University of Florida Research Foundation, Incorporated

Kyle D Schulze

Wallace Gregory Sawyer

Thomas Ettor Angelini

Tapomoy Bhattacharjee

Carl David Crane

Curtis Taylor

Joshua Muse

Meghan Hughes

Angela Athena Pitenis

Juan Manuel Uruena

Ryan M Nixon

Angela A Pitenis

Described herein are various embodiments of a valve that may be opened and closed using a thixotropic or 'stress yield' material, or other material that temporarily changes phase upon application of energy to the material. More particularly, some embodiments may include a valve that is opened and closed using a granular gel that is a temporary phase change material.

Valve incorporating temporary phase change material

A device comprises a surface that is a hydrogel having a targeted mesh size that permits a low-speed friction coefficient near or lower that that typically reported for cartilage of 0.01 to 0.02, a transition. The device can be a contact lens to sit on the cornea where, during a blink, eyelid slides past the eye surface at about 100 mm s. The hydrodynamic lubrication of the hydrogel of the device separates the contact lens surface from the surfaces of the tarsal conjunctiva and marginal conjunctiva of the eyelid. Other devices that can comprise the hydrogel of a targeted mesh size are those that can contact cartilage of articulating joints.

Mesh size control of lubrication in gemini hydrogels

Growing community of inventors

Gainesville, FL, United States of America

Kyle D Schulze