Abstract: Methods to produce thermoforms from P4HB homopolymer and blends thereof have been developed. These thermoforms are produced from films and sheets including P4HB, wherein the intrinsic viscosity of the P4HB is less than 3.5 dl/g, but greater than 0.35 dl/g, and the thermoforms are produced at a temperature equal to or greater than the softening point of P4HB, and more preferably at a temperature higher than the melting point of P4HB. A preferred embodiment includes a P4HB thermoform wherein a film or sheet including a P4HB polymer is thermoformed at a temperature between its melting point and 150° C. In a particularly preferred embodiment the thermoform is a laminate made from a P4HB film and a P4HB mesh.

Abstract: Compositions and materials for making soft suture anchors comprising materials that improve osteointegration have been developed. These compositions and materials comprise bioceramics, resorbable materials, and combinations thereof. A preferred embodiment comprises a soft suture anchor comprising a resorbable ceramic and a resorbable suture.

Abstract: Compositions of P4HB and processes to injection mold these compositions have been developed. These compositions are prepared from P4HB polymers and blends having intrinsic viscosities less than 3.2 dl/g but greater than 0.8 dl/g, moisture contents of less than 0.5% by weight, and more preferably less than 0.05% by weight, and using a polymer melt temperature during molding of at least 150° C. A preferred embodiment comprises a P4HB molding with an intrinsic viscosity of less than 3.2 dl/g that degrades rapidly in vivo.

Abstract: An inline stacker receives a shingled stream of printed sheet products from a printing press, or finishing equipment, at line speed. A sheet counter at an infeed conveyor section controls the operation of the inline stacker. The infeed conveyor can pivot to a divert position where it feeds the stream to a bi-directional conveyor. A following gap generator section of the stacker has two conveyors with opposed movable ends that are physically separated in the conveying direction by a small gap. The infeed conveyor and gap generator conveyor sections carry the stream at a substantially constant speed, which can be the line speed. To produce a gap in the shingled stream that defines a bundle size, the movable conveyor ends defining the gap between the conveyor gap generator sections move downstream in unison at the speed of the upstream conveyor. At the same time, the speed of the downstream conveyor is briefly increased. The movable ends and the increased conveyor speed then return to their initial status.

Abstract: A scanning apparatus providing separate fixed object focal planes for transmissive and reflective original documents to be scanned, wherein a scan carriage containing illumination, sensor, and optical elements is moved together to scan an original document and to obtain a digitized representation thereof. The movable scan carriage has an illumination source disposed between the reflective and transmissive object focal planes, with the object focal plane to be used selected by changing the position of a single optical element within the scan carriage. The illumination source comprises a single lamp disposed for correct illumination of the selected object focal plane. Automatic resolution selection and focusing of the original image can occur using a converging device comprising a first and second focusing lens.

Abstract: A seven color separation process is provided in which, as well as the conventional Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black (CMYK) separations traditionally used in the four color printing process, additional Red, Green and Blue (RGB) separations are produced on a conventional scanner. The additional separations are produced using the Cyan, Magenta and Yellow channels of the scanner to measure Red, Green and Blue absorption characteristics of the source and to compensate the measured densities such that the separations represent a range of print densities from 0.0 D to 2.0 D corresponding to densities in the source in the range 1.0 D to 3.0 D. The transfer duration is also compensated for the compression which takes place in the preparation of the CMYK separations.