Abstract: A channel waveguide is integrally formed within a structure made of a non-linear optical polymer by focussing a beam of optical radiation into a specified region within the structure where the channel waveguide is to be located. The focussed beam of optical radiation raises the temperature of the polymer in the specified region to above the glass-transition temperature for the polymer. A poling electric field is applied to the structure to cause molecular alignment of the polymer to occur in the specified region of the structure. Then the beam of optical radiation is removed while the poling electric field is maintained, thereby maintaining molecular alignment of the polymer in the specified region as the temperature of the specified region falls below the glass-transition temperature. A change in index of refraction of the polymer in the specified region of the structure due to the molecular alignment of the polymer in the specified region enables the specified region to function as a channel waveguide.

Abstract: The present invention is a process for treating plastic substrates to improve their surface properties. The process involves exposing the plastic substrate to UV radiation at wavelengths of 185 and 254 nm in the presence of atomic oxygen for about 5 to 60 minutes. The treated plastic substrates have improved wettability. The process is particularly well suited for the treatment of plastic intraocular lenses and plastic packaging materials such as PVC film.

Abstract: An apparatus for producing a substrate sheet for optical recording media includes a device for continuously forming an ultraviolet-curable resin layer on at least one of i) a roll stamper having thereon a preformat pattern corresponding with preformatting information and ii) a substrate sheet; a means for bringing the substrate sheet into close contact with the roll stamper having the ultraviolet-curable resin layer; a device for curing said ultraviolet-curable resin layer to fix it on the substrate sheet; a device for peeling from the roll stamper the substrate sheet having the cured ultraviolet-curable resin layer; and a device for removing an ultraviolet-curable resin remaining on the surface of said roll stamper, provided after the means for peeling the substrate sheet.

Abstract: After fusion splicing of optical fibers, the splice area is positioned within a two-part transparent mold. Light-curable epoxy is injected into the mold and surrounds the splice area. A visible light source shines through the mold, which is preferably made of transparent plexiglass, thus allowing the epoxy to harden. The mold is opened and the rejacketed cable is removed. In order to ensure that the original jacket material at the cable ends does not separate from the epoxy rejacketing material, a heat-shrinkable tube may be installed over the rejacketed splice area.

Abstract: A balloon for an intraocular lens, which is a unitary elastic hollow body made of an elastomer and having a convex lenticular shape without projections along its circumference, which gives, when inserted in a lens capsule, a configuration corresponding substantially to the shape of the lens capsule, said hollow body having a wall thickness of from 0.001 to 0.1 mm at its optical portion and a diameter of from 6 to 13 mm, and capable of being inflated in the lens capsule to form an intraocular lens when a light transmitting injection material is injected into the hollow body.

Abstract: Fibres, fibre webs or fibre aggregates made of polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) or of mixtures of PPS with other polymers are produced by a melt-spinning process where the melt filaments are drawn out and cooled down to below the melt temperature by a gaseous medium flowing essentially parallel thereto at sonic or supersonic speed, this simultaneous deformation and cooling giving rise to amorphous fine or extremely fine fibres (17) of finite length which are deposited to form a fibre web or fibre aggregate.

Abstract: In a process for mass producing optical storage sheets, an elongate film of a liquid crystalline material is fed lengthwise along a path through an aligning gate. The aligning gate applies to successive areas of the film a field which aligns the molecules. The field may be an electric field and/or a shear field. An aligning layer, such as a surfactant layer may also be used for alignment of the film areas. The aligned film may then be cut into pieces for use as microfiches or microfilms. The film material is preferably a liquid crystal polymer material.

Abstract: A technique for forming a mold to replicate large numbers of plastic articles, such as by injection or blow molding, wherein the mold contains a hologram or other microstructure for transfer to an outside surface of the molded article. The mold is made by electrodepositing a metal on a model of the article to be molded. Before this deposition, the hologram or other microstructure is formed on a surface area of the model by any one of several techniques. The result is a unitary mold piece in the shape of the article and having the hologram or other microstructure integrally formed on its inside surface.

Abstract: A process for the production of cellulose ester fibrets wherein a solution of the cellulose ester is contacted with a non-solvent for the cellulose ester in a precipitation zone under shearing conditions, and a solvent-nonsolvent mixture is separated from the formed fibrets and recycled to the precipitation zone.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of spin casting lenses having optical surfaces which may be spherical, aspherical or toric in shape. The method provides a concave optical mold having a spherical, aspherical or toric optical surface. A convex optical mold having a spherical, aspherical or toric surface is also privided. A selected liquid lens monomer with a selected catalyst is placed in the concave lens mold. The convex optical mold is positioned in the concave mold displacing the liquid lens monomer. The optical axis of the concave and convex molds are aligned and the two molds rotated about their concurrent optical axis. The liquid monomer is allowed to polymerize forming a solid polymer lens. The finished lens is then removed from the molds.

Abstract: A polyolefin BMF web made from a mixture of polypropylene and surfactant can have high wet strength when a) the surfactant is nonionic and b) the surfactant is mixed with the polypropylene at a static mixer that interconnects the extruder and the BMF die. By so postponing the addition of the surfactant, it is protected from both the exceedingly high temperatures of the extruder and from the high shearing forces within the extruder. The surfactant also is heated to high temperatures for a much shorter time than if it were premixed with the polypropylene.

Abstract: A method of forming an optical fiber defining an axis, the fiber having a dipolar dopant wherein a substantial number of the dipoles of the dopant are oriented in essentially the same direction along the axis of the fiber; the method comprising the steps of providing a vessel having a spinneret, establishing a substantially constant electric (or magnetic) field adjacent to, axially aligned with and downstream of the spinneret, forming a prefiber homogenous liquid mixture of at least one dipolar dopant and at least one polymer in the vessel, extruding the prefiber through the spinneret, drawing the extrudate through the electric (or magnetic) field to generally align the dipoles in the same direction and simultaneously elongating the extrudate while it is still in the fluid state by drawing the extrudate.

Abstract: The method involves prehydrolysing alkoxysilanes and atomizing to droplets which are then cured to hardened beads with no or very low porosity and narrow size distribution by slurrying with aqueous ammonia. The cured beads are mixed with binders and the resulting pastes are compacted to green forms; the greens are sintered to fused silica-like objects at temperatures significantly lower than the melting of silica.

Abstract: A method for inducing cylinder power into an optical surface which comprises the steps of providing a target optical surface to an apparatus capable of indexing the position of said target to the beam path of a laser capable of photoablating the material of said target, passing said target through the domain of said laser along at least one axis and controlling the product of the intensity of said laser with time in order to control the amount of ablation of said target along at least one axis of said target.

Abstract: A gel casting method and apparatus are used to cause a pre-gelled liquid mixture to gel sequentially in a given travelling direction, allowing still-liquid material to flow to the gelling front, replacing volume lost due to shrinkage during the change of state from a liquid to a gel. The differential gelling method provides stress-free gels free of voids common to highly stressed gels, and the method is applicable to column and slab gels, and particularly to capillary columns and very thin slab gels.

Abstract: Complex small objects such as ophthalmic lenses are quickly and accurately fabricated from plastic or glass blanks of ablatable material such as plastic or glass by cutting, shaping, and radiusing the blank entirely by laser light, using appropriate masks with focusing and imaging optics.

Abstract: A method for coating a plastic lens element including applying a coating composition consisting substantially of reactants having at least triacrylate functionality, a photo-initiator and a polymerization inhibitor reactive with oxygen to the face of a mold. The coating is subjected to ultraviolet light in an oxygen containing environment such that a hard abrasion-resistant coating is formed. The mold is then filled with a lens forming composition which is reactive with acrylate groups of the coating at the coating/lens interface. The lens forming composition is permitted to cure in the mold with the lens forming composition being bonded to the lens coating.

Abstract: An apparatus for the production of encapsulated bodies employing a dropping tank for a fluid to form the cores of the encapsulated bodies and a reaction tank containing a solution capable of forming gel skins upon contact with the core material in communication therewith. Double-walled cylindrical nozzles are arranged in a lower part of the drop tank, the inner and outer walls of the double-walled cylindrical nozzles being coaxial. A pressurized air feed pipe is in communication with an upper part of the dropping tank. The peripheral walls of the reaction tank are in the form of a double-walled cylinder whose upper peripheral portion of its inner wall contains a screen. A liquid feed pipe and a capsule discharge port are provided in communication with the interior of the reaction tank through lower parts of the double-walled cylinder. A liquid discharge port also is provided in communication with an annular spacing of the double-walled cylinder through its outer wall.

Abstract: This invention provides process embodiments for the production of second order nonlinear optical media and waveguiding devices. An important aspect of an invention waveguiding device is the use of a novel electrode design which permits the application of a high voltage electric field for molecular orientation of a dipolar organic waveguiding medium.

Abstract: An intraocular lens comprises a substantially clear optic and at least one filamentous haptic having high fracture toughness. The haptic is formed of a polymer composition comprising low concentrations of solid particles uniformly dispersed throughout a polymer matrix.

Abstract: A process for the manufacture of a molded contact lens containing a transparent central visual region circumscribed by a colored iris portion which comprisesa. coating a colored liquid which is either curable or thermoplastic in a mold for making a contact lens onto a surface thereof where the iris portion of the lens is formed to produce a colored film thereon which film contains a surface exposed to the interior of the mold and a surface in contact with the mold,b. charging the mold with the resin used to form the body of the lens while maintaining the colored film in the iris portion and configuring the resin about the colored film whereby the surface of the film becomes integral with the body of the lens and the surface of the film becomes part of the outer surface of the lens when the molded lens is removed from the mold.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for making lenses and a composition of molding material which can be utilized in the method and apparatus for molding lenses of optical quality and an inhibitor for limiting further curing once the desired hardness have been obtained. A monomer is used with initiators in conjunction with the molding apparatus to mold plastic lenses of optical quality without requirement for any additional polishing or grinding, except for perhaps shaping the edges. The molding material includes a composition of liquid monomer with a thermal initiator and a UV initiator each of which can be activated during the molding process. Initially, the molding forms with the liquid monomer compositions therein are heated to activate the thermal initiator and form the molding material into a gel. The gelled material is then subjected to a UV light source for completing the cure. Prepolymerized molding material can be used in some instances to avoid an intermediate step of thermal curing.

Abstract: A process for preparing microspheres using very cold temperatures to freeze polymer-biologically active agent mixtures into polymeric microspheres with very high retention of biological activity and material. Polymer is dissolved in a solvent together with an active agent that can be either dissolved in the solvent or dispersed in the solvent in the form of microparticles. The polymer/active agent mixture is atomized into a vessel containing a liquid non-solvent, alone or frozen and overlayed with a liquified gas, at a temperature below the freezing point of the polymer/active agent solution. The cold liquified gas or liquid immediately freezes the polymer droplets. As the droplets and non-solvent for the polymer is warmed, the solvent in the droplets thaws and is extracted into the non-solvent, resulting in hardened microspheres.

Abstract: A process for preparing blazed holograms suitable for mass-production which includes fabricating a glass or metal plate having a surface of serrated cross section, disposing the glass or metal plate in an injection mold to allow the surface of serrated cross section to constitute an inner surface of the mold. Then injecting an acrylic resin in molten form into the mold under a specific molding pressure, and removing a molded acrylic resin from the glass plate or metal plate to obtain an acrylic blazed hologram.

Abstract: A three-dimensional electro-optic waveguide is formed as a channel in a structure made of an organic non-linear optical polymer. A poling electric field is maintained in a portion of the polymer structure defining the channel, and the polymer structure is heated above the glass-transition temperature to enable dipolar moieties of the polymer to become aligned by the poling field. Heating continues until the dipolar moieties are sufficiently aligned to produce a higher index of refraction in the channel portion than in adjacent cladding portions of the polymer structure for at least one polarization of optical radiation propagating through the channel. The poling field is maintained as the polymer structure is then cooled below glass-transition temperature, thereby preserving alignment of the dipolar moieties (and hence preserving the differential index of refraction) in the channel portion of the polymer structure. Guided modes of optical radiation of at least one polarization can be supported in the channel.

Abstract: A process for the manufacture of granules of low-melting alkyl esters containing hindered hydroxyphenyl groups which comprises introducing a melt of the compound into a cold aqueous solution of an organic water-miscible solvent, thereby obtaining free-flowing and dust-free granules.

Abstract: An improved pulp of oriented polyethylene fibrids is provided. The pulps have fibrids which average no longer than 1.2 mm, have a drainage factor of at least 2.5 sec/g, are capable of forming wet-laid sheets of uniform opacity and preferably have an agglomeration number of less than 2. The pulps are particularly useful as synthetic papers, in reinforced cement articles, in reinforced resin articles and in reinforced gaskets.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of manufacturing an optical fiber of high heat-resisting and light-receiving properties as well as greater flexibility. The optical fiber of the present invention comprises a core made of a setting type transparent silicone rubber, and an outer portion made of a high molecular weight transparent substance whose refractive index is at least 0.02 less than that of the core. Silicon rubber is injected into the cylindrical outer portion and set, and the silicone rubber and the outer portion are thereafter subjected to heat treatment at a temperature of 120.degree. C. or more for at least 1 hour.

Abstract: A radiation beam used for selectively exposing a surface is moved in a helical path by means of two oscillating mirrors vibrating about axes that are mutually perpendicular. By maintaining a constant product for oscillating frequency and rotational oscillatory mirror deflection, the level of exposure can be made substantially constant.

Abstract: A transparent plastic article with less internal strain is produced by successively polymerizing a monomer part by part with forming a gel state part between the already polymerized part and the unpolymerized part, or by polymerizing a monomer by means of a mold which can follow cure shrinkage of the monomer in order to decrease cure shrinkage. The article produced is particularly suitable for optical applications such as an optical disc, a lens and a prism.

Abstract: A process for encapsulating a preformed polymeric substrate comprises peroxidizing and hydroperoxidizing the surface of said preformed substrate using ozone and then carrying out a crosslinked graft copolymerization of selected ethylenically unsaturated monomers both on and surrounding (encapsulating) said substrate. Such encapsulation of substrates provides protective coatings, ablative coatings and, particularly, soft skirts for hard contact lenses.

Abstract: A method and a device for manufacturing a powder of amorphous ceramic or metallic particles in a high pressure autoclave. The substance in the liquid state is pressed out of a nozzle (7) upwards in vertical direction. An acoustic levitation field acts on the area in front of the nozzle orifice (12) and an inert cooling gas is made to flow turbulently in this area so that the droplets sprayed out of the nozzle are rapidly cooled and get solidified to grains. The powder can be directly machined by pressing and sintering into objects of the desired shape.

Abstract: A process for treating hydrophobic polymer surfaces to form hydroxyl moieties thereon comprises ozonating the surface of said hydrophobic polymer to form hydroperoxy groups thereon, and then irradiating said ozonated surface with ultraviolet light or exposing to heat to convert the hydroperoxy groups to hydroxyl moieties in the presence of a hydrogen donor. Such hydroxylated surfaces possess hydrophilic properties and can undergo the chemical reactions characteristic for hydroxyl groups. Polymers so modified are useful in biomedical devices, semipermeable membranes, films, fibers and especially contact lenses.

Abstract: Process for preparing subdenier fiber and structures thereof from lyotropic liquid crystalline polymers comprising extruding a stream of the polymer into a chamber, introducing a pressurized gas into the chamber, directing the gas in the flow direction of and in surrounding contact with the stream within the chamber, passing both the gas and the stream into a zoner of lower pressure at a velocity sufficient to attenuate the stream and fragment it into fibers, and contacting the fragmented stream in the zone with a coagulating fluid.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing components such as optical components (17, 18, 21, FIG. 2C) by means of a matrix which comprises a preform 12 of glass or quartz and has a skin 14 of a cured epoxy synthetic resin, the surface of which is the negative of a metal mold from which the matrix is produced. The matrix is suitable for use in the above-mentioned method, whereby optical components are produced which have surfaces that are for example, the aspherical negatives of the matrix surface.

Abstract: A process and product for the manufacture of a composite plastic lens wherein the plastic lens component is subjected to ultraviolet rays under conditions to eliminate substantially any unreacted double bonds therein.

Abstract: A process for casting lenses using male and female mold halves, which includes placing a polymerizable liquid into the female mold, introducing the male mold down into the female mold until the male mold touches the surface of the liquid and then allowing the male mold to fall into the female mold. Also, an apparatus suitable for carrying out the casting process is provided which includes a horizontal support for the female mold, a holder for releasably holding the male mold, a mechanism for moving the holder down towards and into the female mold and a mechanism for detecting contact between the male mold and the surface of the liquid and causing the holder to then release the male mold. The molds are maintained under a predetermined closing pressure during curing by spot welding their flanges together while under that pressure.

Abstract: An improved stereolithographic process is provided in which the formation of a thin walled three-dimensional object in a reservoir of liquid ultraviolet-curable ethylenically unsaturated material using a support is positioned immediately beneath the upper surface of the liquid reservoir with that upper surface being exposed to ultraviolet light in a pattern to solidify the liquid at and near the upper surface in a series of cross-sections of the desired three-dimensional object, one atop the other. In this way there is formed a series of superposed layers which adhere to one another to build the desired three-dimensional object within the liquid reservoir. The improvement comprises, stopping the exposure at any portion of the surface in the formation of said layers and then repeating the exposure at least once again in the production of each surface layer so that the strength and solvent resistance of the formed object are increased and its distortion is minimized.

Abstract: Reduced-size granulation chamber for extruders of materials such as plastics, constituted by a rotating drum wherein the cooling water remains adherent to the walls due to the centrifugal force and which has openings for the exit of the water and of the granules and is inserted in a basket which is in turn inserted in a container, both being fixed and separating the water from the granules, the granules being thrust by inclined fins arranged outside the drum in the chamber defined between the drum and the basket while the water falls by gravity into the second chamber defined between the basket and the fixed chamber.

Abstract: A pressure-sensitive sensor comprises an optical wave guide consisting of a core and a clad, and a light emitting means and a light receiving means each connected to the optical wave guide. The core is made from a transparent material having a refractive index somewhat larger than that of a material constituting the clad and selected from chloroprene rubber, urethane rubber, silicone rubber, fluorine rubber, acrylic rubber, ethylene-propylene rubber, ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer rubber and epichlorohydrin rubber.

Abstract: A prilling apparatus and process for producing seed material for size enlargement processes such as a granulation process for bisphenol. The apparatus includes a fluidized bed system with a spray header therein for producing spray droplets of material in a gaseous stream such as nitrogen to form prills of less than about 1 mm diameter.

Abstract: A new technique and apparatus for printing that includes the formation of a hologram, or other type of diffraction pattern, directly on a desired end product of paper, or other sheet material. The hologram, or other diffraction pattern, is formed by casting a surface relief pattern directly onto the sheet material in a limited area.

Abstract: Method for manufacturing an improved optical cable comprised of a cable core including optical fibers. The method includes the steps of continuously drawing a cable core through a sheathing station that forms a sheath of halogen free, low flammability material of high density about the cable core; continuously drawing the sheathed cable core through a jacketing station that forms a jacket of halogen free, low flammability, cross-linkable plastic material about the sheath; and continuously drawing the sheated and jacketed cable core through a high radiation source that causes a cross-linking of the jacket material, while the sheath prevents any radiation from penetrating the optical fibers of the cable core.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for making lenses and a composition of molding material which can be utilized in the method and apparatus for molding lenses of optical quality. A monomer is used with initiators in conjunction with the molding apparatus to mold plastic lenses of optical quality without requirement for any additional polishing or grinding, except for perhaps shaping the edges. The molding material includes a composition of liquid monomer with a thermal initiator and a UV initiator each of which can be activated during the molding process. Initially, the molding forms with the liquid monomer compositions therein are heated to activate the thermal initiator and form the molding material into a gel. The gelled material is then subjected to a UV light source for completing the cure. Prepolymerized molding material can be used in some instances to avoid an intermediate step of thermal curing. Various other embodiments and apparatus are disclosed for molding plastic lens.

Abstract: Drawn optical fiber is provided with at least one layer of a coating material. The coating material typically is a UV curable material and provides the optical fiber with mechanical and environmental protection. It has been found that the temperature at which the optical fiber is cured has a pronounced effect on the modulus of the cured coating material. In order to provide a coated optical fiber of which the coating material has a desired modulus, the temperature of the coating material during cure is controlled by controlling the amount of energy of infrared wavelength which impinges on the coating material.

Abstract: A pacified mass is hardened under controlled conditions to produce low tension moulded parts (4) of duroplasts, the shringkage being compensated for by the movement of a lower mould part (2) and/or an upper mould part (3) to follow the mass.

Abstract: Hydrophilic monomers in a supercooled, transparent state, are polymerized in the presence of water. The polymers have low levels of residual monomers and exhibit good mechanical strength. The process provides materials useful as contact lenses.

Abstract: A method for producing an optical disk base to store, record, and retrieve sounds, images, and information. An improved method for producing an optical disk base includes the steps of injecting a photo-curable resin into a cavity, curing the photo-curable resin by irradiation with light, and demolding, where the photo-curable resin is injected from an injection nozzle having an outside diameter which is substantially equal to the diameter of the center hole of the optical disk base and also having a horn-shaped opening at the forward end. The injection nozzle is arranged at the center of the optical disk base. The forward end of the nozzle is closed after injection and the photo-curable resin is irradiated with light, with the injection nozzle projected into the cavity. A liquid resin is injected in the form of uniform flow without entrapped bubbles, so that the anamolous molecular orientation is avoided and the contamination with insufficiently cured or uncured resin is also avoided.

Abstract: For the continuous automated production of powders that are well suited for hot pressing--i.e. those consisting essentially of spherical or cubic particles, of high-temperature resistant polymers without damage to the polymer structure in the course of the production process, a concentrated solution of the polymer in an aprotic polar solvent is continuously expressed into a twisting cone of hot aqueous precipitant. In doing so, short irregular wormy formations form, which are united to a fleece-like web, washed with aqueous solvents and finally with water, dried and comminuted. The plant provided for carrying out the process requires comparatively little space, since it does not include treatment tanks for extraction and drying.

Abstract: Diffuse reflectors are manufactured by depositing a reflecting material (5) on a roughened surface of a synthetic resin layer (1), roughened by treatment in a polyhalogenated hydrocarbon plasma containing fluorine and carbon, such as FREON, containing plasma or by means of UV radiation. The layer (5) of reflecting material may also be deposited on the resin layer (11) at an elevated temperature.