Abstract: Processing payroll payments for employees is performed by a payment processing system and employee devices, so that the employee can with access security set short pay periods and have wage payments made according to their profile. The payment processing system has an interfacing server, a storage server, and a processing server, using internal signalling and file transfer. They receive from an employer computer net pay data for employees for a long period, and communicating with the employee devices to determine a desired payment split over the long period, and automatically notify an employee device of opening of a window for user editing of a payment split profile, and subsequently are instructed by the employee device as to edit the profile.

Abstract: A top entry ball valve including a valve body, a valve cover, a valve stem, an assembly screw, a spring, a support sleeve, a support valve seat, a sphere, and a sealing valve seat. The valve stem passes through the valve cover and the valve body and is fixedly connected to the sphere disposed within the valve body; the valve cover is fixed to the opening of the cavity of the valve body by screws, to seal the cavity of the valve body; the sphere spherically fits with the support valve seat and the sealing valve seat; the support sleeve and the spring are provided between the support valve seat and the valve body; the spring presses the support sleeve and the support valve seat such that the support valve seat clings to the sphere; the support sleeve is fixedly connected to the valve body by the assembly screw.

Abstract: Processing payroll payments for employees is performed by a payment processing system and employee devices, so that the employee can with access security set short pay periods and have wage payments made according to their profile. The payment processing system has an interfacing server, a storage server, and a processing server, using internal signalling and file transfer. They receive from an employer computer net pay data for employees for a long period, and communicating with the employee devices to determine a desired payment split over the long period, and automatically notify an employee device of opening of a window for user editing of a payment split profile, and subsequently are instructed by the employee device as to edit the profile.

Abstract: A top entry ball valve including a valve body, a valve cover, a valve stem, an assembly screw, a spring, a support sleeve, a support valve seat, a sphere, and a sealing valve seat. The valve stem passes through the valve cover and the valve body and is fixedly connected to the sphere disposed within the valve body; the valve cover is fixed to the opening of the cavity of the valve body by screws, to seal the cavity of the valve body; the sphere spherically fits with the support valve seat and the sealing valve seat; the support sleeve and the spring are provided between the support valve seat and the valve body; the spring presses the support sleeve and the support valve seat such that the support valve seat clings to the sphere; the support sleeve is fixedly connected to the valve body by the assembly screw.

Abstract: An aqueous ink comprising containing a colorant and a radiation-curable oligomer or polymer containing H-active groups bonded to the oligomer or polymer backbone, some or all of whose hydrogen atoms have been substituted by radicals of a N-hydroxyalkyl (meth)acrylamide. Methods for printing the inventive inks upon medical devices, such as contact lenses, are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a water-soluble crosslinkable poly(oxyalkylene)-containing prepolymer. The crosslinkable poly(oxyalkylene)-containing copolymer prepolymer of the invention is prepared by reacting an amine-capped poly(oxyalkylene)-containing polyamide with a multifunctional compound having at least one ethylenically unsaturated group and a function group coreactive with the capping amine groups of the amine-capped poly(oxyalkylene)-containing polyamide. The amine-capped poly(oxyalkylene)-containing polyamide is a copolymerization production of a mixture comprising: (a) at least one poly(oxyalkylene)diamine, (b) optionally at least one organic di- or poly-amine, (c) at least one dicarboxyl derivative, (d) optionally at least one polycarboxyl derivative, and (e) a carbodiimide. The crosslinkable poly(oxyalkylene)-containing prepolymer of the invention can find use in economically producing contact lenses which have improved thermal stability.

Abstract: The present invention provides a polymerizable material for making a polymeric article, the polymerizable material comprising: a water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol having crosslinkable groups; and a modifier in an amount sufficient to improve one or more physical properties of a polymeric article made from the polymerizable material, wherein the one or more physical properties are selected from the group consisting of stress at break (N/mm2), percentage of elongation at break, toughness or energy to break (N·mm), and susceptibility to fracture. The modifier is selected from the group consisting of nanoparticles having a hydrophilic surface, a copolymer having hydrophobic groups or units for imparting at least one desired physical property to said ophthalmic device and hydrophilic groups or units in an amount sufficient to render the copolymer miscible with the polyvinyl alcohol, and mixtures thereof.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and a formulation for consistently producing a silicone hydrogel material having relatively high oxygen permeability, relatively high ion permeability, and low modulus, and contact lenses prepared from a formulation of the invention or made of a silicone hydrogel material of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention provides silicone hydrogel materials having relatively high oxygen permeability and a relatively low modulus. The relatively-low modulus is achieved by adding a chain transfer agent into a polymerizable fluid composition in an amount sufficient to provide to the resultant silicone hydrogel material with a reduced modulus. In addition, the invention provides silicone hydrogel contact lenses comprising a silicone hydrogel material of the invention, a method for making a silicone hydrogel material of the invention, and a method for making a silicone hydrogel contact lens of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a method for making made-to-order (MTO) or customized silicone hydrogel lenses which have printed images on and/or below lens surfaces. A preferred method of the invention comprises printing and curing an ink on the molding surface of a mold for molding a single-side molded lens blank, producing the single-sided molded lens blank having a molded surface corresponding to one of the anterior and posterior surfaces of the lens to be produced and having an image embedded in the lens body and below lens surface, and directly lathing the lens blank on the side opposite to the molded surface to form the other lens surface. Colored silicone hydrogel lenses produced according to the invention will be useful as daily wear lenses and extended wear lenses. The lenses will allow alteration or enhancement of a patient's eye color.

Abstract: The present invention provides a radiation-curable prepolymer. The radiation-curable prepolymer of the invention is prepared by reacting an isocyanate-capped polyurethane with an ethylenically unsaturated amine or an ethylenically unsaturated monohydroxy compound or a mixture thereof, wherein the isocyanate-capped polyurethane is a copolymerization production of: (a) at least one polyalkylene glycol; (b) at least one branching agent having at least three hydroxy groups; and (c) at least one di- or polyisocyanate. The radiation-curable prepolymer of the invention can find use in economically producing contact lenses which have durable, highly elastic soft contact lenses with desired physical properties. In addition, the present invention provides method for making a radiation-curable prepolymer of the invention and for making a medical device, preferably an ophthalmic device, more preferably a contact lens.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for lathing at room temperature a silicone hydrogel material, in particular silicone hydrogel material having a high oxygen permeability and made of a polymerizable composition containing a relative large amount of oxyperm component, into contact lenses.

Abstract: The present invention provides silicone hydrogel materials which can be lathed at room temperature and has a high oxygen permeability and a water content of from about 18% to 55% by weight. In addition, the invention provides contact lenses comprising a silicone hydrogel material of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention provides an actinically or thermally curable ink for making colored silicone hydrogel contact lenses. The ink of the invention comprises at least one colorant, a solvent and a binder polymer including ethylenically unsaturated groups and segments derived from at least one silicone-containing vinylic monomer or macromer. The ink of the invention is characterized by having capability to be cured actinically or thermally to form a colored coat on a silicone hydrogel contact lens, wherein the colored coat has good adhesion to the silicone hydrogel contact lens without being covalently attached to the lens material of the contact lens. The invention also provides methods for making colored silicone hydrogel contact lenses.

Abstract: The present invention provides novels inks and methods for making a colored polymeric substrates, preferably a contact lens. In the inventive method at least a portion of a surface of a lens is coated with a color coat comprising at least one colorant, and a binder polymer obtained by copolymerizing a first monomer being ethylenically unsaturated and having a latent crosslinkable pendent group; and a second monomer having an ethylenically unsaturated double bond copolymerizable with the first monomer. The lens is then subjected to conditions that cause the color coat to adhere to the lens.

Abstract: An ophthalmic lens made from a crosslinkable polymer containing H-active groups bonded to the oligomer or polymer backbone, some or all of whose hydrogen atoms have been substituted by radicals of a N-hydroxyalkyl(meth)acrylamide. The lens transmits at least 70% of visible light.

Abstract: The present invention provides a polymerizable material for making a polymeric article, the polymerizable material comprising: a water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol having crosslinkable groups; and a modifier in an amount sufficient to improve one or more physical properties of a polymeric article made from the polymerizable material, wherein the one or more physical properties are selected from the group consisting of stress at break (N/mm2), percentage of elongation at break, toughness or energy to break (N·mm), and susceptibility to fracture. The modifier is selected from the group consisting of nanoparticles having a hydrophilic surface, a copolymer having hydrophobic groups or units for imparting at least one desired physical property to said ophthalmic device and hydrophilic groups or units in an amount sufficient to render the copolymer miscible with the polyvinyl alcohol, and mixtures thereof.

Abstract: Disclosed is an absorbent structure containing superabsorbent material, wettable staple fiber, and wettable binder fiber. The absorbent structure exhibits a liquid uptake rate greater than the liquid uptake rate exhibited by an otherwise identical absorbent structure without any wettable staple fiber. Also disclosed is an absorbent garment containing such an absorbent structure.