This disclosure describes hydrogel three-dimensional printing kits, methods of three-dimensional printing hydrogels, and hydrogel three-dimensional printing systems. In one example, a hydrogel three-dimensional printing kit can include a particulate build material and an aqueous agent. The particulate build material can include from about 90 wt % to 100 wt % of a mixture of a powdered polyhydroxylated swellable polymer dry blended with powdered water-soluble crosslinker that is reactive with hydroxyl groups of the polyhydroxylated swellable polymer to crosslink the polyhydroxylated swellable polymer. The aqueous agent can include water and an organic co-solvent, and the aqueous agent may not include the crosslinker.

A novel cutting-edge structure and method and apparatus for manufacturing the cutting-edge structure is provided. The cutting-edge structure is comprised of naturally derived or renewable material at greater than 50% by volume fraction. In one embodiment, the naturally derived material is a cellulose nanostructure such as a cellulose nanocrystal. The cellulose nanocrystal is processed using a base or mold structure to provide a cutting edge of any shape such as linear or circular edge structures. The process includes dual cure steps to produce an optimal cutting-edge structure without shrinkage. The formed cutting-edge structure can be utilized as a razor blade as it is formed with very sharp tip and edge suitable for cutting hair. The base structure can form one or more cutting-edge structures simultaneously.

A bedding product having a cooling layer and a method therefor. The bedding product has a gel layer having an outside surface, a bonding surface opposite the outside surface, and a perimeter. A memory foam layer surrounds the perimeter and is disposed on the bonding surface. A textile layer having a first rectangular portion and a second rectangular portion affixed on a perimeter thereof to the first rectangular portion retains the gel layer and memory foam layer therebetween. The textile layer has a cooling surface, an opposing surface opposite the cooling surface, and at least one vent disposed adjacent to an edge portion of the first or second rectangular portion. The gel layer contains a plurality of hexagonal prism-shaped peaks and valleys on the outside surface thereof, and the gel layer and memory foam layer have a plurality of air conduits for air flow communication with the vent.

A method for preparing a flexible sol-gel polishing block, the method comprises: (1) adding a gel agent and a 20 μm diamond abrasive into deionized water, and stirring to even to obtain a first material; (2) adding carbon fiber into the first material obtained in the step 1, and mixing to even to obtain a second material; (3) injecting the second material obtained in the step 2 into a mold, and curing to obtain a cured gel; and (4) drying the cured gel to obtain the flexible sol-gel polishing block.

Disclosed are monolithic optical systems using an aerogel molded around a mandrel. A method of manufacturing an optical system includes applying a reflective coating to at least a portion of a surface of a mandrel, placing the mandrel in a tank and subsequently filling the tank with aerogel to a predetermined depth below a top of the mandrel. The method includes adding a separation layer to the tank on top of the aerogel at the predetermined depth, catalyzing the separation layer into a solid, and adding aerogel on top of the separation layer filling the tank with aerogel above a height of the mandrel, and removing the aerogel and mandrel from the tank, drying the aerogel into a solid aerogel structure, catalyzing the reflective coating to bond the reflective coating with the aerogel, and removing the mandrel from the aerogel structure to produce the aerogel structure having a hollowed-out interior.

3D printers may fabricate tires with graphene-based materials. Biopolymers may be used to produce graphene foam. Molten salt synthesis with metallic powders may produce coatings for the foam to protect the tires from oxidation. Graphene oxide sheet may also be applied to the tire structure using an inexpensive bio-adhesive.

A method or apparatus for three-dimensionally printing. The method may comprise causing a phase change in a region of the first material by applying focused energy to the region using a focused energy source, and displacing the first material with a second material. The apparatus may comprise a container configured to hold a first material, a focused energy source configured to cause a phase change in a region of the first material by applying focused energy to the region, and an injector configured to displace the first material with a second material. The first material may comprise a yield stress material, which is a material exhibiting Herschel-Bulkley behavior. The yield stress material may comprise a soft granular gel. The second material may comprise one or more cells.

An image pickup module includes a cover, a plurality of image pickup units, a self-curing gel, and a photopolymer gel. The cover includes an upper shield, a side shield, and illumination openings and image pickup openings on the upper shield, and the upper shield and the side shield surround an accommodation space where the image pickup units are disposed. The cover at least covers a portion of upper surfaces of the image pickup units. The photopolymer gel is disposed on positions corresponding to the illumination openings that expose the photopolymer gel. The self-curing gel is disposed between the upper surfaces of the image pickup units and the upper shield. The photopolymer gel is configured to fix relative positions between the image pickup units and the cover. A manufacturing method of an image pickup module is also provided.

Provided are live, artificial, skin substitute products and methods of making and using the same, such as for wound treatment and compound testing, including compound testing for efficacy, toxicity, penetration, irritation and/or metabolism testing of drug candidates or compositions such as cosmetics. Described herein is an artificial mammalian skin substitute product, comprising: (a) optionally, but in some embodiments preferably, a first (“hypodermis-like”) layer comprising live mammalian adipocytes (e.g., induced pre-adipocytes) in a first hydrogel carrier; (b) a second (“dermis-like”) layer contacting or directly contacting the first layer and comprising live mammalian fibroblast cells and' live mammalian follicle dermal papilla cells in combination in a second hydrogel carrier; (c) a third (“epidermis-like”) layer contacting or directly contacting the second layer (i.e., on the opposite side thereof as the first layer, so that the second layer is sandwiched between the first and third layers when the first layer is present), the third layer comprising live mammalian keratinocytes and live mammalian melanocytes in combination in a third hydrogel carrier.

A method for fabricating three-dimensional structures. In-flight heating, evaporation, or UV illumination modifies the properties of aerosol droplets as they are jetted onto a target surface. The UV light at least partially cures photopolymer droplets, or alternatively causes droplets of solvent-based nanoparticle dispersions to rapidly dry in flight, and the resulting increased viscosity of the aerosol droplets facilitates the formation of free standing three-dimensional structures. This 3D fabrication can be performed using a wide variety of photopolymer, nanoparticle dispersion, and composite materials. The resulting 3D shapes can be free standing, fabricated without supports, and can attain arbitrary shapes by manipulating the print nozzle relative to the target substrate. Multiple materials may be mixed and deposited to form structures with compositionally graded material profiles, for example Bragg gratings in a light pipe or optical fiber, optical interconnects, and flat lenses.