Did You Know...
...that while attempting to develop a super strong glue, 3M employee Spencer Silver accidentally developed a glue that was so weak it would barely hold two pieces of paper together? However, his colleague Art Fry needed the glue. Fry sang with his church choir and marked the pages of his hymnal with small scraps of paper that often fell out. He used Silver's glue to hold the papers in place. Today we call this invention Post-it Notes.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| D659824 | Dental high-volume suction cup evacuator with venting | 05/15/2012 |
| 8171658 | Snowshoe with flexible tail A snowshoe of molded plastic material has a tail section with greater flexibility than the main body section, thereby allowing the tail to give and deform as the snowshoe tail is engaged against the terrain during the gait of the user. At the same time, the tail is ... | 05/08/2012 |
| 8161781 | Electronic locker lock A locker lock fits a standard locker door three-hole door prep, with all electronics contained in a single housing mounted on the front of the locker door and a latch device behind the locker door. The locker lock preferably includes a keypad to allow rotation of a ... | 04/24/2012 |
| 8136312 | Fencing floor An aluminum floor for fencing has an improved friction surface with traction-enhancing grooves and is configured to reduce noise. Aluminum extrusions forming the floor define a flat surface but with series of parallel grooves separated by non-grooved spaces. In a pr... | 03/20/2012 |
| D655482 | Pants pockets | 03/13/2012 |
| 8128103 | Deployable side seat for a baby stroller An optionally deployable side seat for a baby stroller, to seat a second child, is secured by hand-operated connectors to nearly any baby or child stroller, without tools. The side seat faces to the side of the stroller and has a deployed position in which two wheel... | 03/06/2012 |
| 8114005 | Method for modifying skin distance from a brachytherapy balloon applicator In brachytherapy radiation treatment, particularly on the breast following a tumor resection, adequate skin to balloon distance must be maintained, to avoid damage to the skin. Often the distance is too small in certain areas or at a single point. The disclosed proc... | 02/14/2012 |
| 8086288 | Miniature wireless earring headset A battery-powered miniature wireless headset is worn as a single earring or as a pair of earrings. The headset communicates with a phone or other host over a bidirectional wireless communication link allowing hands-free operation. The wireless earring headset is com... | 12/27/2011 |
| 8070308 | Helmet mounted bicycle lights A bicycle light system has front and rear (white and red) lights with mounting brackets to secure on a bicycle helmet. A rechargeable battery is contained in the rear light casing, with an electrical cord extending between the front and rear light casings. The front... | 12/06/2011 |
| 8065950 | Automatic pistol An automatic pistol essentially consists of an immovable barrel, a breech with a firing pin and a cartridge extractor, a breech frame, a spring-loaded device for the removal of gas with a gas piston and a gas cylinder, a firing mechanism and a magazine. The barrel i... | 11/29/2011 |
| 8062203 | Proportional attenuation of radiation in brachytherapy treatment Attenuating masks for selective attenuation of radiation, particularly from an x-ray source in brachytherapy, employ materials having atomic number in a specific range, so as to attenuate radiation dose intensity generally proportionally through a range of distance ... | 11/22/2011 |
| 8052874 | Method using membrane bioreactor with reduced air scour requirements In a sewage treatment plant with a membrane bioreactor (MBR), raw untreated or partially treated wastewater (influent) and/or mixed liquor in the intensified process is superoxygenated. In a preferred form of the process the influent is superoxygenated such that mem... | 11/08/2011 |
| 8042820 | Driver's side large vehicle step A device is added to or built into a subject large vehicle, such as a large motorhome. The device provides for the driver's use either one or two retracting steps to facilitate the driver's entrance into or exit from the subject vehicle. Since these steps retract fo... | 10/25/2011 |
| 8037724 | Combination lock A combination lock comprises a bolt which is withdrawn by depressing a bolt pin which is shielded by rotating discs having a movable disc pin within them. A selector pin attached to a dial is provided for engaging in selector holes in the discs and aligning the disc... | 10/18/2011 |
| 8022257 | Methods for producing polyols using crude glycerin Methods for producing a polyols and polyurethanes are described. The polyols described herein can be produced directly from crude glycerin or through liquefaction of lignocellulosic biomass using a solvent comprising crude glycerin. The polyols produced in accordanc... | 09/20/2011 |
| 8020321 | Snowshoe footbed pivot system A snowshoe having a pivot axle for pitch rotation of the footbed platform relative to the snowshoe frame is supported from the frame in a manner that provides for significant lateral flexing, i.e. pivoting on the roll axis, to accommodate use of snowshoes on side hi... | 09/20/2011 |
| 7992819 | Thread spool and bobbin holder A thread spool holding device has a plastic base plate that holds a series of preferably soft plastic spindles that can be introduced or removed from the base and can be arranged as needed by sliding along a slotted track of the base. Each spindle can hold a threade... | 08/09/2011 |
| 7988023 | Adjustable gun sling A gun sling for carrying a rifle or shotgun is adjustable to serve either as a bungee sling or a fixed-length, non-stretch sling. In a preferred embodiment this is realized with a flexible sheath forming a portion of the sling, with a bungee cord or stretchable stra... | 08/02/2011 |
| 7922829 | Cleaning system for flat-plate membrane cartridges A cleaning system and method remove localized caked or dewatered solids from flat-plate membranes in a sewage treatment plant. The caked sludge on the membranes is removed by intense coherent water sprays directed into the spaces between cartridges of a cassette, wi... | 04/12/2011 |
| 7918778 | Gynecological brachytherapy applicator and system A vaginal brachytherapy applicator is versatile to different anatomies and more comfortable to the patient than prior applicators. An inflatable balloon on a shaft may be inelastic or elastic. In one embodiment the shaft is rotatable relative to the balloon for enab... | 04/05/2011 |
| 7918051 | Tomato growing system A plant growing kit, primarily for growing climbing plants such as tomatoes, is contained in a flat box approximately the shape of a pizza box. In preferred embodiments three legs are included, broken down into sections in the box and directable into a sturdy tripod... | 04/05/2011 |
| 7914435 | Everting gynecological brachytherapy applicator and method An everting applicator for brachytherapy of body cavities such as the vagina has a flexible sleeve secured to a distal mandrel, both the sleeve and the mandrel having internal lumens. The flexible sleeve has a diverging opening at its distal end, preferably bell-sha... | 03/29/2011 |
| 7914434 | Endoscopic/percutaneous electronic radiation applicator and method of use Treatment of lesions in any luminal or organ system of mammalian anatomy is performed using an electronic source of ionizing radiation and aided by an endoscopic or percutaneous approach. ... | 03/29/2011 |
| 7885382 | Radiation treatment using x-ray source Methods and apparatus are described for irradiating living tissue via a cavity or lumen, using an inflatable balloon applicator. In a preferred embodiment the applicator balloon has a balloon skin with x-ray contrast material in relatively low concentration, so that... | 02/08/2011 |
| 7873404 | Method for performing angioplasty and angiography with a single catheter A combination catheter enables performing an angiogram and an angioplasty (and repetitions of one or both) with the same catheter instrument, without removal from and re-insertion into an artery until the procedure is completed. ... | 01/18/2011 |
| 7815561 | Brachytherapy applicator A breast brachytherapy applicator providing a stable semi permanent/permanent in dwelling platform that is configured to replicate anatomically the excised cancer bed and allows for a more precise anatomically correct delivery of limited field radiation treatment. T... | 10/19/2010 |
| 7812725 | System for powering and reading RFID tags A system for tracking items using passive RFID tags utilizes separate data and power frequencies. Within an area in which the items are located, one or more data readers are provided but many more separate power modules are distributed through the space, for powerin... | 10/12/2010 |
| 7811543 | Controlled synthesis of nanoparticles using continuous liquid-flow aerosol method A method and apparatus for producing surface stabilized nanometer-sized particles includes the steps of mixing reactants, a surface-stabilizing surfactant, and a high boiling point liquid to form a mixture, continuously passing the mixture through an ultrasonic spra... | 10/12/2010 |
| 7783006 | Radiation treatment using x-ray source Methods and apparatus are described for irradiating living tissue via a cavity or lumen, using an inflatable balloon applicator. In a preferred embodiment the applicator balloon has a balloon skin with x-ray contrast material in relatively low concentration, so that... | 08/24/2010 |
| 7771340 | Method and apparatus for modifying distance from a brachytherapy radiation source to sensitive anatomical structures A balloon brachytherapy applicator has either a single or double chambers, with the capability of “blistering” outwardly at a specified area on one side of the balloon. This is useful to move sensitive tissue farther away from a radiation source within a source ... | 08/10/2010 |
| 7744521 | Customized gynecological brachytherapy applicator and method A customized gynecological brachytherapy applicator is formed by placing a molded balloon, which is secured to a handle, into a vaginal cavity and then filling the mold balloon with a settable liquid material. The material may be an expanding foam or any other form ... | 06/29/2010 |
| D617953 | Dental floss holder | 06/15/2010 |
| 7727137 | Balloon brachytherapy applicator and method Methods and applicator apparatus are disclosed for brachytherapy treatment of tissue surrounding a cavity in a patient, particularly a resection cavity. In treatment regimes requiring recovery time between successive radiation treatments, applicators of the inventio... | 06/01/2010 |
| 7726318 | Radiation blocking patch for radio-therapy A flexible, relatively flat and thin patch, optionally made of biodegradable material, substantially attenuates ionizing radiation from normal but sensitive anatomy during radio-therapy, particularly breast brachytherapy. The patch is of such a thickness as to subst... | 06/01/2010 |
| 7713732 | High strength modular support for biofiltration and composting A modular support system for organic filter material, compost material or other material is formed of a multiplicity of polygonal bed platform modules with planar top surfaces, the modules arranged side by side contiguously to form a bed platform which is elevated a... | 05/11/2010 |
| 7686755 | Radiation therapy apparatus with selective shielding capability Brachytherapy applicators incorporate various forms of selective shielding devices for controlling the direction and intensity of radiation directed at a patient's tissue. In some forms the applicators include a retractable sheath, in some a series of retractable fi... | 03/30/2010 |
| 7681255 | Pants with cargo pocket to accommodate thigh rig A tactical pair of pants for police, military or other weapon-carrying personnel has a cargo pocket system that functions to store items in several pocket compartments in a normal cargo pocket configuration, or to carry a thigh rig holster for a pistol, in a dedicat... | 03/23/2010 |
| 7678040 | Customized gynecological brachytherapy applicator and method A customized gynecological brachytherapy applicator is formed by placing a molded balloon, which is secured to a handle, into a vaginal cavity and then filling the mold balloon with a settable liquid material. The material may be an expanding foam or any other form ... | 03/16/2010 |
| 7667603 | Embedding items with RFID tags for tracking and calibration RFID tags of very small size are embedded in products or composed of products in a manufacturing process. The system employs different read and write modes to enable auto-tracking of material, some assembly, assembly and component items through various stages of the... | 02/23/2010 |
| 7661207 | Snowshoe binding without heel strap A snowshoe binding engages the sole of the user's boot in a region between the arch and the widest part of the sole, gripping the sole laterally and sufficiently firmly that the boot will not pull out of the binding during use of the snowshoe, even in the absence of... | 02/16/2010 |
