Membrane attachment process
AssigneeBecton, Dickinson and Company
InventorsMichael Heath, Mark Perreault
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method is provided for attaching a membrane to a substrate by heat-bonding the membrane to the substrate. The substrate includes a top surface, a bottom surface and a receptacle therethrough. The membrane can be a porous support structure combined with a polymeric gel. The method includes the steps of inserting a mandrel into the receptacle, placing the membrane on the substrate across the receptacle, heating the membrane and substrate, and allowing the substrate to cool to provide heat-bonded interlock between the substrate and the membrane.
Claims18
A method for attaching a membrane to a substrate comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a substrate having spaced apart top surface and bottom surface, and a receptacle therethrough;
- (b) inserting a mandrel into said receptacle without said mandrel excessively deforming the shape of said receptacle;
- (c) placing a membrane comprising a polymeric composition combined with a support structure across said top surface of said substrate over said receptacle, wherein said support structure is a woven mesh-like construction having a network structure with voids or open areas therebetween for capturing said polymeric composition;
- (d) heating said membrane and said substrate, said heating being applied to a side of said membrane opposite said substrate;
- and
- (e) allowing said substrate to cool to provide a heat-bonded interlock between said substrate and said membrane, wherein said heating is applied conductively through a conductive medium placed on said membrane, and wherein said step of heating includes:
- contacting said medium with a heat-source for a length of time required to melt said substrate into a molten state forming a molten substrate, said molten substrate flowing into said support structure of said membrane and displacing a portion of said polymeric composition from said support structure, wherein, with cooling of said molten substrate located in said support structure, mechanical interactions being defined between said cooled molten substrate and said support structure.
A method for attaching a membrane to a substrate comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a polypropylene multiwell plate having a top surface, bottom surface, and a plurality of apertures therethrough;
- (b) inserting a mandrel into each of said apertures without said mandrels excessively deforming the shapes of said apertures;
- (c) placing a gel media across said top surface of said plate, wherein said gel media comprises a polyacrylamide gel attached to a polyester structure, wherein said polyester structure is a woven mesh-like construction having a network structure with voids or open areas therebetween for capturing said gel media;
- (d) heating said media and said plate, said heating being applied to a side of said media opposite said plate;
- and
- (e) allowing said plate to cool forming a heat-bonded interlock between said gel media and said plate, wherein at least one aperture is substantially covered at one end by said gel media, wherein said heating is applied conductively through a conductive medium placed on said gel membrane, and wherein said step of heating includes:
- contacting said conductive medium with a heated die for a length of time required to melt said multiwell plate forming a molten substrate, said molten substrate flowing into said polyester structure and displacing said gel from said polyester structure, wherein, with cooling of said molten substrate located in said polyester structure, mechanical interactions being defined between said cooled molten substrate and said polyester structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.