A nano-zinc oxide-supported bacterial cellulose microfiber-alginate fiber composite is described. The composite is obtained by absorbing nano-zinc oxide-supported bacterial cellulose microfibers on an alginate fiber spunlace non-woven fabric; the nano-zinc oxide is uniformly distributed on the surface of the bacterial cellulose microfibers. This composite has good biocompatibility, mechanical properties and water absorption properties, and has a great application prospect in biomedical fields, such as wound dressings, human body repair materials, tissue engineering materials, etc.

A processing technique for creating nanowires and hierarchically porous micro/nano structures of ceramic materials is provided. The process includes evaporation of micron-sized water droplets containing dissolved organic salts on heated substrates followed by thermal decomposition of the deposited material. The micron-sized droplets may be generated by supercritical CO.sub.2 assisted nebulization, in which high-pressure streams of aqueous solution and supercritical CO.sub.2 are mixed, followed by controlled depressurization through a fine capillary. Rapid evaporation takes place on the heated substrates and structures are generated due to CO.sub.2 effervescence from the droplets and evaporation of water, along with the pinning of the three phase contact line. Depending on the mass deposited, a mesh of nano-wires or membrane-like structures may result. Sintering of the membrane-like scaffolds above the decomposition temperature of the organic salt creates nanopores within the structures, creating a dual hierarchy of pores.

Systems and methods for localized drug delivery via undulating drug coated balloons (DCB), in particular using functionalized nanoparticles as a drug delivery medium in combination with an undulating balloon, are disclosed. In various disclosed embodiments, a nanoparticle matrix is adhered to in an external substrate-surface, such as the balloon surface, and is activated for release once at the treatment site. Activation for release may be enhanced through the use of an undulating balloon system including methodologies for precise control of timing, waveform and extent of undulations.

Smart dental implant systems and methods for ambulatory dental care are provided. In some embodiments, the disclosed subject matter includes a crown, adapted to mimic a patient's anatomy and location of the smart dental implant system. The crown can include piezoelectric nanoparticles, disposed on a surface of the crown and adapted to generate electricity from a patient's oral motion. In some embodiments, the disclosed subject matter includes an abutment, coupled to the crown. The abutment can include an energy harvesting circuit, operationally coupled to the piezoelectric nanoparticles and adapted to harvest the electricity, and a micro LED array, operationally coupled to the energy harvesting circuit and adapted to photobiomodulate surrounding peri-implant soft tissue.

The present disclosure describes drug-loaded nanoparticles for hepatic artery chemoembolization, wherein the drug-loaded nanoparticles are novel doxorubicin-loaded metal organic framework (MOF) nanoparticles and UiO-66/Bi.sub.2S.sub.3 nanocomposites. The preparation method of the drug-loaded nanoparticles includes the following steps: mixing UiO-66/Bi.sub.2S.sub.3 with DOX solution, stirring the resultant mixture overnight at 25° C.±5° C. in a dark environment, centrifuging the mixture, and washing with deionized water to obtain UiO-66/UiO-66/Bi.sub.2S.sub.3@DOX composite nanomaterials. The present disclosure adopts a “one-pot reaction” with a simple preparation process. The pH-reactive release performance of the MOF material indicates that the tumor tissue of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a lower pH than normal tissue, and the acidic tumor environment can induce the release of doxorubicin from the nanomaterials. The MOF material has strong photothermal conversion ability, allowing HCC to be treated by photothermal treatment in combination with TACE.

The invention provides a synthetic gingival patch graft having a porous polymeric structure and uses thereof in the C method of treatment of periodontal diseases, conditions and symptoms.

The present disclosure relates to a multifunctional therapeutic biological material and preparation method thereof. The process steps of the preparation method are as follows: (1) preparing various three-dimensional micro/nano composite structure on the surface of a biomedical material by using femtosecond laser double pulses; (2) further preparing a nano-flower structure on the three-dimensional micro/nano composite structure by using hydrothermal synthesis method to construct a heterogeneous structure consisting of the three-dimensional micro/nano composite structure and the nano-flower structure; (3) putting the prepared heterogeneous structure into a mixed solution containing gold ions and platinum ions, and by using ultraviolet light reduction method, reducing in situ into gold-platinum bimetallic nanoparticles on the heterogeneous structure to obtain the multifunctional therapeutic biological material. The multifunctional therapeutic biological material provided by the present disclosure has excellent light-to-heat conversion characteristics, and it can promote bone regeneration, and has functions of tumor treatment and anti-bacterial infection.

The present invention provides novel methods for poling piezoelectric materials, e.g., collagen, which are carried out in the absence of liquid media and at a relatively low temperature. The present invention also provides electroactive scaffolds comprising poled collagen for promoting cell growth and differentiation.

A method, system and device for securing conductive material on catheter elements for tissue sensing and cryogenic ablation. This may be used to deposit or embed conductive material onto or within polymeric materials. The method of manufacturing a balloon with conductive material may include extruding a polymeric material where the polymeric material includes embedded electrically conductive material. At least a portion of the polymeric material may be removed to expose at least a portion of the embedded electrically conductive material. The benefits may include allowing local bipolar recordings, contact assessment and ice thickness, and compatibility with 3-dimensional electroanatomical mapping systems.

A polypeptide monolayer with a high surface potential and hydrophobicity, and a preparation method and application thereof. The polypeptide is composed of polypeptide molecules with a molecular weight of (1.48±0.2)×10.sup.5 g/mol, a thickness of the monolayer is 17.3-18.5 nm, the exposure of primary amino groups on the surface of the monolayer is 11-11.8%, a Zeta potential of the polypeptide monolayer is (-3)-(-2) mV, and a contact angle of the monolayer is 84±1°. A micro-nano structure on the surface of the polypeptide monolayer allows the polypeptide monolayer to have certain hydrophobicity, which is beneficial to water proofing of the surface of biomimetic skin. Furthermore, the surface of the polypeptide monolayer has a relatively high potential, which can improve biocompatibility, hemocompatibility, and cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation abilities.