Photocatalytic materials with a composite photocatalyst of a metal oxide impregnated with elemental metal particles, can be embedded into a hydrophilic polymer having pores with diameters of less than 2 nm, to provide a useful water remediation and/or purification product. The metal oxide may be WO.sub.3, CeO.sub.2, Bi.sub.2O.sub.3, NiO, TiO.sub.2, and/or ZnO, and the elemental metal particles, impregnated or compounded into the metal oxide, may be Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Ag, Ce, Mn, Mo, V, Bi, Sn, W, Nb, Pd, and/or Pt. The photocatalytic materials may be easily removed and/or retrieved after use, and can effectively combat both chemical and biological contamination and/or fouling of water as well as the membranes composed of the photocatalytic material.

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.

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.

The invention relates to an implantable device to deliver drug formulations through a nanoporous membrane. The current related arts for delivery of drug formulations include tablets, injections, implantable pellets, injectable polymer depots, and implantable infusion pumps. The invention employs a reservoir to contain the drug formulation, a nanoporous membrane, and a formulation of estrogen.

The invention relates to an implantable device to deliver drug formulations through a nanoporous membrane. The current related arts for delivery of drug formulations include tablets, injections, implantable pellets, injectable polymer depots, and implantable infusion pumps. The invention employs a reservoir to contain the drug formulation, a nanoporous membrane, and a formulation of estrogen.

This invention describes a method and a device for efficient isolation of extracellular vesicles from animal and human biological fluids, as well as from culture fluid using equipment of standard diagnostic laboratories, that is, without the use of ultracentrifugation. These method and device can be applied for the diagnosis of various human diseases, as well as for therapeutic purposes, if the purified vesicles are used as an agent for drug delivery to the cells of the body. The device for the purification of extracellular vesicles contains at least two membrane filters: the first filter containing a membrane with pore sizes in the range from 400 to 600 nm, connected to the second filter containing a membrane with pores in the range from 95 to 200 nm. At the same time, the membranes of these filters are made of materials that practically do not bind biological polymers.

A cell retention device includes a structured support with a plurality of circumferentially distributed ribs to retain the active filtering surface of a flexible, porous membrane filter medium. The filter medium surrounds the support in contact with the peaks of the ribs, thereby forming axial voids between the rib peaks. This arrangement imparts sufficient structural support over small regions of the filter medium to facilitate its use in a circular (or other rounded) configuration while providing sufficient channel volume to support high throughput of fluid sparse of cells.

A cell retention device includes a structured support with a plurality of circumferentially distributed ribs to retain the active filtering surface of a flexible, porous membrane filter medium. The filter medium surrounds the support in contact with the peaks of the ribs, thereby forming axial voids between the rib peaks. This arrangement imparts sufficient structural support over small regions of the filter medium to facilitate its use in a circular (or other rounded) configuration while providing sufficient channel volume to support high throughput of fluid sparse of cells.

A carbon dioxide absorption medium. The absorption medium includes a plurality of hollow fibers and a plurality of binder particles. The hollow fibers have walls comprising a selectively permeable membrane that is configured to permit passage of gaseous carbon dioxide but not liquids. The plurality bind particles are dispersed between the hollow fibers and comprise an absorbent material configured to absorb gaseous carbon dioxide and to bind the carbon dioxide in a solid state.

A carbon dioxide absorption medium. The absorption medium includes a plurality of hollow fibers and a plurality of binder particles. The hollow fibers have walls comprising a selectively permeable membrane that is configured to permit passage of gaseous carbon dioxide but not liquids. The plurality bind particles are dispersed between the hollow fibers and comprise an absorbent material configured to absorb gaseous carbon dioxide and to bind the carbon dioxide in a solid state.