US5624674A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Porous product mold form
Assignee: SM TECHNOLOGIES LLC
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Filing: 1995-06-07
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Granted: 1997-04-29
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Expires: 2015-06-07
Abstract
Abstract The present invention is directed to apparatus and methods for forming open-cell porous mold forms to mold porous devices having substantially continuously interconnected pores. The mold form is made from selected material comprising particles having predetermined sizes and shapes which is capable of forming a stable mold form under selected conditions. The particles are treated such that the particles are manipulable into a mass of continuously interconnected particles defining continuously interconnected pores and connecting interstices within the mass. The formed mass is made into a predetermined shape and solidified to form a mold form.
Inventors
- 👤 William J. Seare, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 15:44
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61L; A61L27/00; A61L27/50; A61L27/58; A61L27/02; A61L27/08; A61L27/56; C; C08; C08J; C08J9/00; C08J9/26; C08J9/36; C08J9/40; C08J9/405; A61F; A61F2310/00; A61F2310/00005; A61F2310/00161
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
167 words
A method of forming a selectively removable open-cell porous mold form comprising the steps of: (a) obtaining particles having sizes in the range of about 25-600 microns, said particles comprising a material capable of self-adhering when exposed to a first selected condition, solidifying when exposed to a second selected condition, and desolidifying when exposed to a third selected condition; (b) exposing said particles to a first selected condition such that the particles adhere into a mass of continuously interconnected particles defining continuously interconnected pores, said pores being each connected to at least one adjacent pore by pore interconnections and said pores and pore interconnections having a substantially smoothly flowing configuration; (c) forming said mass of continuously interconnected particles into a predetermined shape; and (d) exposing said formed and shaped mass to a second selected condition to solidify said mass into a selectively removable mold form for use in preparing devices having a porous portion corresponding to said continuously interconnected and substantially smoothly flowing pores and pore interconnections.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
167 words
A method of forming a selectively removable open-cell porous mold form comprising the steps of: (a) obtaining particles having sizes in the range of about 25-600 microns, said particles comprising a material capable of self-adhering when exposed to a first selected condition, solidifying when exposed to a second selected condition, and desolidifying when exposed to a third selected condition; (b) exposing said particles to a first selected condition such that the particles adhere into a mass of continuously interconnected particles defining continuously interconnected pores, said pores being each connected to at least one adjacent pore by pore interconnections and said pores and pore interconnections having a substantially smoothly flowing configuration; (c) forming said mass of continuously interconnected particles into a predetermined shape; and (d) exposing said formed and shaped mass to a second selected condition to solidify said mass into a selectively removable mold form for use in preparing devices having a porous portion corresponding to said continuously interconnected and substantially smoothly flowing pores and pore interconnections.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the particles obtained in step (a) comprise a material selected from the group consisting of polymers, ceramics, metals, biological derivatives and combinations thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the particles obtained in step (a) comprise a porous material.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) comprises the selected condition of adding a liquid to a solid phase of said particles to thereby affect the binding between the particles.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 4 wherein said solid phase is dissolvable in said liquid such that partial dissolution of said solid phase is achieved.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 5 wherein the liquid comprises water and the solid phase comprises sugar.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 5 wherein the liquid comprises saturated sugar solution and the solid phase comprises sugar.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 4 wherein step (d) comprises the second selected condition of removing the liquid.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the particles obtained in step (a) are crystals and step (d) comprises the second selected condition of effecting crystallization of said particles.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) comprises the selected condition of heating a solid phase of said particles to thereby affect the binding between the particles.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 10 wherein step (d) comprises the second selected condition of cooling of said particles.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the particles are coated with a selected material, said coating material being capable of self-adhering when exposed to a first selected condition and capable of solidifying when exposed to a second selected condition.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 12 wherein the particles are coated with sugar.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 12 wherein the particles are coated with a polymerizable material.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 14 wherein step (d) comprises the second selected condition of effecting polymerization of said coating.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 1 comprising the further step of mixing fibers into the particles obtained in step (a) such that portions of fibers extend into the pores and pore interconnections of the solidified mold form.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 16 wherein the fibers comprise fiberglass or carbon graphite fibers.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 2 wherein the particles comprise a thermoplastic polymer.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 18 whereto the thermoplastic polymer is selected from the group consisting of waxes, paraffins, polyethylenes, nylons, polycarbonates, and polystyrenes.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the particles comprise a pharmaceutical composition.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
12 words
An open-cell porous mold form made by the method of claim 1.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-04-28 | 2000-10-28 | 2001-04-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-04-28 | 2004-10-28 | 2005-04-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-04-28 | 2008-10-28 | 2009-04-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |