US 12,434,297 B2
Methods of extruding a nanoparticle composition onto a substrate
Marcin Rusek, Wrocław (PL); Lukasz Witczak, Łódź (PL); and Filip Granek, Mrozów (PL)
Assigned to XTPL S.A., Wroclaw (PL)
Appl. No. 18/040,324
Filed by XTPL S.A., Wrocław (PL)
PCT Filed Oct. 7, 2021, PCT No. PCT/IB2021/059194
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 2, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/074595, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 14, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/088,549, filed on Oct. 7, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0264262 A1, Aug. 24, 2023
Int. Cl. B22F 10/10 (2021.01); B22F 10/31 (2021.01); B22F 10/85 (2021.01); B22F 12/90 (2021.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 50/02 (2015.01); G01N 1/31 (2006.01); G01N 35/00 (2006.01); G01N 35/10 (2006.01); G06T 7/11 (2017.01); G06T 7/50 (2017.01); G06T 7/70 (2017.01)
CPC B22F 10/10 (2021.01) [B22F 10/31 (2021.01); B22F 10/85 (2021.01); B22F 12/90 (2021.01); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 50/02 (2014.12); G01N 1/31 (2013.01); G01N 35/00029 (2013.01); G01N 35/1011 (2013.01); G06T 7/11 (2017.01); G06T 7/50 (2017.01); G06T 7/70 (2017.01)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of extruding a nanoparticle composition onto a substrate, comprising the steps of:
(A) positioning a nanoparticle composition dispenser comprising a capillary tube above the substrate, the capillary tube being oriented such that its outlet points toward the substrate and a first longitudinal axis extending through the capillary tube is tilted at an oblique angle θ relative to a vertical axis;
(B) estimating a position of the capillary tube at zero height above the substrate (zero-height position); and
(C) extruding the nanoparticle composition from the capillary tube onto the substrate while displacing the capillary tube relative to the substrate from a start position to an end position;
wherein the step (B) of estimating the zero-height position comprises the sub-steps of: (B1) positioning the capillary tube above the substrate such that the capillary tube and its reflection from the substrate are visible within a field-of-view of a camera of an imaging system;
(B2) capturing, by the camera, digital images of the capillary tube and its reflection;
(B3) processing the digital images to detect the first longitudinal axis extending through the capillary tube and a second longitudinal axis extending through the reflection;
(B4) calculating a point of intersection of the first longitudinal axis and the second longitudinal axis to estimate the zero-height position;
(B5) obtaining a correlation of digital vertical displacement in the digital images to physical vertical displacement of the capillary tube; and
(B6) positioning the capillary tube at the start position in accordance with the zero-height position and the correlation.