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US 2016/0107394 A1Published application
Apparatus and process for producing porous devices
AssigneeVertera, Inc.
InventorsWei-Hsiang Chang, Stephen Lee Laffoon, Christopher S.D. Lee, David Lee Safranski
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Abstract
In general, in various embodiments, the present disclosure is directed systems and methods for producing a porous surface from a solid piece of polymer. In particular, the present disclosure is directed to systems that include a track assembly, mold assembly, press assembly, and methods for using the same for producing a porous surface from a solid piece of polymer. In some embodiments, the present systems and methods are directed to processing a polymer at a temperature below a melting point of the polymer to produce a solid piece of polymer with an integrated a porous surface.
Claims30
A method comprising:
- loading a solid body of material and porogen into a mold that is configured to travel along a predetermined path;
- applying pressure via a press to the solid body of material for displacing the porogen through the surface by a defined distance, creating, thereby, a matrix layer including the material and the porogen in the solid body of material, the matrix layer being integrally connected with the solid body of material;
- maintaining, via a heating element located along the predetermined path, throughout the heating and displacing steps, a temperature of the surface of the solid body that is below the melting temperature by at least the melting temperature differential;
- and
- unloading the solid body of material from the mold and removing the porogen to create an integrally connected porous layer in the solid body of material.
2 more elements
A method for processing material, the method comprising:
- providing a piece of polymer for processing;
- pressing a surface of the piece of polymer against a layer of porogen via a static weight;
- while the piece of polymer is pressed against the layer of porogen, subjecting the piece of polymer to at least one heat zone along a track assembly, wherein the at least one heat zone heats the material to a particular temperature for a particular time;
- further pressing the piece of polymer against the layer of porogen via a press assembly such that at least a portion of the layer of porogen is displaced through a surface of the piece of polymer to create a matrix layer of porogen and the polymer;
- and
- removing the porogen from the matrix layer of the polymer thereby creating a porous layer of the polymer.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- loading a solid body of material and porogen into a mold;
- heating, via a heating element located along a processing path, a surface of the solid body of material to a processing temperature that is below a melting temperature of the material by a melting temperature differential;
- increasing heat from the processing temperature while applying a constant pressure to the solid body of material for displacing the porogen through the surface by a defined distance, creating, thereby, a matrix layer including the material and the porogen in the solid body of material, the matrix layer being integrally connected with the solid body of material;
- maintaining throughout the heating and displacing steps, the constant pressure on the solid body of material;
- cooling the solid body of material once the porogen is displaced through the surface by a defined distance;
- and
- unloading the solid body of material from the mold and removing the porogen to create an integrally connected porous layer in the solid body of material.
4 more elements
A method for processing material, the method comprising:
- providing a thermoplastic for processing;
- providing a porogen for creating a porous layer in the thermoplastic;
- providing a track assembly comprising at least one heating element for heating the thermoplastic;
- providing a static weight for applying a constant pressure to the thermoplastic;
- providing a press assembly for applying an increased pressure to the thermoplastic;
- loading the porogen and thermoplastic onto the track assembly, wherein a surface of the thermoplastic is in contact with the porogen;
- applying the constant pressure to the thermoplastic via the static weight and applying heat to the thermoplastic via the heating element;
- applying the increased pressure to the thermoplastic via the press assembly for displacing the porogen through the surface of the thermoplastic;
- removing the increased pressure and heat from the thermoplastic to allow the thermoplastic to cool;
- removing the constant pressure from the thermoplastic;
- and
- removing the porogen from the thermoplastic, thereby creating a porous layer of the thermoplastic integrally formed within a surface of the thermoplastic.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.