Methods and compositions for encapsulated polymeric gels swollen with nonaqueous reactive materials are provided. The methods include gel synthesis, swelling of a gel precursor with a first nonaqueous reactive material, and encapsulation of the swollen gel with a second nonaqueous reactive material. Gels precursors may be synthesized from crosslinking polymers, or alternatively, may be formed by crosslinking and polymerizing a monomer starting material. An accelerator may be utilized to facilita...

The invention is directed to a composite material, especially a biomedical device, e.g. an ophthalmic device, preferably a contact lens, with one or more wettable surfaces capable of holding a continous layer of aqueous fluid thereon which composite material comprises a bulk material and a hydrophilic coating characterized in that the hydrophilic coating consists of a carbohydrate attached covalently to reactive groups at the surface of the bulk material, either directly or via functional groups...

The present invention relates to block copolymer compositions capable of being processed by the application of pressure. The invention also provides methods for predicting phase diagrams of polymer blends and block copolymers, particularly block copolymers comprising hard and soft blocks having properties described herein. The methods of the invention allow prediction of polymeric systems which can be processed under conditions that do not promote polymer degradation.

An object of the invention is to facilitate processing and to obtain sliders as many as possible when the sliders for thin-film magnetic heads are manufactured through the use of a circular-plate-shaped wafer in which a plurality of rows of sections to be the sliders are aligned. The circular-plate-shaped wafer includes the rows of the sections to be the sliders aligned in one orientation. Each of the sections to be the sliders includes a thin-film magnetic head element. Three types of slider ma...

Dental materials containing monomers and/or prepolymers can be subjected to a polymer-forming reaction. The dental materials comprise at least one initiating system and optionally comprise fillers, colorants, flow modifiers, stabilizers, ion-releasing substances as well as compounds which increase X-ray capacity or other modifiers. The dental materials are characterized in that the initiating system is proportioned such that the dental materials are sufficiently capable of flowing for at least 1...

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a coating material comprising: a functional coating component; and a fluorescent additive component whose fluorescence is substantially unquenched by the coating component, the fluorescent additive component having a peak fluorescence emission under excitation by visible or infrared light, the wavelength of that peak fluorescence emission being greater than 500 nm and lying outside the principal fluorescence absorption and emissi...

Bioactive substantially silica-free glass material with a hydroxyapatite layer thereon is described, as well as methods for producing hydroxyapatite on a borate glass.

An electroluminescent material which can form electroluminescent devices which emit light in the ultra-violet region of the spectrum which comprises an organic metallic complex of a transition metal, lanthanide or actinide and a polyamine ligand particularly gadolinium ethylenediaminetetraacetate sodium salt, Na[Gd(EDTA)] and gadolinium europium ethylenediaminetetraacetate salts Gd[Eu(EDTA)].sub.3.

Highly luminous, thermally stable and moisture-resistant light-emitting material derived from quadridentate ONNO-type ligands and a Group 10 metal were employed as emissive dopants in organic light-emitting devices. The dopants have molecular structures represented by the formula I and II: ##STR1## wherein M represents Group 10 metal (including platinum) and R.sub.1 -R.sub.14 are each independantly selected from the group consisting of hydrogen; halogen; alkyl; substituted alkyl; aryl; substitut...

An absorbent foam material which comprises a solid, cross-linked form of an anionic polymer (e.g. an alginate) and fibers or other cation contributing polymeric particulates which have donated appropriate cations for effecting cross-linking of the anionic polymer. Methods of producing the foam material are also disclosed.