The present invention has an object to obtain a polyimide film that has a sufficiently smooth surface without peeling even in a case where the polyimide film is a thick film and that is excellent in adhesion to an inorganic substrate. An alkoxysilane-modified polyamic acid solution of the present invention contains: an alkoxysilane-modified polyamic acid; and a surface control agent, the alkoxysilane-modified polyamic acid solution having a specific viscosity, the alkoxysilane-modified polyamic acid being obtained by reacting a polyamic acid with an alkoxysilane compound containing an amino group, and the polyamic acid being obtained by reacting a diamine with a tetracarboxylic dianhydride.

The invention is directed to a modular surgical simulation trainer that makes use of anatomic surrogates placed within a housing to simulate a wide variety of various medical conditions including various laryngeal and tracheal pathological conditions. The anatomic surrogates exhibit tissue like properties and resemble healthy tissue or pathological tissue.

A process of making a tack-free gel is disclosed comprising the steps of providing a mold defining a mold cavity, the mold cavity comprising a plastic material; pouring or injecting a molten gel having a high molding temperature into the mold cavity; and forming the tack-free gel as a thin layer of plastic of the mold cavity is melted over the gel. The forming step further comprises cooling the gel from the molten state to a solidified state. The melting temperature of the plastic material is lower than the molding temperature of the gel; and the higher the temperature differential, the greater the melting of the plastic material and the thicker the layer of the plastic material on the surface of the gel. The mold may be formed of low-density polyethylene (LDPE).

A reflector for reflecting light emitted by an LED light source and a method of forming the same are provided. The reflector has a unitary silicone body having a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The unitary silicone body has an inner surface extending between the first and second ends. The inner surface defines a first aperture at the first end for receiving the LED light source. The inner surface defines a second aperture at the second end for permitting light emitted from the LED light source to escape the unitary silicone body. The inner surface has a maximum inner diameter between the first and second ends. The inner surface has an inner diameter at the second end that is less than the maximum inner diameter.

In a cost-effective and qualitatively better method for producing spacers for a winding unit of an electrical high-voltage device, at least two starting components are mixed together in a mixing chamber under vacuum to form a component mixture. The component mixture is transferred to an extrusion housing, likewise under vacuum, of an extruder in which a transport device is arranged and which is equipped with a mouthpiece delimiting an outlet opening. The extrudate exiting from the mouthpiece is cured by the addition of heat in a vacuum in order to obtain the spacers.

The present invention relates to microfluidic devices that comprise a 3-D microfluidic network of microchannels of arbitrary complexity and to a method for fabricating such devices. In particular, the invention relates to a method of forming microfluidic devices having 3-D microfluidic networks that contain open or closed loop microchannels using a single-step molding process without the need for layer-by-layer fabrication, and to the resultant microfluidic devices. The networks of such microfluidic devices may comprise one or more microchannel circuits which may be discrete or interconnected.

The invention relates to a method for producing a surge arrester, comprising the steps of: providing a module 1 comprising one or more varistor blocks 3 and two end armatures 5; introducing the module 1 into a mould 7 in order to form a housing 21; evacuating the mould 7 in a vacuum chamber 9; introducing liquid silicone 11 into the evacuated mould 7 in the vacuum chamber 9; baking the mould 7 in order to crosslink the silicone 11; and removing the surge arrester from the mould 7.

Described are systems, methods, and apparatus for replacing the corrugated containers and dunnage to facilitate packaging of items in foam containers, referred to as polymer encapsulations, that can be used to protect and contain the item during shipment. When one or more items are ordered for delivery to a destination, the item(s) is picked from inventory and a rapidly setting polymer foam is injected around the bagged item to encapsulate and protect the item. For example, at packing, rather than placing the item in a corrugated container, temporary walls may be positioned around the bagged item and a pre-polymer injected into the space between the walls that surround the item such that a polymer forms that encases the item. After the polymer sets, the walls are retracted and the item is protected by the formed polymer encapsulation and available for transport to the destination.

A method for manufacturing a wheel including a step (a) during which a liquid to be polymerised is cast into a first mould so as to solidify same into a tubular preform, with main axis, the first mould including modelling cores in order to form recesses, of the rib type, in the radial thickness of the tubular preform; followed by a cutting step (b), during which the tubular preform is cut perpendicular to the main axis thereof, and secant to the recesses, so as to obtain a tubular preform section forming a rim; followed by an overmoulding step (d), during which said rim is placed in a second mould, concentrically with a central supporting member, such as a bushing or a shaft, and a polymer filling material is injected so as to create an intermediate disc that provides the attachment of the rim to the central supporting member.

A cast-molded article in a composite material comprising a cured polymeric binder incorporating embedded particles of filler, characterized in that the binder incorporates randomly distributed fibers of polyamide, wherein the fibers have a length of 5-20 mm and a diameter of 0.05-0.2 mm and the fibers comprise 0.02-0.5 wt % based on the overall mass of the cast-molded article.