Methods of making three dimensional structures having aligned nanofibers and the resulting structures produced by such methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10589451-B2
Application number	US-201615388508-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2016
Priority date	Dec 22, 2015
Publication date	Mar 17, 2020
Grant date	Mar 17, 2020

Abstract

Apparatus for producing a three dimensional nanofiber structure includes (1) at least two spaced electrodes; (2) a spinner adapted to rotate the at least two spaced electrodes; (3) a syringe assembly adapted to eject a polymer solution from a syringe of the syringe assembly towards the at least two spaced electrodes while the at least two spaced electrodes are rotated by the spinner; and (4) a power supply assembly for providing the two spaced electrodes at a first electric potential, and for providing the syringe at a second electric potential which is different from the first electric potential. A composition of matter may include (1) a least one layer of nanofibers in which a distribution of angles of fibers is “aligned;” and (2) at least one gel layer, wherein the at least one layer of microfibers and the at least one gel layer alternate to form a laminate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing a three dimensional nanofiber structure, the method comprising:
a) rotating, around an axis of rotation, at least two spaced electrodes provided at a first electric potential, wherein a spacing of the at least two spaced electrodes with respect to each other is orthogonal to the axis of rotation; and
b) ejecting a polymer solution from a syringe, provided at a second electric potential which is different from the first electric potential, towards the at least two spaced electrodes while the at least two spaced electrodes are rotating.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the syringe is spaced between 3-10 cm from the at least two spaced electrodes.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least two spaced electrodes rotate at a speed of 1000-1500 rpm.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein a difference between the first electric potential and the second electric potential is at least 10,000 V DC.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the polymer solution is ejected from the syringe at a rate of at least 1 mL per hour.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the syringe has a 20 ga needle.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
moving the syringe relative to the at least two spaced electrodes while the at least two spaced electrodes are rotated and the polymer solution is ejected.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second electric potentials is ground.

9. A method comprising:
a) rotating at least two spaced electrodes provided at a first electric potential; and
b) ejecting a polymer solution from a syringe, provided at a second electric potential which is different from the first electric potential, towards the at least two spaced electrodes while the at least two spaced electrodes are rotating; and
c) providing a substrate within a space defined by the rotation of the at least two spaced electrodes, wherein the polymer solution ejected from the syringe is also directed towards the substrate, thereby providing nanofibers on the substrate.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:
providing, after the substrate has been provided with nanofibers, a gel layer onto the nanofibers provided on the substrate.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the gel layer is provided onto the nanofibers provided onto the substrate by (1) dipping the nanofiber-provided substrate into an alginate solution, and (2) then dipping the resulting nanofiber-provided substrate into CaCl2) solution to crosslink the alginate.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least two spaced electrodes rotate at a speed of 1050-1350 rpm.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein a difference between the first electric potential and the second electric potential is at least 15,000 V DC.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the polymer solution is ejected from the syringe at a rate of at least 1.5 mL per hour.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the two spaced electrodes are spaced from the axis of rotation.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein a void is defined between the two spaced electrodes.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least two spaced electrodes are spaced from one another at a distance of D, and wherein each of the at least two spaced electrodes are spaced from the axis of rotation at a distance of D/2.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the at least two spaced electrodes is spaced from the axis of rotation by an equal distance.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the at least two spaced electrodes is shaped as a prong having one open end and one attached end.

Assignees

• Univ New York

Inventors

• Grigoryev Nikita
• Levon Kalle

Classifications

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• D04H1/76

  otherwise than in a plane, e.g. in a tubular way · CPC title

• B29C37/0025

  Applying surface layers, e.g. coatings, decorative layers, printed layers, to articles during shaping, e.g. in-mould printing (moulding on preformed layers as inserts B29C70/68; applying fluent material to surfaces in general B05) · CPC title

• D01D5/0038

  the fibre formed by solvent evaporation, i.e. dry electro-spinning · CPC title

• D01D5/0092

  characterised by the electrical field, e.g. combined with a magnetic fields, using biased or alternating fields · CPC title