Abstract: A device for stimulable light emission that includes a fiber mat of nanofibers having an average fiber diameter in a range between 100 and 2000 nm, and includes plural stimulable particles disposed in association with the nanofibers. The stimulable particles produce secondary light emission upon receiving primary light at a wavelength ?. The average fiber diameter is comparable in size to the wavelength ? in order to provide scattering sites within the fiber mat for the primary light. Various methods for making suitable luminescent nanofiber mats include: electrospinning a polymer solution including or not including the stimulable particles and forming from the electrospun solution nanofibers having an average fiber diameter between 100 and 2000 nm. Methods, which electrospin without the stimulable particles, introduce the stimulable particles during electrospinning or after electrospinning to the fibers and therefore to the resultant fiber mat.

Abstract: 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.

Abstract: A chemical sensor and a system and method for sensing a chemical species. The chemical sensor includes a plurality of nanofibers whose electrical impedance varies upon exposure to the chemical species, a substrate supporting and electrically isolating the fibers, and a set of electrodes connected to the plurality of fibers at spatially separated points to permit the electrical impedance of the plurality of fibers to be measured. The system includes the chemical sensor, an impedance measuring device coupled to the electrodes and configured to determine an electrical impedance of the plurality of fibers, and an analyzer configured to identify the chemical species based on a change in the electrical impedance. The method measures at least one change in an electrical impedance between spatially separated electrodes, and identifies the chemical species based on the measured change in the electrical impedance.

Abstract: A bioparticle collection device and an aerosol collection system. The bioparticle collection device includes a collection medium including a plurality of fibers formed into a fiber mat and configured to collect bioparticles thereon, and includes a viability enhancing material provider disposed in a vicinity of the plurality of fibers and configured to provide a viability enhancing material to the collected bioparticles to maintain viability of the bioparticles collected by the fiber mat. The aerosol collection system includes an aerosol pumping device configured to entrain particles in an gas stream, an aerosol saturation device configured to saturate the particles in the gas stream with a biocompatible liquid, and an aerosol collection medium downstream from the aerosol saturation device and including a plurality of fibers formed into a fiber mat for collection of the saturated aerosol particles.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for producing fibrous materials in which the apparatus includes an enclosure having an inlet configured to receive a substance from which the fibrous materials are to be composed, a common electrode disposed in the enclosure, and plural extrusion elements provided in a wall of the enclosure opposite the common electrode so as to define between the plural extrusion elements and the common electrode a space in communication with the inlet to receive the substance in the space. In the method, a substance from which the fibrous materials are to be composed is fed to the enclosure having the plural extrusion elements, a common electric field is applied to the extrusion elements in a direction in which the substance is to be extruded, the substance is extruded through the extrusion elements to tips of the extrusion elements, and the substance is electrosprayed from the tips to form the fibrous materials.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for producing fibrous materials in which the apparatus includes an electrospinning 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 electrospinning element, a collector disposed from the electrospinning element and configured to collect the fibers, a chamber enclosing the collector and the electrospinning element, and a control mechanism configured to control a gaseous environment in which the fibers are to be electrospun.

Abstract: A chemical sensor and a system and method for sensing a chemical species. The chemical sensor includes a plurality of nanofibers whose electrical impedance varies upon exposure to the chemical species, a substrate supporting and electrically isolating the fibers, and a set of electrodes connected to the plurality of fibers at spatially separated points to permit the electrical impedance of the plurality of fibers to be measured. The system includes the chemical sensor, an impedance measuring device coupled to the electrodes and configured to determine an electrical impedance of the plurality of fibers, and an analyzer configured to identify the chemical species based on a change in the electrical impedance. The method measures at least one change in an electrical impedance between spatially separated electrodes connected to a plurality of fibers upon exposure of the fibers to the chemical species, and identifies the chemical species based on the measured change in the electrical impedance.

Abstract: A device for stimulable light emission that includes a fiber mat of nanofibers having an average fiber diameter in a range between 100 and 2000 nm, and includes plural stimulable particles disposed in association with the nanofibers. The stimulable particles produce secondary light emission upon receiving primary light at a wavelength ?. The average fiber diameter is comparable in size to the wavelength ? in order to provide scattering sites within the fiber mat for the primary light. Various methods for making suitable luminescent nanofiber mats include: electrospinning a polymer solution including or not including the stimulable particles and forming from the electrospun solution nanofibers having an average fiber diameter between 100 and 2000 nm. Methods, which electrospin without the stimulable particles, introduce the stimulable particles during electrospinning or after electrospinning to the fibers and therefore to the resultant fiber mat.

Abstract: A filtration device including a filtration medium having a plurality of nanofibers of diameters less than 1 micron formed into a fiber mat in the presence of an abruptly varying electric field during electrospinning of the plurality of nanofibers. The nanofibers retain charge in the filtration medium from the electrospinning. The filtration device includes a support attached to the filtration medium and having openings for fluid flow therethrough. A method for making a filter material. The method provides a support having openings for fluid flow therethrough, electrospins nanofibers across an entirety of the openings, abruptly varies an electric field at the collector at least once during electrospinning of the fibers, and retains charge on the nanofibers after formation of the filtration medium.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for producing fibrous materials in which the apparatus includes an enclosure having an inlet configured to receive a substance from which the fibrous materials are to be composed, a common electrode disposed in the enclosure, and plural extrusion elements provided in a wall of the enclosure opposite the common electrode so as to define between the plural extrusion elements and the common electrode a space in communication with the inlet to receive the substance in the space. In the method, a substance from which the fibrous materials are to be composed is fed to the enclosure having the plural extrusion elements, a common electric field is applied to the extrusion elements in a direction in which the substance is to be extruded, the substance is extruded through the extrusion elements to tips of the extrusion elements, and the substance is electrosprayed from the tips to form the fibrous materials.

Abstract: A filtration device including a filtration medium having a plurality of nanofibers of diameters less than 1 micron formed into a fiber mat in the presence of an abruptly varying electric field. The filtration device includes a support attached to the filtration medium and having openings for fluid flow therethrough. A device for making a filter material. The device includes an electrospinning element configured to electrospin a plurality of fibers from a tip of the electrospinning element, a collector opposed to the electrospinning element configured to collect electrospun fibers on a surface of the collector, and an electric field modulation device configured to abruptly vary an electric field at the collector at least once during electrospinning of the fibers. A method for making a filter material.

Abstract: A device for stimulable light emission that includes a fiber mat of nanofibers having an average fiber diameter in a range between 100 and 2000 nm, and includes plural stimulable particles disposed in association with the nanofibers. The stimulable particles produce secondary light emission upon receiving primary light at a wavelength ?. The average fiber diameter is comparable in size to the wavelength ? in order to provide scattering sites within the fiber mat for the primary light. Various methods for making suitable luminescent nanofiber mats include: electrospinning a polymer solution including or not including the stimulable particles and forming from the electrospun solution nanofibers having an average fiber diameter between 100 and 2000 nm. Methods, which electrospin without the stimulable particles, introduce the stimulable particles during electrospinning or after electrospinning to the fibers and therefore to the resultant fiber mat.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for producing fibrous materials in which the apparatus includes an enclosure having an inlet configured to receive a substance from which the fibrous materials are to be composed, a common electrode disposed in the enclosure, and plural extrusion elements provided in a wall of the enclosure opposite the common electrode so as to define between the plural extrusion elements and the common electrode a space in communication with the inlet to receive the substance in the space. In the method, a substance from which the fibrous materials are to be composed is fed to the enclosure having the plural extrusion elements, a common electric field is applied to the extrusion elements in a direction in which the substance is to be extruded, the substance is extruded through the extrusion elements to tips of the extrusion elements, and the substance is electrosprayed from the tips to form the fibrous materials.

Abstract: An optical device having a mat including plural nanofibers configured to transmit light having wavelengths above a cutoff wavelength and to reject light at wavelengths below the cutoff wavelength. The nanofibers have an average fiber diameter comparable in size to the cutoff wavelength.

Abstract: A filtration device including a filtration medium having a plurality of nanofibers of diameters less than 1 micron formed into a fiber mat in the presence of an abruptly varying electric field. The filtration device includes a support attached to the filtration medium and having openings for fluid flow therethrough. A device for making a filter material. The device includes an electrospinning element configured to electrospin a plurality of fibers from a tip of the electrospinning element, a collector opposed to the electrospinning element configured to collect electrospun fibers on a surface of the collector, and an electric field modulation device configured to abruptly vary an electric field at the collector at least once during electrospinning of the fibers. A method for making a filter material.

Abstract: An apparatus and method in which the apparatus includes a first electrospinning device configured to electrospin first fibers of a first substance, a second electrospinning device configured to electrospin second fibers of a second substance such that first and second fibers combine in a mat formation region, and a biasing device configured to bias the first electrospinning device with a first electric polarity and to bias the second electrospinning device with a second electric polarity of opposite polarity to the first electric polarity to promote attraction and coalescence between the first and second fibers. The method electrospins under the first electric polarity first fibers from the first substance, electrospins under the second electric polarity fibers from the second substance, and coalesces the first and second fibers to form the fiber mat.

Abstract: A thermal preconcentrator unit and a method for concentrating chemical species. The thermal preconcentrator unit includes a thermoelectric device having a temperature controlled surface and a sorbent material configured to concentrate the chemical species. The sorbent material is disposed on and in thermal contact with the temperature controlled surface. The thermoelectric device is configured to cool and heat the temperature controlled surface to promote sorption and desorption of chemical species onto and from the sorbent material. The method provides a temperature controlled surface and exposes the chemical species to a sorbent material disposed on the temperature controlled surface to concentrate the chemical species thereon.

Abstract: A chemical sensor and a system and method for sensing a chemical species. The chemical sensor includes a plurality of nanofibers whose electrical impedance varies upon exposure to the chemical species, a substrate supporting and electrically isolating the fibers, and a set of electrodes connected to the plurality of fibers at spatially separated points to permit the electrical impedance of the plurality of fibers to be measured. The system includes the chemical sensor, an impedance measuring device coupled to the electrodes and configured to determine an electrical impedance of the plurality of fibers, and an analyzer configured to identify the chemical species based on a change in the electrical impedance. The method measures at least one change in an electrical impedance between spatially separated electrodes connected to a plurality of fibers upon exposure of the fibers to the chemical species, and identifies the chemical species based on the measured change in the electrical impedance.

Abstract: A filtration device including a filtration medium having a plurality of nanofibers of diameters less than 1 micron formed into a fiber mat in the presence of an abruptly varying electric field. The filtration device includes a support attached to the filtration medium and having openings for fluid flow therethrough. A device for making a filter material. The device includes an electrospinning element configured to electrospin a plurality of fibers from a tip of the electrospinning element, a collector opposed to the electrospinning element configured to collect electrospun fibers on a surface of the collector, and an electric field modulation device configured to abruptly vary an electric field at the collector at least once during electrospinning of the fibers. A method for making a filter material.

Abstract: A device for stimulable light emission that includes a fiber mat of nanofibers having an average fiber diameter in a range between 100 and 2000 nm, and includes plural stimulable particles disposed in association with the nanofibers. The stimulable particles produce secondary light emission upon receiving primary light at a wavelength ?. The average fiber diameter is comparable in size to the wavelength ? in order to provide scattering sites within the fiber mat for the primary light. Various methods for making suitable luminescent nanofiber mats include: electrospinning a polymer solution including or not including the stimulable particles and forming from the electrospun solution nanofibers having an average fiber diameter between 100 and 2000 nm. Methods, which electrospin without the stimulable particles, introduce the stimulable particles during electrospinning or after electrospinning to the fibers and therefore to the resultant fiber mat.