Abstract: Various embodiments of an optical construction and an electronic device that includes such optical construction are disclosed. The optical construction includes a lens film having an outermost structured first major surface and an opposing outermost substantially planar second major surface. The structured first major surface includes a plurality of microlenses. The optical construction further includes a mask disposed adjacent to the second major surface of the lens film, where the mask includes a polymeric layer, a nanoparticle layer, and plurality of laser-ablated openings disposed through the mask. The openings are aligned to the microlenses in a one-to-one correspondence.

Abstract: Various embodiments of an optical construction and an electronic device that includes such optical construction are disclosed. The optical construction includes a lens film having an outermost structured first major surface and an opposing outermost substantially planar second major surface. The structured first major surface includes a plurality of microlenses. The optical construction further includes a mask disposed adjacent to the second major surface of the lens film, where the mask includes a polymeric layer, a metal layer, and a plurality of laser-ablated openings disposed through the mask and aligned to the microlenses in a one-to-one correspondence.

Abstract: An optical construction includes a lens film having outermost first and second major surfaces. The first major surface includes a plurality of microlenses. A multilayer mask having an average thickness of less than about 0.5 times an average focal length of the microlenses and an optical density of greater than about 2 is disposed on the second major surface. The multilayer mask includes polymeric first and second mask layers where each of the first and second mask layers has an optical density of greater than about 0.3. The multilayer mask defines a plurality of laser-ablated through openings therein that are aligned to the microlenses in a one-to-one correspondence. An optical transmittance of the optical construction as a function of the incident angle has a transmitted peak having a peak transmittance T1 and a corresponding full width at 20 percent of maximum W1, where T1/W1?2.4%/degree.

Abstract: Various embodiments of an optical construction and an electronic device that includes such optical construction are disclosed. The optical construction includes a lens film having an outermost structured first major surface and an opposing outermost substantially planar second major surface. The structured first major surface includes a plurality of microlenses. The optical construction also includes a mask disposed adjacent to the second major surface of the lens film and includes a plurality of laser-ablated openings disposed through the mask. The openings are aligned to the microlenses in a one-to-one correspondence. The mask further includes a UV-cured polymer material and an optically absorptive material.

Abstract: An optical construction includes a lens layer and optically opaque first and second mask layers. The lens layer has a first major surface including a plurality of microlenses arranged along orthogonal first and second directions. The first and second mask layers are spaced apart from the first major surface and define respective pluralities of through first and second openings therein arranged along the first and second directions. The first mask layer is disposed between the structured first major surface and the second mask layer. There is a one-to-one correspondence between the microlenses and the first and second openings. The optical construction includes an intermediate layer disposed between the structured first major surface and the first mask layer and including an undulating second major surface facing, and in substantial registration with, an undulating third major surface of first mask layer so as to define a substantially uniform spacing therebetween.

Abstract: An optical construction can include a lens layer including microlenses formed on a substrate and at least one light absorbing optical cavity disposed on a substrate side of the lens layer. Each light absorbing optical cavity has an average thickness of less than about 300 nm and includes an optically transparent middle layer disposed between light absorbing first and second end layers. Each of the first and second end layers, but not the middle layer, defines a plurality of through openings therein aligned in a one-to-one correspondence with the microlenses. The optical construction can include an optically transparent spacer layer disposed between two light absorbing optical cavities. An optical system includes the optical construction and a refractive component including at least one prism film.

Abstract: An optical system includes a lens layer including a plurality of microlenses arranged along orthogonal first and second directions, and at least one optically opaque mask layer spaced apart from the lens layer and defining a plurality of through openings therein arranged along the first and second directions. There is a one-to-one correspondence between the microlenses and the openings, such that for each microlens, the microlens and corresponding openings are substantially centered on a straight line making a same oblique angle with the lens layer. An optical layer can include the lens layer and the optically opaque mask layer embedded in the optical layer.

Abstract: Metal bond abrasive articles and methods of making metal bond abrasive articles via a focused beam are disclosed. In an aspect, a metal bond abrasive article includes a metallic binder material having abrasive particles retained therein, where the abrasive particles have at least one coating disposed thereon. The coating includes a metal, a metal oxide, a metal carbide, a metal nitride, a metalloid, or combinations thereof, and the at least one coating has an average thickness of 0.5 micrometers or greater. The metal bond abrasive article includes a number of layers directly bonded to each other. Metal bond abrasive articles prepared by the method can include abrasive articles having arcuate or tortuous cooling channels, abrasive segments, abrasive wheels, and rotary dental tools.

Abstract: An optical element including an array of microlenses, a pinhole mask, and a wavelength selective filter is described. The pinhole mask includes an array of pinholes with each pinhole in the array of pinholes aligned with a microlens in the first array of microlenses. The wavelength selective filter is adapted to transmit a first light ray having a first wavelength and transmitted from a first microlens in the array of microlenses through a first pinhole in the array of pinholes aligned with the first microlens, and to attenuate a second light ray having the first wavelength and transmitted from the first microlens through a second pinhole in the array of pinholes aligned with a second microlens in the first array of microlenses adjacent to the first microlens.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides engineered surfaces that exhibit reduced specular reflection and gloss while still providing a high intensity of reflected light at multiple incident angles. The structured metal surfaces include engineered topography that increases diffuse reflection, leading to a greater intensity of light perceived at multiple viewing angles. A viewer engaging such surfaces is likely to perceive a stronger ‘white’ reflection of the incident light and an improvement, particularly in orthodontic and other oral applications, of aesthetic appearance. Methods of creating the engineered surfaces and orthodontic articles incorporating the engineered surfaces are also disclosed.

Abstract: Metal bond abrasive articles and methods of making metal bond abrasive articles via a focused beam are disclosed. In an aspect, a metal bond abrasive article includes a metallic binder material having abrasive particles retained therein, where the abrasive particles have at least one coating disposed thereon. The coating includes a metal, a metal oxide, a metal carbide, a metal nitride, a metalloid, or combinations thereof, and the at least one coating has an average thickness of 0.5 micrometers or greater. The metal bond abrasive article includes a number of layers directly bonded to each other. Metal bond abrasive articles prepared by the method can include abrasive articles having arcuate or tortuous cooling channels, abrasive segments, abrasive wheels, and rotary dental tools.

Abstract: Provided are adhesive-backed films and related methods useful in laser cutting a substrate protected by an adhesive-backed film. The adhesive-backed film includes a base layer comprised of a polymer and having opposing first and second major surfaces and an adhesive layer comprising a pressure-sensitive adhesive directly or indirectly coupled to the second major surface. An infrared absorber is present in one or both of the polymer and the pressure-sensitive adhesive, and the adhesive-backed film is sufficiently transparent to enable visual inspection of a surface having the adhesive-backed film disposed thereon.

Abstract: The present application provides articles (10) having a polymeric substrate (12) with a plurality of solid and/or hollow microneedles (20) extending therefrom. Each solid microneedle is formed by a molding process and the microneedle has body with first (30) and second cavities (40) extending therein. The hollow microneedles are formed by removing a portion of the polymeric material disposed between the first cavity and the second cavity. A method for determining the location of a microneedle in an article comprising solid microneedles is also provided. The method comprises directing electromagnetic radiation toward an article comprising a plurality of microneedles and imaging the article.

Abstract: A tool for making retroreflective articles comprises (a) a substrate comprising a patterned surface comprising an array of microstructured retroreflective elements and (b) a welding seam through at least a portion of the array. An optically degraded area adjacent the welding seam on the patterned surface has a width of about 400 ?m or less.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides engineered surfaces that exhibit reduced specular reflection and gloss while still providing a high intensity of reflected light at multiple incident angles. The structured metal surfaces include engineered topography that increases diffuse reflection, leading to a greater intensity of light perceived at multiple viewing angles. A viewer engaging such surfaces is likely to perceive a stronger ‘white’ reflection of the incident light and an improvement, particularly in orthodontic and other oral applications, of aesthetic appearance. Methods of creating the engineered surfaces and orthodontic articles incorporating the engineered surfaces are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present application provides articles (10) having a polymeric substrate (12) with a plurality of solid and/or hollow microneedles (20) extending therefrom. Each solid microneedle is formed by a molding process and the microneedle has body with first (30) and second cavities (40) extending therein. The hollow microneedles are formed by removing a portion of the polymeric material disposed between the first cavity and the second cavity. A method for determining the location of a microneedle in an article comprising solid microneedles is also provided. The method comprises directing electromagnetic radiation toward an article comprising a plurality of microneedles and imaging the article.

Abstract: A reflective film includes a first optical stack that provides a first reflective characteristic and a second optical stack that provides a second reflective characteristic. The optical stacks also have first and second absorptive characteristics that are suitable to absorptively heat the respective stacks upon exposure to light including a write wavelength while maintaining the structural integrity of the stacks. The absorptive heating can change the first and second reflective characteristics to third and fourth reflective characteristics, respectively. A blocking layer that at least partially blocks light of the write wavelength may also be provided between the optical stacks to permit absorptive heating of any selected one of the optical stacks. The reflective characteristics of the optical stacks can thus be independently modified in any desired patterns by appropriate delivery of light beams that include the write wavelength.

Abstract: Multi-layer articles are described that are capable of forming color images. The articles include at least six layers, four thermally activatable layers (layers 1-4) and two blocking layers (layer 5 and 6). The layers are arranged such that layer 5 is disposed between layers 1 and 2 and layer 6 is disposed between layers 3 and 4. Thermally activatable layers 1 and 2 are activatable upon exposure to light of a first write wavelength, and blocking layer 5 is adapted to at least partially block light of the first write wavelength. Thermally activatable layers 3 and 4 are activatable upon exposure to light of a second write wavelength, and blocking layer 6 is adapted to at least partially block light of the second write wavelength. At least one, and possibly all of the thermally activatable layers include a light to heat convertor composition and a color changing compound.

Abstract: Multi-layer articles are described that are capable of forming color images. The articles may contain at least two layers, a thermally activatable layer and a blocking layer, or at least three layers with two thermally activatable layers and a blocking layer between. The thermally activatable layers absorb light of a write wavelength and have an absorption threshold for activation. The blocking layer blocks light of the write wavelength at certain incident angles or polarization states and permits light of the write wavelength and certain incident angles or polarization states to pass through. The thermally activatable layers may be layers with a light to heat convertor composition and a color changing compound or they may be a group of layers arranged to change its reflective characteristic upon exposure to light while maintaining the structural integrity of the group of layers.

Abstract: A tool for making retroreflective articles comprises (a) a substrate comprising a patterned surface comprising an array of microstructured retroreflective elements and (b) a welding seam through at least a portion of the array. An optically degraded area adjacent the welding seam on the patterned surface has a width of about 400 ?m or less.