Research Triangle Institute

Randall J Newsome

David S Ensor

Howard Jerome Walls

Anthony Clint Clayton

Anthony L Andrady

Paul G Hoertz

Robert W Yaga

A filtration device including a contoured support having 1) an interior surface, 2) an outside peripheral surface spaced farther from a center of the contoured support than the interior surface, and 3) a rim enclosed and sealed to a perimeter of the contoured support. The filtration device includes macroscopic openings in the contoured support extending from the interior surface to the outside peripheral surface, and a plurality of nanofibers having diameters less than 1 micron. The nanofibers are disposed on the outside peripheral surface of the contoured support, and cover the macroscopic openings to form a filtration medium on the contoured support.

Curved nanofiber products and applications thereof

A particle detector includes a housing, a light source, and a photo-responsive material. The housing includes a sample inlet and a sample outlet, and encloses a detection cavity. The light source directs irradiating light along a longitudinal axis to particles of a sample fluid flowing in the detection cavity. The photo-responsive material surrounds at least a portion of the detection cavity, and receives measurement light propagating from the particles in a plurality of measurement light paths angled relative to the longitudinal axis. The particle detector may be utilized to measure scattered light and/or light emitted due to autofluorescence. Fluids sampled may include aerosols, bio-aerosols, and liquids.

Devices, systems and methods for detecting particles

A particle detector includes a housing, a light source, and a photo-responsive material. The housing includes a sample inlet and a sample outlet, and encloses a detection cavity. The light source directs irradiating light to particles of a sample fluid flowing in the detection cavity. The photo-responsive material faces the detection cavity, and receives measurement light propagating from the particles in a plurality of measurement light paths angled relative to a longitudinal axis. The particle detector may be utilized to measure scattered light and/or light emitted due to autofluorescence. Fluids sampled may include aerosols, bio-aerosols, and liquids.

Apparatus and method for producing fibrous materials in which the apparatus includes an extrusion element configured to electrospin a substance from which the fibers are to be composed by an electric field extraction of the substance from a tip of the extrusion element, a collector disposed from the extrusion element and configured to collect the fibers, a chamber enclosing the collector and the extrusion element, and a control mechanism configured to control a gaseous environment in which the fibers are to be electrospun. The apparatus and method provide a way to produce a fiber collection having a plurality of nanofibers disposed in relation to each other. The nanofibers in the fiber collection are preferentially oriented along a longitudinal axis of the fiber collection.

Electrospinning in a controlled gaseous environment

Apparatus and method for electrospinning fibers in which the apparatus includes a spray head having a longitudinal axis and including at least one electrospinning element disposed in a peripheral wall of the spray head surrounding the longitudinal axis. The electrospinning element includes a passage by which a substance from which the fibers are to be electrospun is provided to a tip of the extrusion electrospinning element. The electrospinning element extends from the peripheral wall in a direction from the longitudinal axis and is configured to electrospin the fibers by electric field extraction of the substance from the tip of the extrusion electrospinning element. Accordingly, the method includes providing a substance from which the fibers are to be composed to a tip of an electrospinning element in a peripheral wall of a spray head having a longitudinal axis, rotating the spray head or a collector configured to receive the fibers around the longitudinal axis, applying in a direction from the longitudinal axis of the spray head an electric field to the tip of the electrospinning element to electrospin by electric field extraction the substance from the tip of the electrospinning element to form the fibers, and collecting the fibers on the collector.

Growing community of inventors

Apex, NC, United States of America

Randall J Newsome