Bioartificial ultrafiltration devices comprising a scaffold comprising a population of cells enclosed in a matrix and disposed adjacent a plurality of channels are provided. The population of cells provides molecules such as therapeutic molecules to a subject in need thereof and is supported by the nutrients filtered in an ultrafiltrate from the blood of the subject. The plurality of channels in the scaffold facilitate the transportation of the ultrafiltrate and exchange of molecules between the ultrafiltrate and the population of cells.

Disclosed herein is a polymer membrane, film or coating comprising cylindrical polymer fibers at least partially ordered as hexagonal packed cylinders within the film, aligned parallel to the film surface, and present as an H.sub.1 mesophase; wherein the cylinders are crosslinked internally within the cylinders; and wherein the cylinders are spatially arranged to provide channels between the cylinders for fluid flow through the membrane, film or coating.

Porous liquid-filtering membranes are provided having a boundary region substantially surrounding the pore region and having greater tear resistance than the pore region.

Porous liquid-filtering membranes are provided having a boundary region substantially surrounding the pore region and having greater tear resistance than the pore region.

A novel or improved base film for impregnation, impregnated base film, product incorporating the impregnated base film, and/or related methods as shown, claimed or described herein.

Methods for forming porous or nanoporous semiconductor materials are described. The methods allow for the formation of arrays pores or nanopores in semiconductor materials with advantageous pore size, spacing, pore volume, material thickness, and other aspects. Porous and nanoporous materials also are provided.

The present invention is directed towards a method for the preparation of macroporous or mesoporous polymer films in hollow fiber geometry. The method according to the present invention reliably produces macroporous or mesoporous homopolymer or copolymer films in hollow fiber geometry having an ordered porous structure. Preferably, the pores are isoporous. The method involves the purging or casting a polyol adjacent to a film forming polymer solution of at least one homopolymer or at least one copolymer in a suitable solvent while polyol diffuses in and then condenses out of the film forming solution before the solution is immersed into a coagulation bath. The methods also require the presence of a carrier solution or carrier substrate during spinning or casting. The method makes macroporous or mesoporous film formation possible with a single step processing method.

A filtration filter used for filtering a liquid chemical for lithography, provided with a polyimide resin porous membrane; a filtration method including allowing a liquid chemical for lithography to pass through the filtration filter; and a production method of a purified liquid chemical product for lithography, including filtering a liquid chemical for lithography by the filtration method.

The present technology provides micro fabricated filtration devices, methods of making such devices, and uses for microfabricated filtration devices. The devices may allow diffusion to occur between two fluids with improved transport resistance characteristics as compared to conventional filtration devices. The devices may include a compound structure that includes a porous membrane overlying a support structure. The support structure may define a cavity and a plurality of recesses formed in a way that can allow modified convective flow of a first fluid to provide improved diffusive transport between the first fluid and a second fluid through the membrane.

Methods and apparatus for forming apertures in a solid state membrane using dielectric breakdown are provided. In one disclosed arrangement a plurality of apertures are formed. The membrane comprises a first surface area portion on one side of the membrane and a second surface area portion on the other side of the membrane. Each of a plurality of target regions comprises a recess or a fluidic passage opening out into the first or second surface area portion. The method comprises contacting all of the first surface area portion of the membrane with a first bath comprising ionic solution and all of the second surface area portion with a second bath comprising ionic solution. A voltage is applied across the membrane via first and second electrodes in respective contact with the first and second baths comprising ionic solutions to form an aperture at each of a plurality of the target regions in the membrane.