Method for making hydrophobic barriers in paper

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9597684-B2
Application number	US-201514599096-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2015
Priority date	Jan 16, 2015
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

Provided is a method of patterning a substrate. The method includes depositing, in a first predetermined pattern, hydrophobic material on a first surface of a hydrophilic substrate. The method includes permeating the hydrophobic material through a thickness of the substrate without reflowing the deposited hydrophobic material. The method includes sufficiently solidifying the permeated hydrophobic material. The sufficiently solidified hydrophobic material forms a liquid-impervious barrier that separates the substrate into at least one discrete region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of patterning a substrate, comprising
depositing, in a first predetermined pattern, a flowable phase of hydrophobic material on a first surface of the substrate, wherein the substrate is a hydrophilic substrate and the hydrophobic material comprises a phase change solid ink;
permeating the hydrophobic material through a thickness of the substrate without reflowing the deposited hydrophobic material; and
sufficiently solidifying the permeated hydrophobic material,
wherein the sufficiently solidified hydrophobic material forms a liquid-impervious barrier that separates the substrate into at least one discrete region.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic material permeates to and deposits itself on a second surface of the substrate that opposes the first surface of the substrate.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein migration of the hydrophobic material ceases at a location between the first surface and a second surface, of the substrate, wherein the second surface opposes the first surface.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising depositing, in a second predetermined pattern, a flowable phase of hydrophobic material on a second surface of the substrate, wherein the second surface opposes the first surface.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the hydrophobic material deposited on the first surface and the hydrophobic material deposited on the second surface comprise the same formulation.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the hydrophobic material deposited on the first surface and the hydrophobic material deposited on the second surface comprise different formulations.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein at least a portion of the first predetermined pattern of deposited hydrophobic material and a portion of the second predetermined pattern of deposited hydrophobic material overlap, and wherein a thickness of the substrate separates the first predetermined pattern and the second predetermined pattern.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first predetermined pattern and the second predetermined pattern comprise the same pattern.

9. The method of claim 4 , wherein at least a portion of hydrophobic material deposited in the first predetermined pattern and a portion of hydrophobic material deposited in the second predetermined pattern penetrate into the substrate and contact each other within the substrate.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic material wicks through a thickness of the substrate without reflowing the hydrophobic material after it is deposited.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the phase change solid ink comprises at least one crystalline component and at least one amorphous component.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the phase change solid ink further comprises a dye, a pigment, a pigment dispersant, or mixtures thereof.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the phase change solid ink further comprises a surfactant.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises paper, nitrocellulose, cellulose acetate, filter paper, cloth, or a porous polymer film.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the depositing comprises printing or stamping.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the depositing comprises digital printing, screen printing, flexo printing, or gravure printing.

17. A method of forming a microfluidic device, comprising
depositing, in a first predetermined pattern, a flowable phase of hydrophobic material on a first surface of a hydrophilic substrate,
permeating the hydrophobic material through a thickness of the hydrophilic substrate without reflowing the deposited hydrophobic material;
forming a liquid-impervious barrier by sufficiently solidifying the permeated hydrophobic material,
wherein the hydrophilic substrate comprises a sample receiving region, an assay region and a channel region, and
wherein the hydrophobic material comprises a phase change solid ink.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the liquid-impervious barrier defines a boundary of the channel region and provides for fluidic communication between the assay region and the sample receiving region.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
depositing, in a second predetermined pattern, a flowable phase of hydrophobic material on a second surface of the hydrophilic substrate, wherein the second surface opposes the first surface; and
permeating the second hydrophobic material through a thickness of the hydrophilic substrate without reflowing the second hydrophobic material,
wherein forming the liquid-impervious barrier further comprises sufficiently solidifying the permeated second hydrophobic material.

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Vella Sarah J
• Belelie Jennifer L
• Keoshkerian Barkev
• Mayo James D
• Dooley Brynn
• Allen C Geoffrey

Classifications

• B01L2300/165

  Specific details about hydrophobic, oleophobic surfaces · CPC title

• B01L3/502707 Primary

  characterised by the manufacture of the container or its components · CPC title

• D21H27/02

  Patterned paper (patterned coatings D21H19/66; embossing B31F1/07; prepared on the paper-making machines D21F11/00) · CPC title

• D21H23/50

  Spraying or projecting (D21H23/44, D21H23/66 take precedence) · CPC title

• D21H21/16

  Sizing or water-repelling agents · CPC title