Methods and devices for the fabrication of 3D polymeric fibers

• US 9,410,267 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2010
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: President and Fellows of Harvard College (Harvard Corporation)
• Original Assignee: President and Fellows of Harvard College (Harvard Corporation)
• Inventors: Parker, Kevin Kit, Badrossamay, Mohammad Reza, Goss, Josue Adrian
• Primary Examiner(s): Gupta, Yogendra
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEYSON, JOSEPH S
• Application Number:
  US13/320,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20120135448A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,280 Days
• Field of Search: 425/8, 425/9
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2533/30 Synthetic polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2533/40 Polyhydroxyacids, e.g. polymers of glycolic or lactic acid (PGA, PLA, PLGA); Bioresorbable polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 5/0068 General culture methods using substrates for specific animal cell type C12N5/06
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 5/0075 using microcarriers
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 5/0657 Cardiomyocytes; Heart cells
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/18 by means of rotating spinnerets
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/43838 Ultrafine fibres, e.g. microfibres
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 1/76 otherwise than in a plane, e.g. in a tubular way
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 3/016 characterised by the fineness
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 3/07 otherwise than in a plane, e.g. in a tubular way
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/5082 Supracellular entities, e.g. tissue, organisms
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/5088 of vertebrates

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and devices for the fabrication of 3D polymeric fibers having micron, sub-micron, and nanometer dimensions, as well as methods of use of these polymeric fibers.

Claims

1. A device for the fabrication of a submicron or nanometer dimension polymeric fiber, comprising

a rotary spinning system, said system comprising

a rotating reservoir suitable for accepting a polymer and comprising an orifice having a diameter of about 1 micrometer to about 400 micrometers, the orifice configured to form a submicron or nanometer dimension polymeric fiber by ejecting a jet of said polymer radially outward from the orifice during rotation of said reservoir at a rotational speed of about 24,000 rpm to about 50,000 rpm;

a motor for imparting rotational motion to the reservoir, the motor being configured to impart a rotational speed of about 24,000 rpm to about 50,000 rpm to the reservoir;

a collector for accepting said formed submicron or nanometer dimension polymeric fiber, at least a portion of the collector disposed directly radially outward from the rotating reservoir; and

a flexible air foil for facilitating collection of said radially ejected submicron or nanometer dimension polymeric fiber on the portion of the collector disposed directly radially outward from the rotating reservoir, the flexible air foil being attached to a shaft of the motor above the reservoir;

wherein the device is free of an electrical field.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said reservoir comprises two orifices.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said orifice has a diameter of about 50 micrometers to about 400 micrometers.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising a component suitable for continuously feeding said polymer into said rotating reservoir.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the reservoir further comprises a heating element.

6. The device of claim 2 wherein said orifices are of the same diameter.

7. The device of claim 2, wherein said orifices are of different diameters.

8. The device of claim 1, where the orifice is configured to form the submicron or nanometer dimension polymeric fiber by ejecting the jet of said polymer from the orifice under a combination of hydrostatic and centrifugal pressure that exceeds the flow-resistant capillary forces in the orifice during rotation of said reservoir at the rotational speed of about 24,000 rpm to about 50,000 rpm.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the collector is a cylindrical collector.

10. A method for fabricating a submicron or nanometer dimension polymeric fiber, comprising

providing the device for the fabrication of a submicron or nanometer dimension polymeric fiber of claim 1;

continuously feeding a polymer into the rotating reservoir; and

rotating the rotary spinning system at a speed and for a time sufficient to form the submicron or nanometer dimension polymeric fiber.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said rotary spinning system is rotated at a speed of about 24,000 to about 50,000 rpm.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said rotary spinning system is rotated for a time of about 1 minute to about 100 minutes.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(urethanes), poly(siloxanes) or silicones, poly(ethylene), poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), poly(2-hydroxy ethyl methacrylate), poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone), poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(acrylic acid), polyacrylamide, poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate), poly(ethylene glycol), poly(methacrylic acid), polylactides (PLA), polyglycolides (PGA), poly(lactide-co-glycolides) (PLGA), polyanhydrides, polyphosphazenes, polygermanes, and polyorthoesters, polyesters, polyamides, polyolefins, polycarbonates, polyaramides, polyimides.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said polymer is a naturally occurring polymer selected from the group consisting of proteins, polysaccharides, lipids, nucleic acids or combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said polymer is fed into said rotating reservoir as a polymer solution.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein a plurality of submicron or nanometer dimension polymeric fibers are formed.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said plurality of submicron or nanometer dimension polymeric fibers are contacted with a plurality of living cells.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said cells are cultured such that a living tissue is produced.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said plurality of submicron or nanometer dimension polymeric fibers are contacted with a biologically active agent.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein said plurality of submicron or nanometer dimension polymeric fibers are treated with a pharmaceutically active agent.