Hollow-fiber spinning nozzle

• US 20080268082A1
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Original Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Deutschland GmbH (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Inventors: Keller, Torsten, Stahl, Jens-Holger
• Granted Patent: US 8,490,283 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 425/131.5
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 4/022 Processes or materials for the preparation of spinnerettes
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/24 with a hollow structure; Spinnerette packs therefor D01D5/38 takes precedence; producing tubes of plastic material B29D; addition of agents forming hollow filaments D01F1/08
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/34 Core-skin structure; Spinnerette packs therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 425/217 Spinnerette forming conjugate, composite or hollow filaments
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1052 with cutting, punching, tearing or severing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49432 Nozzle making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4998 Combined manufacture including applying or shaping of fluent material

Abstract

A hollow fiber spinning nozzle in which supply bores and a nozzle structure connected to these and having a mass discharge opening and a needle with a coagulation agent bore are formed in a base body. At least two plate-shaped bodies structured by means of micro-structure technology are joined together to form the base body.

Claims

1. A hollow fiber spinning nozzle in which coagulation agent/support agent passages and mass supply passages and a nozzle structure connected to these and having a mass discharge opening and a needle with a coagulation agent/support agent bore are formed in a base body, characterized in that at least two plate-shaped bodies structured by means of microstructure technology are joined together to form the base body.

2. The hollow fiber spinning nozzle in accordance with claim 1, wherein said nozzle is made of mono-crystalline silicon, gallium arsenide (GaAs) or germanium.

3. The hollow fiber spinning nozzle in accordance with claim 1, wherein the mass discharge opening is an annular gap.

4. The hollow fiber spinning nozzle in accordance with claim 1, wherein said base body has two plates, with the mass supply passages, a mass flow homogenization zone, a coagulation agent/support agent supply bore and a needle stub being cut out in the first plate, while in the second plate a nozzle structure with a mass annular gap and a needle with a coagulation agent/support agent bore are cut out.

5. The hollow fiber spinning nozzle in accordance with claim 1, wherein said base body has two plates, with a coagulation agent/support agent supply bore being cut out in the first plate, while in the second plate mass supply passages, a mass flow homogenization zone and a nozzle structure with a mass annular gap and a needle with a coagulation agent/support agent bore are cut out.

6. The hollow fiber spinning nozzle in accordance with claim 4, wherein a thickness of the first plate is 0.250-1.500 mm, a thickness of the second plate is 0.050-1.500 mm, an outer diameter of the needle is 0.020-1.500 mm, a length of the needle including the needle stub is 0.100-2.000 mm, a diameter of the coagulation agent bore is 0.010-1.000 mm, length of the coagulation agent bore is 0.150-2.500 mm, an outer diameter of the annular gap is 0.040-3.000 mm, a length of the annular gap is 0.050-1.500 mm, a height of the spinning nozzle is 0.300-3.000 mm, and an edge length of the spinning nozzle is 1.000-25.00 mm.

7. The hollow fiber spinning nozzle in accordance with claim 1, wherein the base body has three plates, with the first plate including supply passages, a homogenization zone and a needle stub with a central supply bore, a second plate which adjoins the first plate having supply passages, a homogenization zone and a further needle stub with a concentric ring passage as well as a needle extension with a central bore and with a third plate which in turn adjoins the second plate, having a nozzle structure consisting of a central bore and two concentric annular gaps.

8. The hollow fiber spinning nozzle in accordance with claim 1, wherein the base body is made up of three individual plates, with the first plate having a central supply bore, a plate adjoining the first plate having parallel supply passages and homogenization zones associated with these as well as a needle stub with a concentric ring passage and a central bore and with the third plate adjoining the second plate having a nozzle structure consisting of a central bore and two concentric annular gaps.

9. The hollow fiber spinning nozzle in accordance with claim 7, wherein an outer diameter of the multi-passage hollow fiber spinning nozzle is smaller than 1 mm.

10. The hollow fiber spinning nozzle in accordance with claim 7, wherein an outer diameter of the multi-passage hollow fiber spinning nozzle is smaller than or equal to 0.45 mm.

11. A method of manufacturing a hollow fiber spinning nozzle in which a coagulation agent/support agent supply bore, mass supply passages and a nozzle structure connected to these and having a mass discharge opening and a needle with a coagulation agent/support agent bore are formed in a base body formed by joining together at least a first plate and a second plate structured by means of microstructure technology, said method comprising:

two-side structuring of a first wafer to form mass supply passages, a mass flow homogenization zone, a coagulation agent/support agent supply bore and a needle stub in the first plate, said structuring being produced with a sequence of lithography processes;

bonding a second wafer to the structured first wafer;

cutting out a nozzle structure with a mass annular gap and a coagulation agent/support agent bore in the second wafer to form the second plate; and

cutting individual spinning nozzles out of the bonded wafers.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the step of structuring the first wafer includes masks of photoresists and etching processes.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the etching processes include at least one of particular reactive ion etching, deep reactive ion etching and cryo-etching.

14. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein said step of bonding includes at least one of anodic bonding and direct bonding.

15. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the step of cutting out the nozzle structure includes a two-stage etching process in which the coagulation bore is formed first, followed by the nozzle structure and annular gap.

16. The method as set forth in claim 15, wherein after said two-stage etching process the structures are etch finished using lithography processes and/or etching processes.

17. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein said step of cutting out the individual spinning nozzles is performed by wafer sawing or laser working.