US 11,945,161 B2
Combined electrospinning and microextrusion apparatus
Giovanni Vozzi, Pisa (IT); Aurora De Acutis, Leghorn (IT); Carmelo De Maria, Lamezia Terme (IT); and Guglielmo Pacetta, Badolato (IT)
Assigned to UNIVERSITA' DI PISA, Pisa (IT)
Appl. No. 17/052,356
Filed by UNIVERSITA' DI PISA, Pisa (IT)
PCT Filed May 3, 2019, PCT No. PCT/IB2019/053625
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 2, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/211803, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 7, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 102018000005065 (IT), filed on May 4, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0053284 A1, Feb. 25, 2021
Int. Cl. B29C 64/209 (2017.01); B29C 48/02 (2019.01); B29C 48/25 (2019.01); B29C 64/245 (2017.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); D01D 5/00 (2006.01); B29L 31/00 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 64/209 (2017.08) [D01D 5/0061 (2013.01); B29C 48/02 (2019.02); B29C 48/266 (2019.02); B29C 64/245 (2017.08); B29L 2031/753 (2013.01); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A combined electrospinning and microextrusion apparatus, comprising:
a parallel robotic manipulator having a plurality of degrees of freedom and further comprising:
a fixed upper platform,
a plurality of kinematic linkages of non-conductive material,
an end effector supported and movable by the parallel robotic manipulator, the end effector being connected to the fixed upper platform through the plurality of kinematic linkages, each kinematic linkage of the plurality of kinematic linkages being movable by a respective actuator of a plurality of actuators arranged on the fixed upper platform, and
a plurality of extruders housed on the end effector, each extruder of said plurality of extruders comprising a respective interchangeable nozzle for extrusion of at least one material,
a working plane configured for deposition of extruded the at least one material,
a pneumatic circuit configured to supply a fluid flow to the extruders for controlling the extrusion of the at least one material, and
an electric generator selectively activatable to apply a potential difference between the interchangeable nozzles of the extruders and the working plane, whereby each individual extruder of the plurality of extruders is capable of operating selectively in either a microextrusion mode, in which the electric generator does not apply a potential difference between the working plane and the interchangeable nozzle of the individual extruder, and the individual extruder is configured for extrusion of the at least one material by microextrusion, or an electrospinning mode, in which the electric generator applies the potential difference between the interchangeable nozzle of the individual extruder and the working plane, and the individual extruder is configured for extrusion of the at least one material by electrospinning,
wherein said extruders are operable in an independent manner from each other.