The inventive subject matter provides an apparatus for reproducibly fabricating hydrogel-based organ and tumor models inside multi-well plates. For example, tumor models made using the inventive apparatus can be used for studying the progression of cancer, cancer diagnostics, and therapeutic screening. A mold controls the thickness of each hydrogel layer. A photomask controls the size and shape of each hydrogel layer, allowing the hydrogel diameter to be smaller than the diameter of each well so that liquid media can be exchanged around both the sides and top of the hydrogels. A holder aligns the photomask with the multi-well plate, and polymerization is initiated by a light source.

Parallel reactor systems for synthesizing materials are disclosed. The reactor systems may include at least two reaction vessels and may be suitable for synthesizing materials produced from corrosive reagents, for example, Ziegler-Natta catalysts. Antechambers may be provided above the reaction vessels to help purge vapors produced by the corrosive reagents. Methods for preparing materials by use of such parallel reactor systems are also disclosed.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a process for preparing a polyamide. Specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus and a process for preparing a polyamide that enhances the degree of fixation of a diamine during the polycondensation of a diamine and a dicarboxylic acid. The apparatus and process for preparing a polyamide according to an embodiment of the present invention are capable of enhancing the degree of fixation of a diamine during the polycondensation reaction of a diamine and a dicarboxylic acid.

An autoclave reactor having polycrystalline diamond bearings. The autoclave reactor can include a housing for containing at least one reaction material therein, a motor disposed within the housing, an agitator connected to the motor for stirring the at least one material within the housing, the agitator having a shaft connected to the motor at one end thereof, and at least one bearing disposed adjacent to the shaft or adjacent to the connection of the shaft to the motor, the at least one bearing being made of polycrystalline diamond. A process for making low density polyethylene (LDPE) can include introducing ethylene to the autoclave reactor disclosed herein and polymerizing the ethylene within a housing of the reactor to provide the low density polyethylene.

A product of a chemical reaction, being a five carbon atom molecule having a tetrahedral structure consisting of four apical carbon atoms and a fifth carbon atom located centrally within the tetrahedral structure.

An activity frame comprising a first or outer ring mounted between a pair of opposed bearings in a opposed pair of supports, for example upstanding members of a frame, the first bearings having a having a first common axis; a second or middle ring mounted between opposed bearings on the first ring, the bearings having a second common axis orthogonal to the first common axis; a third or inner ring mounted between opposed bearings on the second ring, the bearings having a third common axis orthogonal to the second axis provided with demountable restraining means to limit the movement of two or more of the rings and demountable bars to fix one or more of the rings to the frame or other fixed object.

The present invention relates to a microfluidic flow process for making polymers, polymers made by such processes, and methods of using such polymers. In such process, a novel reagent delivery setup is used in conjunction with microfluidic reaction technology to synthesize anionic polymerization reaction products from superheated monomer orders of magnitude faster than is possible in batch and continuous syntheses. The aforementioned process does not require the cryogenic temperatures which are required for such syntheses in batch or bulk continuous. Thus the aforementioned process is more economically efficient and reduces the environmental impact of linear polymer production.

An array of membranes comprising amphipathic molecules is formed using an apparatus comprising a support defining an array of compartments. Volumes comprising polar medium are provided within respective compartments and a layer comprising apolar medium is provided extending across the openings with the volumes. Polar medium is flowed across the support to displace apolar medium and form a layer in contact with the volumes, forming membranes comprising amphipathic molecules at the interfaces. In one construction of the apparatus, the support that comprises partitions which comprise inner portions and outer portions. The inner portions define inner recesses without gaps therebetween that are capable of constraining the volumes comprising polar medium contained in neighbouring inner recesses from contacting each other. The outer portions extend outwardly from the inner portions and have gaps allowing the flow of an apolar medium across the substrate.

There is disclosed an electrode array architecture employing continuous and discontinuous circumferential electrodes. There is further disclosed a process for the neutralization of acid generated at anode(s) by base generated at cathode(s) circumferentially located to each other so as to confine a region of pH change. The cathodes can be displayed as concentric rings (continuous) or as counter electrodes in a cross pattern (discontinuous). In this way reagents, such as acid, generated in a center electrode are countered (neutralized) by reagents, such as base, generated at the corners or at the outer ring.

The present invention provides microfabricated substrates and methods of conducting reactions within these substrates. The reactions occur in plugs transported in the flow of a carrier-fluid.