Polymer micromold and fabrication process

Patent · Tue Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:871099

Lee, Abraham P ^[1]; Northrup, M Allen ^[2]; Ahre, Paul E ^[3]; Dupuy, Peter C ^[4]

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1. 1428 Whitecliff Way, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
2. 923 Creston Rd., Berkeley, CA 94708
3. 1299 Gonzaga Ct., Livermore, CA 94550
4. 1736 Waldo Ct., Modesto, CA 95358

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 (.mu.m). 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 .mu.m in length up to 150 .mu.m 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.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• Assignee: Lee, Abraham P. (1428 Whitecliff Way, Walnut Creek, CA 94596);Northrup, M. Allen (923 Creston Rd., Berkeley, CA 94708);Ahre, Paul E. (1299 Gonzaga Ct., Livermore, CA 94550);Dupuy, Peter C. (1736 Waldo Ct., Modesto, CA 95358)
• Patent Number(s): US 5658515
• OSTI ID: 871099
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/264/29/205/249/427/
10
150
275
accomplished
angioplasty
assembly
coated
contours
diameter
diameters
etc
etched
etching
example
fabricated
fabrication
fabrication process
features
final
final product
form
formed
hollow
hollow portion
inner
inside
inside diameter
lathe
leaving
length
mandrel
micro-sized
microactuators
microballoons
micromold
microneedle
micronozzle
microparts
micros
mold
mold assembly
outer
outer shell
outer surface
outside
outside diameter
plastic
polymer
portion
precision
process
product
ramping
removed
sacrificial
sacrificial mandrel
section
selectively
selectively etched
serve
shell
slopes
specified
surface
surface treated
treated
varying