Disclosed herein are kits for use in adding degradable foam to a tire, methods for preparing a degradable foam-containing tire, tires containing degradable foam, and methods for degrading the degradable foam in tires containing degradable foam. The degradable foam comprises a combination of (i) at least one di- or polyisocyanate, (ii) at least one polysiloxane diol, at least one polysiloxane diamine, or a combination thereof, and (iii) optionally at least one polyol.

Techniques herein include methods of patterning a substrate using surface energy differences found in some fluorinated polymers or polymers with long chain alkyl functionality that promotes surface or top layer segregation in a bilayer polymer system to facilitate overburden removal when the polymer mixture is deposited over a relief pattern. The method allows for fast removal of the overburden to expose the anti-spacer region which, after acid diffusion and subsequent deprotection, is also soluble in a developer. Incorporating the highly developer-soluble polymer at the top of the top layer removes the need for the remaining polymer to have a specific dissolution rate in developer.

A lens comprises an internal cavity structure formed by dissolution of a soluble insert material. The internal soluble material may dissolve through a body of a lens such as a contact lens in order to form the cavity within the contact lens. The cavity within the lens can be shaped in many ways, and corresponds to the shape of the dissolved material, such that many internal cavity shapes can be readily fabricated within the contact lens. The insert can be placed in a mold with a pre-polymer material, and the pre-polymer material cured with the insert placed in the mold to form the lens body. The polymerized polymer may comprise a low expansion polymer in order to inhibit expansion of the lens when hydrated. The polymer may comprise a hydrogel when hydrated. The soft contact lens material comprises a sufficient amount of cross-linking to provide structure to the lens and shape the cavity.

A compression moulding machine comprises: an extrusion unit configured to extrude a rod of pasty polymeric material; a cutting element, configured to portion the rod into individual charges; a rotary carousel, including a plurality of moulds, each mould being configured to receive a respective charge and to form a corresponding object from the charge; a feeder, configured to convey each charge to a respective mould at a feed position; an inspecting device, configured to capture inspection data, representing a composition of the rod or of the charges.

Apparatus and method for forming a three-dimensional object. The apparatus includes a platform on which the three-dimensional object is formed. The apparatus includes an oxygen soluble liquid having a build surface. The build surface and the platform define a build region therebetween. The apparatus includes a photosensitive liquid disposed on the oxygen soluble liquid. The density of the oxygen soluble liquid is greater than the density of the photosensitive liquid. The apparatus includes an optically transparent member. The optically transparent member supports the oxygen soluble liquid. The apparatus includes a radiation source configured to irradiate the build region through the optically transparent member and the oxygen soluble liquid to form a solid polymer from the photosensitive liquid. The apparatus includes a controller configured to advance the platform away from the build surface.

Apparatus and methods are described for manufacturing contact lenses employing dissolvable mold structure. The apparatus and methods involve approaches to dissolve at least portions of a mold and to separate a lens from the mold to present the lens for collection.

In 3-D printing a platen moves toward an intermediate transfer belt (ITB) to have a sheet positioned on the platen contact the ITB to electrostatically transfer a layer of different materials to the sheet, and then the platen moves to a stabilization station to join the layer to the sheet. This processing is repeated to have the sheet repeatedly contact the ITB (with intervening stabilization at the stabilization station) to successively form layers of the materials on the sheet. The freestanding stack is fed to a platform to successively form a 3-D structure of freestanding stacks of the layers. Heat and/or pressure and/or light are applied to the 3-D structure to bond the freestanding stacks to one another through the sheets of collapsible media on the platform.

In 3-D printing a platen moves toward an intermediate transfer belt (ITB) to have a sheet positioned on the platen contact the ITB to electrostatically transfer a layer of different materials to the sheet, and then the platen moves to a heater to join the layer to the sheet. This processing is repeated to have the sheet repeatedly contact the ITB (with intervening heating at the heater) to successively form layers of the materials on the sheet. The sheet having the layers thereon moves to a rinsing station, where a liquid is applied to dissolve the sheet and leave a freestanding stack of the layers. The freestanding stack is fed to a platform to successively form a 3-D structure of freestanding stacks of the layers. Light and/or heat are applied to the 3-D structure to bond the freestanding stacks to one another on the platform.

A biodegradable nasal splint comprising a tubular component at least partially defining a hollow passageway. The tubular component may be formed from a degradable material comprising a copolymer comprising glycolide subunits, trimethyl carbonate subunits, and caprolactone subunits. The degradable material may further comprise from about 0.01% to about 30% chitosan, by weight of the degradable material. The biodegradable nasal splint may further comprise a therapeutic agent such as chitosan applied to one or more surfaces of the nasal splint Also, a biodegradable nasal splint comprising a tubular component at least partially defining a hollow passageway and formed from a degradable material. The degradable material may comprise at least about 95% chitosan, by weight of the degradable material.

A system and process for manufacturing a three-dimensional object wherein a liquid material is deposited within boundary walls under overhanging regions of the object, the surface of which is triggered to polymerize by a polymerizing agent. The formation of the object being supported by the polymerized material contained within the boundary wall. A manufacturing system and process for a three-dimensional object wherein a cavity inside walls is filled with a liquid material that is polymerized to form a solid or semisolid infill