Methods for manufacturing three-dimensional devices and devices created thereby

• US 8,598,553 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2011
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mikro Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Appleby, Michael P., Fraser, Iain, Atkinson, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vanore, David A
• Application Number:
  US13/222,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20110309250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 378/147, 378/149, 378/154, 250/505.1
• US Class Current: 250/505.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4258 for detecting non x-ray radiation, e.g. gamma radiation A61B6/037 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/502 for diagnosis of breast, i.e. mammography
• CPC Class Codes: B22D 19/00 Casting in, on, or around objects which form part of the product B22D23/04 takes precedence; alumino-thermic welding B23K23/00; coating by casting molten material on the substrate C23C6/00
• CPC Class Codes: B22D 29/00 Removing castings from moulds, not restricted to casting processes covered by a single main group; Removing cores; Handling ingots B22D13/10, B22D11/124, B22D17/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 15/246 Laminated dies
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 7/20 Moulds for making shaped articles with undercut recesses, e.g. dovetails
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 7/24 Unitary mould structures with a plurality of moulding spaces , e.g. moulds divided into multiple moulding spaces by integratable partitions, mould part structures providing a number of moulding spaces in mutual co-operation assemblies of individually complete moulds B28B7/26
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/0088 Multi-face stack moulds
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/12 with incorporated means for positioning inserts, e.g. labels positioning reinforcements B29C70/541
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/302 Assembling a large number of mould elements to constitute one cavity
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/3842 Manufacturing moulds, e.g. shaping the mould surface by machining
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/42 characterised by the shape of the moulding surface, e.g. ribs or grooves
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/424 Moulding surfaces provided with means for marking or patterning for injection moulding B29C45/372
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/44 with means for, or specially constructed to facilitate, the removal of articles, e.g. of undercut articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/021 by casting in several steps
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/34 for undercut articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/36 Removing moulded articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/12 Articles with an irregular circumference when viewed in cross-section, e.g. window profiles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 69/001 a shaping technique combined with cutting, e.g. in parts or slices combined with rearranging and joining the cut parts for reinforced material B29C70/545; B29C49/4278, B29C51/268 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2083/00 Use of polymers having silicon, with or without sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, or carbon only, in the main chain, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/756 : Microarticles, nanoarticles
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 1/20 : with scintillation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01T 7/00 : Details of radiation-measuring instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/0017 : for the production of embossing, cutting or similar devices; for the production of casting means
• CPC Class Codes: G21K 1/02 : using diaphragms, collimators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31 : Surface property or characteristic of web, sheet or block

Abstract

In certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention, three-dimensional micro-mechanical devices and/or micro-structures can be made using a production casting process. As part of this process, an intermediate mold can be made from or derived from a precision stack lamination and used to fabricate the devices and/or structures. Further, the micro-devices and/or micro-structures can be fabricated on planar or nonplanar surfaces through use of a series of production casting processes and intermediate molds. The use of precision stack lamination can allow the fabrication of high aspect ratio structures. Moreover, via certain molding and/or casting materials, molds having cavities with protruding undercuts also can be fabricated.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a radiation attenuating, cast, monolithic body comprising at least one surface that defines;

a protruding undercut; and

a plurality of 3-dimensional micro-features;

said surface derived from and substantially spatially invertedly replicating a stack lamination mold surface formed by a stacked plurality of metallic foil layers comprised by a stack lamination mold;

wherein said body comprises particles having a size ranging from 1 to 150 microns.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein:

by virtue of one or more features, compositions, properties, dimensions, structural elements, and/or geometric shapes of said body, said device is adapted to serve as a mammography scatter reduction grid.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein:

by virtue of one or more features, compositions, properties, dimensions, structural elements, and/or geometric shapes of said body, said device is adapted to serve as a nuclear medicine collimator.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein:

by virtue of one or more features, compositions, properties, dimensions, structural elements, and/or geometric shapes said body, said device is adapted to serve as a computed-tomography collimator.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said body defines a collimator focused in two orthogonal directions.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said body defines a plurality of open passages that are focally aligned to a predetermined distance.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said body defines a cross-grid.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said body defines a grid ratio of less than 4.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said body defines a grid ratio of less than 8.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said body defines a grid ratio of less than 12.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said body defines a plurality of non-redundant cells.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said body defines a plurality of cells, each cell from said plurality of cells having a unique cross-sectional shape with respect to each other cell from said plurality of cells.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said body defines a cell having a non-planar wall.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said body defines a cell having a wall having a non-uniform thickness.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said body defines a cell having a non-rectangular cell cross-sectional shape.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said body defines a cell having a cell cross-sectional shape comprising 3 distinct sides.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said body defines a cell having a cell cross-sectional shape comprising 5 distinct sides.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said body defines a cell having a cell cross-sectional shape comprising greater than 6 distinct sides.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said body defines a cell having a width of between approximately 25 microns and approximately 250 microns.

20. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said body defines a cell having a width of less than 1 millimeter.

21. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said at least one surface is non-planar.

22. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said at least one surface is anisotropic.

23. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said at least one surface is isotropic.

24. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said at least one surface has a predetermined surface finish.

25. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said body defines at least one wall having an aspect ratio of greater than 25;

1.

26. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said body defines at least one wall having an aspect ratio of greater than 10;

1.

27. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said body defines at least one wall having a thickness of less than 20 microns.

28. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said body defines at least one wall having a thickness of less than 100 microns.

29. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said body defines at least one wall having a height of up to 10,000 microns.

30. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said body defines at least one wall having a height of between approximately 4 centimeters and approximately 30 centimeters.

31. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said body comprises a lead alloy.

32. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said body comprises a lead alloy combined with a plurality of dense particles selected from gold, tantalum, and tungsten.

33. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said body comprises a cured polymer.

34. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said body comprises a cured epoxy.

35. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said body comprises a cured binder loaded with metallic powder.

36. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said body comprises a material having a density of approximately 7.0 grams/cc to approximately 12.5 grams/cc.

37. The device of claim 1, wherein:

said body comprises a material having a density of approximately 12.5 grams/cc to approximately 14 grams/cc.

38. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a pixilated detector array.

39. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of scintillators.

40. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of radiation detector elements.

41. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of radiation detector elements focally aligned by openings defined by said body.

42. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of radiation detector elements focally aligned by openings defined by said body to a radiation source at a predetermined distance.