Identity Resolution In Knowledge Graph Databases
Patent No. 11880379
A method may include presenting a user interface on a computing device, the user interface including: an input element configured to receive an input of a search concept; a similar concept selection element; and a concept comparison portion; executing a similarity search in a vector-space representation of a knowledge graph using the input; populating the similar concept selection element with a set of a similar concepts based on a result of the executed similarity search; receiving a selection of a comparison concept of the set of similar concepts from the similar concept selection element; generating a predicate comparison visualization in the concept comparison portion based on predicates in the knowledge graph of the comparison concept and the search concept; and presenting the predicate comparison visualization in the concept comparison portion.
Inventors: David Newman (Walnut Creek, Calif.); Omar B. Khan (Richmond); Nikolai Anisimov (Concord, Calif.)
Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank (San Francisco, Calif.)
Jan. 23, 2024
Compositions And Methods For Producing Tobacco Plants And Products Having Reduced Or Eliminated Suckers
Patent No. 11879130
The present disclosure provides the identification of genes involved in sucker growth in tobacco. Also provided are promoters that are preferentially active in tobacco axillary buds. Also provided are modified tobacco plants comprising reduced or no sucker growth. Also provided are methods and compositions for producing modified tobacco plants comprising reduced or no sucker growth.
Inventors: Dongmei Xu (Glen Allen, Va.); Jesse Frederick (Richmond); Chengalrayan Kudithipudi (Midlothian, Va.); Yanxin Shen (Glen Allen, Va.); James Strickland (Richmond); Jaemo Yang (Richmond)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 23, 2024
Non-combustible Smoking Systems, Devices And Elements Thereof
Patent No. 11877595
At least one example embodiment provides a non-combustible smoking system or kit, comprising: a cartridge having a first end and a second end; and a tobacco containing section having a third end and a fourth end. The cartridge includes: a pre-vapor formulation reservoir element and a pre-vapor heating element coupled to the pre-vapor formulation reservoir element. The tobacco containing section includes a tobacco housing and a tobacco heating element. The first end of the cartridge is configured to be connected to the fourth end of the tobacco containing section, and the second end of the cartridge is configured to be connected to the third end of the tobacco containing section.
Inventors: Christopher S. Tucker (Midlothian, Va.); Barry Smith (Hopewell, Va.); Ed Cadieux (Mechanicsville, Va.); David Bennett (Richmond); Raquel Olegario (Richmond); San Li (Midlothian, Va.); Georgios Karles (Richmond); Richard Jupe (Richmond); Peter Lipowicz (Richmond); Benjamin Ragland (Providence Forge, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 23, 2024
Process For Preventing Organoleptic Degradation In Flexibly-packaged Sensitive Foods And Packaged Products Thereof
Patent No. 11878854
This invention relates to a process for reducing or eliminating organoleptic degradation in organoleptically sensitive foods packaged in flexible packaging, and packaged products thereof. This invention also relates to organoleptic flexible packaging made from polymeric films comprising oxidation-stable and non-migratory polysiloxane as slip additive. The oxidative-stability and non-migratory nature of the polysiloxane slip additive provides an organoleptic flexible packaging that is non-interactive with and inert to the organoleptically sensitive food packaged within, specifically: (1) coffee; (2) beer; (3) water; and (4) wine.
Inventor: Lamy Chopin (Missouri City, Texas)
Assignee: Liqui-Box Corp. (Richmond)
Jan. 23, 2024
Presentation And Control Of User Interactions With A User Interface Element
Patent No. 11880546
In some implementations, a system may transmit a first set of user interface (UI) data indicating a UI having a first interaction element. The system may receive interaction data indicating a user interaction with the first interaction element. The system may determine one or more suggestions to provide based on one or more factors related to account information associated with a user account. The system may transmit a second set of UI data associated with a UI element and that may indicate a first portion, extending downward from a top of a display of the user device, that may include one or more second interaction elements corresponding to the suggestions, and a second portion extending upward from a bottom of the display and including a virtual keyboard. An intermediate portion of the UI may be exposed through a gap between the first and second portions of the UI element.
Inventors: Erik Jay Salazar De Leon (Richmond); Thomas Dohan II (Elmhurst, Ill.); Xiang Lan (South Orange, N.J.); Vivian Wang (McLean, Va.); Jennifer L. Ellison (New Kent, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 23, 2024
Methods For Monitoring And Controlling Contaminants In Food Processing Systems
Patent No. 11879163
A method for determining the lignin or lignin by-product content of a process stream includes measuring the fluorescence parameter of a fluorescence spectra of the process stream, comparing the measured fluorescence parameter with predetermined a fluorescence parameter of lignin or lignin by-product reference samples, determining the amount of lignin or lignin by-product based on the comparison with the reference samples. Lignin or lignin by-products can then be removed from a process stream by adding a sufficient amount of a compound suitable for precipitating the lignin or lignin by-product to the process stream, and removing the precipitated lignin or lignin by-product from the process stream.
Inventors: John K. Burchtorf (Glen Allen, Va.); Megan Pettygrove (Glen Allen, Va.); William H. Henderson (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Chemtreat (Glen Allen, Va.)
Jan. 23, 2024
Removable Seat Attachments For Strollers
Patent No. 11878729
Embodiments include strollers having removable seats. An example stroller may include rear wheels, front wheels, and a frame including a handle portion, a rear wheel support portion, a front wheel support portion and a folding mechanism connecting the front wheel support portion and the handle portion in both an unfolded configuration and in a folded configuration. The frame may include a stroller seat support portion positioned at a first vertical position adjacent the handle portion, and a front seat attachment configured for attachment to the front wheel support portion at a second vertical position substantially lower than the first vertical position. The front seat attachment may be configured to support the front stroller seat substantially over the front wheels so that a center of gravity of the stroller system is between the front wheels and the rear wheels.
Inventor: Mark Zehfuss (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Baby Jogger (Atlanta, Ga.)
Jan. 23, 2024
Contactless Fuel Payment Systems And Methods
Patent No. 11880819
A system may receive, via an NFC tag disposed proximate a vehicle fuel tank, a fuel transaction request from a third-party POS NFC reader positioned proximate a fuel pump. The system may detect a user device being paired with a vehicle communication device of the vehicle to enable a short-range wireless communication. The system may determine that the user device is associated with an authorized user of the vehicle. The system may unlock the NFC tag to enable the NFC tag to communicate with the third-party POS NFC reader for a predefined time limit responsive to determining that the user device is associated with the authorized user. Responsive to unlocking the NFC tag, the system may retrieve account payment information associated with the authorized user, and may transmit, via the NFC tag, the account payment information to the third-party POS NFC reader to complete the fuel transaction.
Inventor: Matthew Nowak (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 23, 2024
Systems And Methods For Percutaneous Access And Formation Of Arteriovenous Fistulas
Patent No. 11877785
A device and method for creating an arteriovenous (AV) fistula includes a proximal base having a distal diagonal end surface and a distal tip connected to the proximal base and movable relative to the proximal base. The distal tip has a proximal diagonal end surface. A heating assembly, including an energized heating element, is disposed one of the distal diagonal end surface and the proximal diagonal end surface. A passive heating assembly is disposed on the mating diagonal end surface. The distal diagonal end surface and the proximal diagonal end surface are adapted to contact opposing sides of a tissue portion to create a fistula. The angle of the proximal diagonal end surface matches the angle of the distal diagonal end surface, so that the two surfaces match one another during deployment.
Inventors: Jeffrey E. Hull (Midlothian, Va.); David T. Aldridge (Dana Point, Calif.); Seth A. Foerster (San Clemente, Calif.); Brad M. Kellerman (Escondido, Calif.); Gene B. Reu (San Clemente, Calif.); Mark A. Ritchart (Murrieta, Calif.); David K. Wrolstad (Fallbrook, Calif.)
Assignee: Avenu Medical Inc. (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
Jan. 23, 2024
Baseball Pitching Training Device
Patent No. 11878225
A baseball pitching training device used to instruct the throwing of a fastball, curveball, and change-up by a right handed pitcher through indicia placement on the baseball cover while maintaining the structural integrity of the baseball. The indicia provide finger alignment to grip the baseball needed to throw the desired pitch used in the sport of baseball. Correct finger alignment allows the baseball to sit in the right hand supported by the thumb, and non grip finger(s) to throw the chosen baseball pitch.
Inventor: William Henry Shelton Jr. (Mechanicsville, Va.)
Assignee: N/A
Jan. 23, 2024
Elastomeric Container With Integrated Leak Resistant Seal And Pressure Shield
Patent No. 11878834
A container made of an elastomer such as silicone with a leak resistant seal and pressure shield. The seal incorporates press-fit elements sufficient to provide a strong seal that resists leakage of liquids from inside the container. The pressure shield increases leak resistance, is formed by material disposed on an inside of the container, and works by deflecting pressure away from the two leak resistant seal portions. The pressure shield includes a bottom pressure shield having an average thickness of at least 0.15 cm, and a top pressure shield having an average thickness of at least 0.15 cm.
Inventors: Paul Maguire (Goochland, Va.); Katousha Ghaemi Nouri (Emeryville, Calif.); Angelo Carpinelli (Emeryville, Calif.); Bryan Kin Fo Au (Hong Kong, China)
Assignee: Stasher (Emeryville, Calif.)
Jan. 23, 2024
Gasoline Additive Composition For Improved Engine Performance
Patent No. 11884890
The present disclosure provides fuel additives including quaternary ammonium salt additive(s) and Mannich detergent additive(s) effective to improve engine performance in both port fuel injected and gasoline direct injection engines.
Inventors: Janice Jianzhao Wang (Glen Allen, Va.); Julienne Galante-Fox (Midlothian, Va.); Shannon Bendel (Chesterfield, Va.); Saeid Shirazi (Richmond)
Assignee: Afton Chemical Corp. (Richmond)
Jan. 30, 2024
Antiwear System For Improved Copper Corrosion
Patent No. 11884893
An oil-soluble ashless antiwear additive and a lubricating composition including the ashless antiwear additive having improved copper corrosion performance obtained by reacting an organic hydroxy compound with phosphorus pentasulfide to form a reaction product, distilling the reaction product and recovering a condensate, and reacting the condensate with an unsaturated carboxylic acid to form an oil-soluble phosphorus antiwear additive.
Inventors: Brandon Knouse (Moseley, Va.); David Edwards (Richmond); Magdalena Makowska (Mechanicsville, Va.); Gregory James (Glen Allen, Va.); Robert McCovick (Chesterfield)
Assignee: Afton Chemical Corp. (Richmond)
Jan. 30, 2024
Antiwear System For Improved Copper Corrosion
Patent No. 11884892
An organometallic phosphorus-providing antiwear additive and a lubricating composition including the organometallic phosphorus-providing antiwear additive having improved copper corrosion performance obtained by reacting an organic hydroxy compound with phosphorus pentasulfide to form a reaction product, distilling the reaction product and recovering a condensate, and neutralizing the condensate with a basic or neutral metal compound including one or more of a metal oxide, a metal hydroxide, or a metal carbonate to form the organometallic phosphorus-providing antiwear additive or salt thereof.
Inventors: Brandon Knouse (Moseley, Va.); David Edwards (Richmond); Magdalena Makowska (Mechanicsville, Va.); Keith Hayes (Chesterfield, Va.); Gregory James (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Afton Chemical Corp. (Richmond)
Jan. 30, 2024
Pouch Material For Smokeless Tobacco And Tobacco Substitute Products
Patent No. 11882866
A melt-blown fabric for pouching smokeless tobacco or a smokeless tobacco substitute can include melt-blown polymer fibers. The fabric can have a basis weight of less than 10 gsm and a tensile strength of at least 4 mJ in at least one predetermined direction. Method of making the fabric can include melt-blowing a polymeric material against a support surface and bonding the fibers or arranging them in a predetermined orientation. Pouched smokeless tobacco or tobacco substitute products including the fabrics provided herein can provide desirable flavor and tactile experience.
Inventors: Andrew Nathan Carroll (Chester, Va.); Shannon Maxwell Black (Richmond); Yan Helen Sun (Midlothian, Va.); William J. Burke (Nashville, Tenn.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 30, 2024
Capsules, Heat-not-burn (HNB) Aerosol-generating Devices, And Methods Of Generating An Aerosol
Patent No. 11882872
A capsule for a heat-not-burn (HNB) aerosol-generating device may include a base of a thermally-conductive material, the base defining a first cavity therein, the base including a first surface, the first surface defining an opening to a second cavity, the first surface including a first plurality of apertures through the first surface. The capsule may further include a cover coupled to the base and on the base, the cover including a second plurality of apertures in a middle portion of the cover, the first plurality of apertures and the second plurality of apertures defining an air flow path through the base and the cover.
Inventors: Yannick Hourmand (Haslingfield, Great Britain); Niall Gallagher (Cambridge, Great Britain); Zack Blackmon (Williamsburg, Va.); Patrick M. Good (Richmond); Jarrett Keen (Richmond); Rangaraj S. Sundar (Midlothian, Va.); Eric Hawes (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 30, 2024
Heating Element And Heater Assemblies, Cartridges, And E-vapor Devices Including A Heating Element
Patent No. 11882878
In an example embodiment, a heater assembly for an electronic heating device includes a heating element and a support. The heating element includes a planar portion, a first lead, and a second lead. The planar portion includes a filament. The filament defines an air channel through the planar portion. The filament includes a plurality of curves. At least one of the curves has a tip thereon. At least one of the first lead portion, the second lead portion, or both the first lead portion and the second lead portion are generally coplanar with the planar portion of the heating element. The heating element is in contact with the support such that the tip of the at least one of the curves rests thereon.
Inventors: Arie Holtz (Jerusalem, Israel); Isaac Weigensberg (Tekoa, Israel)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 30, 2024
Apparatus And Method For Assembling A Heater Assembly For A Non-nicotine Pod Assembly
Patent No. 11882883
An apparatus for assembling a heater assembly for a non-nicotine pod assembly includes a base, a wick feed, a slide, and a holder. The wick feed extends toward the base and defines a channel configured to receive a wick structured to draw a non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation via capillary action. The slide is configured to move along a plane on a top face of the base. The holder is disposed on the top face of the base.
Inventors: Gregory L. Nelson (Chester, Va.); Bipin Patil (Richmond); Craig Gunn (Richmond); Rangaraj S. Sundar (Richmond)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 30, 2024
Apparatus And Method For Assembling A Heater Assembly For A Nicotine Pod Assembly
Patent No. 11882884
An apparatus for assembling a heater assembly for a nicotine pod assembly includes a base, a wick feed, a slide, and a holder. The wick feed extends toward the base and defines a channel configured to receive a wick structured to draw a nicotine pre-vapor formulation via capillary action. The slide is configured to move along a plane on a top face of the base. The holder is disposed on the top face of the base.
Inventors: Gregory L. Nelson (Chester, Va.); Bipin Patil (Richmond); Craig Gunn (Richmond); Rangaraj S. Sundar (Richmond)
Assignee: Altria Client Services
Jan. 30, 2024
Aerosol Actuators And Methods For Using The Same
Patent No. 11884475
An aerosol dispensing system having an aerosol actuator with a skirt and a skirt angle of between 50 and 70 degrees fitted on an aerosol can having a can slope angle within about 3 or 5 or 7 or 10 degrees of the skirt angle.
Inventor: Brandon Ramsuer (Hernrico, Va.)
Assignee: Silgan Dispensing Systems Corp. (Richmond)
Jan. 30, 2024
Systems And Methods For Dynamic Granular Access Permissions
Patent No. 11888853
An application for dynamic, granular access permissions can include a database interface, a user interface, a login process, an administrator, an event handler and an authorization process. The database interface can be an interface to an access control permissions database that stores roles, actions, or policies for users of the application. The login process can authenticate a user and determine a default set of access control permissions for that user when they are using the user interface. The administrator can provide access control permissions for a user by using the database interface. The event handler can dynamically modify access to functionality in the user interface based on an event. The authorization process can determine whether a request from the user interface is authorized before process the request. The authorization process can use access control permissions from the administrator and either a scope limited or a temporally limited access permission.
Inventors: Brian Childress (Richmond); Sean Stokely (Richmond)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 30, 2024
Roller Bearing Seal Case
Patent No. 11885376
In one aspect, a seal case is provided for a roller bearing assembly having a central axis. The seal case includes an annular first end section including a rim configured to engage an outer ring, an intermediate section including a radial wall extending inwardly from the first end section and an axial wall extending axially away from the radial wall and the first end section, and an annular second end section extending radially inward from the axial wall of the intermediate section. The seal case further includes an insert of the first end section made of a first material. The first end section and the radial wall of the intermediate section include a second material joined to the insert. The first material of the insert may be selected to provide improved durability and/or to resist expansion and contraction of the first end section caused by changes in temperature.
Inventor: Mark W. K. Fetty (Chesterfield, Va.)
Assignee: Amsted Rail Co. (Chicago, Ill.)
Jan. 30, 2024
Methods And Systems For Producing Hypobromite By Adding Acid To Reactants
Patent No. 11884540
The reaction of sodium hypochlorite with sodium bromide is slow, and commonly only part of the bromide is converted to hypobromite. Methods to accelerate the reaction by adding a regulated amount of acid to a solution comprising bleach and bromide are provided, whereby the yield of hypobromite can be increased. The amount of acid added can be predetermined based on the content of a base in the bleach, and acid can be added to neutralize the base. The amount of acid added can be based on a measured parameter of the reaction that is indicative of reaction kinetics. For example, the amount of acid can be actively controlled by measuring pH, absorbance of visible or near Ultraviolet light, or temperature of the reacting solution and adjusting acid.
Inventors: Oleh Weres (Reno, Nevada); Chris Baron (Newark, Del.)
Assignee: Chemtreat (Glen Allen, Va.)
Jan. 30, 2024
Distributed Work Data Management
Patent No. 11886389
A device may receive, from a user device, a transaction request associated with a first entity and identify a distributed ledger associated with the first entity, the distributed ledger including a set of blocks recording work data associated with the first entity. The set of blocks may include: a first subset of blocks including data specifying work performed by the first entity, and a second subset of blocks including data verifying a portion of the work performed by the first entity and specified by the data included in the first subset of blocks. The device may determine that a transaction, associated with the transaction request, is associated with the first subset of blocks and the second subset of blocks. Based on predetermined instructions that correspond to the transaction and the distributed ledger, the device may perform the transaction.
Inventors: Walter Miller (Glen Allen, Va.); Robert Martin (Glen Allen, Va.); Bradley Smith (Mechanicsville, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 30, 2024
Customized Navigation Flow
Patent No. 11886526
Methods and systems as described herein may enable customized navigation flow for websites/applications. Navigation flows (e.g., the pages, user interfaces, views, etc. that are displayed to a user) may be customized for each user. Navigation parameters may be generated for a user and may indicate a customized navigation flow for the user. The navigation parameters may indicate one or more pages of a website/application and an order that each of the one or more pages should be displayed to the user. The navigation parameters may indicate a trigger for each page. A trigger may indicate an action and/or event that causes a change in display to the next page in the navigation flow. Navigation parameters may be shared between devices, which may enable the user to experience the same navigation flow across multiple websites/applications.
Inventor: Rendheer Joshy (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 30, 2024
System And Method For Providing A Group Account
Patent No. 11887097
Systems and methods include a group fund processor having a communications interface that receives account data associated with a primary account from a device over a network, creates a group fund account, and associate one or more limits with the group fund account, an alert interface that transmits an electronic invitation including a description of a first amount to an invited user and receives a response from the invited user to the at least one invitation, wherein the response includes account data associated with a respective group member account of the invited user; and an account processor that links the group fund account to the primary account, and links respective group member account of the invited user to the group fund account so that the first amount is transferred from the respective group member account of the invited user to the group fund account.
Inventors: Christopher M. Wetzel (Wayne, Penn.); Daniel Beck (Arlington, Va.); Paul Young Moreton (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 30, 2024
Systems And Methods For Managing Foreign Transactions
Patent No. 11887127
Systems and methods are provided for managing foreign transactions. An exemplary method may include providing, to a device of the user, instructions to display an application interface. The application interface may receive user requests to specify a foreign geographical area and to enable and disable the foreign transaction service in the foreign geographical area. The method may also include receiving, through the application interface, a request to enable the foreign transaction service. The method may include associating a transaction rule with the payment account. The transaction rule may define a condition upon which approval of a foreign transaction is permitted. The method may also include receiving a foreign transaction authorization request associated with the payment account. The method may also include approving the foreign transaction authorization request when the condition is met and declining the foreign transaction authorization request when the condition is not met.
Inventors: Abhinav Bhagwati Agrawal (Washington, D.C.); Riken Shah (Ashburn, Va.); Joshua M. Wilbur (Potomac, Md.); Samuel Fahler (Arlington, Va.); Colleen Kerr (Washington, D.C.); Jeffrey Samitt (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 30, 2024
System And Method For Fast Application Auto-scaling
Patent No. 11888927
A resource management system is disclosed herein that quickly and dynamically tailors application resource provisioning to real-time application resource consumption. The resource management system may service application requests using resources selected from a pool of servers, the pool of servers including a mixture of virtual server resources and serverless instance resources. The serverless instance resource may comprise software objects programmed using a machine image reflecting one or more states of a virtual application server booted using application-specific program code. Supporting an application using serverless instances enables dynamic scaling of application resources to support real-time application servicing loads.
Inventors: Nirmal Parekh (Glen Allen, Va.); Zachary Abrahamson (Moseley, Va.); Mahesh Veerabathiran (Henrico, Va.); Sathish Gampa (Plano, Texas); Steven Pearson (Plano, Texas)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 30, 2024
Identifying Outdated Cloud Computing Services
Patent No. 11888945
A cloud tracking system may store configuration data separately for each account of multiple accounts that an entity has with a cloud computing provider and may aggregate the configuration data into a data structure that stores the configuration data together for the multiple accounts. The cloud tracking system may receive a request that includes a user identifier of a user associated with the entity and may search for the user identifier in the data structure. The cloud tracking system may identify a set of deployed cloud computing services associated with the user identifier based on searching for the user identifier in the data structure, wherein the set of deployed cloud computing services is associated with more than one account of the multiple accounts. The cloud tracking system may identify one or more deployed cloud computing services, of the set of deployed cloud computing services, that are outdated.
Inventor: Divya Mathew (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 30, 2024
Restricting Access Based On Voice Communication Parameters
Patent No. 11889011
Methods and systems are described herein for manipulating a communication acceptance screen, manipulating an interactive communication acceptance icon, and restricting access to accounts based on voice communication parameters. In particular, when a communication is detected from one device to another device, that communication may be risky. Thus, the risk is mitigated by giving a user information about the source of the communication to give a user a chance to reject the communication. In addition, in instances where the user accepts the communication, the system enables monitoring the communication and restricting any accounts that are disclosed within the communication.
Inventors: Asher Smith-Rose (Midlothian, Va.); Tyler Maiman (Melville, N.Y.); Lin Ni Lisa Cheng (Great Neck, N.Y.); Salik Shah (Washington, D.C.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 30, 2024
Seal Integrity Indicator For A Sterilization Container
Patent No. 11883553
Seal integrity indicators for sterilization containers are provided. For example, a seal indicator may indicate whether the container is sufficiently sealed to prevent an ingress of contaminants into the container. If the container is sufficiently sealed, the seal indicator is visible, but if not, the seal indicator is not visible. Thus, the seal indicator undergoes a change in state when the sterilization container transitions from unsealed to sealed, or vice versa, such that a user may ascertain whether the container is properly sealed to maintain the container’s sterility. An exemplary seal indicator includes an invertible projection formed with the container gasket that is not visible from outside the container until inverted, due to force applied by the lid, to extend through an opening in the container body. Closure mechanisms for sterilization containers also are provided.
Inventors: Namita A. Mithani (Alpharetta, Ga.); Anthony Stephen Spencer (Woodstock, Ga.); Tracy J. White (Cumming, Ga.); Edward B. Madsen (Cumming, Ga.); Marshall R. Dean (Cumming, Ga.)
Assignee: O&M Halyard (Mechanicsville, Va.)
Jan. 30, 2024
Identity Resolution In Knowledge Graph Databases
Patent No. 11880379
A method may include presenting a user interface on a computing device, the user interface including: an input element configured to receive an input of a search concept; a similar concept selection element; and a concept comparison portion; executing a similarity search in a vector-space representation of a knowledge graph using the input; populating the similar concept selection element with a set of a similar concepts based on a result of the executed similarity search; receiving a selection of a comparison concept of the set of similar concepts from the similar concept selection element; generating a predicate comparison visualization in the concept comparison portion based on predicates in the knowledge graph of the comparison concept and the search concept; and presenting the predicate comparison visualization in the concept comparison portion.
Inventors: David Newman (Walnut Creek, Calif.); Omar B. Khan (Richmond); Nikolai Anisimov (Concord, Calif.)
Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank (San Francisco, Calif.)
Jan. 23, 2024
Compositions And Methods For Producing Tobacco Plants And Products Having Reduced Or Eliminated Suckers
Patent No. 11879130
The present disclosure provides the identification of genes involved in sucker growth in tobacco. Also provided are promoters that are preferentially active in tobacco axillary buds. Also provided are modified tobacco plants comprising reduced or no sucker growth. Also provided are methods and compositions for producing modified tobacco plants comprising reduced or no sucker growth.
Inventors: Dongmei Xu (Glen Allen, Va.); Jesse Frederick (Richmond); Chengalrayan Kudithipudi (Midlothian, Va.); Yanxin Shen (Glen Allen, Va.); James Strickland (Richmond); Jaemo Yang (Richmond)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 23, 2024
Non-combustible Smoking Systems, Devices And Elements Thereof
Patent No. 11877595
At least one example embodiment provides a non-combustible smoking system or kit, comprising: a cartridge having a first end and a second end; and a tobacco containing section having a third end and a fourth end. The cartridge includes: a pre-vapor formulation reservoir element and a pre-vapor heating element coupled to the pre-vapor formulation reservoir element. The tobacco containing section includes a tobacco housing and a tobacco heating element. The first end of the cartridge is configured to be connected to the fourth end of the tobacco containing section, and the second end of the cartridge is configured to be connected to the third end of the tobacco containing section.
Inventors: Christopher S. Tucker (Midlothian, Va.); Barry Smith (Hopewell, Va.); Ed Cadieux (Mechanicsville, Va.); David Bennett (Richmond); Raquel Olegario (Richmond); San Li (Midlothian, Va.); Georgios Karles (Richmond); Richard Jupe (Richmond); Peter Lipowicz (Richmond); Benjamin Ragland (Providence Forge, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 23, 2024
Process For Preventing Organoleptic Degradation In Flexibly-packaged Sensitive Foods And Packaged Products Thereof
Patent No. 11878854
This invention relates to a process for reducing or eliminating organoleptic degradation in organoleptically sensitive foods packaged in flexible packaging, and packaged products thereof. This invention also relates to organoleptic flexible packaging made from polymeric films comprising oxidation-stable and non-migratory polysiloxane as slip additive. The oxidative-stability and non-migratory nature of the polysiloxane slip additive provides an organoleptic flexible packaging that is non-interactive with and inert to the organoleptically sensitive food packaged within, specifically: (1) coffee; (2) beer; (3) water; and (4) wine.
Inventor: Lamy Chopin (Missouri City, Texas)
Assignee: Liqui-Box Corp. (Richmond)
Jan. 23, 2024
Presentation And Control Of User Interactions With A User Interface Element
Patent No. 11880546
In some implementations, a system may transmit a first set of user interface (UI) data indicating a UI having a first interaction element. The system may receive interaction data indicating a user interaction with the first interaction element. The system may determine one or more suggestions to provide based on one or more factors related to account information associated with a user account. The system may transmit a second set of UI data associated with a UI element and that may indicate a first portion, extending downward from a top of a display of the user device, that may include one or more second interaction elements corresponding to the suggestions, and a second portion extending upward from a bottom of the display and including a virtual keyboard. An intermediate portion of the UI may be exposed through a gap between the first and second portions of the UI element.
Inventors: Erik Jay Salazar De Leon (Richmond); Thomas Dohan II (Elmhurst, Ill.); Xiang Lan (South Orange, N.J.); Vivian Wang (McLean, Va.); Jennifer L. Ellison (New Kent, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 23, 2024
Methods For Monitoring And Controlling Contaminants In Food Processing Systems
Patent No. 11879163
A method for determining the lignin or lignin by-product content of a process stream includes measuring the fluorescence parameter of a fluorescence spectra of the process stream, comparing the measured fluorescence parameter with predetermined a fluorescence parameter of lignin or lignin by-product reference samples, determining the amount of lignin or lignin by-product based on the comparison with the reference samples. Lignin or lignin by-products can then be removed from a process stream by adding a sufficient amount of a compound suitable for precipitating the lignin or lignin by-product to the process stream, and removing the precipitated lignin or lignin by-product from the process stream.
Inventors: John K. Burchtorf (Glen Allen, Va.); Megan Pettygrove (Glen Allen, Va.); William H. Henderson (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Chemtreat (Glen Allen, Va.)
Jan. 23, 2024
Removable Seat Attachments For Strollers
Patent No. 11878729
Embodiments include strollers having removable seats. An example stroller may include rear wheels, front wheels, and a frame including a handle portion, a rear wheel support portion, a front wheel support portion and a folding mechanism connecting the front wheel support portion and the handle portion in both an unfolded configuration and in a folded configuration. The frame may include a stroller seat support portion positioned at a first vertical position adjacent the handle portion, and a front seat attachment configured for attachment to the front wheel support portion at a second vertical position substantially lower than the first vertical position. The front seat attachment may be configured to support the front stroller seat substantially over the front wheels so that a center of gravity of the stroller system is between the front wheels and the rear wheels.
Inventor: Mark Zehfuss (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Baby Jogger (Atlanta, Ga.)
Jan. 23, 2024
Contactless Fuel Payment Systems And Methods
Patent No. 11880819
A system may receive, via an NFC tag disposed proximate a vehicle fuel tank, a fuel transaction request from a third-party POS NFC reader positioned proximate a fuel pump. The system may detect a user device being paired with a vehicle communication device of the vehicle to enable a short-range wireless communication. The system may determine that the user device is associated with an authorized user of the vehicle. The system may unlock the NFC tag to enable the NFC tag to communicate with the third-party POS NFC reader for a predefined time limit responsive to determining that the user device is associated with the authorized user. Responsive to unlocking the NFC tag, the system may retrieve account payment information associated with the authorized user, and may transmit, via the NFC tag, the account payment information to the third-party POS NFC reader to complete the fuel transaction.
Inventor: Matthew Nowak (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 23, 2024
Systems And Methods For Percutaneous Access And Formation Of Arteriovenous Fistulas
Patent No. 11877785
A device and method for creating an arteriovenous (AV) fistula includes a proximal base having a distal diagonal end surface and a distal tip connected to the proximal base and movable relative to the proximal base. The distal tip has a proximal diagonal end surface. A heating assembly, including an energized heating element, is disposed one of the distal diagonal end surface and the proximal diagonal end surface. A passive heating assembly is disposed on the mating diagonal end surface. The distal diagonal end surface and the proximal diagonal end surface are adapted to contact opposing sides of a tissue portion to create a fistula. The angle of the proximal diagonal end surface matches the angle of the distal diagonal end surface, so that the two surfaces match one another during deployment.
Inventors: Jeffrey E. Hull (Midlothian, Va.); David T. Aldridge (Dana Point, Calif.); Seth A. Foerster (San Clemente, Calif.); Brad M. Kellerman (Escondido, Calif.); Gene B. Reu (San Clemente, Calif.); Mark A. Ritchart (Murrieta, Calif.); David K. Wrolstad (Fallbrook, Calif.)
Assignee: Avenu Medical Inc. (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
Jan. 23, 2024
Baseball Pitching Training Device
Patent No. 11878225
A baseball pitching training device used to instruct the throwing of a fastball, curveball, and change-up by a right handed pitcher through indicia placement on the baseball cover while maintaining the structural integrity of the baseball. The indicia provide finger alignment to grip the baseball needed to throw the desired pitch used in the sport of baseball. Correct finger alignment allows the baseball to sit in the right hand supported by the thumb, and non grip finger(s) to throw the chosen baseball pitch.
Inventor: William Henry Shelton Jr. (Mechanicsville, Va.)
Assignee: N/A
Jan. 23, 2024
Elastomeric Container With Integrated Leak Resistant Seal And Pressure Shield
Patent No. 11878834
A container made of an elastomer such as silicone with a leak resistant seal and pressure shield. The seal incorporates press-fit elements sufficient to provide a strong seal that resists leakage of liquids from inside the container. The pressure shield increases leak resistance, is formed by material disposed on an inside of the container, and works by deflecting pressure away from the two leak resistant seal portions. The pressure shield includes a bottom pressure shield having an average thickness of at least 0.15 cm, and a top pressure shield having an average thickness of at least 0.15 cm.
Inventors: Paul Maguire (Goochland, Va.); Katousha Ghaemi Nouri (Emeryville, Calif.); Angelo Carpinelli (Emeryville, Calif.); Bryan Kin Fo Au (Hong Kong, China)
Assignee: Stasher (Emeryville, Calif.)
Jan. 23, 2024
Gasoline Additive Composition For Improved Engine Performance
Patent No. 11884890
The present disclosure provides fuel additives including quaternary ammonium salt additive(s) and Mannich detergent additive(s) effective to improve engine performance in both port fuel injected and gasoline direct injection engines.
Inventors: Janice Jianzhao Wang (Glen Allen, Va.); Julienne Galante-Fox (Midlothian, Va.); Shannon Bendel (Chesterfield, Va.); Saeid Shirazi (Richmond)
Assignee: Afton Chemical Corp. (Richmond)
Jan. 30, 2024
Antiwear System For Improved Copper Corrosion
Patent No. 11884893
An oil-soluble ashless antiwear additive and a lubricating composition including the ashless antiwear additive having improved copper corrosion performance obtained by reacting an organic hydroxy compound with phosphorus pentasulfide to form a reaction product, distilling the reaction product and recovering a condensate, and reacting the condensate with an unsaturated carboxylic acid to form an oil-soluble phosphorus antiwear additive.
Inventors: Brandon Knouse (Moseley, Va.); David Edwards (Richmond); Magdalena Makowska (Mechanicsville, Va.); Gregory James (Glen Allen, Va.); Robert McCovick (Chesterfield)
Assignee: Afton Chemical Corp. (Richmond)
Jan. 30, 2024
Antiwear System For Improved Copper Corrosion
Patent No. 11884892
An organometallic phosphorus-providing antiwear additive and a lubricating composition including the organometallic phosphorus-providing antiwear additive having improved copper corrosion performance obtained by reacting an organic hydroxy compound with phosphorus pentasulfide to form a reaction product, distilling the reaction product and recovering a condensate, and neutralizing the condensate with a basic or neutral metal compound including one or more of a metal oxide, a metal hydroxide, or a metal carbonate to form the organometallic phosphorus-providing antiwear additive or salt thereof.
Inventors: Brandon Knouse (Moseley, Va.); David Edwards (Richmond); Magdalena Makowska (Mechanicsville, Va.); Keith Hayes (Chesterfield, Va.); Gregory James (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Afton Chemical Corp. (Richmond)
Jan. 30, 2024
Pouch Material For Smokeless Tobacco And Tobacco Substitute Products
Patent No. 11882866
A melt-blown fabric for pouching smokeless tobacco or a smokeless tobacco substitute can include melt-blown polymer fibers. The fabric can have a basis weight of less than 10 gsm and a tensile strength of at least 4 mJ in at least one predetermined direction. Method of making the fabric can include melt-blowing a polymeric material against a support surface and bonding the fibers or arranging them in a predetermined orientation. Pouched smokeless tobacco or tobacco substitute products including the fabrics provided herein can provide desirable flavor and tactile experience.
Inventors: Andrew Nathan Carroll (Chester, Va.); Shannon Maxwell Black (Richmond); Yan Helen Sun (Midlothian, Va.); William J. Burke (Nashville, Tenn.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 30, 2024
Capsules, Heat-not-burn (HNB) Aerosol-generating Devices, And Methods Of Generating An Aerosol
Patent No. 11882872
A capsule for a heat-not-burn (HNB) aerosol-generating device may include a base of a thermally-conductive material, the base defining a first cavity therein, the base including a first surface, the first surface defining an opening to a second cavity, the first surface including a first plurality of apertures through the first surface. The capsule may further include a cover coupled to the base and on the base, the cover including a second plurality of apertures in a middle portion of the cover, the first plurality of apertures and the second plurality of apertures defining an air flow path through the base and the cover.
Inventors: Yannick Hourmand (Haslingfield, Great Britain); Niall Gallagher (Cambridge, Great Britain); Zack Blackmon (Williamsburg, Va.); Patrick M. Good (Richmond); Jarrett Keen (Richmond); Rangaraj S. Sundar (Midlothian, Va.); Eric Hawes (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 30, 2024
Heating Element And Heater Assemblies, Cartridges, And E-vapor Devices Including A Heating Element
Patent No. 11882878
In an example embodiment, a heater assembly for an electronic heating device includes a heating element and a support. The heating element includes a planar portion, a first lead, and a second lead. The planar portion includes a filament. The filament defines an air channel through the planar portion. The filament includes a plurality of curves. At least one of the curves has a tip thereon. At least one of the first lead portion, the second lead portion, or both the first lead portion and the second lead portion are generally coplanar with the planar portion of the heating element. The heating element is in contact with the support such that the tip of the at least one of the curves rests thereon.
Inventors: Arie Holtz (Jerusalem, Israel); Isaac Weigensberg (Tekoa, Israel)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 30, 2024
Apparatus And Method For Assembling A Heater Assembly For A Non-nicotine Pod Assembly
Patent No. 11882883
An apparatus for assembling a heater assembly for a non-nicotine pod assembly includes a base, a wick feed, a slide, and a holder. The wick feed extends toward the base and defines a channel configured to receive a wick structured to draw a non-nicotine pre-vapor formulation via capillary action. The slide is configured to move along a plane on a top face of the base. The holder is disposed on the top face of the base.
Inventors: Gregory L. Nelson (Chester, Va.); Bipin Patil (Richmond); Craig Gunn (Richmond); Rangaraj S. Sundar (Richmond)
Assignee: Altria Client Services (Richmond)
Jan. 30, 2024
Apparatus And Method For Assembling A Heater Assembly For A Nicotine Pod Assembly
Patent No. 11882884
An apparatus for assembling a heater assembly for a nicotine pod assembly includes a base, a wick feed, a slide, and a holder. The wick feed extends toward the base and defines a channel configured to receive a wick structured to draw a nicotine pre-vapor formulation via capillary action. The slide is configured to move along a plane on a top face of the base. The holder is disposed on the top face of the base.
Inventors: Gregory L. Nelson (Chester, Va.); Bipin Patil (Richmond); Craig Gunn (Richmond); Rangaraj S. Sundar (Richmond)
Assignee: Altria Client Services
Jan. 30, 2024
Aerosol Actuators And Methods For Using The Same
Patent No. 11884475
An aerosol dispensing system having an aerosol actuator with a skirt and a skirt angle of between 50 and 70 degrees fitted on an aerosol can having a can slope angle within about 3 or 5 or 7 or 10 degrees of the skirt angle.
Inventor: Brandon Ramsuer (Hernrico, Va.)
Assignee: Silgan Dispensing Systems Corp. (Richmond)
Jan. 30, 2024
Systems And Methods For Dynamic Granular Access Permissions
Patent No. 11888853
An application for dynamic, granular access permissions can include a database interface, a user interface, a login process, an administrator, an event handler and an authorization process. The database interface can be an interface to an access control permissions database that stores roles, actions, or policies for users of the application. The login process can authenticate a user and determine a default set of access control permissions for that user when they are using the user interface. The administrator can provide access control permissions for a user by using the database interface. The event handler can dynamically modify access to functionality in the user interface based on an event. The authorization process can determine whether a request from the user interface is authorized before process the request. The authorization process can use access control permissions from the administrator and either a scope limited or a temporally limited access permission.
Inventors: Brian Childress (Richmond); Sean Stokely (Richmond)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 30, 2024
Roller Bearing Seal Case
Patent No. 11885376
In one aspect, a seal case is provided for a roller bearing assembly having a central axis. The seal case includes an annular first end section including a rim configured to engage an outer ring, an intermediate section including a radial wall extending inwardly from the first end section and an axial wall extending axially away from the radial wall and the first end section, and an annular second end section extending radially inward from the axial wall of the intermediate section. The seal case further includes an insert of the first end section made of a first material. The first end section and the radial wall of the intermediate section include a second material joined to the insert. The first material of the insert may be selected to provide improved durability and/or to resist expansion and contraction of the first end section caused by changes in temperature.
Inventor: Mark W. K. Fetty (Chesterfield, Va.)
Assignee: Amsted Rail Co. (Chicago, Ill.)
Jan. 30, 2024
Methods And Systems For Producing Hypobromite By Adding Acid To Reactants
Patent No. 11884540
The reaction of sodium hypochlorite with sodium bromide is slow, and commonly only part of the bromide is converted to hypobromite. Methods to accelerate the reaction by adding a regulated amount of acid to a solution comprising bleach and bromide are provided, whereby the yield of hypobromite can be increased. The amount of acid added can be predetermined based on the content of a base in the bleach, and acid can be added to neutralize the base. The amount of acid added can be based on a measured parameter of the reaction that is indicative of reaction kinetics. For example, the amount of acid can be actively controlled by measuring pH, absorbance of visible or near Ultraviolet light, or temperature of the reacting solution and adjusting acid.
Inventors: Oleh Weres (Reno, Nevada); Chris Baron (Newark, Del.)
Assignee: Chemtreat (Glen Allen, Va.)
Jan. 30, 2024
Distributed Work Data Management
Patent No. 11886389
A device may receive, from a user device, a transaction request associated with a first entity and identify a distributed ledger associated with the first entity, the distributed ledger including a set of blocks recording work data associated with the first entity. The set of blocks may include: a first subset of blocks including data specifying work performed by the first entity, and a second subset of blocks including data verifying a portion of the work performed by the first entity and specified by the data included in the first subset of blocks. The device may determine that a transaction, associated with the transaction request, is associated with the first subset of blocks and the second subset of blocks. Based on predetermined instructions that correspond to the transaction and the distributed ledger, the device may perform the transaction.
Inventors: Walter Miller (Glen Allen, Va.); Robert Martin (Glen Allen, Va.); Bradley Smith (Mechanicsville, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 30, 2024
Customized Navigation Flow
Patent No. 11886526
Methods and systems as described herein may enable customized navigation flow for websites/applications. Navigation flows (e.g., the pages, user interfaces, views, etc. that are displayed to a user) may be customized for each user. Navigation parameters may be generated for a user and may indicate a customized navigation flow for the user. The navigation parameters may indicate one or more pages of a website/application and an order that each of the one or more pages should be displayed to the user. The navigation parameters may indicate a trigger for each page. A trigger may indicate an action and/or event that causes a change in display to the next page in the navigation flow. Navigation parameters may be shared between devices, which may enable the user to experience the same navigation flow across multiple websites/applications.
Inventor: Rendheer Joshy (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 30, 2024
System And Method For Providing A Group Account
Patent No. 11887097
Systems and methods include a group fund processor having a communications interface that receives account data associated with a primary account from a device over a network, creates a group fund account, and associate one or more limits with the group fund account, an alert interface that transmits an electronic invitation including a description of a first amount to an invited user and receives a response from the invited user to the at least one invitation, wherein the response includes account data associated with a respective group member account of the invited user; and an account processor that links the group fund account to the primary account, and links respective group member account of the invited user to the group fund account so that the first amount is transferred from the respective group member account of the invited user to the group fund account.
Inventors: Christopher M. Wetzel (Wayne, Penn.); Daniel Beck (Arlington, Va.); Paul Young Moreton (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 30, 2024
Systems And Methods For Managing Foreign Transactions
Patent No. 11887127
Systems and methods are provided for managing foreign transactions. An exemplary method may include providing, to a device of the user, instructions to display an application interface. The application interface may receive user requests to specify a foreign geographical area and to enable and disable the foreign transaction service in the foreign geographical area. The method may also include receiving, through the application interface, a request to enable the foreign transaction service. The method may include associating a transaction rule with the payment account. The transaction rule may define a condition upon which approval of a foreign transaction is permitted. The method may also include receiving a foreign transaction authorization request associated with the payment account. The method may also include approving the foreign transaction authorization request when the condition is met and declining the foreign transaction authorization request when the condition is not met.
Inventors: Abhinav Bhagwati Agrawal (Washington, D.C.); Riken Shah (Ashburn, Va.); Joshua M. Wilbur (Potomac, Md.); Samuel Fahler (Arlington, Va.); Colleen Kerr (Washington, D.C.); Jeffrey Samitt (Glen Allen, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 30, 2024
System And Method For Fast Application Auto-scaling
Patent No. 11888927
A resource management system is disclosed herein that quickly and dynamically tailors application resource provisioning to real-time application resource consumption. The resource management system may service application requests using resources selected from a pool of servers, the pool of servers including a mixture of virtual server resources and serverless instance resources. The serverless instance resource may comprise software objects programmed using a machine image reflecting one or more states of a virtual application server booted using application-specific program code. Supporting an application using serverless instances enables dynamic scaling of application resources to support real-time application servicing loads.
Inventors: Nirmal Parekh (Glen Allen, Va.); Zachary Abrahamson (Moseley, Va.); Mahesh Veerabathiran (Henrico, Va.); Sathish Gampa (Plano, Texas); Steven Pearson (Plano, Texas)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 30, 2024
Identifying Outdated Cloud Computing Services
Patent No. 11888945
A cloud tracking system may store configuration data separately for each account of multiple accounts that an entity has with a cloud computing provider and may aggregate the configuration data into a data structure that stores the configuration data together for the multiple accounts. The cloud tracking system may receive a request that includes a user identifier of a user associated with the entity and may search for the user identifier in the data structure. The cloud tracking system may identify a set of deployed cloud computing services associated with the user identifier based on searching for the user identifier in the data structure, wherein the set of deployed cloud computing services is associated with more than one account of the multiple accounts. The cloud tracking system may identify one or more deployed cloud computing services, of the set of deployed cloud computing services, that are outdated.
Inventor: Divya Mathew (Midlothian, Va.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 30, 2024
Restricting Access Based On Voice Communication Parameters
Patent No. 11889011
Methods and systems are described herein for manipulating a communication acceptance screen, manipulating an interactive communication acceptance icon, and restricting access to accounts based on voice communication parameters. In particular, when a communication is detected from one device to another device, that communication may be risky. Thus, the risk is mitigated by giving a user information about the source of the communication to give a user a chance to reject the communication. In addition, in instances where the user accepts the communication, the system enables monitoring the communication and restricting any accounts that are disclosed within the communication.
Inventors: Asher Smith-Rose (Midlothian, Va.); Tyler Maiman (Melville, N.Y.); Lin Ni Lisa Cheng (Great Neck, N.Y.); Salik Shah (Washington, D.C.)
Assignee: Capital One Services (McLean, Va.)
Jan. 30, 2024
Seal Integrity Indicator For A Sterilization Container
Patent No. 11883553
Seal integrity indicators for sterilization containers are provided. For example, a seal indicator may indicate whether the container is sufficiently sealed to prevent an ingress of contaminants into the container. If the container is sufficiently sealed, the seal indicator is visible, but if not, the seal indicator is not visible. Thus, the seal indicator undergoes a change in state when the sterilization container transitions from unsealed to sealed, or vice versa, such that a user may ascertain whether the container is properly sealed to maintain the container’s sterility. An exemplary seal indicator includes an invertible projection formed with the container gasket that is not visible from outside the container until inverted, due to force applied by the lid, to extend through an opening in the container body. Closure mechanisms for sterilization containers also are provided.
Inventors: Namita A. Mithani (Alpharetta, Ga.); Anthony Stephen Spencer (Woodstock, Ga.); Tracy J. White (Cumming, Ga.); Edward B. Madsen (Cumming, Ga.); Marshall R. Dean (Cumming, Ga.)
Assignee: O&M Halyard (Mechanicsville, Va.)
Jan. 30, 2024