US 11,654,399 B2
Method for micromolding a polymeric membrane having a pore array
David James Coon, Cambridge, MA (US); Tiama Hamkins-Indik, Cambridge, MA (US); Donald E. Ingber, Boston, MA (US); Miles Ingram, Cambridge, MA (US); Daniel Levner, Brookline, MA (US); Richard Novak, Jamaica Plain, MA (US); Jefferson Puerta, Malden, MA (US); Daniel E. Shea, Mendon, MA (US); Josiah Sliz, Boston, MA (US); and Norman Wen, Newton, MA (US)
Assigned to President and Fellows of Harvard College, Cambridge, MA (US)
Appl. No. 15/558,191
Filed by President and Fellows of Harvard College, Cambridge, MA (US)
PCT Filed Mar. 16, 2016, PCT No. PCT/US2016/022680
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 13, 2017,
PCT Pub. No. WO2016/149394, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 22, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/134,550, filed on Mar. 17, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2018/0071690 A1, Mar. 15, 2018
Int. Cl. B01D 67/00 (2006.01); B29C 41/38 (2006.01); B29C 33/42 (2006.01); B29C 33/68 (2006.01); B29C 39/00 (2006.01); B29C 39/26 (2006.01); B29C 41/12 (2006.01); B01L 3/00 (2006.01); B29C 41/36 (2006.01); B01D 71/70 (2006.01); C12M 1/12 (2006.01); B29L 31/00 (2006.01); B29C 43/02 (2006.01)
CPC B01D 67/0034 (2013.01) [B01D 71/70 (2013.01); B01L 3/502707 (2013.01); B29C 33/424 (2013.01); B29C 33/68 (2013.01); B29C 39/006 (2013.01); B29C 39/26 (2013.01); B29C 41/12 (2013.01); B29C 41/36 (2013.01); B29C 41/38 (2013.01); C12M 25/02 (2013.01); B01L 2300/123 (2013.01); B01L 2400/086 (2013.01); B29C 2043/025 (2013.01); B29L 2031/755 (2013.01); B29L 2031/756 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for micro-molding a porous polymeric membrane having a pore array that contains a plurality of pores, the method comprising:
introducing a predetermined volume of polymer into a micro-fabricated mold having a post array with a plurality of pillars, each pillar having a top surface;
overlaying the polymer with a support substrate, the support substrate being in the form of a film;
applying a force for compressing the support substrate and the polymer, the support substrate being in contact with the top surface of the plurality of pillars;
while applying the force, curing the polymer on the mold for a predetermined time period and at a predetermined temperature to form a polymeric membrane having a pore array with a plurality of pores corresponding to the top surface of each of the plurality of pillars of the post array;
removing the support substrate from the mold with the polymeric membrane adhered to the support substrate, said removing comprises peeling the membrane from the substrate after the curing process is over, resulting in a newly formed porous membrane, wherein the porous polymeric membrane has a pore array with a plurality of pores corresponding to said plurality of said post array.