1. A flame-retardant synthetic textile article comprising a textile article, and a flame-retardant effective amount of flame-retardant superabsorbent polymer (SAP) particles which are comprised of SAP particles and an amount between about 25 wt. % to about 500 wt. %, based on the total weight of the flame-retardant SAP particles, of an inorganic flame retardant absorbed by and physically entrained within the SAP particles.
2. The flame-retardant article of claim 1, wherein the flame-retardant SAP particles comprise SAP particles hydrated with an aqueous inorganic flame-retardant solution absorbed by and physically entrained within the SAP particles.
3. The flame-retardant article of claim 1, wherein the flame-retardant SAP particles comprise a dried residue of an aqueous inorganic flame retardant solution absorbed by and physically entrained within the SAP particles.
4. The flame-retardant article as in claim 1, wherein the inorganic flame retardant includes at least one phosphorus-containing flame retardant.
5. The flame-retardant article as in claim 4, wherein the phosphorus-containing flame retardant is at least one selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid and sodium salt derivatives thereof, phosphorous acid and sodium salt derivatives thereof, ammonium orthophosphate, ammonium hypophosphate, ammonium hydrogen phosphate, ammonium dihydrogen phosphate, ammonium hypophosphite, and ammonium dihydrogen orthophosphite.
6. The flame-retardant article as in claim 1, wherein the inorganic flame retardant is at least one selected from the group consisting of boric acid, sodium tetraborate and hydrates thereof, sodium metaborate and hydrates thereof, and zinc borate.
7. The flame-retardant article as in any one of claims 1-6, wherein the inorganic flame retardant is present in an amount of between about 25 wt. % to about 200 wt. %, based on the total weight of the flame-retardant SAP particles.
8. The flame-retardant article as in claim 1, wherein the flame-retardant SAP particles comprise hydrated SAP particles.
9. The flame-retardant article of claim 1, wherein the article is in the form of a synthetic filament, fiber, yarn or fabric.
10. A method of making a flame-retardant synthetic textile article comprising affixing an effective amount of flame-retardant superabsorbent polymer (SAP) particles to the textile article, wherein the flame-retardant SAP particles comprise SAP particles and an amount between about 25 wt. % to about 500 wt. %. based on the total weight of the flame-retardant SAP particles, of an inorganic flame retardant absorbed by and physically entrained within the SAP particles.
11. The method as in claim 10, wherein the flame-retardant SAP particles are comprised of SAP particles containing a dried residue of an aqueous inorganic flame retardant solution.
12. The method as in claim 10, comprising chemically binding the flame-retardant SAP particles to the textile article.
13. The method as in claim 10, comprising binding the flame-retardant SAP particles to the textile article with a binder resin.
14. The method as in claim 10, comprising entrapping the flame-retardant SAP particles within interstices of the textile article.
15. The method as in claim 11, wherein the inorganic flame retardant includes at least one phosphorus-containing flame retardant.
16. The method as in claim 15, wherein the inorganic flame retardant is at least one selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid and sodium salt derivatives thereof, phosphorous acid and sodium salt derivatives thereof, ammonium orthophosphate, ammonium hypophosphate, ammonium hydrogen phosphate, ammonium dihydrogen phosphate, ammonium hypophosphite, and ammonium dihydrogen orthophosphite.
17. The method as in claim 11, wherein the inorganic flame retardant is at least one selected from the group consisting of boric acid, sodium tetraborate and hydrates thereof, sodium metaborate and hydrates thereof, and zinc borate.
18. The method as in any one of claims 10-17, wherein the inorganic flame retardant is present in an amount of between about 25 wt. % to about 200 wt. %, based on the total weight of the flame-retardant SAP particles.
19. The method as in claim 10, wherein the article is in the form of a synthetic filament, fiber, yarn or fabric.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1-21. (canceled)
22. An acoustic detector, comprising an electrically conductive first electrode, an electrically conductive second electrode, and an electrically conductive sensitivity zone located between and in conductive contact with the electrodes, the electrodes being connected so as to pass an electrical current through the sensitivity zone, the current through the sensitivity zone being responsive in an acousto-electric manner to pulses of acoustic pressure incident to the sensitivity zone.
23. The detector of claim 22, wherein:
the sensitivity zone is smaller than either electrode; and
the electrodes narrow to the sensitivity zone.
24. The detector of claim 23, wherein the electrodes abruptly narrow to the sensitivity zone.
25. The detector of claim 23, wherein the electrodes progressively narrow to the sensitivity zone.
26. The detector of claim 22, wherein:
the electrodes comprise gold; and
the sensitivity zone comprises indium tin oxide.
27. The detector of claim 22, wherein the sensitivity zone is acoustolectrically responsive by producing a change in voltage across the electrodes, the change in voltage being a signature of at least one parameter of the pulses of acoustic pressure.
28. An acoustic-imaging device, comprising at least one acoustic detector as recited in claim 22.
29. A pulse-echophotoacoustic imaging device, comprising at least one acoustic detector as recited in claim 22.
30. A device for imaging a situs in a sample, comprising:
an ultrasonic-detector portion comprising at least one ultrasonic transmitter and at least one ultrasonic receiver;
a photoacoustic portion comprising a detector mount, an acoustic-reflection element, and an illumination portion; wherein
the ultrasonic-detector portion is coupled to the detector mount such that the at least one ultrasonic transmitter and at least one ultrasonic receiver are oriented to receive and send ultrasonic beams propagating on a first axis,
the illumination portion is coupled to the detector mount such that the illumination portion directs a pulsatile light beam along a second axis that is different from and intersects the first axis,
the acoustic-reflection element is configured to transmit the light beam from the illumination portion and simultaneously to reflect the ultrasonic beam sent from the ultrasonic transmitter,
the acoustic-reflection element is coupled to the detector mount to receive and transmit the light beam along the second axis, to receive the ultrasonic beam along the first axis, and to reflect the ultrasonic beam to co-propagate with the transmitted light beam along the second axis to the situs to induce the situs simultaneously to produce pulse echoes and photoacoustic pulses that propagate from the situs along the second axis to the acoustic-reflection element, and
the acoustic-reflection element reflecting the pulse echoes and photoacoustic pulses along the first axis to the at least one ultrasonic receiver.
31. The device of claim 30, wherein the first and second axes are perpendicular to each other.
32. The device of claim 30, further comprising:
a light source configured to produce the pulsatile light beam; and
a light conduit coupled to the light source and to the illumination portion to conduct the light beam from the light source to the illumination portion.
33. The device of claim 32, wherein the illumination portion further comprises an optical system situated between the light conduit and the illumination portion to shape the light beam for entry into the acoustic-reflection element.
34. The device of claim 33, wherein the optical system includes at least one adjustable lens operable for fixing a focal position of the light beam incident at the situs.
35. The device of claim 30, further comprising a chamber situated between the acoustic-reflection element and the sample, the chamber containing an index-matching fluid selected based upon an index of refraction of the sample.
36. A photoacoustic-enabling device, comprising:
a housing comprising an acoustic-reflection element and an illumination portion, the housing being configured to receive and position an ultrasonic probe, that includes at least one ultrasonic transmitter and at least one ultrasonic receiver, relative to the acoustic-reflection element and illumination portion such that the at least one ultrasonic transmitter and at least one ultrasonic receiver are oriented along a first axis intersecting the acoustic-receiving element;
the illumination portion directing a photoacoustic-inducing light beam along a second axis that intersects the first axis at the acoustic-receiving element;
the acoustic-reflection element in the housing transmitting the photoacoustic-inducing light beam along the second axis to a sample;
the acoustic-reflection element in the housing receiving an acoustic pulse propagating from the at least one ultrasonic transmitter along the first axis and reflecting the acoustic pulse along the first axis to the sample;
the acoustic-reflection element in the housing receiving acoustic waves, produced by the sample in response to the incident acoustic pulse and incident light beam, returning along the first axis to the acoustic-reflection element and reflecting the acoustic waves to the probe.
37. The device of claim 36, wherein the first and second axes are perpendicular to each other.
38. The device of claim 36, further comprising:
a light source configured to produce the light beam; and
a light conduit coupled to the light source and to the illumination portion to conduct the light beam from the light source to the illumination portion.
39. The device of claim 38, wherein the illumination portion further comprises an optical system situated between the light conduit and the illumination portion to shape the light beam for entry into the acoustic-reflection element.
40. The device of claim 39, wherein the optical system includes at least one adjustable lens operable for fixing a focal position of the light beam incident at the situs.
41. The device of claim 36, further comprising a chamber situated between the acoustic-reflection element and the sample, the chamber containing an index-matching fluid selected based upon an index of refraction of the sample.
42-72. (canceled)