou

William Robert Ouellette

John B Burchnall

Frederick M Langdon

A Renee Haney

Lanying Wu

Dimitris Ioannis Collias

Hugh Joseph O'Donnell

Brian Francis Gray

Norman Scott Broyles

Susan Nicole Lloyd

Ronald Bernd Holzwarth

John Lee Hammons

Larry Neil Mackey

John Richard Noel

Andrew Julian Wnuk

Todd Leon Mansfield

Mark Ryan Richards

Gary Dean Lavon

Vince C Desecki

Fernando Benvegnu

Ozlem Yardimci

John-Bruce Devault Green

Sheri D Keeler

Jeffrey Bloss

Anna R Haney

Ronald Bernz Holzwarth

Methods for making an apertured composite web are disclosed. These webs may be utilized as a topsheet in an absorbent article and can provide fluid handling and softness benefits.

Apertured polymeric film webs and absorbent articles using such webs

Methods for making an apertured polymeric film web or a composite structure web are disclosed. These webs may be utilized as a topsheet in an absorbent article and can provide fluid handling and softness benefits.

A method for making an apertured polymeric film web is disclosed herein. The polymeric film web may be utilized as a topsheet in an absorbent article and can provide fluid handling and softness benefits.

A method for making an apertured polymeric film web, the method comprising the steps of:

Methods for processing substrate surfaces comprising metallic nanoparticles are disclosed. The methods involve providing a substrate surface comprising metallic nanoparticles, and exposing the substrate surface to a plasma.

Methods for processing substrates comprising metallic nanoparticles

An elastomeric gland is provided for a luer activating device (LAD). and comprises a unique lubricant and/or wetting agent and/or anti-clotting agent incorporated into the elastomer gland during raw material formulation, calendar blending/molding/curing to deliver the surface lubricity and/or wettability and/or avoid slit plane re-knitting and/or gland induced valve stick down of such devices Functional additive chemistries are selected in terms of generated functional performance level, thermal stability against processing, molecular migratability, molecular weight and elastomer substrate of interest. These additives could include lubricants like chemically modified silicone oils and/or wetting agents like silicone-based surfactant. Elastomer gland with wetting agent would ease fluid path priming and minimize micro air bubble adherence to gland surface. Additives may also include anti-clotting agents intended to reduce potential for clot formation within the fluid path and interstitial space of the valve during blood sampling and infusion.

Lubricious or/and wettable or/and anti-thrombin elastomeric gland materials in luer activated devices

A polymeric web exhibiting a soft and silky tactile impression on at least one side thereof is disclosed. The silky feeling side of the web exhibits a pattern of discrete hair-like fibrils, each of the hair-like fibrils being a protruded extension of the web surface and having a side wall defining an open proximal portion and a closed distal portion. The hair-like fibrils exhibit a maximum lateral cross-sectional diameter of between 2 and 5 mils, and an aspect ratio from 1 to 3. Methods and apparatus for making the polymeric web utilize a three-dimensional forming structure having a plurality of protrusions being generally columnar forms having an average aspect ratio of at least about 1.

Polymeric web exhibiting a soft and silky tactile impression

The present invention relates to an apertured web formed from a polymeric film having permanent hydrophilicity which is suitable for use as a topsheet in an absorbent article. One embodiment of the present invention is a multi-layer polymeric film having a first layer, a second layer, and at least one intermediate layer between the first and second layers, where one of the first or second layers is a block copolymer of a polyether and another polymer and the other layer is a hydrophobic layer as defined herein. Methods of producing such webs are also disclosed. The present invention also pertains to absorbent articles which preferably include a topsheet in accordance with the present invention, a backsheet secured to the topsheet, and an absorbent core positioned between the topsheet and the backsheet.

Apertured webs having permanent hydrophilicity and absorbent articles using such webs

The present invention pertains, in a preferred embodiment, to a fluid-pervious web comprising a first or wearer-contacting surface and a second or garment-facing surface. The web is particularly well suited for use as a topsheet on a disposable absorbent article. The first and second surfaces are separated from one another by an intermediate portion. The first surface of the web provides a structure which exhibits a surface energy less than the surface energy of the intermediate portion. In a preferred embodiment, the web exhibits a plurality of regions of comparatively low surface energy which define surface energy gradients where they interface with higher surface energy web surfaces. More particularly, the present invention pertains to a fluid-pervious web having a plurality of small-scale surface energy gradients which are oriented and located so as to effectively transport fluid away from the first or wearer-contacting surface. The web essentially retains its visual, tactile, and physical properties of the substrate material while achieving the desired surface energy properties. Fluid transport webs according to the present invention preferably include discontinuous, spaced regions defining small scale surface energy gradients on the first surface to aid in small scale fluid movement toward apertures or capillary entrances for transport away from the first surface. Such webs also preferably include small scale surface energy gradients normal to the first surface within a capillary structure to aid in moving fluid away from the first surface and into the capillaries for capillary fluid transport. Web materials suitable for use in the present invention include apertured formed films, apertured and non-apertured nonwoven materials, composite structures, and the like.

Fluid transport webs exhibiting surface energy gradients

An apertured, compression-resistant web is disclosed, the web comprising a first surface having a plurality of microapertures forming volcano-shaped surface aberrations, a second surface generally parallel to and spaced apart from the first surface. A plurality of fluid passageways extend between the first surface and the second surface to place the first surface and the second surface in fluid communication with one another. The web is formed of a multilayer polymeric film comprising at least one rigid layer and at least one substantially less rigid layer joined to the rigid layer. In a preferred embodiment, a rigid layer has an elastic modulus of at least 120 kpsi a substantially less rigid layer has an elastic modulus of not greater than 75 kpsi. The multilayer film is preferably formed by coextuding a rigid layer comprising a blend of polystyrene and polypropylene, and a substantially less rigid layer comprising a blend of LDPE and LLDPE.

Multilayer compression-resistant apertured web

Method of manufacturing fluid transport webs exhibiting surface energy

Growing community of inventors

Vernon Hills, IL, United States of America

Yann-Per Lee