Continuous liquid interphase printing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11786711-B2
Application number	US-202117155349-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2021
Priority date	Aug 14, 2013
Publication date	Oct 17, 2023
Grant date	Oct 17, 2023

Abstract

A method of forming a three-dimensional object is carried out by providing a carrier and an optically transparent member having a build surface, the carrier and the build surface defining a build region therebetween; filling the build region with a polymerizable liquid; irradiating the build region through the optically transparent member to form a solid polymer from the polymerizable liquid and advancing the carrier away from the build surface to form the three-dimensional object from the solid polymer, while also concurrently with the irradiating and/or advancing steps: (i) continuously maintaining a dead zone of polymerizable liquid in contact with the build surface, and (ii) continuously maintaining a gradient of polymerization zone between the dead zone and the solid polymer and in contact with each thereof. The gradient of polymerization zone comprises the polymerizable liquid in partially cured form (e.g., so that the formation of fault or cleavage lines between layers of solid polymer in the three-dimensional object is reduced). Apparatus for carrying out the method is also described.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a three-dimensional object, comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a carrier and a build plate, said build plate comprising a semipermeable member, said semipermeable member comprising a build surface with said build surface and said carrier defining a build region therebetween, and with said build surface in fluid communication by way of the semipermeable member with a source of polymerization inhibitor;
(b) filling said build region with a polymerizable liquid, said polymerizable liquid contacting said build surface,
(c) irradiating said build region through said build plate to produce a solid polymerized region in said build region, while forming or maintaining a liquid film release layer comprised of said polymerizable liquid formed between said solid polymerized region and said build surface, wherein the polymerization of which liquid film is inhibited by said polymerization inhibitor; and
(d) advancing said carrier with said polymerized region adhered thereto away from said build surface on said build plate to create a subsequent build region between said polymerized region and said build surface while concurrently filling said subsequent build region with polymerizable liquid as in step (b);
wherein a gradient of polymerizable liquid is continuously maintained as an interphase between said liquid film release layer and said solid polymerized region and in contact with each thereof, said gradient of polymerizable liquid comprising said polymerizable liquid in partially cured form, and
wherein said liquid film release layer is continuously maintained by feeding said polymerization inhibitor through said semipermeable member, thereby creating a gradient of inhibitor in said liquid film release layer and optionally in at least a portion of said gradient of polymerizable liquid; and
(e) continuing and/or repeating steps (b), (c), and (d) to produce a subsequent polymerized region adhered to a previous polymerized region until the continued or repeated deposition of polymerized regions adhered to one another forms said three-dimensional object.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein steps (c) and (d) are carried out concurrently.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the build plate is substantially fixed or stationary.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the source of polymerization inhibitor is a reservoir of polymerization inhibitor within the semipermeable member.

5. A three-dimensional object produced by a process comprising:
(a) providing a carrier and an optically transparent member having a build surface, said build surface and said carrier defining a build region therebetween;
(b) filling said build region with a polymerizable liquid,
(c) irradiating said build region through said optically transparent member to form a solid polymer from said polymerizable liquid while concurrently advancing said carrier away from said build surface to form said three-dimensional object from said solid polymer, while also concurrently:
(i) continuously maintaining a dead zone of polymerizable liquid in contact with said build surface, and
(ii) continuously maintaining a gradient of polymerizable liquid between said dead zone and said solid polymer and in contact with each thereof, said gradient of polymerization liquid comprising said polymerizable liquid in partially cured form to thereby form said three dimensional object, wherein said optically transparent member comprises a semipermeable member, and said continuously maintaining a dead zone is carried out by feeding an inhibitor of polymerization through said optically transparent member, thereby creating a gradient of inhibitor in said dead zone and optionally in at least a portion of said gradient of polymerizable liquid:

(d) continuing and/or repeating steps (b) and (c) to produce a subsequent polymerized region adhered to a previous polymerized region until the continued or repeated deposition of polymerized regions adhered to one another forms said three-dimensional object.

6. The object according to claim 5 , wherein the build surface is substantially fixed or stationary.

7. The object according to claim 5 , wherein the source of polymerization inhibitor is a reservoir of polymerization inhibitor within the semipermeable member.

8. A computer program product for forming a three-dimensional object using an apparatus comprising a carrier and a build plate, said build plate comprising a semipermeable member, said semipermeable member comprising a build surface with said build surface and said carrier defining a build region therebetween, and with said build surface in fluid communication by way of the semipermeable member with a source of polymerization inhibitor;
the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in the medium that when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform operations comprising:
(a) filling said build region with a polymerizable liquid, said polymerizable liquid contacting said build surface,
(b) irradiating said build region through said build plate to produce a solid polymerized region in said build region, while forming or maintaining a liquid film release layer comprised of said polymerizable liquid formed between said solid polymerized region and said build surface, wherein the polymerization of which liquid film is inhibited by said polymerization inhibitor; and
(c) advancing said carrier with said polymerized region adhered thereto away from said build surface on said build plate to create a subsequent build region between said polymerized region and said build surface while concurrently filling said subsequent build region with polymerizable liquid as in step (a),
wherein a gradient of polymerizable liquid is continuously maintained as an interphase between said liquid film release layer and said solid polymerized region and in contact with each thereof, said gradient of polymerizable liquid comprising said polymerizable liquid in partially cured form, and
wherein said liquid film release layer is continuously maintained by feeding said polymerization inhibitor through said semipermeable member, thereby creating a gradient of inhibitor in said liquid film release layer and optionally in at least a portion of said gradient of polymerizable liquid;
(d) continuing and/or repeating steps (b) and (c) to produce a subsequent polymerized region adhered to a previous polymerized region until the continued or repeated deposition of polymerized regions adhered to one another forms said three- dimensional object.

9. The computer program product according to claim 8 , wherein steps (b) and (c) are carried out concurrently.

10. The computer program product according to claim 8 , wherein the computer readable program code when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform operations, said operations further comprising:
monitoring or detecting at least one process parameter and/or providing at least one known or predetermined process parameter; and then
altering at least one process condition in response to said monitored process parameter or known process parameter.

Assignees

• Carbon Inc

Inventors

• Desimone Joseph M
• Ermoshkin Alexander
• Ermoshkin Nikita
• Samulski Edward T

Classifications

• A61M29/02 Primary

  Dilators made of swellable material {(balloon catheters for angioplasty A61M25/104)} · CPC title

• A61B17/24

  for use in the oral cavity, larynx, bronchial passages or nose (for medical inspection of cavities or tubes in the body A61B1/00); Tongue scrapers · CPC title

• A61B17/3415

  for introducing tubes or catheters, e.g. gastrostomy tubes, drain catheters (A61B17/3417 takes precedence; body piercing catheter guide needles A61M25/06) · CPC title

• A61M25/1002

  characterised by balloon shape (A61M25/1006, A61M25/1009 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61M25/1025

  Connections between catheter tubes and inflation tubes · CPC title