Medical diagnostic devices or components thereof are described that comprise a microstructured surface that comprises peak structures and adjacent valleys wherein the valleys have a maximum width ranging from 1 to 1000 microns and the peak structures. In some embodiments (e.g.

for improved cleanability) the peak structures of the microstructured surface have a side wall angle of greater than 10 degrees. The peak structures may comprise two or more facets such as in the case of a linear array of prisms or an array of cube-comers elements. The microstructured surface of the medical diagnostic device typically comes in contact with multiple patients during normal use of the device, such as a stethoscope diaphragm. The microstructured surface exhibits better microorganism (e.g. bacteria) removal when cleaned and/or provides a reduction in microbial touch transfer. Also described are methods of making and methods of use.

A porous material comprises a porous material substrate and nanostructure arrays that are in-situ grown on the porous material substrate; wherein a surface modification layer is arranged on the surface of the nanoarrays, and the surface modification layer is configured to increase the adhesion force between the nanoarrays and the microbes. The porous material is applied to disinfection, which comprises the steps: The porous material with the surface-modified nanoarrays is placed in flowing water, the water flow passes through the gaps of the nanoarrays in a shuttling mode, and in the shuttling flowing process, microbes come into contact with the nanoarrays. The microbes are torn up through the hydrodynamic force and the adhesion force between the nanoarrays and the microbes, so that the microbes are physically ruptured to achieve disinfection.

An anti-fouling surface having micron scale pillars embedded with Fe.sub.3O.sub.4 nanoparticles is designed. The pillars may be repeatedly induced to move according to a predetermined frequency, such as one that mimic that of the beating movement of natural cilia, through the application of a magnetic field. When square-shaped pillars with a height of 10 μm, width of 2 μm, and inter-pattern distance of 5 μm actuated for three minutes, more than 99.9 percent of biofilm cells were detached and via gentle rinsing from the surface having the pillars. The anti-fouling surface enables effective prevention of biofilm formation and removal of established biofilms, and can be applied to a broad spectrum of polymers.

Approaches, techniques, and mechanisms are disclosed for sensor cleaning systems. A region of a sensor window is identified to be blocked by an obscurant. The location of the region is determined using the sensor associated with the sensor window. An acousto-vibratory cleaning system receives the location of the region and produces a fluid droplet to be dispensed at a specified point on a two-dimensional plane of the surface of the sensor window. Sonic actuators are activated to capture the fluid droplet in acoustic levitation. Acoustic forces guide the fluid droplet to the region being obscured. Once the fluid droplet is in cleaning position, vibration of the sensor window is activated to incrementally clear the obscurant by vibrating the droplet along the obscurant. The acousto-vibratory cleaning system generates additional acoustic forces to guide the contaminated fluid droplet to a closest drainage canal.

A coated substrate including a substrate including a treated layer, a photocatalytic layer, and a protective layer for impeding photocatalyst derived degradation of the treated layer, the protective layer being provided between the photocatalytic layer and the treated layer, the protective layer comprising colloidal particles distributed in a matrix comprised at least partly of an organosilicon phase which is oxidizable by the reactive oxygen species to form a non-volatile inorganic phase, wherein the organosilicon phase includes a surfactant incorporating an organosilicon component.

A method for manufacturing a mold includes (a) anodizing an aluminum substrate at a voltage of 60 V to 120 V in an electrolytic solution in which two or more species of acid are mixed, and forming an oxide film having a plurality of minute holes on a surface of the aluminum substrate; and (b) removing at least a portion of the oxide film. The electrolytic solution used in (a) satisfies the relation (D1)/2<D2, where D1 is the current density when the aluminum substrate is anodized under the same conditions as in (a) in an electrolytic solution of only the acid (A) having the highest acid dissociation constant (Ka) of the two or more species of acid, and D2 is the current density when the aluminum substrate is anodized under the same conditions (a) in the same electrolytic solution as that of (a).

Methods and apparatus for cleaning a central venous catheter port are disclosed. An apparatus includes a body, a coupling configured to connect the body to the hub, a cleaning cap coupled to the body, and an actuator disposed within the body for rotating and translating the cap relative to the hub. The cleaning cap includes a cap body defining a cavity and a cleaning member disposed within the cavity, the cleaning member having threads that engage with the threads on the hub.

A method for producing a molded body includes providing a composite including a first plate having a polymer film pressed into its surface, providing a third plate including roughened areas on at least part of one of its surfaces, placing the third plate opposite the polymer film without the third plate touching the composite, heating the third plate to a temperature above the glass transition temperature Tg of the polymer of the polymer film without heating the composite and without the heated third plate coming into contact with the surface of the polymer film, and structuring the surface of the polymer film facing the third plate by a relative movement which removes the third plate from the first plate while the polymer film remains soft and is thus extended lengthwise, thereby forming a modified composite that comprises the molded body.

Provided are a method of producing a nano composite structure and a nano composite structure produced by using the same. The method comprises producing a substrate; placing a metal net structure above the substrate; and plasma treating the substrate above which the metal net structure is placed. The method allows a nano composite structure with a nano patterned structure on its overall surface to be easily produced. The nano composite structure includes a substrate having a plurality of first protrusions constituting a nano pattern on its surface; and an inorganic particle disposed on an end of at least a portion of the first protrusions.

A biosensor includes an array of metal nanorods formed on a substrate. An electropolymerized conductor is formed over tops of a portion of the nanorods to form a reservoir between the electropolymerized conductor and the substrate. The electropolymerized conductor includes pores that open and close responsively to electrical signals applied to the nanorods. A dispensing material is loaded in the reservoir to be dispersed in accordance with open pores.