US 6,458,231 B1 · Method of making microtubes with axially variable geometries

Abstract

In the present invention, a technique is described for manufacturing microtube devices which have peripheral geometries that are not uniform along the tube or device axis. These geometries may exist in only one location on the periphery of the microtube device or geometries may be repeated either uniformly or non-uniformly with micron or sub-micron precision along the tube or device axis. The preferred manufacturing process involves forming a complex mandrel, ie., (one, for example, that can not be formed by extrusion or pultrusion under constant processing conditions) and giving it at least one metallic and/or nonmetallic coating by any of a variety of techniques. The complex mandrel can then be removed by appropriate chemical or physical means that do not adversely affect the coating(s) desired for the wall. The result is a microtube structure having an axial profile duplicating that on the mandrel from which it was formed.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method of forming a microtube with a wall containing passages comprising:

providing a core,
placing at least one coating on said core,
forming a complex over-wrapped mandrel on a micro-winding device by over-wrapping at least one threadlike component about the coated core,
coating said complex over-wrapped mandrel with at least one layer of material to produce a coated complex mandrel and
removing said core and said over-wrapped threadlike component, to produce a microtube containing wall passages.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of making microtubes with axially variable geometries

Life of this patent

Method of making microtubes with axially variable geometries

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18