Abstract: A Veress needle assembly for a peritoneal dialysis catheter guide wire has (i) a hollow needle with a pointed end, (ii) an inner tube received within the hollow needle so as to be slidable relative to the hollow needle in the longitudinal direction between a first position in which the first end of the inner tube protrudes longitudinally beyond the pointed end of the hollow needle and a second position in which the first end of the inner tube is retracted so that the pointed end is unobstructed by the inner tube, and (iii) a biasing mechanism to bias the inner tube towards the first position. The inner tube includes a fluid passage having an outlet opening at the first end of the inner tube that is oriented to allow the peritoneal dialysis catheter guide wire to readily the outlet opening when inserted through the fluid passage of the inner tube.

Abstract: An apparatus for installation of a tunneled vascular catheter into a patient's right atrium from the left side of their upper body. The apparatus comprises a dilator and a peel-away sheath. The dilator has a distal end portion and a proximal end portion interconnected by a shaft portion, with a lumen extending therethrough. The distal end portion is curved about 1° to about 3° from the longitudinal axis of the shaft portion. The end of the proximal end portion is provided with a flange. The total length of the dilator is about 3 cm to about 6 cm. The distal end of the peel-away sheath is provided a flange for contacting the flange at the end of the proximal end portion of the dilator. The length of the peel-away sheath is about 2.5 cm to about 4.5 cm.

Abstract: A process is provided for fabricating a multilayer article possessing a protective layer which comprises: a) applying a curable protective layer-forming composition to the release coating side of a release liner; b) curing the curable protective layer-forming composition on the release liner; c) forming a plurality of release elements from the structure resulting from step (b), each release element possessing a cured protective layer releasably adhered on one side thereof to the release coating side of the release liner, the other side of the cured protective layer being exposed; d) applying the exposed side of the cured protective layer of a release element to a substrate layer with a quantity of curable adhesive disposed therebetween to provide a curable multilayer article; e) curing the curable multilayer article to adhesively bond the protective layer of its release element to its substrate layer; and, f) separating the cured multilayer article from its release liner to provide a multilayer article posses

Abstract: A high capacity optical information storage medium, e.g., a Blu-ray Disc, possesses a multilayer coating on a surface thereof, the coating comprising: a) a light transmission layer in adherent contact with a surface of the optical information storage medium, the light transmission layer being obtained by curing a first curable composition comprising at least one monomer possessing at least one of acrylate and epoxy functionality; and, b) a hardcoat layer in adherent contact with the light transmission layer, the hardcoat layer being obtained by curing a second curable composition comprising functionalized colloidal silica and at least one monomer possessing at least one of acrylate and epoxy functionality.

Abstract: A curable composition contains: a) functionalized colloidal silica obtained from the reaction of surface hydroxyl groups of colloidal silica with at least one functionalizing silane of the general formula: (R1)aSi(OR2)4-a wherein each R1 is, independently, a monovalent alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkaryl or aralkyl group of up to 18 carbon atoms, optionally possessing at least one chemically reactive functionality selected from the group consisting of alkenyl, acrylate and epoxy; b) at least one first curable monomer possessing at least one of alkenyl and acrylate functionality; c) at least one second curable monomer possessing epoxy functionality; d) at least one third curable monomer possessing at least one of alkenyl and acrylate functionality together with epoxy functionality, the third curable monomer replacing or supplementing the first and/or second curable monomer, provided, that when the third curable monomer replaces both the first and second curable monomers, the functionalized colloidal silica pos

Abstract: A curable composition which comprises: a) silane-functionalized colloidal silica; b) at least one curable monomer selected from the group consisting of aliphatic cyclic acrylate, urethane diacrylate and epoxy resin; and, c) at least one curing agent for curable monomer (b). The composition when cured exhibits scratch and abrasion resistant properties making it particularly well-suited for use as a protective coating for many different kinds of articles, e.g., CD and DVD discs and especially the more recent Blu-ray Discs, where these properties are highly desirable and even necessary.

Abstract: A polyethersulfone composition is disclosed which comprises structural units derived from bisphenol-A and 4,4?-biphenol, the structural units derived from 4,4?-biphenol being present in an amount corresponding to greater than 65 mole percent based on total moles of structural units derived from diphenolic monomers, wherein the polyethersulfone has a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of at least 54,000 grams per mole as measured by gel permeation chromatography. The polyethersulfone compositions of the invention display outstanding impact strength as measured using ASTM D256. Surprisingly, the polyethersulfone compositions of the invention show enhanced impact strength relative to known polyethersulfones such as RADEL R, a commercially available polyethersulfone engineering thermoplastic comprised of structural units derived from a dihalodiarylsulfone and 4,4?-biphenol and having a Notched Izod impact strength of about 700 Joules per meter.

Abstract: Epoxy polymer precursors and epoxy polymers resulting therefrom are tolerant to bombardment by high-energy radiation. The epoxy polymer precursors comprise at least an epoxy resin free of aromatic units and at least a curing agent selected from the group consisting of aliphatic polyamines, cycloaliphatic polyamines, polyamides, aliphatic anhydrides, cycloaliphatic anhydrides, and mixtures thereof. In one embodiment of the invention the epoxy resin comprises at least a cycloparaffinic group, and the curing agent comprises a polyamine derived from cyclohexane. Such epoxy polymer compositions are used to form reflectors elements between adjacent scintillator elements in high-energy radiation detector array.

Abstract: A polyethersulfone composition is disclosed which comprises structural units derived from a monomer mixture comprising bisphenol-A and at least 55 mole percent of 4,4?-biphenol based on total moles of diphenolic monomers, wherein the polyethersulfone has a minimum weight average molecular weight which is a function of the mole percent of structural units derived from biphenol monomer. In addition the polyethersulfones possess a notched Izod impact strength value of greater than 470 Joules per meter as measured by ASTM D256.

Abstract: Epoxy polymer precursors and epoxy polymers resulting therefrom are tolerant to bombardment by high-energy radiation. The epoxy polymer precursors comprise at least an epoxy resin free of aromatic units and at least a curing agent selected from the group consisting of aliphatic polyamines, cycloaliphatic polyamines, polyamides, aliphatic anhydrides, cycloaliphatic anhydrides, and mixtures thereof. In one embodiment of the invention the epoxy resin comprises at least a cycloparaffinic group, and the curing agent comprises a polyamine derived from cyclohexane. Such epoxy polymer compositions are used to form reflectors elements between adjacent scintillator elements in high-energy radiation detector array.