Polymer micromold and fabrication process
First Claim
1. A method for forming a mold, comprising:
- providing a sacrificial mandrel having a contour on the outer surface,depositing at least one layer of material on the outer surface of the sacrificial mandrel to form a shell, andremoving the sacrificial mandrel, leaving the contour thereof on a passageway within the thus formed shell thereby defining the mold.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A mold assembly with micro-sized features in which the hollow portion thereof is fabricated from a sacrificial mandrel which is surface treated and then coated to form an outer shell. The sacrificial mandrel is then selectively etched away leaving the outer shell as the final product. The sacrificial mandrel is fabricated by a precision lathe, for example, so that when removed by etching the inner or hollow area has diameters as small as 10'"'"'s of micros (μm). Varying the inside diameter contours of the mold can be accomplished with specified ramping slopes formed on the outer surface of the sacrificial mandrel, with the inside or hollow section being, for example, 275 μm in length up to 150 μm in diameter within a 6 mm outside diameter (o.d.) mold assembly. The mold assembly itself can serve as a micronozzle or microneedle, and plastic parts, such as microballoons for angioplasty, polymer microparts, and microactuators, etc., may be formed within the mold assembly.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for forming a mold, comprising:
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providing a sacrificial mandrel having a contour on the outer surface, depositing at least one layer of material on the outer surface of the sacrificial mandrel to form a shell, and removing the sacrificial mandrel, leaving the contour thereof on a passageway within the thus formed shell thereby defining the mold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A micro-sized device mold, applicable for polymer extrusion therein, comprising:
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a shell constructed of material selected from the group consisting of nickel, copper, iron, gold, and platinum; said shell having a passageway extending therethrough, said passageway having an outer contour configured to define a similar contour on at least an outer surface of a micro-sized device formed therein, said passageway having a plurality of sections therein having a distance thereacross of from 10'"'"'s to 100'"'"'s microns. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. An inverted process for forming a micromold in which a hollow extending therethrough is fabricated from a sacrificial mandrel having an outer surface precision machined to a selected contour of the hollow, the process including:
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machining an outer surface of a sacrificial mandrel to a contour of an outer surface of a part to be formed in the micromold, applying a coating of material to the contoured outer surface of the sacrificial mandrel to enhance selective etching of the mandrel, depositing a layer of material on the thus coated sacrificial mandrel to form an outer shell of the micromold, and etching away at least the sacrificial mandrel leaving a micromold defining a hollow extending through the shell having a contour on the surface thereof corresponding to the contour on the outer surface of the sacrificial mandrel. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification