A line for producing a cast film is disclosed having a slot die, a chill roll, an electrode assembly, an insulator assembly, a sensor device, and a control device. The electrode assembly is arranged between an impingement area of the cast film on the chill roll and a removal area. The insulator assembly is arranged between the electrode assembly and the chill roll shell. The sensor device continuously determines the left and right cast film edge. According to the determined left and right cast film edge the control device moves the insulator assembly in such a way that the insulator assembly is arranged: a) between the left end face of the chill roll and the left cast film edge; and b) between the right end face of the chill roll and the right cast film edge.

The invention relates to novel processes for the lamination of semi-crystalline, high-melting point, low glass transition polymeric films, which are extruded and subsequently laminated on various thermally sensitive substrates to form laminated medical device constructs in a specific time interval to allow low processing temperatures to avoid polymer film and/or substrate degradation or heat-related distortions. Also disclosed are laminated medical device constructs made from such processes.

An installation for producing a polymer melt for a porous film, in particular for a membrane film, comprises a planetary roller extruder. Said extruder is used to produce a flowable polymer melt from thermoplastics. The planetary roller extruder has a filling opening and a discharge side for delivering the polymer melt. A melt pump is further provided. The discharge side of the planetary roller extruder is connected to a downstream inlet side of the melt pump for further conveying the polymer melt. The connection is in the form of a pressure channel shielded from the ambient atmosphere or a pressure line shielded from the ambient atmosphere. The planetary roller extruder and the melt pump are designed and/or can be driven in such a manner that the polymer melt is applied or can be transferred under pressure at the melt pump on the inlet side.

Plasiticized polyvinylacetal films with greater film-to-film uniformity are produced by a process of extruding a melt stream containing a polyvinyl acetal and a plasticizer at 150-250 C., the film having a predefined melt viscosity at 60-170 C., by providing a first melt stream of at least a first plasticizer and a first polyvinyl acetal resin and measuring its melt viscosity at 60-170 C. online; and adjusting the 60-170 C. melt viscosity by adding a second plasticizer and/or a second polyvinyl acetal resin to the first melt stream in an amount to provide a second melt stream with a melt viscosity at 60-170 C. having a difference of at most 20% to the predefined melt viscosity at 60-170 C.

Various systems, methods and apparatus for locating emitters embedded in tubing are disclosed herein, as well as forming outlets in said tubing and confirming the placement accuracy of such outlets. In one form, an emitter locator is disclosed having: a housing defining a generally enclosed space and having an inlet located in a first side of the housing and an outlet located in a second side of the housing positioned opposite the inlet; a cutter positioned within the generally enclosed space between the inlet and outlet; a first optical instrument located proximate the inlet; a second optical instrument located proximate the outlet; and a controller connected to the cutter and first and second optical instruments, the controller configured to detect a tubing target area desired for placement of an outlet opening in tubing that passes through the inlet and cut the tubing target area to form the outlet opening therein.

Provided is a blow-molding method capable of suppressing generation of blister-like bubbles and producing a high quality hollow molded article when forming a thick hollow molded article by blow-molding. A blow-molding method includes setting a die-slit interval in a die head according to a target wall thickness of a hollow molded article to be molded, extruding a molten resin in an accumulator into a cylindrical shape from the die slit to form a parison, and molding the parison in a mold. The die-slit interval is made smaller than a value set according to the target wall thickness at start of extrusion, and then is increased to match the value set according to the target wall thickness. The value set according to the target wall thickness is preferably corrected considering wall thickness reduction due to drawdown. The wall thickness of the hollow molded article is preferably 3.5 mm or more.

A line for producing a cast film is disclosed having a slot die, a chill roll, an electrode assembly, an insulator assembly, a sensor device, and a control device. The electrode assembly is arranged between an impingement area of the cast film on the chill roll and a removal area. The insulator assembly is arranged between the electrode assembly and the chill roll shell. The sensor device continuously determines the left and right cast film edge. According to the determined left and right cast film edge the control device moves the insulator assembly in such a way that the insulator assembly is arranged: a) between the left end face of the chill roll and the left cast film edge; and b) between the right end face of the chill roll and the right cast film edge.

Various systems, methods and apparatus for locating emitters embedded in tubing are disclosed herein, as well as forming outlets in said tubing and confirming the placement accuracy of such outlets. In one form, an emitter locator is disclosed having: a housing defining a generally enclosed space and having an inlet located in a first side of the housing and an outlet located in a second side of the housing positioned opposite the inlet; a cutter positioned within the generally enclosed space between the inlet and outlet; a first optical instrument located proximate the inlet; a second optical instrument located proximate the outlet; and a controller connected to the cutter and first and second optical instruments, the controller configured to detect a tubing target area desired for placement of an outlet opening in tubing that passes through the inlet and cut the tubing target area to form the outlet opening therein.

Various systems, methods and apparatus for locating emitters embedded in tubing are disclosed herein, as well as forming outlets in said tubing and confirming the placement accuracy of such outlets. In one form, an emitter locator is disclosed having: a housing defining a generally enclosed space and having an inlet located in a first side of the housing and an outlet located in a second side of the housing positioned opposite the inlet; a cutter positioned within the generally enclosed space between the inlet and outlet; a first optical instrument located proximate the inlet; a second optical instrument located proximate the outlet; and a controller connected to the cutter and first and second optical instruments, the controller configured to detect a tubing target area desired for placement of an outlet opening in tubing that passes through the inlet and cut the tubing target area to form the outlet opening therein.

The invention relates to novel processes for the lamination of semi-crystalline, high-melting point, low glass transition polymeric films, which are extruded and subsequently laminated on various thermally sensitive substrates to form laminated medical device constructs in a specific time interval to allow low processing temperatures to avoid polymer film and/or substrate degradation or heat-related distortions. Also disclosed are laminated medical device constructs made from such processes.