Research Triangle Institute

Aramco Services Company

Rti International

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Duke University

Leah Marie Johnson

Ginger Denison Rothrock

Nicolas Daniel Huffman

Sarah Dorothy Shepherd

Ghaithan Al-Muntasheri

Jeffrey Brent Mecham

Chasity Antoninette Norton

Andrea Gail Neely

Sandra Cordel O'Buckley

Gabriel P Lopez

Brian Rhys Stoner

Vijay Gupta

Vikram Rao

Charles Wyatt Shields, Iv

Sarah Sheperd

Lu Gao

Ariane Van Der Straten Ponthoz

Stephanie Lynn Swarner

Ninell Pollas Mortensen

The present disclosure relates to delivery and release systems, such as core-shell particles. An exemplary composition according to the disclosure can include a degradable polymeric shell surrounding a core that includes a crosslinker, which can encompass a metal, such as chromium. The core-shell particles can be provided with a gel-forming polymer, such as a polyacrylamide, into a subterranean reservoir having conditions such that the shell of the core-shell polymer degrades, and the so-released metal is effective to at least partially crosslink the gel-forming polymer to form a gel. The so-formed gel can be effective to control water flow through the subterranean reservoir, such as in relation to a waterflood of the reservoir.

Methods and materials for controlled release of materials in a subterranean reservoir

Syntactic foams are materials including hollow microspheres distributed throughout a cured polymeric resin. Hollow microspheres within syntactic foams, including collapsible shells that enclose empty cavities, can serve as receptacles to capture environmental constituents upon applied temperature and pressure. An epoxy formulation including of EPON&#x2122; 828, HELOXY&#x2122; 61, and TETA was combined with hollow glass microspheres with isostatic crush strengths of 300, 3000, and 10,000 psi. Effects of pressure and temperature on the mechanical properties were evaluated via dynamic mechanical analysis. Storage modulus and glass transition temperature depended on formulation. Upon exposure to specific temperature and pressures, the hollow glass spheres embedded within the resin lose mechanical integrity and collapse, resulting in the generation of unencapsulated void spaces, primed to capture embedded liquid. Controllable loss of mechanical integrity enables syntactic foams to serve as on-demand receptacles to retain constituents in the surrounding environment, resulting from externally triggered pressures and temperatures.

Syntactic foams as mechanically-triggered capture vehicles

A three-dimensional cell growth containment article is described, which includes a molded body channelized by removal of sacrificial channelizing element(s) therefrom, so that the molded body contains one or more channel(s) therein, with a matrix material in at least one of such channel(s) that is supportive of three-dimensional cell growth in the matrix material. A method for making such articles is also described, in which a molded body is formed with one or more sacrificial channelizing element(s) therein, following which the sacrificial channelizing element(s) are removed. The three-dimensional cell growth containment articles of the present disclosure may be utilized in any applications in which there exists a need to reproducibly generate three-dimensional cellular structures, e.g., islet transplantation for diabetes treatment, transplantation of hormone secreting cells, cellular scaffolds for wound healing, and generation of tissue engineering structures to regain structural usefulness for orthopedic applications.

Method and apparatus for spatial control of cellular growth

The disclosure provides biomedical devices comprising indicator agents sensitive to the environment of use, methods of using same to enhance adherence to a treatment or usage regimen, and systems for monitoring compliance of use of the biomedical device. The biomedical device may be an intravaginal ring comprised of biocompatible polymeric material having indicator agent incorporated therein capable of producing a detectable change in response to a stimulus within the vaginal environment.

Vaginal ring with visual indication of use

The present disclosure relates to delivery and release systems wherein a plurality of particles is provided, and the particles are formed of a vehicle component and a cargo component. The systems and methods particularly can be useful in delivery of various chemicals to a petroleum reservoir. The vehicle component can undergo a change in situ such that at least a portion of the cargo component is released.

Methods and materials for controlled release of desired chemistries

A polymer-encapsulated mineral acid solution and a method for forming the polymer-encapsulated mineral acid solution. Introducing a strong mineral acid solution to a monomer solution occurs such that a primary emulsion that is a water-in-oil type emulsion forms. Introducing the primary emulsion to a second aqueous solution forms a secondary emulsion that is a water-in-oil-in-water type double emulsion. The monomer in the secondary emulsion is cured such a polymerized shell forms that encapsulates the strong mineral acid solution and forms the capsule. The strong mineral acid solution has up to 30 wt. % strong mineral acid. A method of stimulating a hydrocarbon-bearing formation using the polymer-encapsulated mineral acid solution includes introducing a capsule suspension into a fissure in the hydrocarbon-bearing formation to be stimulated through a face in a well bore. The capsule is maintained within the fissure until the polymer shell degrades.

Encapsulation and controlled delivery of strong mineral acids

The present disclosure relates to delivery and release systems, such as core-shell particles. An exemplary composition according to the disclosure can include a carrier element forming an outer shell that defines an inner core. The core can include a reactive agent that is adapted to react with the shell, particularly at an inner interface of the shell with the core materials. The reaction can provide an inside-out degradation of the shell and release of one or more materials therein. The reactive agent may be separated from the shell, such as using a phase change material (PCM). Upon reaching specific environmental conditions, the PCM can change so as the release the reactive agent for reaction with the shell. The systems can be used in various methods to deliver a material to various environments, including underground reservoirs.

Core-shell triggered release systems

The disclosure provides biocompatible dental material that is moldable and biodegradable and provides sustained and/or controlled delivery of one or more local anesthetics within a dental cavity or space. Such dental material is customizable for the size and shape needed for a particular patient or particular application. The dental material may also provide customizable sustained and/or controlled delivery of one or more local anesthetics.

Formulations for controlled release of bupivacaine

Biocompatible dental putty formulations for controlled release of bupivacaine

Acoustically responsive particles and methods are provided for their use. Methods are provided for making and using tunable, monodisperse acoustically responsive particles and negative contrast acoustic particles, wherein the particles can contain a functional group available for covalent modification.

Growing community of inventors

Durham, NC, United States of America

Leah Marie Johnson