Abstract: The invention is related to a class of hydrophilic copolymers comprising loosely dangling thiol-containing pendant groups. The hydrophilic copolymers are highly reactive towards azetidinium groups of an azetidinium-containing polymer upon heating and can find particular use in for producing water-soluble highly-branched hydrophilic polymeric material useful for producing water gradient contact lenses.

Abstract: The invention is related to a class of hydrophilic poly(meth)acrylamide-based copolymer comprising dangling (i.e., pendant) phosphorylcholine groups and dangling (i.e., pendant) reactive groups or chains each of which comprises one carboxyl group, one thiol group, or one primary or secondary amino group. The hydrophilic copolymers have a relatively high affinity to a base coating of a polyanionic polymer on a medical device or contact lens and are reactive towards azetidinium groups of an azetidinium-containing polymer upon heating. They can find particular use in producing water-soluble highly-branched hydrophilic polymeric material and in producing water gradient contact lenses.

Abstract: The invention provides a hydrophilized polydiorganosiloxane vinylic crosslinker which comprises (1) a polydiorganosiloxane polymer chain comprising dimethylsiloxane units and hydrophilized siloxane unit having one methyl substituent and one monovalent C10-C50 organic substituent having two or three carboxy groups, wherein the molar ratio of the hydrophilized siloxane units to the dimethylsiloxane units is from about 0.035 to about 0.25, and (2) two terminal (meth)acryloyl groups. The hydrophilized polydiorganosiloxane vinylic crosslinker has a number average molecular weight of greater than 3000 Daltons. The present invention is also related to a silicone hydrogel contact lens, which comprises repeating units derived from a hydrophilized polydiorganosiloxane vinylic crosslinker of the invention. In addition, the invention provides a method for making silicone hydrogel contact lenses using a lens-forming formulation comprising hydrophilized polydiorganosiloxane vinylic crosslinker of the invention.

Abstract: The invention is generally related to a soft contact lens which comprises a hydrogel lens body and a coating thereon and to a method for producing the same. The hydrogel lens body is composed of a crosslinked polymeric material comprising repeating units of at least one arylborono-containing vinylic monomer having a boronic acid group, and the coating comprises a layer of a phosphorylcholine-containing polymer which comprises (a) repeating units of vinyl alcohol, and (b) repeating units of 6-membered acetal ring substituted with a phosphorylcholine-containing group. The coating is covalently-attached to the hydrogel lens body through cyclic boronic ester linkages each formed between one of the boronic acid groups of the crosslinked polymeric material and one of the 1,2-diol and 1,3-diol moieties of the phosphorylcholine-containing polymer.

Abstract: An imaging device and method for evaluating and/or imaging material or chemical constituents of a sample. In one configuration, the imaging device includes a scanner having a terahertz wave transmitter configured to determine the amount of superabsorbent polymer (SAP) in the core of disposable hygiene product such as baby diapers, adult diapers and feminine hygiene pads, during the fabrication process.

Abstract: The invention is related to a class of hydrophilic copolymers comprising loosely dangling thiol-containing pendant groups. The hydrophilic copolymers are highly reactive towards azetidinium groups of an azetidinium-containing polymer upon heating and can find particular use in for producing water-soluble highly-branched hydrophilic polymeric material useful for producing water gradient contact lenses.

Abstract: A hydraulic fracturing fluid for use in oilfield applications, where hydraulic fracturing fluid includes a spherical bead-forming liquid composition, the spherical bead-forming liquid composition comprising a micellar forming surfactant, a bead-forming compound, a non-solids bearing liquid solvent, a pH control agent, and a curing agent.

Abstract: The invention is related to azetidinium-containing copolymers and vinylic monomers and their uses in formation of non-silicone hydrogel coatings on silicone hydrogel contact lenses.

Abstract: The invention is related to a medical device comprising a core material made of a crosslinked silicone material and a hydrogel coating which is thermodynamically stable. The invention is also related to a method for producing such a medical device, especially a soft contact lens.

Abstract: The invention provides a class of amphiphilic branched macromers and the uses thereof. An amphiphilic branched polydiorganosiloxane macromer of the invention is produced from an ?,?-dimethacryloyl-terminated polydiorganosiloxane vinylic crosslinker comprising one or more ATRP-containing siloxane units having one substituent having an ATRP initiator by ATRP polymerization of one or more hydrophilic vinylic monomers. It comprises at least two polydiorganosiloxane polymer chains each having at most two terminal methacryloxy groups, dangling hydrophilic polymer chains each having a polymerizable or non-polymerizable terminal group, and one or more hydrophilic polymer chains as linkages between two polydiorganosiloxane chains. The present invention is also related to a silicone hydrogel contact lens, which comprises units derived from a polydiorganosiloxane-containing amphiphilic branched macromer of the invention.

Abstract: A system and method of wellbore operations that forms notches into a subterranean formation that circumscribes a wellbore prior to fracturing the formation. The notches extend past the hoop stress regime that surrounds the wellbore so that fractures formed by fracturing are oriented in a designated plane. In one example, a fluid jet is used to form the notches, and which is discharged from a nozzle that rotates about a downhole tool. The nozzle is set in a sleeve that is rotatable about the downhole tool, and pressurized fluid is delivered to a plenum disposed on an inner surface of the sleeve. The nozzle is oriented oblique to a radius of the sleeve, so that the fluid being discharged from the nozzle generates a force that rotates the sleeve.

Abstract: The invention provides a class of amphiphilic branched polydiorganosiloxane macromers and the uses thereof. Such a macromer comprises a polydiorganosiloxane polymer chain and two terminal groups free of any ethylenically unsaturated group, wherein the polydiorganosiloxane polymer chain comprises (1) at least 5 dimethylsiloxane units in a consecutive sequence, (2) at least two first siloxane units each having methyl as one of the two substituents of each first siloxane unit and one first organic radical having one sole (meth)acryloyl group as the other substituent, (3) at least one second siloxane unit having methyl as one of the two substituents of the second siloxane unit and one second organic radical, which is free of any ethylenically unsaturated group and comprises one or more hydrophilic groups or polymer chains, as the other substituent.

Abstract: A backscatter modulator for providing low power wireless communications. The disclosed modulator provides phase control for discriminating backscatter from the antenna versus other objects. In addition, the disclosed backscatter modulator provides amplitude modulation so that the technique can provide a non-constant envelope which can provide an intentional imbalance to manipulate super-position to provide envelope control of the reflected signal, while still maintaining the frequency translation properties. The disclosed backscatter modulator thus allows compatibility with QAM, OFDM and other non-constant envelope modulation schemes to be backscattered, while still supporting the frequency translation behavior.

Abstract: Described herein are dimethyl acetal-containing UV-absorbing compounds and their uses in preparing UV-absorbing polyvinyl alcohol prepolymers suitable for producing UV-absorbing contact lenses capable of blocking ultra-violet (“UV”) radiation and optionally (but preferably) violet radiation with wavelengths from 380 nm to 440 nm, thereby protecting eyes to some extent from damages caused by UV radiation and potentially from violet radiation. This invention also provides a UV-absorbing polyvinyl alcohol prepolymer.

Abstract: The invention provides a polymerizable polydimethylsiloxane-polyoxyalkylene block copolymer which comprises (1) a linear polymer chain comprising at least two polydimethylsiloxane segments, one hydrophilic polyoxyalkylene segment between each pair of polydimethylsiloxane segments, and one amide-rich linker between each pair of one polydimethylsiloxane segment and one hydrophilic polyoxyalkylene segment, and (2) two terminal (meth)acryloyl groups. The hydrophilized polydiorganosiloxane vinylic crosslinker has a weight average molecular weight of at least 3000 Daltons. The invention is also related to a silicone hydrogel contact lens produced from a polymerizable polydimethylsiloxane-polyoxyalkylene block copolymer of the invention.

Abstract: Described herein are dimethyl acetal-containing UV-absorbing compounds and their uses in preparing UV-absorbing polyvinyl alcohol prepolymers suitable for producing UV-absorbing contact lenses capable of blocking ultra-violet (“UV”) radiation and optionally (but preferably) violet radiation with wavelengths from 380 nm to 440 nm, thereby protecting eyes to some extent from damages caused by UV radiation and potentially from violet radiation. This invention also provides a UV-absorbing polyvinyl alcohol prepolymer.

Abstract: The invention is related to a medical device comprising a core material made of a crosslinkined silicone material and a hydrogel coating which is thermodynamically stable. The invention is also related to a method for producing such a medical device, especially a soft contact lens.

Abstract: The invention is generally related to a soft contact lens which comprises a hydrogel lens body and a coating of a hydrophilic copolymer thereon and to a method for producing the same. The hydrogel lens body comprises or is made of a polymeric material having 1,2- and/or 1,3-diol moieties, and the hydrophilic copolymer comprises arylborono-containing repeating units each having a boronic acid group. The coating is covalently-attached to the hydrogel lens body through cyclic boronic ester linkages each formed between one boronic acid group and one 1,2-diol or 1,3-diol group. The soft contact lens has a surface lubricity higher than the surface lubricity of the lens body.

Abstract: A main bore is drilled with an inclined section extending toward a hydrocarbon bearing earth formation. First and second laterals are drilled from the inclined section downward into the formation at a steeper angles than the inclined section. The first lateral is opened to the formation at a depth greater than a depth of an opening of the second lateral. After completion, well fluid flows through the openings in the first and second laterals into the inclined section of the main bore. In response to an increasing water content in the well fluid flowing up the main bore, the flow of well fluid from the first lateral is restricted.

Abstract: Described herein is a cast-molding process for producing contact lenses in a relatively-short curing time from a lens-forming composition, which comprises (a) at least one thiol-containing compound or component, (b) at least one metal scavenger, and (c) at least one free radical scavenger and which has a pH of from about 2.5 to about 5. The addition of a chain-transfer agent into a lens-forming composition can reduce not only the curing time of the lens-forming composition but also reduce the elastic modulus of resultant crosslinked materials (e.g., contact lenses) from the lens-forming composition. The lower pH and the addition of metal scavenger and the free radical scavenger into the lens-forming composition can ensure that the lens-forming composition to have a shelf life of at least three days.