US 6,316,153 B1 · Free-form fabricaton using multi-photon excitation

Abstract

A method wherein small, two- or three- dimensional structures are formed by multiple-photon-absorbed photopolymerization and/or cross-linking of a precursor composition. Use of multi-photon excitation allows fabrication of structures and structural features having at least one dimension of less than about one micron, preferably less than about 500 nm, more preferably less than about 250 nm, and most preferably of less than about 100 nm, in bulk phase as well as in solution, and from a wide variety of organic and inorganic precursor subunits, including synthetic polymers and biological polymers such as proteins, lipids, oligonucleotides, and the like. In one embodiment, use of two-photon far field optics allows the formation of structures having X-Y dimensions of less than about 300 mn and a Z dimension of less than about 500 nm, while use of three-photon far field optics allows the formation of structures having X-Y dimensions of less than about 250 mn and a Z dimension of less than about 300 nm. In a particularly preferred embodiment, use of a 4 pi optical configuration in combination with two-photon far field excitation allows the formation of structures having X-Y dimensions of less than about 150 nm and a Z dimension of less than about 100 mn. In another embodiment, use of multi-photon near field optics results in the formation of structures having X, Y, and Z dimensions of less than about 50 nm. In this embodiment, near field fabrication is achieved by two-photon excitation through fiber probes.

Claims89

Dependent claims

A method for the fabrication of a small structure, comprising

providing a photoactivatable precursor composition;
activating the precursor composition using multi-photon excitation in at least one first location in the precursor composition to form at least one first portion of the small structure, wherein the at least one first portion has dimensions in the X-Y directions of less than about 300 nanometers.

A method for entrapping an agent within a construct, comprising

providing a photoactivatable precursor composition;
activating the precursor composition using multi-photon excitation in at least one first location in the precursor composition to form at least one first portion of the construct, wherein the at least one first portion has dimensions in the X-Y directions of less than about 300 nanometers;
forming the remainder of the construct;
and
entrapping the agent within the formed construct.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Free-form fabricaton using multi-photon excitation

Life of this patent

Free-form fabricaton using multi-photon excitation

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims89