# US 11,441,241 B2 · Electrospinning method

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- Number: US 11,441,241 B2
- Document ID: US11441241B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/955,078
- Filed: 2018-12-18
- Published: 2020-12-10
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-19
- Assignees: Innovative Mechanical Engineering Technologies B.V.
- Applicants: Innovative Mechanical Engineering Technologies B.V
- Inventors: Paul Johannes Franciscus Maria Janssen; Marc Simonet; Ramon Hubertus Mathijs Solberg
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11441241B2

## CPC

- D01D 5/0061: {characterised by the electro-spinning apparatus}
- D01D 5/0076: {characterised by the collecting device, e.g. drum, wheel, endless belt, plate or grid (D01D5/0046 takes precedence)}
- A61F 2/91: made from perforated sheets or tubes, e.g. perforated by laser cuts or etched holes
- 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)}
- D01D 5/0038: {the fibre formed by solvent evaporation, i.e. dry electro-spinning}
- D01D 5/0046: {the fibre formed by coagulation, i.e. wet electro-spinning}
- D01D 5/0092: {characterised by the electrical field, e.g. combined with a magnetic fields, using biased or alternating fields}
- D04H 3/073: Hollow cylinder shaped
- D06M 10/005: {Laser beam treatment}
- B29C 2035/0838: {using laser}
- B29C 2791/009: Using laser
- B29C 2793/0045: Perforating
- B29C 2793/009: after shaping
- D10B 2509/022: Wound dressings
- D10B 2509/06: Vascular grafts; stents
- D01D: MECHANICAL METHODS OR APPARATUS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS
- A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C)
- 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)
- D04H: MAKING TEXTILE FABRICS, e.g. FROM FIBRES OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL (weaving D03; knitting D04B; braiding D04C; net-making D04G; sewing D05B; tufting D05C; finishing non-woven fabrics D06); FABRICS MADE BY SUCH PROCESSES OR APPARATUS, e.g. FELTS, NON-WOVEN FABRICS; COTTON-WOOL; WADDING {; NON-WOVEN FABRICS FROM STAPLE FIBRES, FILAMENTS OR YARNS, BONDED WITH AT LEAST ONE WEB-LIKE MATERIAL DURING THEIR CONSOLIDATION}(non-woven fabrics having an intermediate or external layer of a different kind, e.g. of woven fabric, B32B)
- D06M: TREATMENT, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE IN CLASS D06, OF FIBRES, THREADS, YARNS, FABRICS, FEATHERS OR FIBROUS GOODS MADE FROM SUCH MATERIALS
- D10B: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES

## Abstract

A method of electrospinning (40) is provided, and an electrospinning device (1; 30). The method comprises (i) holding (41) a liquid comprising a polymer melt or a polymer solution in a container (2), (ii) letting out (42) a stream of the liquid from the container through at least one nozzle (3), (iii) creating (43) a voltage difference between the nozzle (3) and a collecting surface (4), (iv) collecting (44) electro spun material coming from the nozzle (3) so as to form a fibrous structure (8) on the collecting surface (4), and (v) directing (45) a laser beam (13) towards the collecting surface (4) so as to locally remove a part of the fibrous structure (8).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of electrospinning comprising:
(i) holding a liquid comprising a polymer melt or a polymer solution in a container;
(ii) letting out a stream of the liquid from the container through at least one nozzle;
(iii) creating a voltage difference between the nozzle and a collecting surface;
(iv) collecting electro spun material coming from the nozzle so as to form a fibrous structure on the collecting surface;
(v) directing a laser beam towards the collecting surface so as to locally remove a part of the fibrous structure;
(vi) interrupting the laser beam for a moment; and
(vii) directing the laser beam towards the collecting surface again so as to locally remove another part of the fibrous structure,
wherein steps (vi) and (vii) are repeated to create a pattern of separated holes in the fibrous structure, and
wherein the pattern of separated holes in the fibrous structure is created in such a way that a directional stiffness is created in the fibrous structure.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of electrospinning according to claim 1, wherein the fibrous structure is a layer of fibers.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the laser beam is directed to the fibrous structure during the collecting of electro spun material on the collecting surface.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of rotating the collecting surface by means of one or more rotating bodies.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising after step (vii) the step of adding a fusing layer on top of the patterned fibrous structure.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The method according to claim 4, wherein the fibrous structure is tubular shaped.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, wherein the pattern of separated holes comprises a number of elongated parallel holes each extending in a tangential direction along the circumference of the tubular structure.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method according to claim 7, wherein the elongated parallel holes extend along the circumference of the tubular structure over an angle between 1° and 359°.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the laser beam has an energy level wherein the fibrous structure evaporates due to the thermal energy of the laser beam.