Electrospinning apparatus and method for producing multi-dimensional structures and core-sheath yarns

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016168754-A1
Application number	US-201514751069-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 25, 2015
Priority date	Jun 27, 2014
Publication date	Jun 16, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Electrospinning apparatus and method for producing multi-dimensional structures such as one-dimensional continuous yarns, two-dimensional mats and three-dimensional cotton-like fluffy scaffolds is disclosed. Further, electrospinning apparatus and method with single collector geometry for producing multi-dimensional structures and core-sheath yarns are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electrospinning apparatus, comprising:
a source at a first potential; and a rotatable collector at a second potential; wherein the source is configured to draw a fiber, and alter its orientation with respect to the axis of rotation of the collector, the collector comprising a plurality of electrodes connected at one end and mounted with tines at the other end to form an open structure; and wherein a potential difference between the first and the second potentials causes the fiber to be deposited to the collector.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the source comprises an injector loaded with solution formulation or melt, and the fiber is drawn through a spinneret.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the collector comprises electrodes arranged to form an umbrella-like, hemispherical, semi-cuboidal, semi-cubical, ellipsoidal, cone-like, polygonal or irregular shaped structure.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrodes are flexible and the arrangement of electrodes is adjustable to configure the collector to various shapes and sizes.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the source is configured to align parallel to the axis of the collector with collector diameter in the range 1-10 cm for fabricating two-dimensional scaffolds.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the source is configured to align parallel to the axis of the collector with collector diameter in the range 10-20 cm for fabricating three-dimensional scaffolds.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a rotatable spindle with a guide wire adjacent to the collector, to draw and impart twist to the deposited fibers to form one-dimensional yarns wound thereon.

8 . The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising a package of core yarn attached to the center of the collector, drawn and wrapped by the deposited fibers to form core-shell yarn.

9 . A method of producing a two or three-dimensional scaffold by electrospinning, comprising:
a. loading at least one fiber source at a first potential with solution formulation or melt; b. placing a rotatable collector unit adjacent the fiber source at a second potential; c. configuring the collector unit comprising a plurality of electrodes connected at one end and mounted with tines at the other end to form an open structure; and d. depositing fiber from the source into the collector unit using the potential difference to generate a scaffold.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the open structure is configured to have diameter in the range 1-10 cm to generate a two-dimensional scaffold.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the open structure is configured to have diameter in the range 10-20 cm or to generate a three-dimensional scaffold.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the density of the solution or melt and the diameter of collector are minimized so that a diameter of a whipping region of the fiber exceeds a diameter of the collector to generate a two-dimensional scaffold.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the density of the solution or melt and the diameter of the collector are increased such that the whipping region is minimized and the scaffold is contained within the collector to generate a three-dimensional scaffold.

14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the collector comprises electrodes arranged to form an umbrella-like, hemispherical, semi-cuboidal, semi-cubical, ellipsoidal, cone-like, polygonal or irregular shaped structure and wherein tines are additionally arranged along the length of the electrodes.

15 . A method of producing yarn by electrospinning, comprising:
a. loading a fiber source at a first potential; b. placing a rotatable collector unit adjacent the fiber source at a second potential; c. configuring the collector unit with a plurality of electrodes connected at one end and mounted with tines at the other end to form an open structure; d. depositing fiber from the source into the collector unit using the potential difference; and e. spinning the deposited fiber to yarn.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the source comprises an injector loaded with solution formulation or melt, and the fiber is connected through a spinneret.

17 . A method of producing core-sheath yarn by electrospinning, comprising:
a. loading a plurality of fiber sources at a first potential; b. placing a rotatable collector unit at a second potential adjacent the fiber sources; c. configuring the collector unit with a plurality of electrodes connected at one end and mounted with tines at the other end to form an open structure; d. depositing fiber from the sources into the collector unit using the potential difference; e. introducing a core yarn axially through the collector; and f. spinning the deposited fibers over the core yarn to form core-shell yarn.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the each fiber source comprises an injector loaded with solution formulation or melt, and each of the fibers is connected through a spinneret.

Assignees

• Menon Deepthy
• Joseph John
• Nair Shantikumar
• Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham

Inventors

• Menon Deepthy
• Joseph John
• Nair Shantikumar

Classifications

• D01D5/0076 Primary

  characterised by the collecting device, e.g. drum, wheel, endless belt, plate or grid (D01D5/0046 takes precedence) · CPC title

• D10B2331/041

  derived from hydroxy-carboxylic acids, e.g. lactones · CPC title

• D01D5/0069 Primary

  characterised by the spinning section, e.g. capillary tube, protrusion or pin · CPC title

• D01D4/02

  Spinnerettes (alloys therefor C22C) · CPC title

• D01D11/06

  Coating with spinning solutions or melts · CPC title