The present disclosure provides a recombinant collagen and a recombinant collagen sponge material. The recombinant collagen comprises: (a) a protein composed of the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 2; and/or (b) a protein which has the same function as (a) and is derived from (a) by substitution, deletion and/or addition of one or more amino acids in SEQ ID NO:2. The recombinant collagen sponge material is obtained by sequential physical cross-linking and chemical cross-linking of the recombinant collagen. The recombinant collagen sponge material according to the present disclosure is capable of hemostasis, wound surface repair, moisture absorption and platelet aggregation, and has high moisture absorption, a significant hemostatic effect and good biocompatibility, assuming great clinical significance in the field of surgery.

A form birefringent optical element includes a structured layer and a dielectric environment disposed over the structured layer. At least one of the structured layer and the dielectric environment includes a nanovoided polymer, the nanovoided polymer having a first refractive index in an unactuated state and a second refractive index different than the first refractive index in an actuated state. Actuation of the nanovoided polymer can be used to reversibly control the form birefringence of the optical element. Various other apparatuses, systems, materials, and methods are also disclosed.

The invention relates to production of a porous microstructure using the high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) templating technology. The invented method involves subjecting an emulsion prepared by emulsification of two immiscible phases to forced sedimentation, such as subjecting the emulsion to centrifugation, so as to increase the volume ratio of the dispersed phase to the continuous phase to obtain a high internal phase emulsion (HIPE), following by curing the continuous phase, whereby the porous microstructure thus produced has an increased porosity.

Hollow particles each having a shell composed of at least one layer, wherein the at least one layer contains a nitrogen atom-containing resin having a refractive index of 1.57 or less.

A BAK removal device is constructed as a plug of microparticles of a hydrophilic polymeric gel that displays a hydraulic permeability greater than 0.01 Da. The polymer hydrophilic polymeric gel comprises poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA). The particles are 2 to 100 μm and the plug has a surface area of 30 mm.sup.2 to 2 mm.sup.2 and a length of 2 mm to 25 mm and wherein the microparticles of a hydrophilic polymeric gel has a pore radius of 3 to 60 μm.

Bare porous polymer monoliths, fluidic chips, methods of incorporating bare porous polymer monoliths into fluidic chips, and methods for functionalizing bare porous polymer monoliths are described. Bare porous polymer monoliths may be fabricated ex situ in a mold. The bare porous polymer monoliths may also be functionalized ex situ. Incorporating the bare preformed porous polymer monoliths into the fluidic chips may include inserting the monoliths into channels of channel substrates of the fluidic chips. Incorporating the bare preformed porous polymer monoliths into the fluidic chips may include bonding a capping layer to the channel substrate. The bare porous polymer monoliths may be mechanically anchored to channel walls and to the capping layer. The bare porous polymer monoliths may be functionalized by ex situ immobilization of capture probes on the monoliths. The monoliths may be functionalized by direct attachment of chitosan.

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.

Aerogel compositions, methods for preparing the aerogel compositions, articles of manufacture that include or are made from the aerogel compositions are described and uses thereof. The aerogels include a branched polyimide matrix with little to no crosslinked polymers.

Disclosed is a macroporous polymeric hydrogel microsphere that contains polyacrylamide and chitosan. The hydrogel microsphere, having a diameter of 50-250 μm and an average pore size of 1-60 nm, is capable of transporting biomolecules conjugated to it. Also disclosed is a method of fabricating the microsphere based on a micromolding technique utilizing surface tension-induced droplet formation followed by photo-induced polymerization.

Provided is a porous polyimide composition having low colorability and high light transmittability. Provided is a porous polyimide composition, in which an average pore size (L) obtained by the following expression based on a pore volume (V) and a BET specific surface area (A) determined by a gas adsorption method: L = 4V/A; is 5 nm or more and 500 nm or less, a light transmittance at 450 nm at a film thickness of 1 mm is 10% or more and 100% or less, and a degree of polymerization (n) is 5 or more and less than 40. [Selected Drawing] None