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.

A hydrogel composition and a hydrogel lens are provided. The hydrogel composition includes a hydrophilic monomer, a cross-linker, an initiator, and a rotaxane compound. In the hydrogel composition, a content range of the hydrophilic monomer is between 60 wt % and 99.85 wt %, a content range of the cross-linker is between 0.01 wt % and 1 wt %, a content range of the initiator is between 0.01 wt % and 2 wt %, and a content range of the rotaxane compound is between 0.1 wt % and 15 wt %. The rotaxane compound further includes at least one cyclic molecule and at least one linear molecule threading through the at least one cyclic molecule, and a weight ratio of the rotaxane compound relative to the hydrophilic monomer is between 1:6 and 1:99.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a nanofiltration composite membrane for use to purify water, the methods for preparing said nanofiltration composite membranes and to the nanofiltration composite membranes prepared accordingly.

An optical device comprising an optical hydrogel with select regions that have been irradiated with laser light having a pulse energy from 0.01 nJ to 50 nJ and a wavelength from 600 nm to 900 nm. The irradiated regions are characterized by a positive change in refractive index of from 0.01 to 0.06, and exhibit little or no scattering loss. The optical hydrogel is prepared with a hydrophilic monomer.

Low-dusting, granular compositions are provided that comprise at least 15% by weight crosslinked polyvinylpyrrolidone.

Improved hydrogel configurations for use with a TTField-generating system is disclosed. Also disclosed are kits containing the improved hydrogel configurations and methods of producing and using the improved hydrogel configurations.

A process for producing a non-tobacco plant composition and a process for producing an electronic cigarette filler to be used for an electronic cigarette using a non-tobacco plant are provided with which cooling sensation of menthol can be enjoyed, capable of keeping menthol flavor even after long-term storage. A process for producing a non-tobacco plant composition includes a menthol-dissolving step of preliminarily mixing menthol, a lower alcohol and a water-insoluble crosslinked polymer to obtain a menthol-dissolved product, and a mixing step of mixing a non-tobacco plant, an aerosol former and the menthol-dissolved product obtained by the menthol-dissolving step.

In some aspects, the present disclosure pertains to multi-arm polymers that comprise a core, a plurality of polymer segments having a first end that is covalently attached to the core and a second end comprising a moiety that comprises a reactive group, wherein the polymer segments comprise one or more free-radical-polymerizable monomers. In some aspects, systems are provided that comprise a first composition comprising such a multi-arm polymer and a second composition comprising a multifunctional compound that comprises functional groups that are reactive with the reactive groups of the multi-arm polymer. In some aspects, systems are provided that comprise crosslinked reaction products of such a multi-arm polymer and such a multifunctional compound.

The present disclosure relates to hydrogels and their use for repairing or supplementing body tissue. The hydrogels are capable of safe injection into patients through fine gauge needles and are suitable for repairing, supplementing, or replacing the nucleus pulposus of an intervertebral disc. Methods of manufacturing and methods of using the hydrogels of the present disclosure to repair or replace tissues are also disclosed.

The invention relates to novel a high-volume swelling hydrogel which comprises a plurality of pores which are defined by an interpenetrating network, and/or a semi-interpenetrating network and/or simple cross-linked arrangement of a plurality of one or more species of hydrophilic polymers, optionally together with one or more biocompatible polymers and optionally together with one or more plasticising agents, characterised in that at least some of the pores are at least partially collapsed and/or flattened, and further characterised in that the interpenetrating network and/or semi-interpenetrating network and/or cross-linked arrangement which defines the collapsed and/or flattened pores is substantially unbroken. The invention also relates to a process for preparing such hydrogels, and to their use as an appetite suppressant.