A flexible foam composition comprising a flexible foam structure comprising a plurality of struts, and a plurality of fibers, where a majority of the fibers are associated with the struts. The fibers may be thermally conductive fibers. The fibers include, but are not necessarily limited to, homopolymer and/or copolymer fibers having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of −50° C. (−58° F.) or greater, carbon fibers, animal-based fibers, plant-based fibers, metal fibers, and combinations thereof. The presence of fibers can impart to the flexible foam composition greater indentation force deflection (IFD), greater static thermal conductivity, improved compression set, improved height retention or durability, and/or a combination of these improvements. The flexible foam composition may be polyurethane foam, latex foam, polyether polyurethane foam, viscoelastic foam, high resilient foam, polyester polyurethane foam, foamed polyethylene, foamed polypropylene, expanded polystyrene, foamed silicone, melamine foam, among others.

The present invention relates to a method of making a porous sponge-like formulation that can well absorb water, oil and organic solvents separately or combined. Methods of preparing said formulation and its use in medical, pharmaceutical, biotechnological, chemical as well as in wound care, home care, (agro-)environmental and construction material applications are also provided.

High strength biomedical materials and processes for making the same are disclosed. Included in the disclosure are nanoporous hydrophilic solids that can be extruded with a high aspect ratio to make high strength medical catheters and other devices with lubricious and biocompatible surfaces.

An embodiment includes a system comprising: an iodine containing thermoset open-cell shape memory polymer (SMP) foam that is x-ray visible; wherein (a) the SMP foam is configured to expand from a compressed secondary state to an expanded primary state in response to thermal stimulus, (b) the SMP foam is a poly(urethane-urea-amide). Other embodiments are described herein.

The present invention relates to a foamed sintered polymeric material with improved mechanical properties and a process for the preparation thereof comprising the following steps: providing an expandable polymeric material in the form of granules, solubilizing with a time-varying pressure profile said one or more blowing agents in the expandable polymeric material, expanding said granules to form said expanded beads by instantly releasing the pressure or by pressure release and subsequent heating, and sintering together said expanded beads, preferably at a temperature higher than 30° C.

Green, fast and easy evaporating organic solvent for use as a lubricant in the processing of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) products and processes of using the solvents to fabricate the products are disclosed herein. The products can be used in the field of bio- and medical applications, such as for use in vascular grafts, cardiovascular and soft tissue patches, facial implants, surgical sutures, and endovascular prosthesis, and for any products known in the aerospace, electronics, fabrics, filtration, industrial and sealant arts.

A flexible foam composition comprising a flexible foam structure comprising a plurality of struts, and a plurality of fibers, where a majority of the fibers are associated with the struts. The fibers may be thermally conductive fibers. The fibers include, but are not necessarily limited to, homopolymer and/or copolymer fibers having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of −50° C. (−58° F.) or greater, carbon fibers, animal-based fibers, plant-based fibers, metal fibers, and combinations thereof. The presence of fibers can impart to the flexible foam composition greater indentation force deflection (IFD), greater static thermal conductivity, improved compression set, improved height retention or durability, and/or a combination of these improvements. The flexible foam composition may be polyurethane foam, latex foam, polyether polyurethane foam, viscoelastic foam, high resilient foam, polyester polyurethane foam, foamed polyethylene, foamed polypropylene, expanded polystyrene, foamed silicone, melamine foam, among others.

Embodiments herein described provide devices for identifying and collecting rare cells or cells which occur at low frequency in the body of a subject, such as, antigen-specific cells or disease-specific cells. More specifically, the devices are useful for trapping immune cells and the devices contain a physiologically-compatible porous polymer scaffold, a plurality of antigens, and an immune cell-recruiting agent, wherein the plurality of antigens and the immune cell recruiting agent attract and trap the immune cell in the device. Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions, kits, and packages containing such devices. Additional embodiments relate to methods for making the devices, compositions, and kits/packages. Further embodiments relate to methods for using the devices, compositions, and/or kits in the diagnosis or therapy of diseases such as autoimmune diseases or cancers.

Methods to produce substantially closed cell foams with densities less than 0.75 g/cm.sup.3, and more preferably less than 0.5 g/cm.sup.3, without substantial loss of the polymer's weight average molecular weight, have been developed. The closed cells foams have an open cell content of generally less than 50%, and more preferably an open cell content of less than 20%, and the cells have a maximum diameter of less than 5 mm. The foam may include poly-4-hydroxybutyrate or a copolymer thereof. Preferably, the foam is derived by heating a foam polymer formula to a temperature above the melt temperature of the polymer to form a melt polymer system, adding a blowing agent to produce a foamable melt, extruding the foamable melt through a die to a lower pressure to cause foaming, cooling of the foam, and solidification of the foam. These foam structures can be used for fabrication of medical products.

Described herein is a process for producing a hydrophilic flexible polyurethane foam. Also described herein is a flexible polyurethane foam obtainable by such a process and a method of using such a flexible polyurethane foam for treating wounds.