Combined USB flash drive cap audio device
Patent 8,539,125
A combined USB flash drive cap audio device is provided. In at least one embodiment, a thumb drive cap includes: a portable housing defined as a USB cap for a portable USB storage thumb drive; a female USB connector interface defined within the portable housing and configured to receive and electronically couple to a male USB connector on the portable USB storage thumb drive; a control unit disposed within the portable housing and configured to enable audio playback through the thumb drive cap of audio data stored on the connected portable USB storage thumb drive; and a plurality of user interface buttons disposed upon the portable housing and through which the thumb drive cap is controlled by a user for audio playback and audio record.
Inventors: Michael Ford (Ashland); Sarah Ford (Ashland)
September 17, 2013
Accurate pelvic fracture detection for X-ray and CT images
Patent 8,538,117
Accurate pelvic fracture detection is accomplished with automated X-ray and Computed Tomography (CT) images for diagnosis and recommended therapy. The system combines computational methods to process images from two different modalities, using Active Shape Model (ASM), spline interpolation, active contours, and wavelet transform. By processing both X-ray and CT images, features which may be visible under one modality and not under the other are extracted and validates and confirms information visible in both. The X-ray component uses hierarchical approach based on directed Hough Transform to detect pelvic structures, removing the need for manual initialization. The X-ray component uses cubic spline interpolation to regulate ASM deformation during X-ray image segmentation. Key regions of the pelvis are first segmented and identified, allowing detection methods to be specialized to each structure using anatomical knowledge. The CT processing component is able to distinguish bone from other non-bone objects with similar visual characteristics, such a blood and contrast fluid, permitting detection and quantification of soft tissue hemorrhage. The CT processing component draws attention to slices where irregularities are detected, reducing the time to fully examine a pelvic CT scan. The quantitative measurement of bone displacement and hemorrhage area are used as input for a trauma decision-support system, along with physiological signals, injury details and demographic information.
Inventors: Kayvan Najarian (Glen Allen); Simina Vasilache (Annandale, Va.); Rebecca Smith (Richmond); Kevin R. Ward (Glen Allen)
Assignee: Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond)
September 17, 2013
Packaging materials with enhanced thermal-insulating performance
Patent 8,541,074
A packaging material including a paper-based substrate having a first surface and a second surface and a thermal-insulating composition on the first surface of the substrate, wherein the thermal-insulating composition includes, based on the total weight of the composition, filler in an amount of 20% to 70% by weight, organic binder in an amount of 15% to 70% by weight, and plasticizer in an amount of 0.5% to 10% by weight.
Inventors: Vladislav Babinsky (Fuquay Varina, N.C.); Sven Samuel Arenander (Raleigh); Dobridge Celeste Newman (Glen Allen); Bruce W. Babcock (Charleston, S.C.); David H. Hawes (Raleigh)
Assignee: Meadwestvaco Corp. (Richmond)
September 24, 2013
Flavorant ester salts of polycarboxylic acids and methods for immobilizing and delivering flavorants containing hydroxyl groups
Patent 8,541,401
Compositions are provided which contain immobilized flavorants for flavor delivery. In particular, smoking compositions are provided which contain flavorant ester salts of polycarboxylic acids.
Inventors: Munmaya K. Mishra (Richmond); Shengsheng Liu (Richmond); Diane S. Kellogg (Ashland)
Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc. (Richmond)
September 24, 2013
Oral moist smokeless tobacco products with net-structured gel coating and methods of making
Patent 8,539,958
Oral tobacco products having a gel-coating and methods for making are provided. The method includes (a) molding a portion of tobacco material to form a pre-portioned piece of tobacco material, the tobacco material comprising moist smokeless tobacco; (b) contacting the pre-portioned piece of tobacco material with a gel-coating solution to form a gel-coating comprising at least one polymer on an outer surface of the pre-portioned piece of tobacco material to form a gel-coated oral tobacco product, said gel-coating comprising an inner surface disposed around the pre-portioned piece of tobacco material and an outer surface; and (c) forming one or more of perforations, uncoated areas and holes in the gel-coating of the oral tobacco product to form a gel-coated oral tobacco product.
Inventors: Munmaya K. Mishra (Manakin Sabot); Shengsheng Liu (Richmond); William R. Sweeney (Richmond); Szu-Sung Yang (Midlothian); Dennis Geib (Richmond)
Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc. (Richmond)
September 24, 2013
Cigarettes and cigarette filters including activated carbon for removing nitric oxide
Patent 8,539,957
Filters and cigarettes include an activated carbon sorbent capable of selectively removing nitric oxide from mainstream tobacco smoke. Methods for making cigarette filters and cigarettes using the activated carbon sorbent and methods for treating mainstream tobacco smoke produced by smoking a cigarette comprising the sorbent are also provided.
Inventors: Wei-Jun Zhang (Richmond); Mark Zhuang (Richmond); Shahryar Rabiei (Richmond); Firooz Rasouli (Midlothian)
Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc. (Richmond)
September 24, 2013
Method for manufacture of smoking article filter assembly including electrostatically charged fiber
Patent 8,534,294
Provided are a method and apparatus for making a cigarette filter assembly for potentially reducing particle breakthrough. The method includes forming a lofty porous network of charge retaining polymer fibers by mechanical, chemical or thermal bonding of the fibers, wrapping the lofty porous network in a cylindrical or tubular shape with optional mediating filter fibers in a filter paper to form a filter plug while maintaining the lofty structure. The charge retaining fibers can be charged to attract and hold particles from such sources as particulate matter from sorbents (preventing break-through), and smoke constituents while having a suitable pressure drop. The apparatus handles the lofty media with minimal crushing, for example, by spacing apart delivery rolls equipped with protrusions to punch, push, and/or pull the lofty media ahead for high speed operation.
Inventors: Szu-Sung Yang (Midlothian); Lixin L. Xue (Midlothian); Jing C. Chang (Springfield)
Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc. (Richmond)
September 17, 2013
Single wall nanotube constructs and uses therefor
Patent 8,540,965
The present invention provides soluble single wall nanotube constructs functionalized with a plurality of a targeting moiety and a plurality of one or more payload molecules attached thereto. The targeting moiety and the payload molecules may be attached to the soluble single wall carbon nanotube via a DNA or other oligomer platform attached to the single wall carbon nanotube. These soluble single wall carbon nanotube constructs may comprise a radionuclide or contrast agent and as such are effective as diagnostic and therapeutic agents. Methods provided herein are to diagnosing or locating a cancer, treating a cancer, eliciting an immune response against a cancer or delivering an anticancer drug in situ via an enzymatic nanofactory using the soluble single wall carbon nanotube constructs.
Inventors: David A. Scheinberg (New York, N.Y.); Michael McDevitt (Bronx, N.Y.); Christophe Antczak (New York); Debjit Chattopadhyay (Pennington, N.J.); Rena May (Richmond); Jon Njardarson (Ithaca, N.Y.); Mark Reid Philips (New York)
Assignee: Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research (New York City)
September 24, 2013
Pop and slide container
Patent 8,540,113
Disclosed is a container comprising a lid and a base. The lid has a top surface and a side wall all about the perimeter of the top surface. The side wall has a lip which may be formed from a rolled edge. The base has a bottom surface and a side wall. The side wall further includes a plurality of tapered sections, a plurality of retention bumps, and a plurality of pivot bumps. The lid is adapted to fit over the base such that the rolled edge abuts underneath the retention bumps and pivot bumps securing the lid in place when the container is closed. The rolled edge of the lid pivots about and slides along the pivot bumps when the container is in an open position to create an opening for accessing contents of the container.
Inventors: Ryan A. Bailey (Richmond)
Assignee: R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
September 24, 2013
Tampon applicator barrels having gripping structures and methods of forming
Patent 8,539,660
A tampon applicator barrel including a cardboard tube having a first end and a second end and at least one gripping structure defined from the cardboard tube proximate the second end is provided. The cardboard tube has a wall thickness of between about 0.015 and about 0.020 inches, while the gripping structure has a height of up to about 0.035 inches.
Inventors: Wayne D. Melvin (Felton, Del.); Michael L. Miller (Dover, Del.); Jamshid Rejai (Dover); Van T. Pham (Dover); Joseph S. Konrad (Dover); Wojtek S. Drewnowski (Richmond)
Assignee: Playtex Products, Inc. (Shelton, Conn.)
September 24, 2013
Hydrogen generator and method for the production of hydrogen
Patent 8,540,856
An apparatus and method for generating hydrogen. The hydrogen generator of the present invention includes a closed body having a sidewall and two end plates defining a cavity therein. A plurality of electrodes and a plurality of proton exchange membranes are disposed within the cavity. Each proton exchange membrane is sandwiched between two electrodes thereby creating a plurality of hydrogen generating cells disposed along the inner wall of the sidewall. An inflated bladder insures intimate contact between the electrodes and proton exchange membranes. The hydrogen generating cells are operated in series by applying a DC voltage of opposite polarity to electrodes at opposing ends of the cells. Applying the voltage and admitting water into the generator enables hydrogen generation at 12 volts or higher while limiting the potential on each proton exchange membrane to 2 volts thereby protecting the proton exchange membranes from damage or failure by voltage overload.
Inventors: Fred T. Mayers Sr. (Chester); Edward N. Miller (Glen Allen); Fred T. Mayers Jr. (Chester)
September 24, 2013
Transparent conductive nano-composites
Patent 8,540,542
The present invention, in one embodiment, provides a method of forming an organic electric device that includes providing a plurality of carbon nanostructures; and dispersing the plurality of carbon nanostructures in a polymeric matrix to provide a polymeric composite, wherein when the plurality of carbon nanostructures are present at a first concentration an interface of the plurality of carbon nanostructures and the polymeric matrix is characterized by charge transport when an external energy is applied, and when the plurality of carbon nanostructures are present at a second concentration the interface of the plurality of carbon nanostructures and the polymeric matrix are characterized by exciton dissociation when an external energy is applied, wherein the first concentration is less than the second concentration.
Inventors: David Bruce Geohegan (Knoxville, Tenn.); Ilia N. Ivanov (Knoxville); Alexander A. Puretzky (Knoxville); Stephen Jesse (Knoxville); Bin Hu (Knoxville); Matthew Garrett (Sandston); Bin Zhao (Easley, S.C.)
Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC (Oak Ridge, Tenn.); University of Tennessee Research Foundation (Knoxville)
September 24, 2013
Method and system for debt recovery
Patent 8,538,880
According to one embodiment of the invention, a method of debt recovery is provided. The method includes providing a device to a consumer owing a debt to a creditor. The device has a utility that becomes available to the consumer after being activated by the creditor. The method also includes indicating to the consumer that the utility of the device will be activated if the consumer contacts the creditor.
Inventors: Daniel J. Welker (Boise, Idaho); Anthony P. Reynolds (Richmond); John F. Magnuson (Boise); James A. Haworth (Boise); Sow A. Kobayashi (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.); Oren Knishinsky (Boston)
Assignee: Capital One Financial Corp. (McLean)
September 17, 2013
Method of manufacturing a roller bearing seal
Patent 8,533,957
A method of manufacturing bearing seal for use in a roller bearing is provided. A steel coil of a preselected width is fed into a ring rolling machine to form a closed coil ring. The closed coil ring is then welded along the butted joint. The welded closed coil ring is then fed to a series of pre-forming machines wherein the desired profiles of the final bearing seal are formed.
Inventors: Bryan J. Spurlock (Petersburg); Dwight A. Marcellus (Petersburg)
Assignee: Amsted Rail Company, Inc. (Chicago)
September 17, 2013
Combined USB flash drive cap audio device
Patent 8,539,125
A combined USB flash drive cap audio device is provided. In at least one embodiment, a thumb drive cap includes: a portable housing defined as a USB cap for a portable USB storage thumb drive; a female USB connector interface defined within the portable housing and configured to receive and electronically couple to a male USB connector on the portable USB storage thumb drive; a control unit disposed within the portable housing and configured to enable audio playback through the thumb drive cap of audio data stored on the connected portable USB storage thumb drive; and a plurality of user interface buttons disposed upon the portable housing and through which the thumb drive cap is controlled by a user for audio playback and audio record.
Inventors: Michael Ford (Ashland); Sarah Ford (Ashland)
September 17, 2013
Accurate pelvic fracture detection for X-ray and CT images
Patent 8,538,117
Accurate pelvic fracture detection is accomplished with automated X-ray and Computed Tomography (CT) images for diagnosis and recommended therapy. The system combines computational methods to process images from two different modalities, using Active Shape Model (ASM), spline interpolation, active contours, and wavelet transform. By processing both X-ray and CT images, features which may be visible under one modality and not under the other are extracted and validates and confirms information visible in both. The X-ray component uses hierarchical approach based on directed Hough Transform to detect pelvic structures, removing the need for manual initialization. The X-ray component uses cubic spline interpolation to regulate ASM deformation during X-ray image segmentation. Key regions of the pelvis are first segmented and identified, allowing detection methods to be specialized to each structure using anatomical knowledge. The CT processing component is able to distinguish bone from other non-bone objects with similar visual characteristics, such a blood and contrast fluid, permitting detection and quantification of soft tissue hemorrhage. The CT processing component draws attention to slices where irregularities are detected, reducing the time to fully examine a pelvic CT scan. The quantitative measurement of bone displacement and hemorrhage area are used as input for a trauma decision-support system, along with physiological signals, injury details and demographic information.
Inventors: Kayvan Najarian (Glen Allen); Simina Vasilache (Annandale, Va.); Rebecca Smith (Richmond); Kevin R. Ward (Glen Allen)
Assignee: Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond)
September 17, 2013
Packaging materials with enhanced thermal-insulating performance
Patent 8,541,074
A packaging material including a paper-based substrate having a first surface and a second surface and a thermal-insulating composition on the first surface of the substrate, wherein the thermal-insulating composition includes, based on the total weight of the composition, filler in an amount of 20% to 70% by weight, organic binder in an amount of 15% to 70% by weight, and plasticizer in an amount of 0.5% to 10% by weight.
Inventors: Vladislav Babinsky (Fuquay Varina, N.C.); Sven Samuel Arenander (Raleigh); Dobridge Celeste Newman (Glen Allen); Bruce W. Babcock (Charleston, S.C.); David H. Hawes (Raleigh)
Assignee: Meadwestvaco Corp. (Richmond)
September 24, 2013
Flavorant ester salts of polycarboxylic acids and methods for immobilizing and delivering flavorants containing hydroxyl groups
Patent 8,541,401
Compositions are provided which contain immobilized flavorants for flavor delivery. In particular, smoking compositions are provided which contain flavorant ester salts of polycarboxylic acids.
Inventors: Munmaya K. Mishra (Richmond); Shengsheng Liu (Richmond); Diane S. Kellogg (Ashland)
Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc. (Richmond)
September 24, 2013
Oral moist smokeless tobacco products with net-structured gel coating and methods of making
Patent 8,539,958
Oral tobacco products having a gel-coating and methods for making are provided. The method includes (a) molding a portion of tobacco material to form a pre-portioned piece of tobacco material, the tobacco material comprising moist smokeless tobacco; (b) contacting the pre-portioned piece of tobacco material with a gel-coating solution to form a gel-coating comprising at least one polymer on an outer surface of the pre-portioned piece of tobacco material to form a gel-coated oral tobacco product, said gel-coating comprising an inner surface disposed around the pre-portioned piece of tobacco material and an outer surface; and (c) forming one or more of perforations, uncoated areas and holes in the gel-coating of the oral tobacco product to form a gel-coated oral tobacco product.
Inventors: Munmaya K. Mishra (Manakin Sabot); Shengsheng Liu (Richmond); William R. Sweeney (Richmond); Szu-Sung Yang (Midlothian); Dennis Geib (Richmond)
Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc. (Richmond)
September 24, 2013
Cigarettes and cigarette filters including activated carbon for removing nitric oxide
Patent 8,539,957
Filters and cigarettes include an activated carbon sorbent capable of selectively removing nitric oxide from mainstream tobacco smoke. Methods for making cigarette filters and cigarettes using the activated carbon sorbent and methods for treating mainstream tobacco smoke produced by smoking a cigarette comprising the sorbent are also provided.
Inventors: Wei-Jun Zhang (Richmond); Mark Zhuang (Richmond); Shahryar Rabiei (Richmond); Firooz Rasouli (Midlothian)
Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc. (Richmond)
September 24, 2013
Method for manufacture of smoking article filter assembly including electrostatically charged fiber
Patent 8,534,294
Provided are a method and apparatus for making a cigarette filter assembly for potentially reducing particle breakthrough. The method includes forming a lofty porous network of charge retaining polymer fibers by mechanical, chemical or thermal bonding of the fibers, wrapping the lofty porous network in a cylindrical or tubular shape with optional mediating filter fibers in a filter paper to form a filter plug while maintaining the lofty structure. The charge retaining fibers can be charged to attract and hold particles from such sources as particulate matter from sorbents (preventing break-through), and smoke constituents while having a suitable pressure drop. The apparatus handles the lofty media with minimal crushing, for example, by spacing apart delivery rolls equipped with protrusions to punch, push, and/or pull the lofty media ahead for high speed operation.
Inventors: Szu-Sung Yang (Midlothian); Lixin L. Xue (Midlothian); Jing C. Chang (Springfield)
Assignee: Philip Morris USA Inc. (Richmond)
September 17, 2013
Single wall nanotube constructs and uses therefor
Patent 8,540,965
The present invention provides soluble single wall nanotube constructs functionalized with a plurality of a targeting moiety and a plurality of one or more payload molecules attached thereto. The targeting moiety and the payload molecules may be attached to the soluble single wall carbon nanotube via a DNA or other oligomer platform attached to the single wall carbon nanotube. These soluble single wall carbon nanotube constructs may comprise a radionuclide or contrast agent and as such are effective as diagnostic and therapeutic agents. Methods provided herein are to diagnosing or locating a cancer, treating a cancer, eliciting an immune response against a cancer or delivering an anticancer drug in situ via an enzymatic nanofactory using the soluble single wall carbon nanotube constructs.
Inventors: David A. Scheinberg (New York, N.Y.); Michael McDevitt (Bronx, N.Y.); Christophe Antczak (New York); Debjit Chattopadhyay (Pennington, N.J.); Rena May (Richmond); Jon Njardarson (Ithaca, N.Y.); Mark Reid Philips (New York)
Assignee: Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research (New York City)
September 24, 2013
Pop and slide container
Patent 8,540,113
Disclosed is a container comprising a lid and a base. The lid has a top surface and a side wall all about the perimeter of the top surface. The side wall has a lip which may be formed from a rolled edge. The base has a bottom surface and a side wall. The side wall further includes a plurality of tapered sections, a plurality of retention bumps, and a plurality of pivot bumps. The lid is adapted to fit over the base such that the rolled edge abuts underneath the retention bumps and pivot bumps securing the lid in place when the container is closed. The rolled edge of the lid pivots about and slides along the pivot bumps when the container is in an open position to create an opening for accessing contents of the container.
Inventors: Ryan A. Bailey (Richmond)
Assignee: R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
September 24, 2013
Tampon applicator barrels having gripping structures and methods of forming
Patent 8,539,660
A tampon applicator barrel including a cardboard tube having a first end and a second end and at least one gripping structure defined from the cardboard tube proximate the second end is provided. The cardboard tube has a wall thickness of between about 0.015 and about 0.020 inches, while the gripping structure has a height of up to about 0.035 inches.
Inventors: Wayne D. Melvin (Felton, Del.); Michael L. Miller (Dover, Del.); Jamshid Rejai (Dover); Van T. Pham (Dover); Joseph S. Konrad (Dover); Wojtek S. Drewnowski (Richmond)
Assignee: Playtex Products, Inc. (Shelton, Conn.)
September 24, 2013
Hydrogen generator and method for the production of hydrogen
Patent 8,540,856
An apparatus and method for generating hydrogen. The hydrogen generator of the present invention includes a closed body having a sidewall and two end plates defining a cavity therein. A plurality of electrodes and a plurality of proton exchange membranes are disposed within the cavity. Each proton exchange membrane is sandwiched between two electrodes thereby creating a plurality of hydrogen generating cells disposed along the inner wall of the sidewall. An inflated bladder insures intimate contact between the electrodes and proton exchange membranes. The hydrogen generating cells are operated in series by applying a DC voltage of opposite polarity to electrodes at opposing ends of the cells. Applying the voltage and admitting water into the generator enables hydrogen generation at 12 volts or higher while limiting the potential on each proton exchange membrane to 2 volts thereby protecting the proton exchange membranes from damage or failure by voltage overload.
Inventors: Fred T. Mayers Sr. (Chester); Edward N. Miller (Glen Allen); Fred T. Mayers Jr. (Chester)
September 24, 2013
Transparent conductive nano-composites
Patent 8,540,542
The present invention, in one embodiment, provides a method of forming an organic electric device that includes providing a plurality of carbon nanostructures; and dispersing the plurality of carbon nanostructures in a polymeric matrix to provide a polymeric composite, wherein when the plurality of carbon nanostructures are present at a first concentration an interface of the plurality of carbon nanostructures and the polymeric matrix is characterized by charge transport when an external energy is applied, and when the plurality of carbon nanostructures are present at a second concentration the interface of the plurality of carbon nanostructures and the polymeric matrix are characterized by exciton dissociation when an external energy is applied, wherein the first concentration is less than the second concentration.
Inventors: David Bruce Geohegan (Knoxville, Tenn.); Ilia N. Ivanov (Knoxville); Alexander A. Puretzky (Knoxville); Stephen Jesse (Knoxville); Bin Hu (Knoxville); Matthew Garrett (Sandston); Bin Zhao (Easley, S.C.)
Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC (Oak Ridge, Tenn.); University of Tennessee Research Foundation (Knoxville)
September 24, 2013
Method and system for debt recovery
Patent 8,538,880
According to one embodiment of the invention, a method of debt recovery is provided. The method includes providing a device to a consumer owing a debt to a creditor. The device has a utility that becomes available to the consumer after being activated by the creditor. The method also includes indicating to the consumer that the utility of the device will be activated if the consumer contacts the creditor.
Inventors: Daniel J. Welker (Boise, Idaho); Anthony P. Reynolds (Richmond); John F. Magnuson (Boise); James A. Haworth (Boise); Sow A. Kobayashi (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.); Oren Knishinsky (Boston)
Assignee: Capital One Financial Corp. (McLean)
September 17, 2013
Method of manufacturing a roller bearing seal
Patent 8,533,957
A method of manufacturing bearing seal for use in a roller bearing is provided. A steel coil of a preselected width is fed into a ring rolling machine to form a closed coil ring. The closed coil ring is then welded along the butted joint. The welded closed coil ring is then fed to a series of pre-forming machines wherein the desired profiles of the final bearing seal are formed.
Inventors: Bryan J. Spurlock (Petersburg); Dwight A. Marcellus (Petersburg)
Assignee: Amsted Rail Company, Inc. (Chicago)
September 17, 2013