Two-dimensional materials, particularly graphene-based materials, having a plurality of apertures thereon can be formed into enclosures for various substances and introduced to an environment, particularly a biological environment (in vivo or in vitro). One or more selected substances can be released into the environment, one or more selected substances from the environment can enter the enclosure, one or more selected substances from the environment can be prevented from entering the enclosure, one or more selected substances can be retained within the enclosure, or combinations thereof. The enclosure can for example allow a sense-response paradigm to be realized. The enclosure can for example provide immunoisolation for materials, such as living cells, retained therein.

The application discloses an implantable device, comprising a galvanic redox system formed on a body substrate of the implantable device. The implantable device has a non-zero surface potential when it is deployed. The galvanic redox system comprises a first metal site and a second metal site, the first metal site comprising a first metal having a first metal electrode potential (FMEP) and the second metal site comprising a second metal having a second metal electrode potential (SMEP), which FMEP being lower than SMEP and SMEP being substantially different such that the implantable device is galvanized when it is deployed. Methods of making and using the implantabe device are also disclosed.

An antibacterial device is disclosed that includes a substrate and an antibacterial coating or antibacterial surface being provided on at least a part of the substrate's surface. The antibacterial coating or surface includes Angstrom scale flakes, where the Angstrom scale flakes are arranged in a standing position on the substrate surface and are attached to the substrate surface via edge sides thereof. The Angstrom scale flakes can, for example, be graphene flakes, or graphite flakes having a thickness of a few atom layers. It has been found that such standing flakes are efficient in killing prokaryotic cells but do not harm eukaryotic cells.

A carbo nanofiber nerve scaffold includes a cylindrical helix, a bundle of aligned carbon nanofiber yarns, and a carbon nanofiber sheet. The cylindrical helix includes a surgical suture material, and the cylindrical helix defines an interior of the carbon nanofiber nerve scaffold. The bundle of aligned carbon nanofiber yarns is disposed within the interior of the cylindrical helix. The carbon nanofiber sheet is disposed around the cylindrical helix on a side of the cylindrical helix opposite of the interior.

Embodiments herein relate to chemical sensors, devices and systems including the same, and related methods. In an embodiment, a medical device is included having a graphene varactor including a graphene layer and a self-assembled monolayer disposed on an outer surface of the graphene layer through non-covalent interactions between the self-assembled monolayer and a -electron system of graphene. The self-assembled monolayer includes one or more pillarenes, substituted pillarenes, calixarenes, substituted calixarenes, peralkylated cyclodextrins, substituted peralkylated cyclodextrins, pyrenes, or substituted pyrenes, or derivatives thereof. Other embodiments are also included herein.

There is disclosed a substrate with an electron donating surface, characterized in having metal particles on said surface, said metal particles comprising palladium and at least one metal selected from the group consisting of gold, ruthenium, rhodium, osmium, iridium, and platinum, wherein the amount of said metal particles is from about 0.001 to about 8 g/cm.sup.2. Examples of coated objects include contact lenses, pacemakers, pacemaker electrodes, stents, dental implants, rupture nets, rupture mesh, blood centrifuge equipment, surgical instruments, gloves, blood bags, artificial heart valves, central venous catheters, peripheral venous catheters, vascular ports, haemodialysis equipment, peritoneal dialysis equipment, plasmapheresis devices, inhalation drug delivery devices, vascular grafts, arterial grafts, cardiac assist devices, wound dressings, intermittent catheters, ECG electrodes, peripheral stents, bone replacing implants, orthopaedic implants, orthopaedic devices, tissue replacing implants, intraocular lenses, sutures, needles, drug delivery devices, endotracheal tubes, shunts, drains, suction devices, hearing aid devices, urethral medical devices, and artificial blood vessels.

Nerve scaffolds are described that include a tubular outer housing fabricated from a biocompatible polymer, within which are disposed a plurality of carbon nanofiber yarns. The carbon nanofiber yarns, which can be separated by distances roughly corresponding to an average nerve fiber diameter, provide surfaces on which nerve fibers can regrow. Because the proximate carbon nanofiber yarns can support individual nerve fibers, a nerve can be regenerated with a reduced likelihood of undesirable outcomes, such as nerve pain or reduced nerve function.

The present invention relates to a method for making a three dimensional carbon structure and also to a sintered article comprising pyrolysed carbon particles. The method comprises sintering a powdered organic material, preferably using selective laser sintering, to form a sintered three dimensional structure having a desired shape. The sintered structure is then pyrolysed to form the final carbon structure. The method is particularly useful in the production of biomedical implants such as bone scaffolds and joint replacements. In some embodiments, the powdered organic material is lignin which provides a renewable and highly cost effective starting material for the method of the present invention.

The present invention relates to novel biocompatible oxygen gas generating devices that can be implanted into a living subject. In certain embodiments, the oxygen gas generating devices can be used to deliver oxygen gas to tissue in a subject, thereby stimulating tissue growth and repair. In other embodiments, the devices operate by electrolytically splitting endogenous water in a subject. In yet other embodiments, the device further comprises an implantable supercapacitor capable of supplying energy to the oxygen gas generating device.

A novel shape memory polymer (SMP)-based device for surgical treatment of an intracorporeal defect (e.g., a void or anomaly) such as an intracranial aneurysm or fistula. In at least one non-limiting embodiment, the SMP device is a 3D-printed SMP material sized to specifically fit and thus occlude an intracranial aneurysm (ICA). The SMP device may be delivered to the intracorporeal defect via a catheter having a heating mechanism wherein the SMP device is raised above its glass transition temperature as it is deployed, causing the SMP device to return to its permanent shape after it is deployed into the intracorporeal defect. SMP device delivery systems that include the SMP devices, as well as methods of making and using the devices and systems, are also disclosed.