Surface topography with ferromagnetic polymer pillars capable of movement in response to magnetic fields
AssigneeSyracuse University
InventorsDacheng Ren, Huan Gu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An anti-fouling surface having micron scale pillars embedded with Fe3O4 nanoparticles is designed. The pillars may be repeatedly induced to move according to a predetermined frequency, such as one that mimic that of the beating movement of natural cilia, through the application of a magnetic field. When square-shaped pillars with a height of 10 μm, width of 2 μm, and inter-pattern distance of 5 μm actuated for three minutes, more than 99.9 percent of biofilm cells were detached and via gentle rinsing from the surface having the pillars. The anti-fouling surface enables effective prevention of biofilm formation and removal of established biofilms, and can be applied to a broad spectrum of polymers.
Claims20
A surface having an anti-fouling topography, comprising:
- a plurality of pillars formed from a polymer and extending from a substrate of the polymer to define a corresponding plurality of free ends;
- and
- a plurality of magnetic particles disposed in each of the plurality of pillars such that the magnetic particles are more highly concentrated in the free ends of each of the plurality of pillars.
A method of making an anti-fouling topographic surface, comprising the steps of:
- providing a mixture containing at least one monomer;
- adding a plurality of magnetic particles to the mixture;
- pouring the mixture containing the plurality of magnetic particles to a mold defining a plurality of pillars having a corresponding plurality of free ends;
- migrating the magnetic particles to the plurality of free ends;
- polymerizing the monomer of the mixture containing the plurality of magnetic particles to form a polymer with entrapped magnetic particles;
- and
- removing the polymerized polymer containing the plurality of magnetic particles from the mold to provide the plurality of pillars formed from the polymer containing the plurality of magnetic particles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.