18220results about "Deodrants" patented technology

A surgical instrument including a trigger which can be configured to close a jaw member upon a first actuation of the trigger and advance a staple driver and / or cutting member upon a subsequent, or second, actuation of the trigger. Such a surgical instrument can allow a surgeon to position the surgical instrument in a surgical site and close the jaw member with an initial actuation of the trigger without deploying any staples into, or incising, the tissue. As a result, the surgeon can manipulate the position of the surgical instrument and then actuate the trigger a second time to deploy staples into, and / or incise, the tissue. In at least one such embodiment, the first actuation of the trigger which closes the jaw member can also unlock a firing drive configured to advance the staple driver and cutting member during the second actuation of the trigger.

The present disclosure relates to an electronic smoking article that provides for improved aerosol delivery. Particularly, the article comprises one or more microheaters. In various embodiments, the microheaters provide for improved control of vaporization of an aerosol precursor composition and provide for reduced power requirements to achieve consistent aerosolization. The present disclosure further relates to methods of forming an aerosol in a smoking article.

The present disclosure relates to aerosol delivery devices including a cartridge and a control body. The control body may include a coupler and the cartridge may include a base. The base may be configured to releasably engage the cartridge. Further the base and the coupler may include anti-rotation mechanisms configured to prevent rotation of the cartridge relative to the base when engaged with one another. The anti-rotation mechanisms may include alternating protrusions and recesses in some embodiments. Related methods are also provided.

A system for reprocessing flexible endoscopes having lumen therein. The reprocessing system deploys steam to disinfect and / or sterilize the endoscopes, and designs, components, and methods for reducing or balancing the reprocessing cycle time and the effects of thermal expansion and contraction on the endoscopes.

The present disclosure provides components useful in heating, particularly heating of an aerosol precursor solution so as to vaporize the solution and form an aerosol. The disclosure particularly provides an electrically conductive, porous carbon heater. The heater may be combined with an aerosol precursor transport element that also is formed of carbon. The heater and transport element may form an atomizer that can be useful in an electronic smoking article, such as in a cartridge that is adapted for attachment to a control body. In some embodiments, the disclosure provides a cartridge of an electronic smoking article, the cartridge being formed substantially completely of carbon.

A perfume encapsulate comprises an aminoplast capsule, the capsule shell comprising urea-formaldehyde or melamine-formaldehyde polymer and a second polymer comprising a polymer or copolymer of one or more anhydrides, preferably ethylene / maleic anhydride copolymer. The second polymer improves the stability of the capsules with respect to surfactant, thus improving perfume retention properties and enabling use of the capsules in aqueous surfactant-containing products in a way that has not hitherto been possible.

A microfluidic device comprises pumps, valves, and fluid oscillation dampers. In a device employed for sorting, an entity is flowed by the pump along a flow channel through a detection region to a junction. Based upon an identity of the entity determined in the detection region, a waste or collection valve located on opposite branches of the flow channel at the junction are actuated, thereby routing the entity to either a waste pool or a collection pool. A damper structure may be located between the pump and the junction. The damper reduces the amplitude of oscillation pressure in the flow channel due to operation of the pump, thereby lessening oscillation in velocity of the entity during sorting process. The microfluidic device may be formed in a block of elastomer material, with thin membranes of the elastomer material deflectable into the flow channel to provide pump or valve functionality.

A stable continuous method for producing ethanol from the anaerobic bacterial fermentation of a gaseous substrate containing at least one reducing gas involves culturing a fermentation bioreactor anaerobic, acetogenic bacteria in a liquid nutrient medium; supplying the gaseous substrate to the bioreactor; and manipulating the bacteria in the bioreactor by reducing the redox potential, or increasing the NAD(P)H TO NAD(P) ratio, in the fermentation broth after the bacteria achieves a steady state and stable cell concentration in the bioreactor. The free acetic acid concentration in the bioreactor is maintained at less than 5 g / L free acid. This method allows ethanol to be produced in the fermentation broth in the bioreactor at a productivity greater than 10 g / L per day. Both ethanol and acetate are produced in a ratio of ethanol to acetate ranging from 1:1 to 20:1.

Disclosed are implantable or insertable medical devices that provide resistance to microbial growth on and in the environment of the device and resistance to microbial adhesion and biofilm formation on the device. In particular, the invention discloses implantable or insertable medical devices that comprise at least one biocompatible matrix polymer region, an antimicrobial agent for providing resistance to microbial growth and a microbial adhesion / biofilm synthesis inhibitor for inhibiting the attachment of microbes and the synthesis and accumulation of biofilm on the surface of the medical device. Also disclosed are methods of manufacturing such devices under conditions that substantially prevent preferential partitioning of any of said bioactive agents to a surface of the biocompatible matrix polymer and substantially prevent chemical modification of said bioactive agents.

The present invention relates to a perfume composition for delivery of high impact accord perfume ingredients, encapsulated embodiments of such compositions and their use in laundry and cleaning applications.

The present invention includes a composition having a co-continuous interconnecting channel morphology. These co-continuous interconnecting channels are predominately occupied with a polymer and particles that control the percolation through the composition. The particles are composed of a material such as an absorbing agent, releasing agent and / or activation agent. The polymer composition may be used to form a desired shaped article such as plug type inserts and liners for closed containers, or it may be formed into a film, sheet, bead or pellet.

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for sterilizing articles using an ozone-containing gas, where condensation of water from the sterilization atmosphere during the sterilization process is substantially prevented. The inventive sterilization method includes providing a sterilization chamber and placing an article into the sterilization chamber. The sterilization chamber is sealed prior to equalizing the temperature of the article and the atmosphere in the sterilization chamber. A vacuum is applied to achieve a preselected vacuum pressure in the sterilization chamber. Once the vacuum pressure is set, water vapour is supplied to the sterilization chamber. Ozone-containing gas is then supplied to the sterilization chamber and the sterilization chamber remains sealed for a preselected treatment period, where the sterilization chamber remains sealed throughout the whole process. Finally, vacuum in the sterilization chamber is released.

Methods and apparatus in which ultraviolet radiation is generated from at least one first LED, an object is irradiated with the ultraviolet radiation, and the ultraviolet radiation is controlled so as to generate at least one perceivable visual effect based on an interaction between the ultraviolet radiation and the object.

A composition such as a water-based consumer product comprises material (e.g. perfume) encapsulated within shell capsules, each capsule comprising an encapsulating wall having an inner surface and an outer surface, with a coating on the inner surface and / or outer surface of the shell wall, the composition further comprising surfactant and / or solvent. The coating can improve the barrier properties of the shell and can enhance retention of the encapsulated materials within the shell.

Certain embodiments and aspects of the present invention relate to photobioreactor apparatus designed to contain a liquid medium comprising at least one species of photosynthetic organism therein, and to methods of using the photobioreactor apparatus as part of a hydrogen production process and system configured to generate hydrogen with and / or from biomass produced in the photobioreactor apparatus. In certain embodiments, the disclosed hydrogen production systems and methods, photobioreactor apparatus, methods of using such apparatus, and / or gas treatment systems and methods provided herein can be utilized as part of an integrated combustion and hydrogen production method and system, wherein photosynthetic organisms utilized within the photobioreactor are used to at least partially remove certain pollutant compounds contained within combustion gases, e.g. CO2 and / or NOx, and are subsequently harvested from the photobioreactor, processed, and utilized as a fuel source for generating hydrogen and / or as a fuel source for a combustion device (e.g. an electric power plant generator and / or incinerator).

Apparatus and method for cleaning air. An air cleaner includes a housing that defines an airflow pathway and a catalytic reactor having a catalyst secured on a porous substrate that is disposed transverse to the airflow pathway. Preferably, the catalyst includes a light activated oxidizing photocatalyst or a thermally activated oxidizing catalyst. A photocatalytic reactor will include a light source directed at a light activated oxidizing photocatalyst, such as TiO2 particles or a binary oxide particle species, which is disposed on the porous substrate. Most preferably, a metal catalyst is disposed on the photocatalyst particles at a concentration or loading between about 0.01 wt % and about 5 wt %. The air cleaner may further comprise an adsorption matrix upstream of the catalytic reactor, optionally in combination with a heater. A particulate filter and / or an electrostatic precipitator may also be disposed upstream of the adsorption matrix and the catalytic reactor.

A method and apparatus is disclosed for producing a fragrance-containing solid particle, capable of controllably releasing the fragrance to the environment in which the particle is contained for incorporation into laundry detergents, fabric softener compositions and drier-added fabric softener articles.

A pair of nestable caps are disclosed, each of the caps being sized and shaped to provide a protective union about a separated medical connector. The pair comprises a male cap and a female cap, each of which is configured to be adjoined to a complimentary cap to form a nested pair. The nested pair is sealed until separated for use, thereby maintaining sterility of the internal surfaces of the nested pair. One of the caps may have a fluid chamber joined thereto filled with medicine or antiseptic. The cap can have a channel extending therethrough to provide fluid communication between the fluid chamber and a fluid pathway. The fluid chamber can be adapted to diffuse the fluid into the fluid pathway over time, or the fluid chamber can be adapted to dispense the fluid out of the fluid chamber without reflux.

A biocompatible material may be configured into any number of implantable medical devices including intraluminal stents. Polymeric materials may be utilized to fabricate any of these devices, including stents. The stents may be balloon expandable or self-expanding. The polymeric materials may include additives such as drugs or other bioactive agents as well as radiopaque agents. By preferential mechanical deformation of the polymer, the polymer chains may be oriented to achieve certain desirable performance characteristics.

A sterilization container for medical instruments includes a receptacle with a bottom wall and an open top, there being a multiplicity of vent openings in the bottom wall. The receptacle has a cover movable between a closed position wherein the cover closes the open top of the receptacle and an open position wherein the cover is positioned to allow access to the interior of the receptacle. A filter sheet is positioned in the receptacle so as to cover the bottom wall and the vent openings therein and the receptacle contains one or more trays for supporting medical instruments above the filter sheet. A perforated highly thermally conductive plate is positioned between the trays and the filter sheet so that when steam enters the container through the vent openings during steam sterilization, it heats the plate to a temperature sufficient to revaporize steam condensate collecting on the plate. The internal structure of the container is also disclosed.

A system and method for disinfecting an exposed portion of a female luer connector is disclosed. A male luer connector coupled to a male luer connector cap is provided where the male luer connector cap has a chamber containing a disinfectant and a sealing member for sealing the disinfectant in the chamber. The chamber is at least partly opened and the disinfectant exposed by movement of the sealing member. An exposed surface of a female luer connector is caused to come in contact with the disinfecting fluid in the chamber prior to the female luer connector mating with the male luer connector.

A surgical instrument including a switching mechanism which allows a surgeon to selectively advance or retract a staple driver and / or cutting member within a staple cartridge. In various embodiments, the surgical instrument can include a handle, a trigger operatively coupled to the handle, a firing drive, and an end effector. The firing drive can include a first ratchet assembly configured to advance a cutting member in the end effector and a second ratchet assembly configured to retract the cutting member. The trigger can include first and second pawls pivotably mounted thereon which are configured to be selectively engaged with the first and second ratchet assemblies, respectively. In at least one embodiment, the trigger can be configured to slide between a first position in which the first pawl is engaged with the first ratchet assembly and a second position in which the second pawl is engaged with the second ratchet assembly.

Dendritic polymers with enhanced amplification and interior functionality are disclosed. These dendritic polymers are made by use of fast, reactive ring-opening chemistry (or other fast reactions) combined with the use of branch cell reagents in a controlled way to rapidly and precisely build dendritic structures, generation by generation, with cleaner chemistry, often single products, lower excesses of reagents, lower levels of dilution, higher capacity method, more easily scaled to commercial dimensions, new ranges of materials, and lower cost. The dendritic compositions prepared have novel internal functionality, greater stability (e.g., thermal stability and less or no reverse Michael's reaction), and reach encapsulation surface densities at lower generations. Unexpectedly, these reactions of polyfunctional branch cell reagents with polyfunctional cores do not create cross-linked materials. Such dendritic polymers are useful as demulsifiers for oil / water emulsions, wet strength agents in the manufacture of paper, proton scavengers, polymers, nanoscale monomers, calibration standards for electron microscopy, making size selective membranes, and agents for modifying viscosity in aqueous formulations such as paint. When these dendritic polymers have a carried material associated with their surface and / or interior, then these dendritic polymers have additional properties for carrying materials due to the unique characteristics of the dendritic polymer, such as for drug delivery, transfection, and diagnostics.