Breathable fabrics with smart pores
AssigneeCornell University
InventorsLihong Lao, Jintu Fan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Described are moisture responsive materials. The materials may have tunable moisture permeability. A material may be a substrate that includes apertures. The apertures are configured to open or close depending on the humidity environment to which the substrate is exposed. The apertures have at least two regions of polymer gel, which may have different amounts of crosslinking. The apertures may be formed from at least two polymer gels having at least two different crosslinker loadings. The materials may be used in articles of manufacture. For example, the materials are used in wearable articles, outdoor articles, medical articles, packaging articles, building articles, filtration/separation articles, and the like.
Claims25
An artificial stoma structure, comprising:
- a first wall extending through a depth of a substrate from a first surface of the substrate to a second surface of the substrate, the first wall comprising a first polymer gel;
- a second wall extending through the depth of the substrate, the second wall comprising the first polymer gel and being disposed in opposition to the first wall;
- a first region, comprising a second polymer gel, in proximity to the first wall;
- and
- a second region, comprising the second polymer gel, in proximity to the second wall;
- wherein the first polymer gel comprises a different degree of crosslinking than that of the second polymer gel,
- wherein, for a first level of an external stimulus, the first polymer gel and the second polymer gel are in first states corresponding to the first wall and the second wall defining a first shape, and
- wherein, for a second level of the external stimulus different than the first level of the external stimulus, the first polymer gel and the second polymer gel are in second states corresponding to the first wall and the second wall defining a second shape in which at least a portion of the first wall and the second wall are laterally spaced apart from one another along the depth of the substrate to define an aperture through the substrate between the first wall and the second wall.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.