# US 11,440,030 B2 · Method for producing an aperture plate > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,440,030 B2 - Document ID: US11440030B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/358,338 - Filed: 2019-03-19 - Published: 2019-07-11 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2014-05-23 - Assignees: Stamford Devices Limited - Applicants: Stamford Devices Limited - Inventors: Brendan Hogan; Hong Xu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440030B2 ## CPC - B05B 1/02: designed to produce a jet, spray, or other discharge of particular shape or nature, e.g. in single drops, {or having an outlet of particular shape}(B05B1/26, B05B1/28, B05B1/34 take precedence) - B05B 17/0638: {spray being produced by discharging the liquid or other fluent material through a plate comprising a plurality of orifices} - B05B 17/0653: {Details} - C25D 1/08: Perforated or foraminous objects, e.g. sieves (C25D1/10 takes precedence) - C25D 7/04: Tubes; Rings; Hollow bodies - A61M 11/005: {using ultrasonics (spraying or atomising liquids using ultrasonic vibrations in general B05B17/06)} - A61M 15/0085: {using ultrasonics (spraying or atomising liquids using ultrasonic vibrations in general B05B17/06)} - A61M 2207/00: Methods of manufacture, assembly or production - B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D) - C25D: PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} ## Abstract An aperture plate is manufactured by plating metal around a mask of resist columns having a desired size, pitch, and profile, which yields a wafer about 60 μm thickness. This is approximately the full desired target aperture plate thickness. The plating is continued so that the metal overlies the top surfaces of the columns until the desired apertures are achieved. This needs only one masking/plating cycle to achieve the desired plate thickness. Also, the plate has passageways formed beneath the apertures, formed as an integral part of the method, by mask material removal. These are suitable for entrainment of aerosolized droplets exiting the apertures. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of manufacturing an aperture plate wafer, the method comprising: providing a substrate, applying a mask over the substrate in a pattern of columns, each column having a top surface; electroplating a plating material around the columns at a first speed to form a first thickness; continuing electroplating the plating material at a second speed less than the first speed such that the plating material is over-plated to form a second thickness directly on the top surfaces of the pattern of columns so as to form a plurality of aerosol-forming apertures and wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness; removing the plated material from the mask and the substrate to provide a wafer of electroplated material with the plurality of aerosol-forming apertures; forming the aperture plate wafer into a dome-shape; and wherein a combined thickness of the first thickness and second thickness is in the range of 50 μm to 70 μm. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the applying the mask over the substrate includes applying a first end of each of the plurality of columns to the substrate, wherein the first end includes a larger cross-sectional dimension than a second end of each of the plurality of columns. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the columns are configured so that the removing the plated material from the mask and the substrate forms passageways aligned with the plurality of aerosol-forming apertures and being shaped for entrainment of aerosol. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the top surfaces of the mask are rounded. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the removing the plated material from the mask and the substrate forms a plurality of entrainment portions of the aperture plate wafer, wherein the entrainment portions are tapered. ### Claim 6 A method of manufacturing an aperture plate wafer, the method comprising: applying a mask over a substrate in a pattern of columns, each column having a frustoconical bottom portion terminating in a convex top surface, wherein a height of each column is greater than a diameter of each column; electroplating a plating material around the columns at a first speed to form a first thickness; over-plating the plating material directly on the top surfaces of the pattern of columns at a second speed less than the first speed to form a second thickness and so as to form a plurality of aerosol-forming apertures, wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness; removing the plated material from the mask and the substrate to provide a wafer of electroplated material with the plurality of aerosol-forming apertures and tapered entrainment portions; and forming the aperture plate wafer into a dome-shape. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein, the wafer includes only one layer of electroplated material. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein a combined thickness of the first thickness and the second thickness is in the range of 50 μm to 70 μm. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of aerosol-forming apertures each have a diameter in the range of 2 μm to 6 μm. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the entrainment portions are aligned with the plurality of aerosol-forming apertures so as to form passageways extending through the wafer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the forming the aperture plate wafer into the dome-shape includes deflecting at least some of the plurality of aerosol-forming apertures toward one another. ### Claim 12 A method of manufacturing an aperture plate wafer, the method comprising: applying a mask over a substrate in a pattern of columns, each column tapering to define a frustoconical bottom portion with a convex top surface, wherein a height of each column is greater than a diameter of each column; electroplating a plating material around the columns at a first speed to form a first thickness; over-plating the plating material directly on the top surfaces of the pattern of columns at a second speed less than the first speed to form a second thickness and so as to form a plurality of aerosol-forming apertures, wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness; and removing the plated material from the mask and the substrate to provide a wafer of electroplated material with the plurality of aerosol-forming apertures aligned with tapered entrainment portions; wherein, the wafer includes only one layer of electroplated material and wherein a combined thickness of the first thickness and the second thickness is in the range of 50 μm to 70 μm. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of aerosol-forming apertures each have a diameter in the range of 2 μm to 6 μm. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the entrainment portions taper towards the plurality of aerosol-forming apertures.