Patents by Inventor Eric R. Schmittou

Eric R. Schmittou has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6159669
    Abstract: Color photographic silver halide elements, such as color films, can be rapidly fixed using a fixing composition containing a thiosulfate fixing agent, and certain 1,3-thiazolidine-2-thiones. Each of the components is present in specific amounts to effect rapid and efficient desilvering. The composition also includes predominantly ammonium cations (at least 50 mol %). Besides effective and rapid silver removal (less than 60 seconds), the fixing composition also minimizes residual dye stain from sensitizing dye aggregates within the photographic elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2000
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Eric R. Schmittou, David G. Foster
  • Patent number: 6087077
    Abstract: Color photographic silver halide elements, such as color films, can be rapidly fixed using a fixing composition containing a thiosulfate fixing agent, and certain 1,3-thiazolidine-2-thiones. Each of the components is present in specific amounts to effect rapid and efficient desilvering. The composition also includes predominantly ammonium cations (at least 50 mol %). Besides effective and rapid silver removal (less than 60 seconds), the fixing composition also minimizes residual dye stain from sensitizing dye aggregates within the photographic elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2000
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Eric R. Schmittou, David G. Foster
  • Patent number: 6022676
    Abstract: Color photographic silver halide elements, such as color films, can be rapidly fixed using a fixing composition containing a mixture of thiosulfate and thiocyanate fixing agents in specific amounts and molar ratio. The composition also includes predominantly ammonium cations (at least 55 mol %). Besides effective and rapid silver removal (up to 60 seconds), the fixing composition also minimizes residual dye stain from sensitizing dye aggregates within the photographic elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2000
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Eric R. Schmittou, David G. Foster
  • Patent number: 6013424
    Abstract: Color photographic silver halide elements, such as color films, can be rapidly fixed using a fixing composition containing a thiosulfate fixing agent, and certain aminoalkyl- and sulfur-substituted 1,2,4-triazoles. Each of the components is present in specific amounts to effect rapid and efficient desilvering. The composition also includes predominantly ammonium cations (at least 50 mol %). Besides effective and rapid silver removal (less than 60 seconds), the fixing composition also minimizes residual dye stain from sensitizing dye aggregates within the photographic elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2000
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Eric R. Schmittou, David G. Foster
  • Patent number: 6007972
    Abstract: Color photographic silver halide elements, such as color films, can be rapidly fixed using a fixing composition containing a thiosulfate fixing agent, and certain sulfur-substituted oxadiazoles (that is oxadiazolethiones). Each of the components is present in specific amounts to effect rapid and efficient desilvering. The composition also includes predominantly ammonium cations (at least 50 mol %). Besides effective and rapid silver removal (less than 60 seconds), the fixing composition also minimizes residual dye stain from sensitizing dye aggregates within the photographic elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1999
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Eric R. Schmittou, David G. Foster
  • Patent number: 6001545
    Abstract: Color photographic silver halide elements, such as color films, can be rapidly fixed using a fixing composition containing a mixture of thiosulfate and thiocyanate fixing agents, and certain sulfur-containing 1,2,4-triazoles. Each of the components is present in specific amounts to effect rapid and efficient desilvering. The composition also includes predominantly ammonium cations (at least 50 mol %). Besides effective and rapid silver removal (up to 50 seconds), the fixing composition also minimizes residual dye stain from sensitizing dye aggregates within the photographic elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: David G. Foster, Eric R. Schmittou
  • Patent number: 5972579
    Abstract: Color photographic elements are processed with an acidic periodate bleaching composition that may also include chloride ions as a rehalogenating agent. Bleaching is carried out after color development is stopped with an acidic stop bath. The processing method provides relatively rapid bleaching without physical defects such as blistering or vesiculation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Sidney J. Bertucci, Eric R. Schmittou
  • Patent number: 5972583
    Abstract: Color photographic elements can be processed with an acidic periodate bleaching composition that also includes chloride ions as a rehalogenating agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Sidney J. Bertucci, Eric R. Schmittou
  • Patent number: 5885758
    Abstract: Color photographic elements are processed with a highly acidic periodate bleaching solution including a rehalogenating agent and a strong acid. Bleaching is carried out after color development without any intervening processing steps, such as an acidic prebath. The processing method provides rapid bleaching without physical defects such as blistering or vesiculation, and minimizes the formation of Dmin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1999
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Sidney J. Bertucci, Eric R. Schmittou
  • Patent number: 5633124
    Abstract: This invention provides a process for removal of silver halide from a silver halide photographic recording material by a processing solution with fixing ability (a fixer) containing thiosulfate as a fixing agent conducted in the presence of a thioether compound incorporated within a fixer formulation. It further provides a fixer formulation for use in said process. The fixer contains a maximum ammonium ion concentration of 0.9M.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 27, 1997
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Eric R. Schmittou, Jacob J. Hastreiter, Jr., Stuart T. Gordon
  • Patent number: 5508151
    Abstract: Copper (II) ligand complexes are useful to catalyze the activity of peracid bleaching agents. The complexes can be included in the bleaching solutions, or used in a suitable solution prior to the bleaching step. The ligands are .alpha.-diimines having sites available to complex with copper (II).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: April 16, 1996
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Terrence R. O'Toole, Mark F. Sistare, Eric R. Schmittou
  • Patent number: 5424176
    Abstract: A fixing solution having a pH.gtoreq.7 and comprising a fixing amount of sulfite and a fix accelerating amount of a thioether compound; wherein the fixing solution contains less than 0.05 moles/liter of thiosulfate and a method of processing an imagewise exposed and developed silver halide photographic element comprising fixing in said fixing solution a silver halide photographic element containing at least one emulsion or deposit of silver halide comprising greater than 90 mole % silver chloride.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 1993
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1995
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Eric R. Schmittou, Therese M. Feller, Stuart T. Gordon
  • Patent number: 5219717
    Abstract: The invention is accomplished by providing an iodide ion absorbing method and article. The article is a composite article comprising a surfactant, an iodide absorbing medium, and a polymer that is permeable to iodide ion overlaying the iodide absorbing medium. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the polymer is an ionic polymer and the surfactant is an ionic surfactant with a charge opposite to that of the polymer. The surfactant can be incorporated in the absorbing medium, in the polymer, or it can overlay the polymer. In a preferred form of the invention, a substrate is coated with the iodide absorbing medium, a layer of an ionic polymer is overlaid on the absorbing medium, and a layer incorporating an ionic surfactant is overlaid onto the polymer. The ionic surfactant also may be placed in a layer between the polymer and the absorbing medium. A preferred absorbing medium is silver bromide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1993
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Eric R. Schmittou, Glenn T. Pearce, Michael R. Roberts, Jacob J. Hastreiter, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5183727
    Abstract: A method of processing a color negative photographic recording material containing tabular grain silver halide emulsion units wherein the fixing agent comprises an aqueous solution of thiosulfate with low ammonium concentration. The silver halide emulsion in at least one of the units comprises grains having a tabularity of between about 50 and 25,000. The photographic recording material has a silver coverage of less than about 7.0 g/m.sup.2, and an iodide coverage of less than about 0.35 g/m.sup.2. The fixing bath has an ammonium concentration of less than about 1.2 molar, and ammonium may be absent entirely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 2, 1993
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Eric R. Schmittou, Allan F. Sowinski
  • Patent number: 5141855
    Abstract: Reagents and methods for the determination of analytes are disclosed, using water soluble cobalt(III) complexes and metallizable dyes to form cobalt(III) complexes of the metallizable dyes. Analytes which can be determined include enzymes, cells and biological reductants, such as NADH, NADPH and ascorbate. Amplification is provided since one equivalent of the analyte provides more than one equivalent of the detectable species.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1986
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1992
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Eric R. Schmittou
  • Patent number: 4912035
    Abstract: A method for the determination of cells in a sample is disclosed. The sample is typically urine and the method is useful in removing interfering reductants from the sample. The method comprises the steps of:(1) separating the cells from the sample,(2) washing the separated cells with:(a) an iron(III) chelate solution and(b) a non-ionic surfactant solution and(3) contacting the washed cells with a redox reagent so as to produce a detectable change due to the presence of the cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 27, 1990
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Robert T. Belly, Sheryl S. Sullivan, Eric R. Schmittou