Abstract: Arrangements for capturing aerosol during dental procedures include an extraoral suction device and a blower arrangement to induce an airflow zone to push aerosol to the suction device. Blower arrangements can include plenums in the form of a tube, or a face mask, or attached to safety glasses. Extraoral suction devices can be wearable in the form of appliances to be fitted onto either the patient or the dental professional. Improved extraoral suction devices can include a screen secured to a nozzle of the device.

Abstract: A web can comprise a substantially continuous fiber mass and a separation means dispersed into the fiber. The web having a preferred thickness resulting from forming a polymer material and a particulate into a fine fiber layer can have a variety of end uses. A filtration media can include a structure comprising such a web of fine fiber and a substantial volume of particulate embodiment of the separation means. The resulting fine fiber structure provides an improved filtration medium having substantial depth, thickness, and a layered structure. The improved properties of the web results from inclusion of the separation or spacer particulate.

Abstract: A web can comprise a substantially continuous fiber mass and a separation means dispersed into the fiber. The web having a preferred thickness resulting from forming a polymer material and a particulate into a fine fiber layer can have a variety of end uses. A filtration media can include a structure comprising such a web of fine fiber and a substantial volume of particulate embodiment of the separation means. The resulting fine fiber structure provides an improved filtration medium having substantial depth, thickness, and a layered structure. The improved properties of the web results from inclusion of the separation or spacer particulate.

Abstract: A web can comprise a substantially continuous fiber mass and a separation means dispersed into the fiber. The web having a preferred thickness resulting from forming a polymer material and a particulate into a fine fiber layer can have a variety of end uses. A filtration media can include a structure comprising such a web of fine fiber and a substantial volume of particulate embodiment of the separation means. The resulting fine fiber structure provides an improved filtration medium having substantial depth, thickness, and a layered structure. The improved properties of the web results from inclusion of the separation or spacer particulate.

Abstract: A web can comprise a substantially continuous fiber mass and a separation means dispersed into the fiber. The web having a preferred thickness resulting from forming a polymer material and a particulate into a fine fiber layer can have a variety of end uses. A filtration media can include a structure comprising such a web of fine fiber and a substantial volume of particulate embodiment of the separation means. The resulting fine fiber structure provides an improved filtration medium having substantial depth, thickness, and a layered structure. The improved properties of the web results from inclusion of the separation or spacer particulate.

Abstract: A web can comprise a substantially continuous fiber mass and a separation means dispersed into the fiber. The web having a preferred thickness resulting from forming a polymer material and a particulate into a fine fiber layer can have a variety of end uses. A filtration media can include a structure comprising such a web of fine fiber and a substantial volume of particulate embodiment of the separation means. The resulting fine fiber structure provides an improved filtration medium having substantial depth, thickness, and a layered structure. The improved properties of the web results from inclusion of the separation or spacer particulate.

Abstract: An improved cartridge, typically in cylindrical or panel form that can be used in a dry or wet/dry vacuum cleaner. The cartridge is cleanable using a stream of service water, or by rapping on a solid object, or by using a compressed gas stream, but can provide exceptional filtering properties even for submicron particulate in the household or industrial environment. The cartridge has a combination of nanofiber filtration layer on a substrate. The nanofiber and substrate are engineered to obtain a maximum efficiency at reasonable pressure drop and permeability. The improved cartridge constitutes at least a substrate material and at least a layer including a non-woven, fine fiber separation layer.

Abstract: We claim an improved cartridge, typically in cylindrical or panel form that can be used in a dry or wet/dry vacuum cleaner. The cartridge is cleanable using a stream of service water, or by rapping on a solid object, or by using a compressed gas stream, but can provide exceptional filtering properties even for submicron particulate in the household or industrial environment. The cartridge has a combination of nanofiber filtration layer on a substrate. The nanofiber and substrate are engineered to obtain a maximum efficiency at reasonable pressure drop and permeability. The improved cartridge constitutes at least a substrate material and at least a layer comprising a non-woven, fine fiber separation layer. The nanofiber layer has a fiber diameter of about 0.05 to 0.5 micron, a nanofiber layer basis weight of about 3×10−7 to 6×10−5 gram-cm−2, an air permeability of about 1 to 1000 ft/min at 0.5 inch (water) &Dgr;P, and a pore size of about 0.01 to 100 microns.

Abstract: The formation of a microporous layer or coating on sheet or paper stock using fine fiber can provide a writing surface that accepts ink, particularly ink jet ink, to obtain a crisp and sharp image. Such images can be alpha numeric or graphic images derived from printing, photography or produced from graphics software.

Abstract: A flexible wipe, comprising at least one conformable woven or non-woven layer and at least one adhered nanofiber layer, can be used to remove a variety of particulate soils from planar, curved or complex surfaces that are contaminated by small particulate soil. The nanofiber layer is configured onto the flexible non-woven in a fashion such that particulate of a broad particle size range is trapped or incorporated by the nanofiber layer and efficiently removed from the contaminated surface. The nanofiber layer comprises a web of spun fibers that can incorporate and trap soil particles for efficient soil removal.

Abstract: A flexible wipe comprising at least one conformable non-woven layer and at least one adhered nanofiber layer can be used to remove a variety of particulate soils from planar, curved or complex surfaces. The nanofiber layer is configured onto the flexible non-woven in a fashion such that particulate of a broad particle size range is trapped by the nanofiber layer and efficiently removed from the contaminated surface. The nanofiber layer comprises a web of spun fibers that can incorporate and trap soil particles for efficient soil removal.

Abstract: An indicator system provides a visual indication of the cumulative level of an airborne contaminant. The indicator is a transparent sheath with support medium having an acidic surface and treated with a color pH indicator. As a basic contaminant is adsorbed by the medium, the medium color changes. As additional contaminant is adsorbed, the color front progresses the length of the indicator. The indicator system may be used with an adsorptive filter system to predict the life of adsorption bed assemblies. A sample flow is taken upstream of the adsorption beds and is passed through the indicator. Preferably, the flow rate is calibrated so that the rate of the color change in the indicator is proportional to the rate of depletion of the adsorption bed. By monitoring the indicator, an accurate prediction of adsorption bed life may be made.

Abstract: An adsorption bed arrangement includes a plurality of adsorption elements, a housing, and a gasket member. Each of the adsorption elements has adsorption media contained within a respective element. Each of the adsorption elements are selectively openable to provide access to the adsorption media. The housing defines an interior, a plurality of inlet openings, and a plurality of outlet openings. The plurality of adsorption elements are positioned within the housing interior. The housing is selectively openable to provide access to the plurality of adsorption elements. The gasket member is between the housing and the adsorption elements. A method for changing filtering media in an adsorption apparatus includes steps of removing an access panel from an adsorption bed housing to expose a cover member covering an end of an adsorption element; removing the cover member from the end of the adsorption element to expose filtering media within the element; and pouring the filtering media from the element.

Abstract: An indicator system provides a visual indication of the cumulative level of an airborne contaminant. An indicator has a transparent sheath with support medium treated with acid and a pH indicator, as the contaminant is adsorbed, the color changes along the medium. The indicator system may be used with an adsorptive filter system to predict the life of adsorption bed assemblies. A sample flow is taken upstream of the adsorption beds and is calibrated with a flow meter and valve. By monitoring the indicator, an accurate prediction of adsorption bed life may be made.

Abstract: An adsorption apparatus has a housing including an inlet and an outlet, and defining an inlet plenum extending vertically below the inlet and an outlet plenum extending vertically below the outlet. A plurality of adsorption bed assemblies in a vertically stacked configuration are retained in the housing in fluid communication with the inlet plenum. Each of the adsorption bed assemblies has a bottom opening and a top opening and layers of adsorption material with the assembly oriented in a V-type configuration. A plurality of baffles angle upward from the inlet plenum to the outlet plenum, including a baffle disposed between each pair of adjacent stacked adsorption bed assemblies, to direct flow up toward the bottom opening of the adsorption bed assembly immediately above the baffle and to direct flow passing from the top opening of the adsorption bed assembly immediately below the baffle.

Abstract: A filter cartridge includes a cylindrical inner filter, and a removable and replaceable outer filter of media. The removable and replaceable filter includes more than one layer of media therein. One application for the filter cartridge is in a mist collector arrangement.

Abstract: A mist collector cartridge for collecting airborne liquids, and more particularly, a filter media having vertically oriented interconnected pleats treated with a low surface energy material to facilitate agglomeration and drainage of liquid which accumulates on the inner and outer surface of the filter media.

Abstract: A mist collector cartridge for collecting airborne liquids, and more particularly, a filter media having vertically oriented interconnected pleats treated with a low surface energy material to facilitate agglomeration and drainage of liquid which accumulates on the inner and outer surface of the filter media.