Characterization Of Membranes Research Articles

The Influence of Inert Fluoropolymer on Equilibrium and Dynamic Hydration Characteristics of MF-4SC Membrane

The Influence of Inert Fluoropolymer on Equilibrium and Dynamic Hydration Characteristics of MF-4SC Membrane

Effect of thermal manipulation on the biological and mechanical characteristics of horizontal platelet rich fibrin membranes

BackgroudRegardless of application scenarios, proper mechanical characteristics and degradation properties are prerequisites for horizontal platelet rich fibrin (H-PRF) to manifest its ability. Among the methods used to modify PRF, thermal manipulation is promising as it is easy to handle without adding extra additives. Yet there is no consensus on optimal temperature treatment. This study aimed to investigate the effects of heating on the biological and mechanical characteristics of H-PRF and explore the optimum heating temperature for H-PRF thermal treatment.MethodsWe employed a series of temperature gradients, room temperature, 50℃, 75℃, 90℃, 105℃. The microstructure and the mechanical properties were recorded by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and tensile strength tests respectively. The degradation rate of H-PRF membranes was examined by digestion assay with plasmin and trypsin. The viability of cells within H-PRF membranes and the proliferation of osteoblasts cultured with extracts from different H-PRF groups was evaluated using CCK-8 assays.ResultsCompared with the nonheated group, overheated manipulation beyond 90℃ can significantly prolong the degradation properties for up to 3 to 4 weeks and enhance the mass stress of H-PRF membranes. A high-temperature treatment of 105℃ accompanied by the cell activity beneath H-PRF reduced more than half, and thus, the biological effect on human osteoblasts (hFOBs) also reduced dramatically.ConclusionsHigh thermal manipulation can prolong the degradation properties and enhance the mechanical properties of PRF membranes accompanied by the loss of biological effect.

Red cell abnormalities characterized by ektacytometry in children with cholestasis.

Spur-cell anemia sometimes accompanies cholestasis. We postulated that even in the absence of spur-cells, cholestasis might alter red blood cell (RBC) osmotic fragility and deformability. Therefore, we assessed these RBC measures by ektacytometry in pediatric patients. We conducted a single center, prospective, cross-sectional investigation of RBC membrane characteristics by ektacytometry in pediatric patients with intra- and extrahepatic cholestasis followed at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. We measured red cell membrane fragility and deformability in 17 patients with cholestasis and 17 age-matched controls without cholestasis. Patients with cholestasis had decreased RBC osmotic fragility compared to controls, with a significant left shift in Omin, indicating increased RBC surface-to-volume ratio. One showed spur cell morphology. However, the other 16 had no spurring, indicating that ektacytometry is a sensitive method to detect RBC membrane abnormalities. Left shift of Omin positively correlated with serum conjugated bilirubin levels and even more negatively with serum vitamin E concentration. This study suggests that subclinical red blood cell membrane abnormalities exist in most pediatric patients with cholestasis, increasing risk for hemolysis when subjected to oxidative stress. Hence minimizing pro-oxidants exposure and maximizing antioxidant exposure is advisable for this group. NCT05582447 https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05582447?cond=Cholestasis&cntry=US&state=US%3AOH&city=Cincinnati&draw=2&rank=2 . Spur cell anemia due to decreased red cell osmotic fragility and decreased deformability has been reported among patients with cholestasis. Ektacytometry is a reliable, reproducible method to measure red cell osmotic fragility and deformability. Few data describe red cell osmotic fragility or deformability in patients with cholestasis who may or may not have spur cell anemia. Ektacytometry shows that red cell osmotic fragility and deformability are decreased in many children with cholestasis even when spur cell anemia has not yet occurred. Factors associated with decreased osmotic fragility include elevated serum bilirubin, elevated serum bile acids, and decreased serum vitamin E.

Performance and configuration optimization of proton exchange membrane fuel cell considering dual symmetric Tesla valve flow field

Aiming at the advantages of Tesla valve channel (TVC), such as low resistance and smooth flow, a new bionic-like channel structure with dual symmetric (DS) TVC as cathode is proposed. Firstly, through a series of structural parameters optimization, including experimental verification of the model, the arrangement of modules in the channel, the internal angle and the number of modules, the best design parameters are obtained. Secondly, the mass spatial distribution characteristics of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) with large-scale dual symmetric Tesla valve flow field (DSTVFF) are investigated. Finally, the DSTVFF structure is improved by baffles with a front inclination angle of 30° to reduce the contact area of the ridge. The simulation results indicate that the pressure drop of the fourth DSTVC is small and the oxygen concentration distribution is uniform. The increase of the inner angle promotes the convection effect, and the power density at the angle of 30° is 17.6 % higher than that at the angle of 15°. Reasonable number of modules can increase the activation area of catalyst layer (CL) and enhance the output performance of fuel cell (FC).

Design and experimental study of a novel vapor chamber for proton exchange membrane fuel cell cooling

Proper thermal management is the key to the efficient and safe operation of proton exchange membrane fuel cells. In this study, a novel vapor chamber was designed and experimentally tested to verify its potential application for proton exchange membrane fuel cell cooling. The thermal management design scheme of proton exchange membrane fuel cells based on vapor chambers was introduced, and the influence of structural parameters on the theoretical maximum heat transfer of the vapor chamber was discussed. Based on theoretical analysis, a vapor chamber matching the structural characteristics of proton exchange membrane fuel cells was designed and manufactured, and the influence of heat load, tilt angle, and cooling water flow rate on the heat transfer performance of the vapor chamber was investigated experimentally. The results showed that the designed vapor chamber had excellent thermal dispersion performance and temperature equalization ability. When the heat load was less than 35 W, the maximum temperature of the vapor chamber was always less than 33 °C, and the thermal resistance was less than 0.2 °C/W. The tilt angle affected the capillary limit of the vapor chamber, and then significantly affected the thermal performance of the vapor chamber. In addition, the results also indicated that increasing the cooling water flow rate led to an increase in the temperature difference and thermal resistance of the vapor chamber, but this effect was relatively limited. The results of this study will provide a new idea and reference for the efficient thermal management of proton exchange membrane fuel cells.

Underpinning beneficial maize response to application of minimally processed homogenates of red and brown seaweeds.

Sap from the fresh seaweed Kappaphycus alvarezii (KA) has been reported to improve crop growth, quality, and stress alleviation. However, limited studies are reported for the minimally processed aqueous homogenates (MPHs) derived from dry seaweeds. The present investigation was envisaged to characterize the MPHs from the red seaweed KA and a brown seaweed Sargassum wightii (SW) and also assess the effect of foliar application on maize (Zea mays) crop performance when applied alone or in proportions ranging from 0% to 100%. Two doses (0.35% and 0.7%) were compared with control. Both the MPHs contained several compounds like retronecine, tyrosyl-glycine, hexyl 2-furoate, 1-phosphatidyl-1D-myo-inositol, 12-(2,3-dihydroxycyclopentyl)-2-dodecanone, and trihomomethionine and many others that have known bioactivity for enhancing plant growth and providing stress tolerance. Both doses of MPHs enhanced crop growth and yield; however, the best response was in general observed at a lower dose. The MPH of SW at 100% gave the highest seed yield at a lower dose, which was also on par with that obtained under a lower dose of 100% KA. Other combinations, 80:20 and 40:60 KA : SW, were also found to give comparable yields. The highest dose of 100% MPH of SW was found on par with control, a phenomenon that was investigated in detail with respect to metabolites and antioxidant profile in leaves as well as membrane modeling. Higher ROS and certain sugar and organic acids were observed in 100% MPH of SW at a higher dose, although none of the antioxidant enzymes were significantly affected, nor was there any change in membrane characteristics of the leaf with respect to control as well as lower dose. Improvements in the seed yield were attributed to improved photosynthate production on account of higher dry matter accumulation in the MPH-treated plants, which may also be attributed to the presence of bioactive compounds in the biostimulants. In the future, it is imperative to direct scientific investigations towards the quantification and identification of the most effective concentrations of these compounds within MPHs to optimize plant responses. The study indicated the beneficial use of the MPHs towards increasing crop production by employing optimum dose as foliar spray to crops.

The Histopathological Landscape of Synovitis in Hemophilic Arthropathy

Recurrent joint bleeding leads to chronic arthropathy in severe hemophilia A and B. With the recent introduction of novel therapies and the increased availability of treatments for patients with hemophilia, a very tight control of bleeding is achievable, but some patients still experience synovitis oat target joints. A deeper knowledge of the synovial membranes in hemophilic synovitis may help the personalised treatment. However, very few data are available regarding the histopathological characteristics of the synovial membrane of patients with hemophilic arthropathy. We studied the histopathological aspects of the synovial membranes of nine patients undergoing orthopedic surgery in order to describe the overall characteristics and the immune infiltrate. Hematoxylin-eosin coloration was applied. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed and two synovitis scores currently used for rheumatoid arthritis were applied: the Krenn and the Humby scores. Moreover, we evaluated synovial collagen fibrosis by means of Masson trichromic staining, grading subintimal fibrosis semiquantitatively. Iron deposits were parallelly assessed with Perls histochemical stain and graded semiquantitatively. For each case we also evaluated whether iron deposits were mostly found in the intracellular (mainly siderophages) or extracellular compartment. Nine patients (six affected by severe hemophilia A, one by moderate hemophilia A and two by severe hemophilia B) with a mean age of 41 ± 14 years, were included. All patients were in prophylaxis with replacement drugs. Synovial membrane was collected during surgery (four total knee replacement, one arthroscopic knee synovectomy, two total ankle replacement, two arthroscopic ankle debridement), following good clinical practice. Informed consent was obtained before the procedure. All the synovial membrane samples were characterised by synovial hyperplasia and hemosiderin deposits. In seven out of nine samples a pauci-immune infiltrate was observed, whereas in two samples a lymphoid-myeloid infiltrate with lymphoid aggregates was present. All cases showed ≥1 grade fibrosis, with eight out of nine cases showing moderate to severe subintimal fibrosis and only one case with lympho-myeloid infiltrate exhibiting mild fibrosis. Iron deposition across the cohort was heterogeneous, with equal distribution of cases with mild (33%), moderate (33%) and severe (33%) iron deposition. Iron deposits were observed mostly in the intracellular compartment (i.e siderophages) with scattered extracellular presence, with the exception of one case with mild and almost exclusive extracellular deposition. In hemophilic arthropathy, we fount typical characteristics of the blood-induced synovial hyperplasia in the majority of the studied synovial membranes, with a pauci-immune infiltrate resembling degenerative arthropathies such as osteoarthritis. By contrast, lymphoid aggregates similar to inflammatory arthritis were less frequent. Fibrosis and iron deposition were more frequent than in osteoarthritis. It should be noted that all the samples were collected from patients undergoing orthopedic surgery due to long-lasting synovitis. A larger study including patients at different stages of arthropathy may help clarify if a different histopathological landscape may correlate with a different clinical history and predict the response to different therapeutic approaches.

Biophysical Interaction Landscape of Mycobacterial Mycolic Acids and Phenolic Glycolipids with Host Macrophage Membranes.

Lipidic adjuvant formulations consisting of immunomodulatory mycobacterial cell wall lipids interact with host cells following administration. The impact of this cross-talk on the host membrane's structure and function is rarely given enough consideration but is imperative to rule out nonspecific perturbation underlying the adjuvant. In this work, we investigated changes in the plasma membranes of live mammalian cells after exposure to mycobacterial mycolic acid (MA) and phenolic glycolipids, two strong candidates for lipidic adjuvant therapy. We found that phenolic glycolipid 1 softened the plasma membrane, lowering membrane tension and stiffness, but MA did not significantly change the membrane characteristics. Further, phenolic glycolipid 1 had a fluidizing impact on the host plasma membrane, increasing the fluidity and the abundance of fluid-ordered-disordered coexisting lipid domains. Notably, lipid diffusion was not impacted. Overall, MA and, to a lesser extent, phenolic glycolipid 1, due to minor disruption of host cell membranes, may serve as appropriate lipids in adjuvant formulations.

Removal of propranolol by membranes fabricated with nanocellulose/proanthocyanidin/modified tannic acid: The influence of chemical and morphologic features and mechanism study

Polymer-based membranes containing nanocellulose and natural macromolecules have potential to treat water, however few works have associated the changes in chemical and morphological membrane's features with their performance as adsorbent. Herein, a new green composite based on nanocellulose (NC) and alkylated tannic acid (ATA) and cross-linked with proanthocyanidin was produced and incorporated into polyacrylonitrile (PAN) membranes to eliminate propranolol (PRO) from water. Characterizations revealed that the increasing of NC-ATA content reduced the pore size of the membrane's upper surface and made the finger like structure of the sublayer disappear, due to the formation of hydrophilic domains of NC/ATA which speeds up the external solidification step. The presence of NC-ATA reduced the hydrophilicity, from a water contact angle of 3.65° to 16.51°, the membrane roughness, from 223.5 to 52.0 nm, and the zeta potential from −25.35 to −55.20 mV, improving its features to be a suitable adsorbent of organic molecules. The membranes proved to be excellent green adsorbent, tridimensional, and easy to remove after use, and qmax for PRO was 303 mg·g−1. The adsorption mechanism indicates that H-bonds, ion exchange, and π-π play important role in adsorption. NC-ATA@PAN kept high removal efficiencies after four cycles, evidencing the potential for water purification.

Systematic investigation of MAX phase (Ti3AlC2) modified polyethersulfone membrane performance for forward osmosis applications in desalination

The current work presented an in-depth investigation of the design and fabrication of thin film membranes for desalination applications by forward osmosis (FO). This includes manipulating the substrate membrane structure aiming to optimize the final thin film composite membrane characteristics. In this context, the MAX phase (Ti3AlC2) as a 2D material has been harnessed to impart novel desirable traits on the prepared membrane. MAX phase has been impregnated in two disparate concentrations and three different scenarios including the substrate membrane and the polyamide layer in both the aqueous and organic phases during the interfacial polymerization. Membranes were comprehensively characterized by a series of experimental tools and methodologies including Atomic Force Microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Contact Angle, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, pore size and porosity. Results disclosed that substrate membrane structure has a pivotal impact on final TFC/TFN membrane performance. Besides, the MAX phase (Ti3AlC2) could significantly enhance the morphological characteristics of the membrane and ultimately the performance in terms of water flux and reverse salt flux based on the content and the way impregnated. The permeation properties of the composite membranes were significantly superior to the pure PES membrane and the mean pore size also increased with the addition amount of MAX phase (Ti3AlC2) increased.

A comprehensive evaluation of the temporal and spatial fouling characteristics of RO membranes in a full-scale seawater desalination plant

The fouling of seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) membranes remains a persistent challenge in desalination. Previous research has focused mainly on fouling separately; however, organic, inorganic, and biofouling can coexist and influence each other. Hence, in-depth study of the spatiotemporal changes in actual combined fouling in full-scale seawater desalination will provide more effective information for fouling investigation and control. In this study, we monitored (i) the operational performance of a full-scale desalination plant for 7 years and (ii) the development and characterization of membrane and spacer fouling at different locations of spiral-wound membrane modules sampled after 2.5-, 3.5-, and 7-year operation. The findings showed that (i) operational performance indicators declined with time (normalized flux 40 % reduction, salt rejection 2 % in 7 years), with a limited effect of the 20-day cleaning frequency, (ii) fouling accumulation in the membrane module mainly occurred at the feed side of the lead module and the microbial community in these area exhibited the highest diversity, (iii) the dominant microbial OTUs belonged mainly to Proteobacteria (43–70 %), followed by Bacteroidetes (10–11 %), (iv) Phylogenetic molecular ecological networks and Spearman correlation analysis revealed that Chloroflexi (Anaerolineae) and Planctomycetes were keystone species in maintaining the community structure and biofilm maturation and significantly impacted the foulant content on the SWRO membrane, even with low abundance, and that (v) fouling accumulation was composed of polysaccharides, soluble microbial products, marine humic acid-like substances, and inorganic Ca/Fe/Mg/Si dominate the fouling layer of both the membrane and spacer. Overall, variation partitioning analysis quantitatively describes the increasing contribution of biofouling over time. Ultimately, the organic‒inorganic-biofouling interaction (70 %) significantly contributed to the overall fouling of the membrane after 7 years of operation. These results can be used to develop more targeted fouling control strategies to optimize SWRO desalination plant design and operation.

Industrial Textile Wastewater Treatment by Crossflow NF Membrane Filtration

Ineffective dyeing procedures frequently lead to the release of approximately 10–50% of the dye applied, which does not adhere to the fabric and is consequently discharged into the environment along with the effluent. This situation is undesirable both for potential recycling within the textile manufacturing process and because of its adverse environmental pollution effects. This study thoroughly examines nanofiltration (NF) membrane characteristics and their performance in textile wastewater treatment. Pristine NF membrane surfaces were revealing a web-like structure with well-defined pores predominantly in the membrane active region. This assessment confirms the membrane initial cleanliness, free from any external contaminants, which is vital for effective membrane-based filtration. Additionally, the study investigates how different feed flow rates affect water flux during NF membrane filtration. The results demonstrate a clear relationship, where the increasing flow rates boost water flux. This can be attributed to heightened cross-flow velocity and shear force on the membrane surface due to the increased water flux, minimizing external concentration polarization and reducing membrane fouling. The impact of feed flow rate on membrane separation efficiency is also examined, showing consistent efficiency at feed flow rates between 2 LPM and 5 LPM (approximately 80.8% to 82.22%). However, efficiency drops as the feed flow rate increases from 5 LPM to 6 LPM, likely due to increased pressure drop across the membrane, affecting separation efficiency.

Ice-Assisted Porous Poly(ionic liquid)/MXene Composite Membranes for Solar Steam Generation.

Controlled synthesis of polymer-based porous membranes via innovative methods is of considerable interest, yet it remains a challenge. Herein, we established a general approach to fabricate porous polyelectrolyte composite membranes (PPCMs) from poly(ionic liquid) (PIL) and MXene via an ice-assisted method. This process enabled the formation of a uniformly distributed macroporous structure within the membrane. The unique characteristics of the as-produced composite membranes display significant light-to-heat conversion and excellent performance for solar-driven water vapor generation. This facile synthetic strategy breaks new ground for developing composite porous membranes as high-performance solar steam generators for clean water production.

Experimental research on enhancing heat and mass transfer of porous ceramic membrane with acoustic field

Transport membrane condenser is a water heat recovery technology based on condensation mechanism. Limited by the price of ceramic membrane, it focuses on enhancing the heat and mass transfer technology of ceramic membrane. Acoustic enhancement of heat and mass transfer is an efficient enhancement method. In order to explore the heat and mass transfer characteristics of ceramic membrane enhanced by audible sound field under different condensation mechanisms, the corresponding experimental platform was built. The results show that due to the condensation characteristics of capillary condensation, the heat and mass transfer performance of the nano membrane under the action of sound field is greatly improved, with a maximum increase of 53.44% and 53.22%, respectively; This article presents an analysis of the economic advantages of utilizing acoustic waves in conjunction with ceramic membranes. It is found that the recovery period can be shortened by 3.2 years when acoustic waves are employed. The findings of this study offer a valuable foundation for improving heat and mass transfer in flue gas moisture recovery systems utilizing ceramic membranes.

Flexible membranes fabricated by initiated chemical vapor deposition for water treatment, battery, and drug delivery

With the development of advanced yet structurally complex systems, flexible membranes have attracted increasing attention. Initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD), an emerging, facile, scalable technique to deposit high-quality polymer thin films on arbitrary substrates, holds great promise in the fabrication of flexible membranes. iCVD features solvent-free, gentle deposition conditions that enable the processing of various solvent-susceptible, fragile, or delicate substrates. The mechanical flexibility, precisely controlled morphology, and abundant physiochemical property of iCVD polymer films enable the design and optimization of membrane characteristics for diverse applications. Herein, we provide a comprehensive review of the fabrication and applications of iCVD flexible membranes. First, we introduce the deposition mechanism and parameters of iCVD. We then critically discuss the applications of iCVD membranes in water treatment, battery, and drug delivery, elaborating their processing–property–performance interrelationships. Finally, we discuss the scale-up and commercialization of iCVD, followed by the limitations and future directions in the field.

Comparative analysis of performance and fouling characteristics of microfiltration and ultrafiltration polycarbonate membrane

Seawater Reverse Osmosis is the most popular desalination technology for providing clean water. However, several problems in SWRO operations occurs, namely the decrease in membrane performance due to fouling. Fouling on the membrane is generally caused by high salinity and organic content in seawater. Therefore, pre-treatment technology is needed to improve water quality and reduce the workload of SWRO. This study aims to determine the suitable pre-treatment technology, by examining the removal efficiency of parameters in water using Ultrafiltration and microfiltration membranes. In this study, feed water was obtained from treated seawater. The experiment employed an average pore size of 0.01 micron polycarbonate track etched (PCTE) ultrafiltration membrane and 0.2 micron polycarbonate (PC) microfiltration membrane, respectively, with a dead-end filtration method and constant flux values at 60 L/m2.h and 120 L/m2.h. The choice of polycarbonate membrane is based on several advantages, such as high durability and chemical resistance. Water quality parameters such as turbidity, total dissolved solid (TDS), conductivity, dissolved oxygen (DO), organic substances (UV-Vis), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were observed to determine the performance of each membrane types. The results showed that the operation of ultrafiltration membranes able to remove high amount of turbidity and COD with 88 ± 4 % and 86 ± 12 % removal percentage. Moreover, lesser removal efficiency was found for DO, TDS, UV-Vis and conductivity employing ultrafiltration membrane. In comparison to microfiltration, Ultrafiltration membrane was revealed as promising pretreatment for SWRO with higher retention of measured parameters and better membrane filtration performance.

The Influence of Inert Fluoropolymer on Equilibrium and Dynamic Hydration Characteristics of MF-4SC Membrane

The influence of the type and amount of an inert component in perfluorinated MF-4SC sulfonic cation-exchange membrane on its equilibrium physicochemical and transport properties has been studied. The exchange capacity, water content, specific conductivity, and diffusion and electroosmotic permeability of two series of MF-4SC membranes obtained by casting from polymer solutions in dimethylformamide with variable contents of inert fluoropolymers have been investigated. A relationship between the equilibrium and dynamic hydration characteristics of the samples has been found as a result of studying water distribution over water binding energies and effective pore radii and the numbers of water transport in an external electric field. The type and content of an inert component in the perfluorinated membrane have been found to affect more significantly the state of water under equilibrium conditions than the electroosmotic water transport.

Physical approach of a neuron model with memristive membranes.

The membrane potential of a neuron is mainly controlled by the gradient distribution of electromagnetic field and concentration diversity between intracellular and extracellular ions. Without considering the thickness and material property, the electric characteristic of cell membrane is described by a capacitive variable and output voltage in an equivalent neural circuit. The flexible property of cell membrane enables controllability of endomembrane and outer membrane, and the capacitive properties and gradient field can be approached by double membranes connected by a memristor in an equivalent neural circuit. In this work, two capacitors connected by a memristor are used to mimic the physical property of two-layer membranes, and an inductive channel is added to the neural circuit. A biophysical neuron is obtained and the energy characteristic, dynamics, self-adaption is discussed, respectively. Coherence resonance and mode selection in adaptive way are detected under noisy excitation. The distribution of average energy function is effective to predict the appearance of coherence resonance. An adaptive law is proposed to control the capacitive parameters, and the controllability of cell membrane under external stimulus can be explained in theoretical way. The neuron with memristive membranes explains the self-adaptive mechanism of parameter changes and mode transition from energy viewpoint.

Characteristic of Nanofiber PVA-Graphene Oxide (GO) as Lithium Battery Separator

Batteries have many uses, so a lot of research on batteries has been developed. The part of the battery that has not been studied much is the separator, which has a crucial role as one of the battery components. The separator is the main component in the lithium-ion battery, which functions to prevent short circuits, transport free ions, and isolate electricity. The separator must have adequate porosity, high conductivity, and good thermal stability. The purpose of this research is to analyze the characteristics of the nanofiber membrane, which will be applied as a separator in lithium batteries. The material that can meet the characteristics of the battery separator is PVA-GO nanofiber. Graphene oxide was synthesized using Hummer’s method, while PVA-GO nanofiber was synthesized by electrospinning. The characterization of the separator includes conductivity, impedance, and porosity tests. The GO variations given to PVA were 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 gr. The resulting fiber diameter ranges from 162-194 nm, with the smallest fiber diameter being 0.2 gr GO. Nanofiber with characteristics as a membrane for separators is PVA-GO 0.4 gram, with an electrical conductivity value of 5.91×10−4 S/cm and a porosity of 42%.

Retention of Key Characteristics of Unprocessed Chorion Tissue Resulting in a Robust Scaffold to Support Wound Healing.

Placental membranes have been widely studied and used clinically for wound care applications, but there is limited published information on the benefits of using the chorion membrane. The chorion membrane represents a promising source of placental-derived tissue to support wound healing, with its native composition of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and key regulatory proteins. This study examined the impact of hypothermic storage on the structure of chorion membrane, ECM content, and response to degradation in vitro. Hypothermically stored chorion membrane (HSCM) was further characterized for its proteomic content, and for its functionality as a scaffold for cell attachment and proliferation in vitro. HSCM retained the native ECM structure, composition, and integrity of native unprocessed chorion membrane and showed no differences in response to degradation in an in vitro wound model. HSCM retained key regulatory proteins previously shown to be present in placental membranes and promoted the attachment and proliferation of fibroblasts in vitro. These data support the fact that hypothermic storage does not significantly impact the structure and characteristics of the chorion membrane compared to unprocessed tissue or its functionality as a scaffold to support tissue growth.