Patents by Inventor Donald L. Elbert

Donald L. Elbert 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: 6387977
    Abstract: An impoved barrier or drug delivery system which is highly adherent to the surface to which it is applied is disclosed, along with methods for making the barrier. In the preferred embodiment, tissue is stained with a photoinitiator, then the polymer solution or gel having added thereto a defined amount of the same or a different photoinitiator is applied to the tissue. On exposure to light, the resulting system polymerizes at the surface, giving excellent adherence, and also forms a gel in the rest of the applied volume. Thus a gel barrier of arbitrary thickness can be applied to a surface while maintaining high adherence at the interface. This process is referred to herein as “priming”. The polymerizable barrier materials are highly useful for sealing tissue surfaces and junctions against leaks of fluids. In another embodiment, “priming” can be used to reliably adhere preformed barriers to tissue or other surfaces, or to adhere tissue surfaces to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignees: Focal, Inc., Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Amarpreet S. Sawhney, David A. Melanson, Chandrashekar P. Pathak, Jeffrey A. Hubbell, Luis Z. Avila, Mark T. Kieras, Stephen D. Goodrich, Shikha P. Barman, Arthur J. Coury, Ronald S. Rudowsky, Douglas J. K. Weaver, Marc A. Levine, John C. Spiridigliozzi, Thomas S. Bromander, Dean M. Pichon, George Selecman, David J. Nedder, Bradley C. Poff, Donald L. Elbert
  • Patent number: 6350527
    Abstract: Boronic acid containing polymers are used to form bioinert gels and multilayer surface structures. These polymers form crosslinked hydrogels, which are highly swollen in water. The crosslinking can either be chemical or physical. Water soluble polymers containing boronic acid groups, such as phenylboronic acid (PBA), can be physically crosslinked by mixing the polymers in water with other polymers containing hydroxyls or carboxylic acids. Alternatively, surfaces can be treated by stepwise incubation with a solution of the boronic acid containing polymer, followed by incubation with a solution of a diol or carboxylic acid containing polymer. Many successive layers can be generated, increasing the thickness of the formed structure at each step. The bioinert gel or surface coating can be used for passivating the surfaces of medical implants (especially those based on transplanted tissue), or for passivating the surfaces of tissues in situ.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2002
    Assignees: Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule Zurich, Universitat Zurich
    Inventors: Jeffrey A. Hubbell, Donald L. Elbert, Natalie D. Winblade
  • Patent number: 6121341
    Abstract: An impoved barrier or drug delivery system which is highly adherent to the surface to which it is applied is disclosed, along with methods for making the barrier. In the preferred embodiment, tissue is stained with a photoinitiator, then the polymer solution or gel having added thereto a defined amount of the same or a different photoinitiator is applied to the tissue. On exposure to light, the resulting system polymerizes at the surface, giving excellent adherence, and also forms a gel in the rest of the applied volume. Thus a gel barrier of arbitrary thickness can be applied to a surface while maintaining high adherence at the interface. This process is referred to herein as "priming". the polymerizable barrier materials are highly useful for sealing tissue surfaces and junctions against leaks of fluids. In another embodiment, "priming" can be used to reliably adhere preformed barriers to tissue or other surfaces, or to adhere tissue surfaces to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2000
    Assignees: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Focal, Inc.
    Inventors: Amarpreet S. Sawhney, David A. Melanson, Chandrashekar P. Pathak, Jeffrey A. Hubbell, Luis Z. Avila, Mark T. Kieras, Stephen D. Goodrich, Shikha P. Barman, Arthur J. Coury, Ronald S. Rudowsky, Douglas J. K. Weaver, Marc A. Levine, John C. Spiridigliozzi, Thomas S. Bromander, Dean M. Pichon, George Selecman, David J. Nedder, Bradley C. Poff, Donald L. Elbert
  • Patent number: 5562876
    Abstract: Open-Cell urethane foam is thoroughly dried in a convection oven or controlled atmosphere and then compressed with heat to a felt immediately. Alternatively, the dried foam is sealed in a plastic bag until the felting step. The amount of non-volatile residue is significantly reduced to produce a foam for use to contain ink in an ink jet cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1996
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley L. Beach, Donald L. Elbert, Terence E. Franey, Sean D. Smith
  • Patent number: 5500724
    Abstract: In a liquid toner electrophotographic printer (1), an abrasive blade (5), located between the cleaning station (19) and the charging station (9) disturbs the outer, photoconductive surface of drum (3) to continuously rejuvenate that surface. The abrasion merely disturbs the surface and may be accomplished by alternative abrasive mechanisms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 19, 1996
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan S. Campbell, Donald L. Elbert, William C. McCornack, Eric L. Ziercher
  • Patent number: 5457002
    Abstract: Trimers of C.sub.9 to C.sub.11 alpha olefins are useful as carrier fluid in liquid toner for electrophotography. Their use practically eliminates air pollution, oil slicks when liquid toned prints are placed on a surface and a halo effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 10, 1995
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley L. Beach, Carla M. Butler, Donald L. Elbert, Terence E. Franey, Richard W. Holt, Ashok Murthy, Ajay K. Suthar, Richard B. Watkins
  • Patent number: 5432036
    Abstract: A liquid toner for electrostatic imaging having 65-90 percent by weight of solids of terpolymer of about in the weight ratio of about 60/33/7 of styrene, n-butyl acrylate and methacrylic acid, respectively; 10-30 percent by weight of solid of pigment, an ionic or zwitterionic charge director, 1-5 percent by weight aluminum tristearate, and the remainder mineral oil as a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1995
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Bradley L. Beach, Donald L. Elbert, Richard W. Holt, Ashok Murthy, Ajay K. Suthar, Richard B. Watkins
  • Patent number: 5198022
    Abstract: A alkali-soluble dye for a waterfast ink having structural formula as follows: ##STR1## and an ink containing the dye dissolved in water. Printing from the ink is insoluble below pH 6.0; is an intense black at low concentration; and remains black on acid papers. The aqueous inks are stable and exhibit good printhead nozzle maintenance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1992
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1993
    Assignee: Lexmark International, Inc.
    Inventors: Rodney O. Aulick, Bradley L. Beach, Donald L. Elbert, Terence E. Franey, James F. Feeman, John M. Olson, Allen C. Sanders, Robert L. Vollmer
  • Patent number: 4197135
    Abstract: Disclosed is an ink for use in ink jet printers, the ink containing a water soluble dye, and a polyamine containing 7 or more nitrogen atoms per molecule, with the ink composition having a pH of 8 or above, the upper pH limit being dye decomposition dependent. The ink has improved water-fastness over an equivalent ink formulation without the polyamine additive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1979
    Date of Patent: April 8, 1980
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William D. Bailey, Bradley L. Beach, Kenneth E. Edds, Donald L. Elbert