The invention includes a forced-air blanket for providing a profusion of air to a patient, comprising a bottom layer with a plurality of openings configured to allow a profusion of air to pass through the bottom layer and an upper layer bonded to the bottom layer around a periphery, wherein the upper layer is also bonded to bottom layer by a plurality of linear seals and a plurality of staked seals. In an embodiment, at least one of more of the linear seals have one end which is joined to a portion of the periphery. In another embodiment, the forced-air blanket may further include at least one elongated seal that is positioned proximate to the inlet. The arrangement of the plurality of staked seals, elongated seals and linear seals assists in providing a blanket that is of a low-profile with even air distribution.

The present invention relates to a porous material comprising cellulose fibres and gluten, wherein the weight proportion of cellulose fibres to gluten is from 1:6 to 6:1, and wherein the porous material has a density of from 5 to 200 kg/m.sup.3 as calculated on dry porous material. The present invention also relates to a method for the preparation of the porous material, as well as its use.

A method of cross-linking collagen comprises generating reactive species from a non-thermal plasma and delivering the reactive species to a collagen-containing target to induce collagen cross-linking. In a specific embodiment, the reactive species can be a reactive oxygen species, for example singlet oxygen. A method of cross-linking collagen comprises generating reactive oxygen species from a non-thermal plasma and delivering the reactive species to a collagen-containing target to induce collagen cross-linking, wherein the non-thermal plasma is generated from a non-flammable gas medium comprising an inert buffer gas, the reactive oxygen species is selected from the group consisting of a superoxide ion radical, hydroxyl radical, peroxide, hydrogen peroxide, organic peroxide, or a combination thereof, and the collagen-containing target is corneal tissue and wherein the collagen cross-linking induces cross-linking within and between collagen fibers in the corneal tissue.

Embodiments herein described provide devices for identifying and collecting rare cells or cells which occur at low frequency in the body of a subject, such as, antigen-specific cells or disease-specific cells. More specifically, the devices are useful for trapping immune cells and the devices contain a physiologically-compatible porous polymer scaffold, a plurality of antigens, and an immune cell-recruiting agent, wherein the plurality of antigens and the immune cell recruiting agent attract and trap the immune cell in the device. Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions, kits, and packages containing such devices. Additional embodiments relate to methods for making the devices, compositions, and kits/packages. Further embodiments relate to methods for using the devices, compositions, and/or kits in the diagnosis or therapy of diseases such as autoimmune diseases or cancers.

Disclosed a preparation method of a green, biodegradable, and multifunctional collagen-based nanocomposite film, and overcomes the problems of difficult biodegradation, poor barrier property, and single function of food packaging materials in the existing technologies. The present invention includes the following steps: adding silicate nanosheet into deionized water for ultrasonic dispersion; then adding polyphenolic acid into the mixture, wherein a mass ratio of the polyphenolic acid to the silicate nanosheet is 1:(0.2˜1); and adjusting the pH value to 3.0˜4.0 to obtain a solution A; adding collagen with a concentration of 5 g/L into an acetic acid solution, and fully dissolving the collagen to obtain a solution B; isovolumetrically mixing the solution A with the solution B, stirring at room temperature, and adjusting the pH value to 4.5˜5.5 to obtain a casting solution; and pouring the casting solution into a polytetrafluoroethylene mold, and naturally drying to obtain a nanocomposite film.

A protein/polysaccharide/essential oil nano-edible film. The essential oil nano-edible film includes the following raw materials in parts by weight: 1-8 parts of a quinoa protein—Atrina pectinata polysaccharide nanocomposite, 2-11 parts of an Atrina pectinata polysaccharide-essential oil nanocomposite, 1-12 parts of a quinoa protein, 2-16 parts of Atrina pectinata polysaccharide, and 5-53 parts of water. The present invention helps to solve the problem, in a conventional protein film, of the loss of flavor and even toxic side effects caused by the adding of a plasticizer and a crosslinking agent to improve the mechanical strength, the use of a lipid substance that has the capability to easily form a dense molecular network structure to improve the water and gas barrier properties, and the migration of an additive, the plasticizer, or a polymer degradation by-product thereof generated in reaction, and a solvent remaining in the polymerization reaction from the film to food.

The present invention provides for concentrated aqueous silk fibroin solutions and an all-aqueous mode for preparation of concentrated aqueous fibroin solutions that avoids the use of organic solvents, direct additives, or harsh chemicals. The invention further provides for the use of these solutions in production of materials, e.g., fibers, films, foams, meshes, scaffolds and hydrogels.

A method for stabilization of collagen matrices and of condensation of natural and synthetic polymers that uses 2-halo-4, 6-dialkoxy-1, 3, 5-triazines in the presence of one or more amines as activating agents for reactions of crosslinking, condensation, grafting, and curing of collagen matrices, cellulose, modified celluloses, polysaccharides, acid unsaturated polymers, and chiral and non-chiral amines, etc. Forming an integral part of the present invention is also the method for production on an industrial scale of 2-halo-4, 6-dialkoxy-1, 3, 5-triazines.

The present disclosure relates to a novel sericin-based hydrogel wherein the silk sericin is enzymatically cross-linked for an improved treatment of wound healing, ischemic diseases or cardiovascular diseases, namely chronic wound healing, in particular diabetic wound.

The present invention discloses a gradient slow-release active composite film and a preparation method thereof. The active composite film, from inside to outside, is composed of an antioxidative hygroscopic internal layer, at least one gradient anti-microbial antioxidative intermediate layer and at least one waterproof external layer; wherein the antioxidative hygroscopic internal layer is prepared by an alcohol-soluble protein-water-soluble protein substrate and a water-soluble antioxidant; the gradient anti-microbial antioxidative intermediate layer is prepared by an alcohol-soluble protein-water-soluble protein substrate and a lipid-soluble plant essential oil and a water-soluble antioxidant, wherein a mass ratio of the alcohol-soluble protein to the water-soluble protein is (1-2):(1-2); and the waterproof external layer is composed of a hydrophobic alcohol-soluble protein layer.