Polymers for additive manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11578204-B2
Application number	US-201816643422-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2018
Priority date	Sep 1, 2017
Publication date	Feb 14, 2023
Grant date	Feb 14, 2023

Abstract

Porous and microporous parts prepared by additive manufacturing as disclosed herein are useful in medical and non-medical applications. The parts are prepared from a composition containing both a solvent soluble component and a solvent insoluble component. After a part is printed by an additive manufacturing process it is exposed to solvent to extract solvent soluble component away from the printed part, resulting in a part having surface cavities.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A composition comprising an additive in a polymer phase, wherein:
a) the additive is soluble in a solvent;
b) the polymer phase comprises an organic polymer and is essentially insoluble in the solvent;
c) the composition is a solid at temperatures below 25° C. and a viscous fluid with a Melt Flow Index of 2.5-30 g/10 min at a temperature above 50° C.;
d) the composition has a weight percent of the additive based on the weight of the composition and a weight percent of the polymer phase based on the weight of the composition, where the sum of the weight percent of the additive and the weight percent of the polymer phase is greater than 90%; and
e) the composition is in a form of a monofilament.

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the monofilament is an undrawn monofilament.

3. The composition of claim 1 wherein the monofilament has an orientation factor of less than 50%.

4. The composition of claim 1 wherein the monofilament has a diameter of 1-5 mm.

5. The composition of claim 1 wherein the additive comprises an inorganic salt.

6. The composition of claim 1 wherein the additive comprises a water-soluble organic compound.

7. The composition of claim 6 wherein the water-soluble organic compound is polyetheleneglycol.

8. The composition of claim 1 wherein the polymer phase comprises a bioabsorbable polymer.

9. The composition of claim 8 wherein the bioabsorbable polymer comprising segments selected from polyester, polyanhydride, poly(hydroxybutyrate) and polyether.

10. The composition of claim 1 wherein the polymer phase comprises a non-bioabsorbable polymer.

11. The composition of claim 10 wherein the non-bioabsorbable polymer is selected from polyethylene, nylon, thermoplastic polyurethane, polypropylene, polyetheretherketone, polyaryletherketone and polyethylene terephthalate.

12. The composition of claim 1 wherein the weight percent of the additive in the composition is 1-60%.

13. The composition of claim 1 where the solvent is water, the additive is soluble in water and the polymer phase is insoluble in water.

14. The composition of claim 1 wherein the monofilament has a diameter of 1.75±0.05 mm.

15. The composition of claim 1 wherein the monofilament has a column buckling resistance of at least 1 Newton.

16. A method of forming a composition in a form of a monofilament, the composition comprising an additive in a polymer phase, wherein the additive is soluble in a solvent, the polymer phase comprises an organic polymer and is essentially insoluble in the solvent, the composition is a solid at temperatures below 25° C. and a viscous fluid with a Melt Flow Index of 2.5-30 g/10 min at a temperature above 50° C., the composition has a weight percent of the additive based on the weight of the composition and a weight percent of the polymer phase based on the weight of the composition, where the sum of the weight percent of the additive and the weight percent of the polymer phase is greater than 90%, the method comprising:
a) combining the additive and the polymer phase to form the composition;
b) heating the composition to form a molten composition;
c) extruding the molten composition to form an undrawn monofilament; and
d) sterilizing the undrawn monofilament.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the monofilament has an orientation factor of less than 50%.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the monofilament has a diameter of 1-5 mm.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the monofilament has a diameter of 1.75±0.05 mm.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the monofilament has a column buckling resistance of at least 1 Newton.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the additive comprises an inorganic salt.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein the additive comprises a water-soluble organic compound.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the water-soluble organic compound is polyetheleneglycol.

24. The method of claim 16 wherein the polymer phase comprises a bioabsorbable polymer.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the bioabsorbable polymer comprising segments selected from polyester, polyanhydride, poly(hydroxybutyrate) and polyether.

26. The method of claim 16 wherein the polymer phase comprises a non-bioabsorbable polymer.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the non-bioabsorbable polymer is selected from polyethylene, nylon, thermoplastic polyurethane, polypropylene, polyetheretherketone, polyaryletherketone and polyethylene terephthalate.

28. The method of claim 16 wherein the weight percent of the additive in the composition is 1-60%.

29. The method of claim 16 wherein the solvent is water, the additive is soluble in water and the polymer phase is insoluble in water.

30. A method of forming an assembly comprising:
a) providing a composition in a molten form, the composition comprising an additive in a polymer phase, wherein the additive is soluble in a solvent, the polymer phase comprises an organic polymer and is essentially insoluble in the solvent, the composition is a solid at temperatures below 25° C. and a viscous fluid with a Melt Flow Index of 2.5-30 g/10 min at a temperature above 50° C., the composition has a weight percent of the additive based on the weight of the composition and a weight percent of the polymer phase based on the weight of the composition, where the sum of the weight percent of the additive and the weight percent of the polymer phase is greater than 90%;
b) extruding the molten form of the composition to form an undrawn monofilament;
c) winding the undrawn monofilament onto a spool; and
d) packaging the spool with monofilament wound thereon.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the spool with monofilament wound thereon is packaged in an air-tight container.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the monofilament has an orientation factor of less than 50%.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein the monofilament has a diameter of 1-5 mm.

34. The method of claim 30 wherein the monofilament has a diameter of 1.75±0.05 mm.

35. The method of claim 30 wherein the monofilament has a column buckling resistance of at least 1 Newton.

36. The method of claim 30 wherein the additive comprises an inorganic salt.

37. The method of claim 30 wherein the additive comprises a water-soluble organic compound.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the water-soluble organic compound is polyetheleneglycol.

39. The method of claim 30 wherein the polymer phase comprises a bioabsorbable polymer.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein the bioabsorbable polymer comprising segments selected from polyester, polyanhydride, poly(hydroxybutyrate) and polyether.

41. The method of claim 30 wherein the polymer phase comprises a non-bioabsorbable polymer.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the non-bioabsorbable polymer is selected from polyethylene, nylon, thermoplastic polyurethane, polypropylene, polyetheretherketone, polyaryletherketone and polyethylene terephthalate.

43. The method of claim 30 wherein the weight percent of the additive in the composition is 1-60%.

44. The method of claim 30 where

Assignees

• Poly Med Inc

Inventors

• Taylor Michael Scott
• Hyde James
• Gaerke Brian
• Johns Brad
• Vaughn Michael Aaron
• Mccullen Seth Dylan
• Gravett David

Classifications

• B29B13/00

  Conditioning or physical treatment of the material to be shaped (chemical aspects C08J3/00 {; heating, cooling or curing during shaping B29C35/00; thermal after-treatment B29C71/02}) · CPC title

• D01D5/247

  Discontinuous hollow structure or microporous structure · CPC title

• B33Y70/10

  Composites of different types of material, e.g. mixtures of ceramics and polymers or mixtures of metals and biomaterials · CPC title

• B29C71/0009

  using liquids, e.g. solvents, swelling agents (spectacle cases, e.g. for cleaning contact lenses A45C11/04; disinfecting or sterilising contact lenses A61L12/00, using liquid substances A61L2/20; cleaning involving the use of liquid in general B08B3/00; for hydrating contact lenses B29D11/00067) · CPC title

• C08L67/04 Primary

  Polyesters derived from hydroxycarboxylic acids, e.g. lactones (C08L67/06 takes precedence) · CPC title