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August 18, 2005

Sensors

6,927,246
Polymers functionalized with fluorescent boronate motifs and methods for making them

Tlk about dangerous monomers! Noronh and others from Medronic MiniMed, Inc have developed biosensors by functionalizing polymer matrices with fluorescent groups.  Sensors have been developed for measuring in-vivo glucose conentrations.  Maybe we can develop polymers that can detect many different chemicals at one time. Interesting --- RDC

June 30, 2005

Adhesives

For a long time, I have been aware that the topology of surfaces affect the adhesion of adhesives.  I also have been aware that the surface topology also affects adhesion and here is a patent that embosses a surface microstructure to enhance adhesion. Another interesting feature of this patent is that tiny channels facilitate the removal of contaminants which also enhances adhesion.
6,911,243
Adhesives having a microreplicated topography and methods of making and using same

May 27, 2005

Honey Bees

Bromenshenk and colleagues of the university have carried the use of animals to new levels.  They have trained honey bees to detect unexploded ordnances, land mines and even illicit drug laboratories.  Talk about using natural sensors!. (RDC)

6,896,579
Method and apparatus for conditioning honey bees

May 20, 2005

Environment

The debate rages on about the safety of plastics and their additives.   No one, I think, wants to do harm and yet we want to make materials and do things with them.  Everytime we turn around someone has found a new problem which shakes the industry to its core. George  D. Bittner has proposed one solution which although at first glance seems very restrictive  may point to the ultimate solution.  That is only use monomers and polymers from these monomers which  are proven to be completely safe.  Similarly use only additives which are proven safe.  The two polymers which pass are polyethylene and polypropylene and antioxidants including ethoxyquin, caronsine and so on.  Obviously this will not solve every problem and even this raises other unanswered questions.  Nevertheless it is an approach that deserves careful study. Lew Weisfeld --- any comment on this? (RDC)

6,894,093
Materials free of endocrine disruptive chemicals

April 28, 2005

Morphology and Molding

Morphology is one areas that seem so common yet most don't really understand it.  Rarely does a patent specifically refer to the morphology generated by the process.  Allgeuer et al of Advanced Design Concept of Hanover Germany define a process of producing a multilayer profile with a fringed surface microstructure,  This is interesting but the outstanding is the extensive review in this patent of basic polymer science. It is so good, I think, it could be exanded into a textbook.  Oh to be teaching again. (RDC) US Patent #6,872,438
Profile or molding having a fringed surface structure

April 05, 2005

Golf with more Bang

US Patent 6,872,148 by Steven Lee descirbes a golf club which contains a propellant charge.  Apparently when one swings the charge goes off at the right time to give more push to the ball.  And I thought steroids were a problem.  Check this out.  Maybe if your game needs something, this is your answer! 6,872,148 Golf club

March 24, 2005

The Answer to Stuff

Halahmi, Gross, Jacobs, Ian and Kadosh of Cycletec, LTd may have the answer to the modern dilemma of being buried in stuff. The answer is to grind up everthing, impregnate with an isocyanate, mold and cure.  There is nothing particularly special about this patent except it does give an answere to this problem.  The problem has not yet been solved because I am being buried in stuff.  We need all the help we can get. Maybe this is an opportunity for a home based business.  (RDC)
6,863,971
Strong durable low cost composite materials made from treated cellulose and plastic

March 15, 2005

Optical Traps

Grier and Dufresne of the University of Chicago have come up with a device for manipulated small dielctric particles with laser beams. Is this the beginning of real nanoengineering? (RDC)  

6,863,406
Apparatus and method for fabricating, sorting, and integrating materials with holographic optical traps
 

March 11, 2005

Magnets

A new use for Magnets?? This is Shapiro and Nigro's answere to Viagra.
6,863,070
Magnetic condom
Yes! there is a x-rated character to the Patents and, of course, they are polymer related.  (RDC)

March 04, 2005

Imprinting

The idea of imprinting information into a polymer chain during polymerizatin seems very futuristic and yet biolological systems do this all the time.  I suppose coordination polymerization with special catalysts is really imprinting, especially stereospecific polymerization. At any rate, this patent seems a step in that direction. 
6,852,818

Molecularly imprinted polymers produced by template polymerization
Piletsky, Piletska, Elska, Anndersson, Nicholls and Turner from Cranfield University in Great Britain have done this for polypeptides.  Their approach ought to be applicaable for any condsation polymerization.

 




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