# US 10,118,338 B2 · Additive manufacturing with integrated microliter resin delivery

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- Number: US 10,118,338 B2
- Document ID: US10118338B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/919,441
- Filed: 2015-10-21
- Published: 2017-04-27
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2015-10-21
- Assignees: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
- Applicants: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
- Inventors: Joshua R. Deotte; Xiaoyu Zheng
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10118338B2

## CPC

- B29C 64/129: characterised by the energy source therefor, e.g. by global irradiation combined with a mask
- B29C 64/321: Feeding
- B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing
- B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
- B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING

## Abstract

An additive manufacturing system utilizing an oxygen-permeable membrane to facilitate low-volume printing and high-speed resin change in a stereolithography-based 3D printer. The membrane is used to constrain the fluid surface at the focal plane of the stereolithography printer and a carrier fluid is used to hold the fluid against the membrane. The small amount of resin is quickly switched using integrated microfluidic channels.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An additive manufacturing apparatus for building a structure, comprising:
a reservoir, wherein said reservoir has one reservoir side and an opposite reservoir side;
an immiscible fluid in said reservoir;
a substrate in said reservoir that is totally immersed in said immiscible fluid;
an oxygen permeable and optically transparent membrane operatively connected to said reservoir, wherein said oxygen permeable and optically transparent membrane is positioned to extend from said one reservoir side to said opposite reservoir side;
a microliter amount of curable resin;
a delivery system for delivering said microliter amount of curable resin to said reservoir in contact with said immiscible fluid in said reservoir, wherein said microliter amount of curable resin is contained in said reservoir by said immiscible fluid, said oxygen permeable and optically transparent membrane, and said substrate;
an elevator system in said reservoir for moving said substrate and said microliter amount of curable resin; and
an energy source adapted to deliver energy to said reservoir through said oxygen permeable and optically transparent membrane onto said microliter amount of curable resin for building the structure.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing apparatus for building a structure of claim 1 wherein said microliter amount of curable resin is less than ten microliters.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing apparatus for building a structure of claim 1 wherein said energy source is a light source.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing apparatus for building a structure of claim 1 wherein said energy source is an ultra violet light source.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing apparatus for building a structure of claim 1 wherein said immiscible fluid in said reservoir is oil.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing apparatus for building a structure of claim 1 wherein said immiscible fluid in said reservoir is an aqueous solution.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing apparatus for building a structure of claim 1 further comprising multiple containers for recovery of said microliter amount of curable resin.