Patents Assigned to Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing
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Patent number: 6106551Abstract: A medical assembly, such as an artificial heart assembly, adapted to be implanted within a living subject is composed of an implantable data communications interface adapted to receive an encoded data signal from a data communications interface located outside the subject at a position remote from the medical assembly. The encoded data signal is transmitted in a plurality of periodic signal bursts, which are transmitted at a first frequency to represent a first data value and a second frequency to represent a second data value. Each of the bursts comprises a plurality of signal transitions having a third frequency greater than both the first and second frequencies.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 1997Date of Patent: August 22, 2000Assignee: Minnesota Mining & ManufacturingInventors: Stanley J. Crossett, Richard A. Nazarian, Michael Hamerly
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Patent number: 6041516Abstract: An article for cooling an imaging material which has been heated to a first temperature by a thermal processor. The article includes a first cooling section on which the imaging material rides after the imaging material exits the thermal processor. The first cooling section is at a lower temperature than the first temperature. The first cooling section has a curved shape such that the imaging material is curved when riding on and being cooled by the first cooling section.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 1998Date of Patent: March 28, 2000Assignee: Minnesota Mining & ManufacturingInventors: Duane A. Preszler, Kent R. Struble, David J. McDaniel, George G. Lunde
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Patent number: 6027810Abstract: The performance of phosphor screens can be improved by adding an antistatic agent into the protective topcoat of the radiographic screen when the antistatic agent preferably comprises a fluorocarbon or silicone antistatic agent. These antistatic agents are particularly useful where the screen is made by coating phosphor dispersion/mixture onto a substrate while the dispersion/mixture contains less than 5% by weight of polymerizable components with a molecular weight less than 300, preferably with less than 5% by weight of polymerizable components having molecular weights less than 500, and a topcoat contains the antistatic agent. Formation of the antistatic topcoat is preferably formed by inclusion of the antistatic agent into the polymerizable composition and allowing the antistatic agent to migrate to the surface of the composition during polymerization to form a layer consisting essentially of the antistatic agent.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 1997Date of Patent: February 22, 2000Assignee: Minnesota Mining & ManufacturingInventors: John C. Dahlquist, Subodh K. Kulkarni
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Patent number: 5898358Abstract: Fuse comprising ceramic oxide fibers and vermiculite particulate.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 1997Date of Patent: April 27, 1999Assignee: Minnesota Mining & ManufacturingInventors: Thomas L. Tompkins, Margaret M. Vogel-Martin
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Patent number: 5780126Abstract: Fluid permeable filter material comprising a self supporting fluid permeable wall and a fluid permeable filter layer. The self supporting wall comprises ceramic oxide fibers, ceramic oxide particles, and silicate ceramic oxide bonding phase. The filter layer comprises non-woven ceramic oxide fibers and silicate ceramic oxide bonding phase.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 1996Date of Patent: July 14, 1998Assignees: Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing, Hexcel CorporationInventors: Robert G. Smith, Joseph H. Eaton, Edward M. Fischer, Larry R. Visser, Venecia M. Grobelny, Kevin D. McVicker
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Patent number: 5718577Abstract: A dental impression tray has wall portions defining at least one channel for receiving a quantity of photocurable dental impression material. At least one of the wall portions is located next to the chamber and is made of a material that transmits electromagnetic actinic radiation. The tray also includes a chamber for receiving a chemiluminescent composition. Light emitted from the chemiluminescent composition induces the curing of the impression material in a uniform manner along the length of the channel.Type: GrantFiled: March 15, 1996Date of Patent: February 17, 1998Assignee: Minnesota Mining & ManufacturingInventors: Joel D. Oxman, Cary A. Kipke, Bruce R. Broyles
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Patent number: 5711665Abstract: An orthodontic bracket includes a base with a central opening, and a body with a passage aligned with the opening. A curing light assembly includes an outer end portion that is removably received in the passage for curing adhesive beneath the central section of the bracket body. Once the adhesive beneath the central section of the bracket body has cured to temporarily tack the bracket base to the patient's tooth, adhesive extruded from the peripheral edge of the bracket base can be readily removed without dislodging the bracket from its intended position.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 1995Date of Patent: January 27, 1998Assignee: Minnesota Mining & ManufacturingInventors: Randall E. Adam, Leonard A. Preston
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Patent number: 5607827Abstract: The present invention relates to a silver halide photographic material comprising a support and at least one silver halide emulsion layer coated thereon, wherein said silver halide photographic material comprises tabular silver halide grains having an average aspect ratio higher than 3:1 dispersed in highly deionized gelatin, and a pyridinium carbamoyl hardener having the following formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 each independently represents an alkyl group having from 1 to carbon atoms, an aryl group having from 6 to 15 carbon atoms, an aralkyl group having from 7 to 15 carbon atoms, or R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 together form the atoms required to complete a heterocyclic ring, R.sub.3 represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkyl group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, a carbamoyl group, a ureido group, and R.sub.4 represents an alkylene group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms or a single chemical bond.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 1995Date of Patent: March 4, 1997Assignee: Minnesota Mining & ManufacturingInventors: Mark P. Kirk, Stefano Parodi, Paolo Vacca
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Patent number: 5523839Abstract: The present invention is an on-line manufacturing process control system and method using a twin or dual beam heterodyned optical interferometer as the monitor of changes in the surface characteristics of an object while the object is being manufactured. The changes in the surface characteristics can then be used as data by automated equipment either to determine whether the manufactured object monitored at a given time meets predetermined quality standards or to automatically alter various individual phases of the manufacturing process in order for the surface characteristics of the manufactured object to conform to predetermined quality standards.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 1994Date of Patent: June 4, 1996Assignee: Minnesota Mining & ManufacturingInventors: Glen M. Robinson, Timothy B. Carlson, Richard W. Peterson, Steven M. Denzer, Robert P. Groschen, Jr., Michael J. Schmainda
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Patent number: 5026599Abstract: An array of densely packed discrete metal microspheres which may be deformable and electrically conductive may be formed on a substrate by a method including the steps of providing a substrate having a depositing surface in the chamber forming a metal vapor in the chamber and depositing the metal vapor on the depositing surface, the depositing surface having a temperature at or above the melting point of the metal.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 1990Date of Patent: June 25, 1991Assignee: Minnesota Mining & ManufacturingInventor: David C. Koskenmaki