An improved electro hydrodynamic method is provided. The method comprises arranging (11) an electro hydrodynamic device inside an enclosure and distributing (12) positive and/or negative ions inside the enclosure during a charging period with a certain defined amount of power. The distribution of the positive and/or the negative ions inside the enclosure (20) is performed so that a predefined amount of charge is set on the interior of the enclosure (20). Within a predetermined period of time after the charging period has ended, the electrospinning device is activated so as to create a product. Finally, the product is removed from the device. The present invention offers a solution for the problem of non-identical initial process conditions for an electro hydrodynamic process caused by any electric charges on the equipment.

In order to provide a method for preparing a chalcogenide-carbon nanofiber, capable of implementing oxidation resistance characteristics and process simplification, the present invention provides a method for preparing a chalcogenide-carbon nanofiber and a chalcogenide-carbon nanofiber implemented by using the same, the method comprising the steps of: forming a chalcogenide precursor-organic nanofiber comprising a chalcogenide precursor and an organic material; and forming a chalcogenide-carbon nanofiber by selectively and oxidatively heat treating the chalcogenide precursor-organic nanofiber such that the carbon of the organic material is oxidized and the chalcogenide is reduced at the same time, wherein the oxidation reactivity of the chalcogenide is lower than that of carbon, the selective and oxidative heat treatment is carried out through one heat treatment step instead of a plurality of heat treatment steps, and the chalcogenide can form a chalcogenide-carbon nanofiber having a structure formed with at least one layer according to an oxygen partial pressure at which the selective and oxidative heat treatment is carried out.

Nonwoven webs formed from modified 1,3--D-glucan polymer and methods of forming the nonwoven webs are disclosed. The modified 1,3--D-glucan polymer can have a number average degree of polymerization in the range of from 55 to 10,000. The nonwoven webs can be used for personal hygiene wipes, filtration media, apparel or other uses.

The present disclosure describes membranes suitable for use as guided tissue regeneration (GTR) barrier membranes and guided bone regeneration (GBR) barrier membranes in dental applications that are composed of fibrous and highly porous biodegradable materials fabricated using electrospinning and that may be surface-modified with plasma treatment or other suitable methods of surface-modification. The disclosed membranes have a high surface area to volume ratio. The use of the disclosed GTR barrier membranes or GBR barrier membranes provides a barrier that prevents the migration of soft tissue cells but is permeable to small molecules such as nutritional substances and medications. Methods of fabricating the disclosed resorbable barrier dental membranes for GTR and GBR applications using electrospinning are also disclosed. The disclosed membranes may have precisely tuned physical, chemical, and mechanical properties optimized for various GTR and GBR applications.

Endoluminal and other as implantable prostheses are fabricated in electrospinning apparatus including a target and an applicator. A solution comprising a polymer and a solvent is directed to the target with a first electrical potential between the target and the applicator to produce a first set of fibers. The same or another solution is continued to be delivered through the applicator onto the target while applying a second electrical potential to produce a second set of fibers having a second solvent fraction, and the same or different solution may be delivered while applying a third potential difference to produce a laminated structure having at least three layers. By properly controlling the electrical potentials and solvent fractions, an adhesive layer can be formed to serve a glue or adhesive between the inner and outer layers, and a stent or other scaffold may be positioned between the inner and outer layers to form a covered stent or graft.

Methods and compositions are provided for improved proteinaceous block copolymer fibers based on long repeat units having molecular weight of greater than about 10 kDal. Each repeat unit includes more than about 150 amino acid residues that are organized into a number of quasi-repeat units. The fibers have improved mechanical properties that better recapitulate those of the native silk fibers.

A stent or other prosthesis may be formed by coating a single continuous wire scaffold with a polymer coating. The polymer coating may consist of layers of electrospun polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Electrospun PTFE of certain porosities may permit endothelial cell growth within the prosthesis.

A method of electrospinning (40) is provided, and an electrospinning device (1; 30). The method comprises (i) holding (41) a liquid comprising a polymer melt or a polymer solution in a container (2), (ii) letting out (42) a stream of the liquid from the container through at least one nozzle (3), (iii) creating (43) a voltage difference between the nozzle (3) and a collecting surface (4), (iv) collecting (44) electro spun material coming from the nozzle (3) so as to form a fibrous structure (8) on the collecting surface (4), and (v) directing (45) a laser beam (13) towards the collecting surface (4) so as to locally remove a part of the fibrous structure (8).

A bone-regeneration material that contains calcium phosphate particles in a biodegradable fiber containing PLGA by using electrospinning. A PLGA resin is heated in a kneader to soften until the viscosity of the resin becomes 10.sup.2 to 10.sup.7 Pa.Math.s. A powder of calcium phosphate fine particles is added and mixed with the softened PLGA resin, while the blade of the kneader rotates. The mixture is kneaded by applying thermal and mechanical energy to the mixture through the continuous rotation of the blade of the kneader in the heated state, and aggregations of the calcium phosphate fine particles are disintegrated to prepare a composite in which the calcium phosphate fine particles are dispersed in the PLGA resin. The composite is dissolved in a solvent to prepare a spinning solution. Electrospinning is performed on the spinning solution to manufacture biodegradable fibers having therein the calcium phosphate fine particles substantially uniformly dispersed.

There is provided a method of making a hollow fiber. The method includes mixing, in a first solvent, a plurality of nanostructures, one or more first polymers, and a fugitive polymer which is dissociable from the nanostructures and the one or more first polymers, to form an inner-volume portion mixture. The method further includes mixing, in a second solvent, one or more second polymers to form an outer-volume portion mixture, and spinning the inner-volume portion mixture and the outer-volume portion mixture to form a precursor fiber. The method further includes heating the precursor fiber to oxidize the precursor fiber and to change a molecular-bond structure of the precursor fiber, and during heating, extracting the fugitive polymer from the inner-volume portion mixture. The method further includes obtaining the hollow fiber with the inner-volume portion having the nanostructures and the first polymers, and with the outer-volume portion having the second polymers.