System for creating a structure including a vasculature network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10744686-B2
Application number	US-201715716643-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2017
Priority date	Jun 20, 2014
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

A system and method is provided for creating a structure including a vasculature network. A film deposition device is configured to dispense droplets onto a surface of a substrate to form a curable fugitive pre-patterned liquid film on the surface of the substrate. An electrohydrodynamic film patterning (EHD-FP) device has a patterned electrode structure formed to generate an electric field and to subject the film on the surface of the substrate to the electric field. The film thereby being formed by the EHD-FP into patterned features in response to being subjected to the electric field. Then a casting system is configured to cover the patterned features in an epoxy to form patterned structures, wherein the patterned structures comprise a fugitive vasculature structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for creating a structure including a vasculature network, the system comprising:
a film deposition device configured to dispense droplets onto a surface of a substrate to form a curable fugitive pre-patterned liquid film on the surface of the substrate;
an electrohydrodynamic film patterning (EHD-FP) device having a patterned electrode structure formed to generate an electric field and subject the curable fugitive pre-patterned liquid film on the surface of the substrate to the electric field, the curable fugitive pre-patterned liquid film being formed by EHD-FP operation into patterned features in response to being subjected to the electric field, wherein the patterned electrode structure of the EHD-FP device includes a dynamic charge generation mechanism that generates a variable charge pattern on the substrate; and
a casting system configured to cover the patterned features in an epoxy to form patterned structures, wherein the patterned structures comprise a fugitive vasculature network.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein a geometric layout of the curable fugitive pre-patterned liquid film on the substrate corresponds to a geometric layout of the patterned electrode structure.

3. The system of claim 1 , further including a curing device configured to solidify the patterned features, wherein the curing device is configured as at least one of an Ultra Violet (UV) curing system, or a visible light curing system, or a thermal curing system.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the EHD-FP device includes one of a patterned electrode belt or a patterned electrode roller.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fugitive vasculature network is included within multiple layers stacked together.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the film deposition device is a digital inkjet printer configured as a thin film deposition device configured to dispense the droplets on the substrate arranged as a lower conveyor surface to form the curable fugitive pre-patterned liquid film as a thin film, at a point upstream from a gap region wherein the thin film is subsequently conveyed in the gap region by movement of the lower conveyor.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fugitive vasculature network is formed in a tape production line.

8. The system of claim 1 , further including an automated taping machine, to generate a multi-layer composite structure having the fugitive vasculature network.

9. The system according to claim 1 , further including a fugitive material removal system in the form of at least one of a heater or a chemical applicator.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the EHD-FP is configured to pattern geometry ranging in size from 10s of microns to millimeters.

11. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the EHD-FP provides at least one of patterned electrodes with 5 micron wide electrodes with 200-300 micron spacing and 8.2 micron spacing pillars.

12. The system according to claim 1 , further including a first curved conveyor and a second curved conveyor wherein the first curved conveyor and the second curved conveyor curve towards each other.

13. A system for creating a structure including a vasculature network, the system comprising:
a film deposition device configured to dispense droplets onto a surface of a substrate to form a curable fugitive pre-patterned liquid film on the surface of the substrate;
an electrohydrodynamic film patterning (EHD-FP) device having a patterned electrode structure formed to generate an electric field and subject the curable fugitive pre-patterned liquid film on the surface of the substrate to the electric field, the curable fugitive pre-patterned liquid film being formed by EHD-FP operation into patterned features in response to being subjected to the electric field, the EHD-FP device including a first curved conveyor and a second curved conveyor, the first curved conveyor and the second curved conveyor curve towards each other wherein a gap area is formed at a nearest location between the first curved conveyor and the second curved conveyor, and drive members drive the first curved conveyor and the second curved conveyor to move through the gap area at a matching speed; and
a casting system configured to cover the patterned features in an epoxy to form patterned structures, wherein the patterned structures comprise a fugitive vasculature network.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the patterned electrode structure of the EHD-FP device includes a dynamic charge generation mechanism that generates a variable charge pattern on the substrate.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the fugitive vasculature network is included within multiple layers stacked together.

16. The system of claim 13 , further including an automated taping machine, to generate a multi-layer composite structure having the fugitive vasculature network.

17. The system according to claim 13 , further including at least one of a heater or a chemical applicator.

18. A system for creating a structure including a vasculature network, the system comprising:
at least one of a slot coater or digital ink jet printer configured to dispense material onto a surface of a substrate to form a curable fugitive pre-patterned liquid film on the surface of the substrate;
an electrohydrodynamic film patterning (EHD-FP) device having a patterned electrode structure formed to generate an electric field and subject the curable fugitive pre-patterned liquid film on the surface of the substrate to the electric field, the curable fugitive pre-patterned liquid film being formed by EHD-FP operation into patterned features in response to being subjected to the electric field, wherein the patterned electrode structure of the EHD-FP device includes a dynamic charge generation mechanism that generates a variable charge pattern on the substrate; and
an epoxy feeder which covers the patterned features in an epoxy to form patterned structures, wherein the patterned structures comprise a fugitive vasculature network.

19. The system of claim 18 , further including a curing device configured to solidify the patterned features, wherein the curing device is configured as at least one of an Ultra Violet (UV) curing system, or a visible light curing system, or a thermal curing system.

20. The system according to claim 18 , further including a fugitive material removal system in the form of at least one of a heater or a chemical applicator.

21. The system according to claim 18 , further including a first curved conveyor and a second curved conveyor wherein the first curved conveyor and the second curved conveyor curve towards each other.

22. The system of claim 18 , wherein the fugitive vasculature network is included within multiple layers stacked together.

23. The system of claim 18 , further including an automated taping machine, to generate a multi-layer composite structure having the fugitive vasculature network.

Assignees

• Palo Alto Res Ct Inc

Inventors

• Johnson David Mathew
• Cobb Corie Lynn
• Paschkewitz John Steven

Classifications

• B29C39/22 Primary

  Component parts, details or accessories; Auxiliary operations · CPC title

• B29C39/003

  characterised by the choice of material · CPC title

• B29L2031/3076

  Aircrafts (blades, propellers B29L2031/08) · CPC title

• B29K2063/00

  Use of {EP, i.e.} epoxy resins {or derivatives thereof}, as moulding material · CPC title

• B29C39/148

  characterised by the shape of the surface · CPC title