Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm John H. Hornickel
  • Patent number: 5125995
    Abstract: A method of using a pressure sensitive adhesive to form a moisture resistant, water-dispersible tape is provided. The adhesive and tape are resistant to autoclavation conditions and/or moisture and body fluids during usage, and are water-dispersible when immersed in aqueous solutions. The tape may be used with cloth body coverings, such as garments such as hospital gowns, drapes, dressings, diapers and other body coverings which require cloth to cloth or cloth to skin adhesion in the presence of moisture and bodily fluids yet be dispersible from such body coverings during laundering or other aqueous alkali immersion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1992
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Francois C. D'Haese, Katharina J. Bischof, Peter Brink, Yvan A. Bogaert
  • Patent number: 5111904
    Abstract: This invention relates to the use of a flexible, heat resistant mold member. The mold member is useful in molding processes such as dip or slush molding. The mold member maintains its structural integrity and may therefore be used as an insert in the article being molded to provide flexible stability at specific locations within the article. The mold member is made of a material which is substantially non-reactive with the molded article. The molded article may be any article made from a plastisol such as a binaural for a stethoscope having single or double lumens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1992
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Thomas J. Packard, James H. Quackenbush
  • Patent number: 5078139
    Abstract: A biomedical electrode is disclosed which generally comprises an insulator construction and a conductor member. The conductor member is preferably a thin flat, flexible member having a pad portion and a tab portion. The insulator construction is arranged such that the conductor member pad portion is positioned on one side of the insulator construction and the tab portion is generally positioned on an opposite side. Three general embodiments are disclosed which achieve this: a first comprising two overlapping sections of insulator material, with the tab portion of the conductor member extending outwardly from therebetween; a second in which two sections of insulator construction material are oriented in a substantially coplanar relationship to define a seam therebetween, through which a portion of the conductor member extends; and, a third in which the insulator construction includes a single sheet of material having a slot therein, through which a portion of the conductor member extends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1992
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Jerome E. Strand, Lawrence W. Craighead, Clarence A. Niven
  • Patent number: 5078138
    Abstract: A biomedical electrode is disclosed which generally comprises an insulator construction and a conductor member. The conductor member is preferably a thin flat, flexible member having a pad portion and a tab portion. The insulator construction is arranged such that the conductor member pad portion is positioned on one side of the insulator construction and the tab portion is generally positioned on an opposite side. Three general embodiments are disclosed which achieve this: a first comprising two overlapping sections of insulator material, with the tab portion of the conductor member extending outwardly from therebetween; a second in which two sections of insulator construction material are oriented in a substantially coplanar relationship to define a seam therebetween, through which a portion of the conductor member extends; and, a third in which the insulator construction includes a single sheet of material having a slot therein, through which a portion of the conductor member extends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1992
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Jerome E. Strand, Lawrence W. Craighead, Clarence A. Niven
  • Patent number: 5072730
    Abstract: A transcutaneous electrical stimulator for applying therapeutic electrical impulses to the living body of a patient, where at least some of the electrical parameters of the electrical impulses are actuated by the use of a key. When this key is inserted in the housing of the stimulator and rotated, the several wards actuate corresponding switches, activating a controller which operates a generator to deliver the therapeutic impulses. At least one parameter of the therapeutic impulses may be determined by the pattern of the wards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1991
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: John H. Lee
  • Patent number: 5002151
    Abstract: Disposably attached to the ear piece of a hearing aid, which includes any sound transmission device, is a user-disposable sleeve comprising soft polymeric retarded recovery foam that can be compressed to be freely insertable into a person's ear and allowed to recover to become wedged in the canal. Preferably, the sleeve is disposably attached to the ear piece by mating of screw threads on the sleeve and the ear piece. The ear piece may be a separate component from the hearing aid. The component is made either of rigid or flexible plastic and has connecting portions of various lengths depending on the depth of insertion of the sleeve into the canal. The sleeve may be of various lengths depending on the depth of insertion into the ear canal desired. The sleeve/ear piece assembly may also have a layer of sound transmitting scrim over its central opening to minimize penetration of the connecting portion past the end of the sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1991
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Robert J. Oliveira, Davis W. Chamberlin, Martin P. Babcock
  • Patent number: 4995473
    Abstract: A stethoscope head adapter for a diaphragm microphone is provided. The adapter creates a smaller surface area for the diaphragm microphone without diminishing the acoustical reception by the diaphragm of normal or pathological conditions in a patient. The adapter is made from an elastomeric material to permit easy placement on the stethoscope head and to provide an effective acoustical seal against the uneven surface of the skin of a patient. A secondary diaphragm may also be provided in the adapter to focus the reception by the diaphragm microphone of the specific frequencies desired to be monitored. With the adapter on the stethoscope head, the intensities of sound at frequencies not desired to be monitored are attenuated when compared with the use of the stethoscope head without the adapter present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 26, 1991
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Thomas J. Packard
  • Patent number: 4952177
    Abstract: A clamp for releasably engaging dispersive electrodes is disclosed. The clamp is adaptable to be used either with electro-surgical generating equipment which has a unitary plate continuity safety circuit or with an electro-surgical generating equipment which has an impedance split-plate impedance safety circuit. The clamp electrically adapts a split-plate electrode to be useful with an electro-surgical generating equipment which has a unitary plate continuity safety circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 1989
    Date of Patent: August 28, 1990
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Gerald E. Drake, Robert L. Goodlad, William K. Weimer
  • Patent number: D323394
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 21, 1992
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Jane W. Casto, Curtis A. Hostager
  • Patent number: D327325
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1992
    Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company
    Inventor: Jerome E. Strand