Patents Assigned to Ultra Small Fibers, LLC
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Patent number: 11944926Abstract: Nanofiber filter media ribbons are flexible elongate strips of polymeric material having a surface on which is formed an array of nanofibers. Ribbons are formable into woven or non-woven mats. The array of nanofibers can be configured to filter a predetermined contaminant from a fluid stream passing through the mats. Filter ribbons are formable by applying a moldable polymer to a first angular location of a rotating cylindrical roll having an array of nanoholes formed in a circumferential surface thereof so that the polymer covers the surface of the roll and infiltrates the nanoholes; cooling the polymer while rotating the polymer-covered roll to a second angular position; and removing the cooled polymer from the roll as an elongate film having an array of nanofibers formed on a surface thereof by the polymer that infiltrated the nanoholes.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2022Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: ULTRA SMALL FIBERS, LLCInventors: William H. Hofmeister, Robert A. Van Wyk, Collin Anderson
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Patent number: 11667062Abstract: Solution casting a nanostructure. Preparing a template by ablating nanoholes in a substrate using single-femtosecond laser machining. Replicating the nanoholes by applying a solution of a polymer and a solvent into the template. After the solvent has substantially dissipated, removing the replica from the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 2021Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: ULTRA SMALL FIBERS, LLCInventors: William Hudson Hofmeister, Alexander Yuryevich Terekhov, Jose Lino Vasconcelos da Costa, Kathleen Stacia Lansford, Deepak Rajput, Lloyd M. Davis
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Patent number: 11666841Abstract: Nanofiber filter media ribbons are flexible elongate strips of polymeric material having a surface on which is formed an array of nanofibers. Ribbons are formable into woven or non-woven mats. The array of nanofibers can be configured to filter a predetermined contaminant from a fluid stream passing through the mats. Filter ribbons are formable by applying a moldable polymer to a first angular location of a rotating cylindrical roll having an array of nanoholes formed in a circumferential surface thereof so that the polymer covers the surface of the roll and infiltrates the nanoholes; cooling the polymer while rotating the polymer-covered roll to a second angular position; and removing the cooled polymer from the roll as an elongate film having an array of nanofibers formed on a surface thereof by the polymer that infiltrated the nanoholes.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 2021Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: ULTRA SMALL FIBERS, LLCInventors: William H. Hofmeister, Robert A. Van Wyk, Collin Anderson
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Patent number: 11491259Abstract: A biomimetic tissue scaffold for repairing an elongated tissue in need of repair can comprise a plurality of coiled flexible polymeric ribbons having a surface on which is formed an array of nanofibers, the ribbons forming a tubular body defining a first open end in which a first end of the elongated tissue is receivable, a second open end in which a second end of the elongated tissue is receivable, and a lumen extending between the first and second open ends.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2021Date of Patent: November 8, 2022Assignee: ULTRA SMALL FIBERS, LLCInventors: William H. Hofmeister, Robert A. Van Wyk, Collin D. Anderson
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Patent number: 11491258Abstract: A biomimetic tissue scaffold for repairing an elongated tissue in need of repair can comprise a plurality of coiled flexible polymeric ribbons having a surface on which is formed an array of nanofibers, the ribbons forming a tubular body defining a first open end in which a first end of the elongated tissue is receivable, a second open end in which a second end of the elongated tissue is receivable, and a lumen extending between the first and second open ends.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2021Date of Patent: November 8, 2022Assignee: ULTRA SMALL FIBERS, LLCInventors: William H. Hofmeister, Robert A. Van Wyk, Collin D. Anderson
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Patent number: 11155007Abstract: Solution casting a nanostructure. Preparing a template by ablating nanoholes in a substrate using single-femtosecond laser machining. Replicating the nanoholes by applying a solution of a polymer and a solvent into the template. After the solvent has substantially dissipated, removing the replica from the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2014Date of Patent: October 26, 2021Assignee: ULTRA SMALL FIBERS, LLCInventors: William Hudson Hofmeister, Alexander Yuryevich Terekhov, Jose Lino Vasconcelos da Costa, Kathleen Stacia Lansford, Deepak Rajput, Lloyd M. Davis
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Patent number: 11147900Abstract: A biomimetic tissue scaffold for repairing an elongated tissue in need of repair can comprise a plurality of coiled flexible polymeric ribbons having a surface on which is formed an array of nanofibers, the ribbons forming a tubular body defining a first open end in which a first end of the elongated tissue is receivable, a second open end in which a second end of the elongated tissue is receivable, and a lumen extending between the first and second open ends.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2021Date of Patent: October 19, 2021Assignee: ULTRA SMALL FIBERS, LLCInventors: William H. Hofmeister, Robert A. Van Wyk, Collin D. Anderson
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Patent number: 11014035Abstract: A tunable nanofiber filter device can include a filter housing defining an interior space, the housing having defined therein and inlet and an outlet, each in fluid communication with the interior space, and a plurality of filter laminas disposed within the interior space, each filter lamina including an upper surface, a lower surface, and an aperture defined therethrough. The plurality of filter laminas can be arranged in a stack wherein the opposing surfaces of adjacent filter laminas define a portion of an interlaminar flow space extending between the opposing surfaces. The flow space can be in fluid communication with the apertures of corresponding adjacent filter laminas to form a continuous flow passage extending through the lamina stack from the inlet to the outlet. An array nanofibers can extend into the flow passage from a portion of each filter lamina such that a fluid flowed through the flow passage flows across a portion of said array.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2018Date of Patent: May 25, 2021Assignee: ULTRA SMALL FIBERS, LLCInventors: William Hudson Hofmeister, Robert A. Van Wyk, Keith Allen Holloway
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Patent number: 11014029Abstract: Nanofiber filter media ribbons are flexible elongate strips of polymeric material having a surface on which is formed an array of nanofibers. Ribbons are formable into woven or non-woven mats. The array of nanofibers can be configured to filter a predetermined contaminant from a fluid stream passing through the mats. Filter ribbons are formable by applying a moldable polymer to a first angular location of a rotating cylindrical roll having an array of nanoholes formed in a circumferential surface thereof so that the polymer covers the surface of the roll and infiltrates the nanoholes; cooling the polymer while rotating the polymer-covered roll to a second angular position; and removing the cooled polymer from the roll as an elongate film having an array of nanofibers formed on a surface thereof by the polymer that infiltrated the nanoholes.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2020Date of Patent: May 25, 2021Assignee: ULTRA SMALL FIBERS, LLCInventors: William H. Hofmeister, Robert A. Van Wyk, Collin Anderson
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Patent number: 10941380Abstract: Embodiments of the presently disclosed subject matter provide biomimetic cell culture substrates comprising highly tunable patterned polymer nanofiber matrices capable of modulating expression of critical self-renewal factors and markers of cell-cell interaction to maintain stemness of human mesenchymal stem cells in vitro. Embodiments of the presently-disclosed subject matter also provide scalable, highly repeatable methods of making biomimetic cell culture substrates by hot pressing thermoplastic polymer films into femtosecond laser-ablated nanopore molds to form patterned polymer nanofiber matrices on flat thermoplastic substrates.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2016Date of Patent: March 9, 2021Assignee: Ultra Small Fibers, LLCInventors: William Hudson Hofmeister, Lucas Hofmeister, Alexander Yuryevich Terekhov, Jose Lino Vasconcelos da Costa
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Patent number: 10876095Abstract: A biomimetic lamellar tissue scaffold for tissue regeneration comprises a plurality of lamellae formed of a polymer film and each having a first surface and a second surface. A patterned array of polymer nanofibers protrudes from the first surface of each lamella of the plurality. The lamellae form a plurality of interlamellar spaces between the first and second surfaces of adjacent lamellae. Protuberances formed on the first surface of each lamella maintain the interlamellar spaces. The arrays of polymer nanofibers on the first lamellar surface of each lamella protrude into the interlamellar spaces between adjacent lamellae and are configured to influence the propagation and differentiation of cells populated to or recruited to the scaffold.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2020Date of Patent: December 29, 2020Assignee: ULTRA SMALL FIBERS, LLCInventors: William Hudson Hofmeister, Robert A. Van Wyk, Christopher P. Dougherty, Collin David Anderson
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Patent number: 10758902Abstract: A semipermeable ultrathin polymer membrane comprises a substantially optically transparent polymer film having a surface area to thickness ratio of at least 1,000,000:1, and an array of precisely spatially ordered pores of a user-selected diameter defined therethrough. Such membranes can be fabricated by providing a mold having a patterned array of nanoholes femtosecond laser ablated in a surface thereof; applying a first polymer solution onto the mold surface so that the first polymer solution infiltrates the nanoholes; allowing the first polymer solution to dry and form a replica of the mold having a plurality of freestanding nanoneedles extending from a surface of the replica; removing the replica from the mold; coating the replica surface with a second polymer solution; drying the second polymer solution to form a porous polymer film; and dissolving the replica in a solvent to release the film from the replica as a semipermeable ultrathin polymer membrane.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 2017Date of Patent: September 1, 2020Assignee: Ultra Small Fibers, LLCInventors: William Hudson Hofmeister, Alexander Yuryevich Terekhov, Jose Lino Vasconcelos da Costa
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Patent number: 10695961Abstract: A method for modifying the wettability of a surface of an object can comprise forming on the surface of the object one or more arrays of nanofibers, wherein the one or more arrays of nanofibers includes nanofibers spaced along an X-axis and a Y-axis at the same or different intervals along either axis, the one or more arrays of nanofibers is integral with the object, and the nanofibers all have a base portion that is substantially normal to the surface. The intervals, diameter, and length of the nanofibers of the one or more arrays of nanofibers are selected so that the wettability of the surface for one or more predetermined liquids is increased or decreased relative to the wettability of the surface in the absence of the array of nanofibers.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2019Date of Patent: June 30, 2020Assignee: Ultra Small Fibers, LLCInventor: William Hudson Hofmeister
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Patent number: 10159926Abstract: A tunable nanofiber filter device can include a filter housing defining an interior space, the housing having defined therein and inlet and an outlet, each in fluid communication with the interior space, and a plurality of filter laminas disposed within the interior space, each filter lamina including an upper surface, a lower surface, and an aperture defined therethrough. The plurality of filter laminas can be arranged in a stack wherein the opposing surfaces of adjacent filter laminas define a portion of an interlaminar flow space extending between the opposing surfaces. The flow space can be in fluid communication with the apertures of corresponding adjacent filter laminas to form a continuous flow passage extending through the lamina stack from the inlet to the outlet. An array nanofibers can extend into the flow passage from a portion of each filter lamina such that a fluid flowed through the flow passage flows across a portion of said array.Type: GrantFiled: September 9, 2016Date of Patent: December 25, 2018Assignee: Ultra Small Fibers, LLCInventors: William Hudson Hofmeister, Robert A. Van Wyk, Keith Allen Holloway