Method for forming hollow fiber bundles
AssigneeMedArray, Inc.
InventorJean Patrick Montoya
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of forming a plurality of hollow fibers includes the step of providing an elongated flexible substantially continuous fiber and coating an outer surface of the fiber with a hollow fiber material. The hollow fiber material is cured or hardened. A gap is created between the outer surface of the support fiber and the inner surface of the coating layer defined thereon. The coated support fiber is cut into a plurality of fiber segments each having exposed ends. The support fiber segments are removed from the coating layer so as to provide a plurality of hollow fibers.
Claims28
A method of forming a plurality of hollow fibers, comprising the steps of:
- providing an elongated flexible substantially continuous support fiber having an outer surface;
- coating the outer surface of the support fiber with a hollow fiber material;
- curing or hardening the hollow fiber material coating on the outer surface so as to form a substantially continuous and uniform coating layer on the outer surface of the support fiber, the coating layer having an inner surface adjacent the outer surface of the support fiber;
- forming the coated support fiber into a bundle having an end;
- potting the end of the bundle in a potting material so as to form a potted end;
- creating a gap between the outer surface of the intact support fiber and the inner surface of the coating layer defined thereon;
- cutting the coated support fiber into a plurality of fiber segments each having exposed ends;
- and
- removing the support fiber segments from the coating layers so as to provide a plurality of hollow fibers;
- wherein the potting step is performed prior to the removing step.
A method of forming a plurality of hollow fibers, comprising the steps of:
- providing an elongated flexible substantially continuous support fiber having an outer surface;
- coating the outer surface of the support fiber with a hollow fiber material;
- curing or hardening the hollow fiber material coating on the outer surface so as to form a substantially continuous and uniform coating layer on the outer surface of the support fiber, the coating layer having an inner surface adjacent the outer surface of the support fiber;
- creating a gap between the outer surface of the support fiber and the inner surface of the coating layer defined thereon;
- cutting the coated support fiber into a plurality of fiber segments each having exposed ends;
- and
- removing the support fiber segments from the coating layers so as to provide a plurality of hollow fibers;
- wherein the gap creating step comprises using pressurized fluid to penetrate between the outer surface of the support fiber and the inner surface of the cured coating layer, the fluid comprising a low surface tension, low viscosity lubricant.
A method of forming hollow fiber bundles, comprising the steps of:
- providing an elongated flexible substantially continuous support fiber having an outer surface;
- coating the outer surface of the support fiber with a hollow fiber material;
- curing or hardening the hollow fiber material coating on the outer surface so as to form a substantially continuous and uniform coating layer on the outer surface of the support fiber, the coating layer having an inner surface adjacent the outer surface of the support fiber;
- forming the coated support fiber into a bundle having an end;
- potting the end in a potting material so as to form a potted end;
- cutting the potted end so as to sever the end of the bundle of coated support fibers and create a plurality of coated support fiber segments each having an exposed end;
- creating a gap between the outer surface of each intact support fiber segment and the cured layer defined on the outer surface thereof;
- and
- removing the support fiber from the cured layer so as to provide a bundle of hollow fibers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.