Patent Grant
7713519
The present invention is directed to a method of quenching electronic excited state(s) of chromophore-containing UV-absorbing organic molecules in photoactive compositions. More particularly, it has been found that α-cyano-β,β diphenylacrylates (crylenes) having an alkoxy radical, preferably on one of the phenyl rings (alternatively on both phenyl rings), quenches the excited state of the chromophore by accepting the excited state energy (singlet and sometimes also the triplet state), thereby returning the UV-absorbing molecule back to its ground state so that the chromophore can absorb more photons, e.g., from ultraviolet (UV) light, thereby photostabilizing UV-absorbing chromophore-containing organic molecules, particularly butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane (Avobenzone), octyl methoxycinnamate (Octinoxate), and octyl salicylate (Octisalate) in photoactive compositions.
The absorption of ultraviolet light by a chromophore-containing organic molecule causes the excitation of an electron in the chromophore moiety from an initially occupied, low energy orbital to a higher energy, previously unoccupied orbital. The energy of the absorbed photon is used to energize an electron and cause it to “jump” to a higher energy orbital, see Turro, Modern Molecular Photochemistry, 1991. Two excited electronic states derive from the electronic orbital configuration produced by UV light absorption. In one state, the electron spins are paired (antiparallel) and in the other state the electron spins are unpaired (parallel). The state with paired spins has no resultant spin magnetic moment, but the state with unpaired spins possesses a net spin magnetic moment. A state with paired spins remains a single state in the presence of a magnetic field, and is termed a singlet state. A state with unpaired spins interacts with a magnetic field and splits into three quantized states, and is termed a triplet state.
In the electronically excited state, the chromophore-containing organic molecule is prone to degrade via a number of known pathways and, therefore, can absorb little or no additional UV light. To photostabilize an electronically excited chromophore-containing organic molecule in order to provide sufficient UV protection, it must be returned to the ground state before it undergoes a photochemical reaction destructive to its UV absorbing capability. There are known photostabilizing sunscreen additives, such as Octocrylene, methylbenzilydene camphor, and the esters or polyesters of naphthalene dicarboxylic acid of this assignee's U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,113,931; 6,284,916; 6,518,451; and 6,551,605, all hereby incorporated by reference, that are capable of quenching excited triplet state energy. Surprisingly, it has been found that alkoxy crylenes, particularly methoxy crylenes, return chromophore-containing organic molecules, particularly butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane (Avobenzone), octyl methoxycinnamate (Octinoxate), and octyl salicylate (Octisalate), from both an electronically excited singlet state and excited triplet state back to their ground state, thereby photostabilizing the UV-absorbing organic molecules.
Deflandre U.S. Pat. No. 5,576,354 generally discloses a cosmetic sunscreen composition containing at least 1% by weight of an α-cyano-β,β-diphenylacrylate that will photostabilize a dibenzoylmethane derivative, e.g., Parsol 1789 (Avobenzone), so long as the composition contains a fatty phase, e.g., glycerol stearates, isopropyl myristate or the like, and so long as the mole ratio of the α-cyano-β,β-diphenylacrylate to the dibenzoylmethane derivative is at least 0.8. The compounds preferred in the '354 patent and disclosed in the examples are octocrylene, which contains no alkoxy radical(s) (UVINULN 539); β,β-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)acrylates (containing no cyano radical); and the α-cyano-β,β-diphenylacrylates, which contain no alkoxy radical(s).
As stated in this assignees pending application Ser. Nos. 10/241,388; 10/361,223; and 10/786,793, an α-cyano-β,β-diphenylacrylate compound (e.g., octocrylene) is known to quench (accept) the excited triplet state energy of an excited photoactive compound by dissipating the energy kinetically in the form of rapid isomerizations. This process is shown below:
wherein the α-cyano-β,β-diphenylacrylate compound (octocrylene shown above as structure A), accepts the triplet excited state energy from a photoactive compound and forms a diradical (shown above as structure A*) at the α and β positions of the acrylate, which converts the double bond into a single bond and allows for the free rotation of the phenyl groups. This rotation occurs rapidly and efficiently to dissipate any excited triplet state energy accepted by the α-cyano-β,β-diphenylacrylate compound from the photoactive compound.
While octocrylene is able to quench (accept) the triplet excited state energy from a photoactive compound, thereby photostabilizing, to some degree, dibenzoylmethane derivatives, as shown in examples 1, 4, 6 and 8 of Deflandre et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,576,354, hereby incorporated by reference, there exists a need in the photoactive composition art to find one or more compounds that quench (accept) the singlet excited state energy and preferably also the triplet excited state energy from photoactive compounds, which octocrylene does not.
Quite surprisingly, it has been found that the alkoxy substituted α-cyano-β,β-diphenylacrylates (alkoxy crylenes) will quench the electronically excited singlet state energy of UV-absorbing organic molecules, such as the dibenzoylmethane derivatives of U.S. Pat. No. 5,576,354, even at very low loadings compared to the quantity of UV-absorbing compounds.
The photostabilizing electronic excited state energy—particularly singlet state energy from a UV-absorbing molecule—has been found to be readily transferred to (accepted by) α-cyanodiphenylacrylate compounds having an alkoxy radical in the four (para) position (hereinafter methoxy crylenes) on one or both of the phenyl rings having the formula (I):
wherein one or both of R1 and R2 is a straight or branched chain C1-C30 alkoxy radical, preferably C1-C8, more preferably methoxy, and any non-alkoxy radical R1 or R2 is hydrogen; and R3 is a straight or branched chain C1-C30 alkyl radical, preferably C2-C20.
Ranges may be expressed herein as from “about” or “approximately” one particular value and/or to “about” or “approximately” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment.
The term “alkoxy” herein refers to a radical extending from the para position of one or both of the phenyl rings having the formula O—R, wherein R is an alkyl radical, straight chain or branched having 1 to 30 carbon atoms, preferably wherein R═C1 to C8, more preferably C2-C20, and most preferably —O—CH3 (methoxy). The oxygen atom of the alkoxy radical is covalently bonded to the para carbon atom of one or both of the phenyl rings, preferably only one of the phenyls, preferably having the formula (II) or (III):
wherein R3 is as previously defined.
The term “crylene” as used herein refers to a chromophoric moiety that includes an α-cyano-β,β-diphenyl propanoic acid ester.
The term “cyano” as used herein refers to a —C≡N group, also designated “—CN.”
Photoactive compositions, e.g., sunscreen compositions, generally include UV-A and UV-B photoactive compounds in a cosmetically acceptable carrier, optionally including additives, such as emollients, stabilizers, emulsifiers, and combinations thereof. These additives can be used in preparing a UV filter composition in an emulsion (oil-in-water or water-in-oil) from a composition that includes one or more photoactive compounds and a solvent or a solvent combination that includes one or more organic solvents and water. When made, preferably the emulsion is an oil-in-water emulsion, wherein the oil phase is primarily formed from a mixture of the UV filter compound(s) and one or more organic solvents.
A typical photoactive composition includes one or more photoactive compounds, wherein the photoactive compound(s) act to absorb UV radiation and thereby protect the substrate (e.g., human skin, resins, films, and the like) from the harmful effects of UV radiation. The absorption process causes a photoactive compound to reach an excited state, wherein the excited state is characterized by the presence of excited electronic energy (e.g., singlet state energy or triplet state energy), as compared to the ground state of the photoactive compound. Once a photoactive compound reaches an excited state there exists a number of pathways by which the excited photoactive compound can dissipate its excess energy (e.g., singlet and/or triplet energy), however, many of those pathways adversely affect the ability of the photoactive compound to further absorb UV radiation. The alkoxy crylene molecules described herein accept electronic singlet excited state energy from UV-absorbers, particularly Avobenzone, octyl methoxycinnamate (Octinoxate), and octyl salicylate (Octisalate). The alkoxy crylenes also are very effective UVA absorbers in addition to providing electronic singlet state energy quenching of other UV-absorbing compounds in sunscreen compositions. The alkoxy crylene molecules described herein are especially effective when combined with one or more additional electronic singlet excited state quenching compounds such as oxybenzone. Particularly surprising photostabilization is achieved in sunscreen compositions containing the alkoxy crylene molecules described herein together with octyl methoxycinnamate and Avobenzone. The molar ratio of a compound of formula (I) to the photoactive compound can be less than 0.8, particularly about 0.1 to about 0.6.
A photoactive compound is one that responds to light photoelectrically. In the compositions and methods of photostabilization disclosed herein, a photoactive compound is one that responds to UV radiation photoelectrically. For example, all photoactive compound-containing compositions that respond to UV radiation photoelectrically by photoactive compound photodegradation benefit highly by the inclusion of the alkoxy crylene molecules described herein. The alkoxy crylenes described herein are useful photostabilizers and/or photoactive compounds when combined with any single or combination photoactive compounds identified in Shaath, Nadim, Encyclopedia of UV filters, ©2007, hereby incorporated by reference. Photostability is a problem with all UV filters because they all reach an electronic singlet excited state upon exposure to UV radiation.
It is theorized that the following UV filters are photostabilized by the alkoxy crylene molecules described herein, including all of the following, including combinations of any two or more, and include compounds selected from the following categories (with specific examples) including: p-aminobenzoic acid, its salts and its derivatives (ethyl, isobutyl, glyceryl esters; p-dimethylaminobenzoic acid); anthranilates (o-aminobenzoates; methyl, menthyl, phenyl, benzyl, phenylethyl, linalyl, terpinyl, and cyclohexenyl esters); salicylates (octyl, amyl, phenyl, benzyl, menthyl (homosalate), glyceryl, and dipropyleneglycol esters); cinnamic acid derivatives (menthyl and benzyl esters, alpha-phenyl cinnamonitrile; butyl cinnamoyl pyruvate); dihydroxycinnamic acid derivatives (umbelliferone, methylumbelliferone, methylaceto-umbelliferone); camphor derivatives (3 benzylidene, 4 methylbenzylidene, polyacrylamidomethyl benzylidene, benzalkonium methosulfate, benzylidene camphor sulfonic acid, and terephthalylidene dicamphor sulfonic acid); trihydroxycinnamic acid derivatives (esculetin, methylesculetin, daphnetin, and the glucosides, esculin and daphnin); hydrocarbons (diphenylbutadiene, stilbene); dibenzalacetone; benzalacetophenone; naphtholsulfonates (sodium salts of 2-naphthol-3,6-disulfonic and of 2-naphthol-6,8-disulfonic acids); dihydroxy-naphthoic acid and its salts; o- and p-hydroxydiphenyldisulfonates; coumarin derivatives (7-hydroxy, 7-methyl, 3-phenyl); diazoles (2-acetyl-3-bromoindazole, phenyl benzoxazole, methyl naphthoxazole, various aryl benzothiazoles); quinine salts (bisulfate, sulfate, chloride, oleate, and tannate); quinoline derivatives (8-hydroxyquinoline salts, 2-phenylquinoline); hydroxy- or methoxy-substituted benzophenones; uric acid derivatives; vilouric acid derivatives; tannic acid and its derivatives; hydroquinone; and benzophenones (oxybenzone, sulisobenzone, dioxybenzone, benzoresorcinol, octabenzone, 4-isopropyldibenzoylmethane, butylmethoxydibenzoylmethane, etocrylene, and 4-isopropyl-dibenzoylmethane).
The following UV filters should be particularly photostabilized by the alkoxy crylene molecules described herein: 2-ethylhexyl p-methoxycinnamate, 4,4′-t-butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, octyldimethyl p-aminobenzoate, digalloyltrioleate, ethyl 4-[bis(hydroxypropyl)]aminobenzoate, 2-ethylhexylsalicylate, glycerol p-aminobenzoate, 3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexylsalicylate, and combinations thereof.
Photoactive compositions disclosed herein can include a variety of photoactive compounds, preferably including one or more UV-A photoactive compounds and one or more UV-B photoactive compounds. Preferably, a sunscreen composition includes a photoactive compound selected from the group consisting of p-aminobenzoic acid and salts and derivatives thereof; anthranilate and derivatives thereof; dibenzoylmethane and derivatives thereof; salicylate and derivatives thereof; cinnamic acid and derivatives thereof; dihydroxycinnamic acid and derivatives thereof; camphor and salts and derivatives thereof; trihydroxycinnamic acid and derivatives thereof; dibenzalacetone naphtholsulfonate and salts and derivatives thereof; benzalacetophenone naphtholsulfonate and salts and derivatives thereof; dihydroxy-naphthoic acid and salts thereof; o-hydroxydiphenyldisulfonate and salts and derivatives thereof; p-hydroxydiphenyldisulfonate and salts and derivatives thereof; coumarin and derivatives thereof; diazole derivatives; quinine derivatives and salts thereof; quinoline derivatives; uric acid derivatives; vilouric acid derivatives; tannic acid and derivatives thereof; hydroquinone; diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate and salts and derivatives thereof; and combinations of the foregoing.
UV A radiation (about 320 nm to about 400 nm), is recognized as contributing to causing damage to skin, particularly to very lightly colored or sensitive skin. A sunscreen composition disclosed herein preferably includes a UV-A photoactive compound. Preferably, a sunscreen composition disclosed herein includes a dibenzoylmethane derivative UV-A photoactive compound. Preferred dibenzoylmethane derivatives include, 2-methyldibenzoylmethane; 4-methyldibenzoylmethane; 4-isopropyldibenzoylmethane; 4-tert-butyldibenzoylmethane; 2,4-dimethyldibenzoylmethane; 2,5-dimethyldibenzoylmethane; 4,4′-diisopropyldibenzoylmethane; 4,4′-dimethoxydibenzoylmethane; 4-tert-butyl-4′-methoxydibenzoylmethane; 2-methyl-5-isopropyl-4′-methoxydibenzoylmethane; 2-methyl-5-tert-butyl-4′-methoxydibenzoylmethane; 2,4-dimethyl-4′-methoxydibenzoylmethane; 2,6-dimethyl-4-tert-butyl-4′-methoxydibenzoylmethane, and combinations thereof.
For a product marketed in the United States, preferred cosmetically acceptable photoactive compounds and concentrations (reported as a percentage by weight of the total cosmetic sunscreen composition) include: aminobenzoic acid (also called para aminobenzoic acid and PABA; 15% or less), Avobenzone (also called butyl methoxy dibenzoylmethane; 3% or less), cinoxate (also called 2 ethoxyethyl p methoxycinnamate; 3% or less), dioxybenzone (also called benzophenone 8; 3% or less), homosalate ((also called 3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexyl salicylate, 15% or less), menthyl anthranilate (also called menthyl 2 aminobenzoate; 5% or less), octocrylene (also called 2 ethylhexyl 2 cyano 3,3 diphenylacrylate; 10% or less), octyl methoxycinnamate (7.5% or less), octyl salicylate (also called 2 ethylhexyl salicylate; 5% or less), oxybenzone (also called benzophenone 3; 6% or less), padimate O (also called octyl dimethyl PABA; 8% or less), phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid (water soluble; 4% or less), sulisobenzone (also called benzophenone 4; 10% or less), titanium dioxide (25% or less), trolamine salicylate (also called triethanolamine salicylate; 12% or less), and zinc oxide (25% or less).
Other preferred cosmetically acceptable photoactive compounds and preferred concentrations (percent by weight of the total cosmetic sunscreen composition) include diethanolamine methoxycinnamate (10% or less), ethyl-[bis(hydroxypropyl)]aminobenzoate (5% or less), glyceryl aminobenzoate (3% or less), 4 isopropyl dibenzoylmethane (5% or less), 4 methylbenzylidene camphor (6% or less), terephthalylidene dicamphor sulfonic acid (10% or less), and sulisobenzone (also called benzophenone 4, 10% or less).
For a product marketed in the European Union, preferred cosmetically acceptable photoactive compounds and preferred concentrations (reported as a percentage by weight of the total cosmetic sunscreen composition) include: PABA (5% or less), camphor benzalkonium methosulfate (6% or less), homosalate (10% or less), benzophenone 3 (10% or less), phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid (8% or less, expressed as acid), terephthalidene dicamphor sulfonic acid (10% or less, expressed as acid), butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane (5% or less), benzylidene camphor sulfonic acid (6% or less, expressed as acid), octocrylene (10% or less, expressed as acid), polyacrylamidomethyl benzylidene camphor (6% or less), ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate (10% or less), PEG 25 PABA (10% or less), isoamyl p methoxycinnamate (10% or less), ethylhexyl triazone (5% or less), drometrizole trielloxane (15% or less), diethylhexyl butamido triazone (10% or less), 4 methylbenzylidene camphor (4% or less), 3 benzylidene camphor (2% or less), ethylhexyl salicylate (5% or less), ethylhexyl dimethyl PABA (8% or less), benzophenone 4 (5%, expressed as acid), methylene bis benztriazolyl tetramethylbutylphenol (10% or less), disodium phenyl dibenzimidazole tetrasulfonate (10% or less, expressed as acid), bis ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenol triazine (10% or less), methylene bisbenzotriazolyl tetramethylbutylphenol (10% or less, also called TINOSORB M or Bisoctrizole), and bisethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine. (10% or less, also called TINOSORB S or Bemotrizinol).
All of the above described UV filters are commercially available. For example, suitable commercially available organic UV filters are identified by trade name and supplier in Table I below:
Commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,485,713 and 6,537,529, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference, describe compositions and methods for increasing the photostability of photoactive compounds in a sunscreen composition, e.g., by the addition of polar solvents to the oil phase of a composition. By increasing the polarity of the oil phase of a sunscreen composition including the alkoxy crylenes described herein, e.g., methoxy crylene, the stability of the sunscreen composition is surprisingly increased in comparison to octocrylene. In the sunscreen compositions described herein, preferably, one or more of a highly polar solvent is present in the oil-phase of the composition. Preferably, a sufficient amount of a polar solvent is present in the sunscreen composition to raise the dielectric constant of the oil-phase of the composition to a dielectric constant of at least about 7, preferably at least about 8. With or without the highly polar solvent in the oil phase, the methoxy crylene molecules described herein yield unexpected photostability in comparison to octocrylene.
A photoactive compound can be considered stable when, for example, after 30 MED irradiation the photoactive compound has retained at least about 90% of its original absorbance at a wavelength, or over a range of wavelengths of interest (e.g., the wavelength at which a photoactive compound has a peak absorbance, such as 350-370 nm for Avobenzone). Likewise, a sunscreen composition can include a plurality of photoactive compounds and a sunscreen composition, as a whole, can be considered stable when, for example, after 30 MED irradiation the sunscreen composition has retained at least about 90% of its original absorbance at one or more wavelengths of interest (e.g., at or near the peak absorbance wavelength of the primary photoactive compound).
4-Methoxy benzophenone (MW=182.22 g/mole; 500 g; 2.74 mole; 1 mole equivalence) and methyl cyanoacetate (MW=99.09 g/mole; 367.06 g; 3.70 mole; 1.35 mole equivalence) were placed in 1-L 3-neck flask assembled with mechanical stirrer and nitrogen inlet, which provided continuous flow of nitrogen through the reaction mixture (nitrogen is bubbled through the reaction mixture). Next, toluene (1200 ml) and acetic acid (240 ml; ratio of toluene/acetic acid=5/1) are added to the flask followed by ammonium acetate (MW=77.09 g/mole; 21.12 g; 0.274 mole, 0.1 mole equivalence; the catalyst is added 4 times this amount during reaction time). The flask is then assembled with Dean-Stark receiver through which reaction water is being continuously removed.
Comments:
Work-up:
The reaction mixture is cooled to room temperature and ethyl acetate is added to dissolve all solids before the crude mixture is washed several time with water, to remove acetic acid and salts. The solvents are then removed from the reaction mixture by distillation. The crude solid product is re-crystallized from hot methanol (or toluene/methanol mixture, if such is preferred).
Comments:
The finished product begins to crystallize out from the cooling reaction mixture and thus can be filtered off, but it still is very acidic, so the crystals ought to be washed with water/methanol mixture to wash out any acetic acid and salts residues. Thus obtained the product then can be re-crystallized and the mother liquor can be washed with water, dried, and second crop of the product can be obtained.
Synthesis of Alkyl 2-cyano-3-(4′-methoxyphenyl)-3-phenylpropenoate:
Reaction Procedure:
Methyl (or ethyl) 2-cyano-3-(4′-methoxyphenyl)-3-phenylpropenoate (900 g, 3.06 mole; MW=293.32), alkyl alcohol (3.84 mole; 1.25 mole equivalence), and Tegokat 250 (0.03% of total batch weight) were placed in 2 L 3-neck round-bottom flask and heated to temperature set at 185 C (365 F), with nitrogen purging it well to remove forming methanol (or ethanol) via the simple distillation setup with packed column.
After 3 h, GC showed full conversion of methyl 2-cyano-3-(4′-methoxyphenyl)-3-phenylpropenoate to the desired product.
Work-up:
The unreacted alkyl alcohol was completely removed by vacuum distillation. Temperature of the reaction was lowered to 110 C (230 F) and calculated amount (2% of total batch weight) of the SSP (tin removing agent) was added. The product was stirred at this temperature for 2 hours and then filtered hot. Small amount of celite was added right before filtration to enhance the filtration—with celite the filtration was more efficient and faster.
Results:
Yield of the product - - - 94% of stoichiometric amount
Purity of finished product - - - 99.81% (area count, GC).
The following compositions (Table I) were prepared according to the procedure indicated in order to show the photostability effect of the alkoxy crylenes described herein. The compound described as “methoxy crylene” had the following formula (IV):
The surprising photostability of the sunscreen compositions of Table I, including methoxy crylene, in comparison to the octocrylene of the prior art, is shown in
Additional methoxy crylene molecules were tested in accordance with the procedure indicated in Table 2, wherein radical R3 of the methoxy crylene of formula (I) has an R3=ethyl hexyl (formula V):
The data for the sunscreen composition of Example 4 is shown in the graph of
In addition to the simple ester alkoxy crylene compounds of formula (I)-(V), the alkoxy crylene moieties can be attached as one or more terminal moieties on a polyester molecule, such as the alkoxy derivatives of the Di (NPG Crylene) Fumerate polyesters disclosed in this assignee's U.S. Pat. No. 7,235,587 ('587), hereby incorporated by references, as shown in formula (VI):
wherein A and B are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of oxygen, amino and sulfur; R1 and R3 are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of C1-C30 alkyl, C2-C30 alkylene, C2-C30 alkyne, C3-C8 cycloalkyl, C1-C30 substituted alkylene, C2-C30 substituted alkyne, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, heterocycloalkyl, substituted heteroaryl and substituted heterocycloalkyl; R2 is selected from the group consisting of C1-C30 alkyl, C2-C30 alkylene, C2-C30 alkyne, C3-C8 cycloalkyl, C1-C30 substituted alkyl, C3-C8 substituted cycloalkyl, C1-C30 substituted alkylene, C2-C30 substituted alkyne; R4, R5, R6 and R7 are the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of C1-C30 alkoxy straight chain on branched, and a, b, c and d are each either 0 or 1, and a, b, c and d add up to 1, 2, 3, or 4.
This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/891,281, filed Aug. 9, 2007 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,597,825. The entire text of the priority application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2623060 | Cragoe | Dec 1952 | A |
| 3215724 | Strobel et al. | Nov 1965 | A |
| 3337357 | Strobel et al. | Aug 1967 | A |
| 4284621 | Preuss et al. | Aug 1981 | A |
| 4293542 | Lang et al. | Oct 1981 | A |
| 4307240 | Ching | Dec 1981 | A |
| 4396240 | Henson | Aug 1983 | A |
| 4562278 | Hill | Dec 1985 | A |
| 4617374 | Pruett et al. | Oct 1986 | A |
| 4707537 | Pruett et al. | Nov 1987 | A |
| 5576354 | Deflandre et al. | Nov 1996 | A |
| 5663213 | Jones et al. | Sep 1997 | A |
| 5738842 | Raspanti et al. | Apr 1998 | A |
| 5783307 | Fagerburg et al. | Jul 1998 | A |
| 5989528 | Tanner et al. | Nov 1999 | A |
| 5993789 | Bonda et al. | Nov 1999 | A |
| 6001952 | Carman et al. | Dec 1999 | A |
| 6113931 | Bonda et al. | Sep 2000 | A |
| 6225052 | Batz et al. | May 2001 | B1 |
| 6284916 | Bonda et al. | Sep 2001 | B1 |
| 6485713 | Bonda et al. | Nov 2002 | B1 |
| 6518451 | Bonda et al. | Feb 2003 | B2 |
| 6537529 | Bonda | Mar 2003 | B1 |
| 6551605 | Bonda | Apr 2003 | B2 |
| 6800274 | Bonda et al. | Oct 2004 | B2 |
| 6890521 | Bonda | May 2005 | B2 |
| 6899866 | Bonda | May 2005 | B2 |
| 6905525 | Wood et al. | Jun 2005 | B2 |
| 6919473 | Bonda et al. | Jul 2005 | B2 |
| 6962692 | Bonda et al. | Nov 2005 | B2 |
| 7064114 | Yiv et al. | Jun 2006 | B2 |
| 7201893 | Wendel et al. | Apr 2007 | B2 |
| 7235587 | Bonda et al. | Jun 2007 | B2 |
| 7292156 | Smith et al. | Nov 2007 | B2 |
| 7449698 | Nguyen et al. | Nov 2008 | B2 |
| 7534420 | Bonda et al. | May 2009 | B2 |
| 20020127192 | Murphy et al. | Sep 2002 | A1 |
| 20030000130 | Wood et al. | Jan 2003 | A1 |
| 20030176542 | Abe et al. | Sep 2003 | A1 |
| 20040047817 | Bonda | Mar 2004 | A1 |
| 20040047818 | Bonda | Mar 2004 | A1 |
| 20040170579 | Mobius | Sep 2004 | A1 |
| 20040247539 | Wendel et al. | Dec 2004 | A1 |
| 20050191249 | Bonda et al. | Sep 2005 | A1 |
| 20060002869 | Bonda et al. | Jan 2006 | A1 |
| 20060228311 | Bonda et al. | Oct 2006 | A1 |
| 20080286217 | Chaudhuri | Nov 2008 | A1 |
| 20090041847 | Bonda et al. | Feb 2009 | A1 |
| 20090246157 | Bonda et al. | Oct 2009 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1222926 | Aug 1966 | DE |
| 570838 | Nov 1993 | EP |
| 0 711 803 | May 1996 | EP |
| 0761201 | Mar 1997 | EP |
| 1323743 | Jul 2003 | EP |
| 08225672 | Sep 1996 | JP |
| 2005139263 | Jun 2005 | JP |
| 1273360 | Nov 1986 | SU |
| WO-0027337 | May 2000 | WO |
| WO-0242368 | May 2002 | WO |
| WO-2007128840 | Nov 2007 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20090074687 A1 | Mar 2009 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 11891281 | Aug 2007 | US |
| Child | 12260278 | US |
