12266results about "Filament/thread forming" patented technology

An embodiment of the present invention may be made by the following steps: providing a mixture comprising a plurality of fibers, a lubricant, and a suspension fluid, with the suspension fluid filling a void space between said fibers and subjecting said mixture to at least one compressive force. The compressive force causes the migration and alignment of said fibers; and may remove substantially all of the suspension fluid from said mixture. The mixture may further comprise a biologically active agent, or a reinforcing agent.

A composite filtration medium web of fibers containing a controlled dispersion of a mixture of sub-micron and greater than sub-micron diameter polymeric fibers is described. The filtration medium is made by a two dimensional array of cells, each of which produces a single high velocity two-phase solids-gas jet of discontinuous fibers entrained in air. The cells are arranged so that the individual jets are induced to collide in flight with neighboring jets in their region of fiber formation, to cause the individual nascent fibers of adjacent jets to deform and become entangled with and partially wrap around each other at high velocity and in a localized fine scale manner before they have had an opportunity to cool to a relatively rigid state. The cells are individually adjusted to control the mean diameters, lengths and trajectories of the fibers they produce. Certain cells are adjusted to generate a significant percentage of fibers having diameters less than one micron diameter, and which are relatively shorter in length and certain other cells are adjusted to generate a significant percentage of structure-forming reinforcing fibers having diameters greater than one micron diameter which are relatively longer in length. By employing appropriate close positioning and orientation of the cells in the array, the sub-micron fibers are caused to promptly entangle with and partially wrap around the larger reinforcing fibers. The larger fibers thereby trap and immobilize the sub-micron diameter fibers in the region of formation, to minimize the tendency of sub-micron diameter fibers to clump, agglomerate, or rope together in flight. Also, the larger fibers in flight are made to form a protective curtain to prevent the sub-micron fibers from being carried off by stray air currents.

A silk nanofiber composite network produced by forming a solution of silk fiber and hexafluroisopropanol, wherein the step of forming is devoid of any acid treatment, where the silk solution has a concentration of about 0.2 to about 1.5 weight percent silk in hexafluroisopropanol, and where the silk is selected from Bombyx mori silk and Nephila clavipes silk; and electrospinning the solution, thereby forming a non-woven network of nanofibers having a diameter in the range from about 2 to about 2000 nanometers.

An apparatus and method for electrospinning polymer fibers and membranes. The method includes electrospinning a polymer fiber from a conducting fluid in the presence of a first electric field established between a conducting fluid introduction device and a ground source and modifying the first electric field with a second electric field to form a jet stream of the conducting fluid. The method also includes electrically controlling the flow characteristics of the jet stream, forming a plurality of electrospinning jet streams and independently controlling the flow characteristics of at least one of the jet streams. The apparatus for electrospinning includes a conducting fluid introduction device containing a plurality of electrospinning spinnerets, a ground member positioned adjacent to the spinnerets, a support member disposed between the spinnerets and the ground member and movable to receive fibers formed from the conducting fluid, and a component for controlling the flow characteristics of conducting fluid from at least one spinneret independently from another spinneret.

A medical balloon composed of a micro-composite material which provides for radial expansion of a balloon to a predetermined extent, but which has minimal longitudinal growing during balloon inflation. The micro-composite material includes a fibril component, a matrix component, and optionally, a compatibilizer. The fibril component may preferably be liquid crystal polymer fibers randomly scattered through out the balloon material. The liquid crystal polymers are created by extrusion at high speed. An alternative fibril component may be a PET fibers which are uniformly spaced about the balloon material and extend through out the length of the balloon material tube.

A composite filtration medium web of fibers containing a controlled dispersion of a mixture of sub-micron and greater than sub-micron diameter polymeric fibers is described. The filtration medium is made by a two dimensional array of cells, each of which produces a single high velocity two-phase solids-gas jet of discontinuous fibers entrained in air. The cells are arranged so that the individual jets are induced to collide in flight with neighboring jets in their region of fiber formation, to cause the individual nascent fibers of adjacent jets to deform and become entangled with and partially wrap around each other at high velocity and in a localized fine scale manner before they have had an opportunity to cool to a relatively rigid state. The cells are individually adjusted to control the mean diameters, lengths and trajectories of the fibers they produce. Certain cells are adjusted to generate a significant percentage of fibers having diameters less than one micron diameter, and which are relatively shorter in length and certain other cells are adjusted to generate a significant percentage of structure-forming reinforcing fibers having diameters greater than one micron diameter which are relatively longer in length. By employing appropriate close positioning and orientation of the cells in the array, the sub-micron fibers are caused to promptly entangle with and partially wrap around the larger reinforcing fibers. The larger fibers thereby trap and immobilize the sub-micron diameter fibers in the region of formation, to minimize the tendency of sub-micron diameter fibers to clump, agglomerate, or rope together in flight. Also, the larger fibers in flight are made to form a protective curtain to prevent the sub-micron fibers from being carried off by stray air currents.

A stent assembly comprising an expensible tubular supporting element and at least one coat of electrospun polymer fibers, each of the at least one coat having a predetermined porosity, the at least one coat including at least one pharmaceutical agent incorporated therein for delivery of the at least one pharmaceutical agent into a body vasculature during or after implantation of the stent assembly within the body vasculature.

Fibrous webs of bicomponent fibers are made by extruding a layered molten mass through a row of side-by-side orifices into a high-velocity gaseous stream. Bicomponent fibers of small size can be obtained, and the webs offer unique properties.

A method of making a hook strip having J-shaped hooks that can be used as a mechanical fastener. The method includes using an initial substrate of material formed as an array of upstanding precursor stems having distal tips at their ends opposite a backing. In addition, a heat source adapted for heating and a mechanism for deforming stem tips is provided. The substrate is positioned relative to the heat source such that a portion of the upstanding stems on the array is heated. Subsequently, the substrate is moved to a position relative to the mechanism for deforming to create a hook strip of J-shaped hooks from the heated portion of the upstanding stems. In addition, an article of manufacture, made in accordance with the method, is provided which includes a hook portion of a hook-and-loop type of mechanical fastener.

A surface-modified water-absorbent resin powder is produced continuously with high productivity in a state where the particle diameter distribution is narrow and where the properties are high by a process comprising a polymerizing step, a drying step, a pulverizing step, a classifying step, and a surface-modifying step, and further, conveying steps of connecting them, wherein the conveying steps include at least two hoppers for storing the water-absorbent resin powder. A powder surface detector used favorably for this process includes a float hung down by a hanging line.

The present invention relates to 3D printer inputs including filaments comprising separated layers or sections. These inputs particularly including filaments may be prepared by coextrusion, microlayer coextrusion or multicomponent / fractal coextrusion. These inputs and specifically filaments enable layering or combining different materials simultaneously through one or more nozzles during the so-called 3D printing process. These techniques facilitate smaller layer sizes (milli, micro, and nano) different layer configurations as well as the potential to incorporate materials that would otherwise not be usable in standard 3D printer methods.

The present invention provides processes for producing porous silk fibroin scaffold material. The porous silk fibroin scaffold can be used for tissue engineering. The porosity of the silk fibroin scaffolds described herein can be adjusted as to mimic the gradient of densities found in natural tissue. Accordingly, methods for engineering of 3-dimensional tissue, e.g. bone and cartilage, using the silk fibroin scaffold material are also provided.

A water non-dispersible polymer microfiber is provided comprising at least one water non-dispersible polymer wherein the water non-dispersible polymer microfiber has an equivalent diameter of less than 5 microns and length of less than 25 millimeters. A process for producing water non-dispersible polymer microfibers is also provided, the process comprising: a) cutting a multicomponent fiber into cut multicomponent fibers; b) contacting a fiber-containing feedstock with water to produce a fiber mix slurry; wherein the fiber-containing feedstock comprises cut multicomponent fibers; c) heating the fiber mix slurry to produce a heated fiber mix slurry; d) optionally, mixing the fiber mix slurry in a shearing zone; e) removing at least a portion of the sulfopolyester from the multicomponent fiber to produce a slurry mixture comprising a sulfopolyester dispersion and water non-dispersible polymer microfibers; and f) separating the water non-dispersible polymer microfibers from the slurry mixture. A process for producing a nonwoven article is also provided.

The present invention is directed to articles comprising nanofibers. Preferred articles include diapers, training pants, adult incontinence pads, catamenials products such as feminine care pads and pantiliners, tampons, personal cleansing articles, personal care articles, and personal care wipes including baby wipes, facial wipes, body wipes, and feminine wipes. The nanofiber webs can be used as a barrier, wipe, absorbent material, and other uses. The nanofibers, having a diameter of less than 1 micron, must comprise a significant number of the fibers in at least one nanofiber layer of the nonwoven web. The nonwoven web may have a hydrohead to basis weight ratio of greater than about 10 mbar / gsm. The nanofibers may be produced from a melt film fibrillation process.

A tubular tissue scaffold is described which comprises a tube having a wall, wherein the wall includes biopolymer fibrils that are aligned in a helical pattern around the longitudinal axis of the tube where the pitch of the helical pattern changes with the radial position in the tube wall. The scaffold is capable of directing the morphological pattern of attached and growing cells to form a helical pattern around the tube walls. Additionally, an apparatus for producing such a tubular tissue scaffold is disclosed, the apparatus comprising a biopolymer gel dispersion feed pump that is operably connected to a tube-forming device having an exit port, where the tube-forming device is capable of producing a tube from the gel dispersion while providing an angular shear force across the wall of the tube, and a liquid bath located to receive the tubular tissue scaffold from the tube-forming device. A method for producing the tubular tissue scaffolds is also disclosed. Also, artificial tissue comprising living cells attached to a tubular tissue scaffold as described herein is disclosed. Methods for using the artificial tissue are also disclosed.

The present invention provides an all-aqueous process and composition for production of silk biomaterials, e.g., fibers, films, foams and mats. In the process, at least one biocompatible polymer, such as poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) (a well-documented biocompatible material), was blended with the silk protein prior to processing e.g., electrospinning. We discovered that this step avoids problems associated with conformational transitions of fibroin during solubilization and reprocessing from aqueous solution which lead to embrittled materials. Moreover, the process avoids the use of organic solvents that can pose problems when the processed biomaterials are exposed to cells in vitro or in vivo.

A filtration device including a filtration medium having a plurality of nanofibers of diameters less than 1 micron formed into a fiber mat in the presence of an abruptly varying electric field. The filtration device includes a support attached to the filtration medium and having openings for fluid flow therethrough. A device for making a filter material. The device includes an electrospinning element configured to electrospin a plurality of fibers from a tip of the electrospinning element, a collector opposed to the electrospinning element configured to collect electrospun fibers on a surface of the collector, and an electric field modulation device configured to abruptly vary an electric field at the collector at least once during electrospinning of the fibers. A method for making a filter material. The method provides a support having openings for fluid flow therethrough, electrospins nanofibers across an entirety of the openings, and abruptly varies an electric field at the collector at least once during electrospinning of the fibers.

An apparatus and methods for electrospinning polymer fibers and membranes are described. The methods include in one aspect electrospinning a polymer fiber from a conducting fluid containing the polymer in the presence of a first electric field established between a conducting fluid introduction device and a ground source and modifying the first electric field with a second electric field to form a jet stream of the conducting fluid. In another aspect the methods include forming an electrospinning jet stream of the conducting fluid and electrically controlling the flow characteristics of the jet stream. In yet another aspect the methods include forming a plurality of electrospinning jet streams of the conducting fluid and independently controlling the flow characteristics of at least one of the jet streams. The apparatus for electrospinning includes a conducting fluid introduction device containing a plurality of electrospinning spinnerets for delivering the conducting fluid, a ground member positioned adjacent to the spinnerets, a support member disposed between the spinnerets and the ground member and movable to receive fibers formed from the conducting fluid, and a means for controlling the flow characteristics of conducting fluid from at least one spinneret independently from the flow characteristics of conducting fluid from another spinneret. An improved conducting fluid introduction device which includes a plurality of spinnerets, each for independently delivering a controlled quantity of conducting fluid at a controlled pressure or flow rate, the spinnerets being charged at an electric potential and being disposed relative to each other to normally interfere with the electric field produced by adjacent spinnerets, each of the spinnerets having a tip at which conducting fluid exits configured to have an electrostatic field strength at each tip stronger than the liquid surface tension at each of the tips is also described.

A method of preparing an orally ingestible hard boiled product, comprising: i) heating a sugar material to a first temperature sufficient to liquefy the sugar material; ii) cooling the liquefied sugar material to provide a cooled sugar material having a solid or semi-solid form; iii) heating the cooled sugar material to a second temperature, which is lower than the first temperature; iv) combining the sugar material with one or more temperature sensitive ingredients before, during, or after said heating step iii), but after said cooling step ii), such that an intimate mixture of the second liquefied sugar material and the one or more temperature sensitive ingredients is provided; and v) cooling the intimate mixture to form an orally ingestible product. Orally ingestible hard boiled products prepared according to this method are also provided.

The invention relates to compound millimicron fibrous membrane material of cellulose and cellulose matrix which can perform the biological degradation and the biological absorption and a preparation method thereof and an industry and medical purpose, and belongs to the biological macro-molecule non woven fabric material field which can perform the biological degradation and the biological absorption. Electrostatic spinning equipment is used to obtain the fibrous membrane material which can perform the biological degradation and the biological absorption, the weight of the cellulose is taken as basic reference, the component of the material comprises cellulose more than 0 and less than or equal to 100 weight parts, other biomacromolecule more than and equal to 0 and less than 100 weight parts, 0 to 10 weight parts of curative drug or 0 to 50 weight parts of inorganic catalyzer and / or 0 to 50 weight parts of inorganic strengthening agent. The material of the invention has good biological compatibility, biological degradation property and degradation absorptivity, and can be used for haemostasia material, wound cladding material, organization engineering supporting rack material, the transportation and release of medicine, artificial skin and blood vessel, and postoperation anti blocking material, beauty material and catalyzer carrier, filtering membrane and radiation protection material and so on.

A method of coating a non-rotary object with an electrospun coat, the method comprising, dispensing a charged liquefied polymer through at least one dispensing element within an electric field to thereby form a jet of polymer fibers, and moving the dispensing element relative to the object so as to coat the object with the electrospun coat.

Multi-component fibers having enhanced reversible thermal properties and methods of manufacturing thereof are described. In one embodiment, a multi-component fiber includes a fiber body formed from a set of elongated members, and at least one of the set of elongated members includes a temperature regulating material having a latent heat of at least 40 J / g and a transition temperature in the range of 22° C. to 40° C. The temperature regulating material provides thermal regulation based on at least one of absorption and release of the latent heat at the transition temperature. The multi-component fiber can be formed via a melt spinning process or a solution spinning process and can be used or incorporated in various products where a thermal regulating property is desired. For example, the multi-component fiber can be used in textiles, apparel, footwear, medical products, containers and packagings, buildings, appliances, and other products.

The invention relates to a gelatin nanometer fiber film which can biologically degrade and absorb, and relative preparation, wherein it via the control on static spin realizes the static spin on gelatin water solution and gelatin / macromolecule mixture water, to obtain the nanometer fiber, which comprises: 0 A61L 27 / 14 A61K 45 / 00 D01D 5 / 00 D01F 1 / 00 A61L 27 / 60 A61L 33 / 06 A61L 24 / 04 A61L 15 / 22 A61F 2 / 02 2 14 3 2005 / 11 / 9 1961974 2007 / 5 / 16 000000000 Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Science Beijing 100080 Han Zhichao He Aihua Li Junxing libai 31002 Shanghai Patent Agency of the Chinese Academy of Sciences No.319 Yueyang Road, Shanghai 200031

There is disclosed a member for sealing, baffling and / or reinforcing components of an automotive vehicle. The assembly generally includes a carrier, an expandable material and at least one fastener.

Porous polymeric membranes including Halar (poly (ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene)) and related compounds and the methods of production thereof which avoid the use of toxic solvents. Preferred solvents, coating agents and pore forming agents are citric acid ethyl ester or glycerol triacetate. The membranes may be in the form of a hollow fiber or flat sheet, and may include other agents to modify the properties of the membrane, such as the hydrophilic / hydrophobic balance. Leachable agents may also be incorporated into the membranes.

Catalytically activated carbon fibers and methods for their preparation are described. The activated carbon fibers are engineered to have a controlled porosity distribution that is readily optimized for specific applications using metal-containing nanoparticles as activation catalysts. The activated carbon fibers may be used in all manner of devices that contain carbon materials, including but not limited to various electrochemical devices (e.g., capacitors, batteries, fuel cells, and the like), hydrogen storage devices, filtration devices, catalytic substrates, and the like.

A surface-modified water-absorbent resin powder is produced continuously with high productivity in a state where the particle diameter distribution is narrow and where the properties are high by a process comprising a polymerizing step, a drying step, a pulverizing step, a classifying step, and a surface-modifying step, and further, conveying steps of connecting them, wherein the conveying steps include at least two hoppers for storing the water-absorbent resin powder. A powder surface detector used favorably for this process includes a float hung down by a hanging line.

A thermoplastic dicyclopentadiene ring-opening polymer obtained by ring-opening polymerization of a monomer component containing a dicyclopentadiene monomer, characterized in that polycyclic rings which are repeating units of the polymer are bonded in cis-position relative to the carbon-carbon double bond of the main chain of the polymer in 50 mol % or more of the repeating units based on the total repeating units and the content of a low-molecular weight component of 2,000 or less in molecular weight is 10% by weight or less based on the total polymer components, and a hydrogenation product obtained by hydrogenating the carbon-carbon unsaturated bond of the thermoplastic dicyclopentadiene ring-opening polymer.

Non-woven fibrous scaffolds made by electrospinning from the synthetic biodegradable polymer such as, for example, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and natural proteins, such as, for example, gelatin (denatured collagen) and elastin and a method of making thereof.