A method is described for forming a body having at least one through-going passage, said method has the steps of: a) providing a mixture comprising particles and at least one liquid pocket inside a curable matrix, b) subjecting said mixture to a first alternating voltage having a first frequency to form a body in which said at least one liquid pocket extends from a first surface of said body to a second surface of said body thereby forming at least one through-going passage lacking curable matrix, and c) curing said curable matrix into a cured matrix, wherein at least some of said particles are located at an interface between said at least one through-going passage comprising liquid and said cured matrix.

According to one embodiment, a composition of matter includes: a first system of continuous voids arranged in a three-dimensional matrix; a second system of continuous voids arranged in the three-dimensional matrix; and a nanoporous barrier separating the first system of continuous voids and the second system of continuous voids. The first system of continuous voids and the second system of continuous voids are interwoven but independent so as to form a plurality of channels through the three-dimensional matrix. Corresponding methods for forming the composition of matter are also disclosed.

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.

A method for processing a fluid with forward osmosis process includes providing one or more tubular membranes each including a tubular nonwoven base layer on the outside of the tubular membrane forming an outer shell of the tubular membrane and providing a lumen for feed flow; a polymer substrate layer on the lumen-side of the tubular membrane comprising three regions, including a region where the polymer substrate layer is partially intruded into the tubular base layer, a region with an open macrovoid structure and a region with an asymmetrical foamy layer, where the partially intruded region forms an intermediate layer; and a functional top layer on the polymer substrate layer. The tubular base layer comprises a longitudinal weld. The method includes providing the feed flow through the lumen and providing a draw solution on the outer shell side of the tubular membrane; and processing the feed flow with the membrane.

A microporous membrane is made by a dry-stretch process and has substantially round shaped pores and a ratio of machine direction tensile strength to transverse direction tensile strength in the range of 0.5 to 5.0. The method of making the foregoing microporous membrane includes the steps of: extruding a polymer into a nonporous precursor, and biaxially stretching the nonporous precursor, the biaxial stretching including a machine direction stretching and a transverse direction stretching, the transverse direction stretching including a simultaneous controlled machine direction relax.

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.

The present invention relates to a composite porous hollow-fiber membrane including a first layer and a second layer which each include a fluororesin-based polymer, in which the first layer has a columnar texture oriented in a longitudinal direction of the composite porous hollow-fiber membrane, the columnar texture has an average value v of a Raman orientation parameter calculated with the specific formula, and the second layer has a three-dimensional network texture and has an average surface-pore diameter of 5.0 nm to 5.0 μm.

A filtration filter having a filter substrate defining a plurality of through-holes extending from a first principal surface to a second principal surface opposite the first principal surface; and a pair of projections between adjacent through-holes of the plurality of through-holes, the pair of projections being on corresponding end portions on opposite sides in a width direction of the filter substrate and protruding from the first principal surface so as to define a reservoir part with the first principal surface.

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.

Provided is a porous membrane having high filtration performance and little deterioration of water permeation performance due to membrane surface abrasion when used in a method of clarifying, by membrane filtration, turbid water that is natural water, domestic wastewater, or water resulting from treatment thereof. In the porous membrane, a ratio of internal porosity in a thickness up to 0.12% of membrane thickness from a topmost surface of a surface at a filtration feed side relative to surface porosity of the surface at the filtration feed side is 1.05 or more.