Patents Assigned to Ultra Small Fibers, LLC
  • Patent number: 11944926
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: ULTRA SMALL FIBERS, LLC
    Inventors: William H. Hofmeister, Robert A. Van Wyk, Collin Anderson
  • Patent number: 11667062
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: ULTRA SMALL FIBERS, LLC
    Inventors: William Hudson Hofmeister, Alexander Yuryevich Terekhov, Jose Lino Vasconcelos da Costa, Kathleen Stacia Lansford, Deepak Rajput, Lloyd M. Davis
  • Patent number: 11666841
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: ULTRA SMALL FIBERS, LLC
    Inventors: William H. Hofmeister, Robert A. Van Wyk, Collin Anderson
  • Patent number: 11491259
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: ULTRA SMALL FIBERS, LLC
    Inventors: William H. Hofmeister, Robert A. Van Wyk, Collin D. Anderson
  • Patent number: 11491258
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: ULTRA SMALL FIBERS, LLC
    Inventors: William H. Hofmeister, Robert A. Van Wyk, Collin D. Anderson
  • Patent number: 11155007
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: ULTRA SMALL FIBERS, LLC
    Inventors: William Hudson Hofmeister, Alexander Yuryevich Terekhov, Jose Lino Vasconcelos da Costa, Kathleen Stacia Lansford, Deepak Rajput, Lloyd M. Davis
  • Patent number: 11147900
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: ULTRA SMALL FIBERS, LLC
    Inventors: William H. Hofmeister, Robert A. Van Wyk, Collin D. Anderson
  • Patent number: 11014035
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: ULTRA SMALL FIBERS, LLC
    Inventors: William Hudson Hofmeister, Robert A. Van Wyk, Keith Allen Holloway
  • Patent number: 11014029
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: ULTRA SMALL FIBERS, LLC
    Inventors: William H. Hofmeister, Robert A. Van Wyk, Collin Anderson
  • Patent number: 10941380
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Ultra Small Fibers, LLC
    Inventors: William Hudson Hofmeister, Lucas Hofmeister, Alexander Yuryevich Terekhov, Jose Lino Vasconcelos da Costa
  • Patent number: 10876095
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: ULTRA SMALL FIBERS, LLC
    Inventors: William Hudson Hofmeister, Robert A. Van Wyk, Christopher P. Dougherty, Collin David Anderson
  • Patent number: 10758902
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: Ultra Small Fibers, LLC
    Inventors: William Hudson Hofmeister, Alexander Yuryevich Terekhov, Jose Lino Vasconcelos da Costa
  • Patent number: 10695961
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Ultra Small Fibers, LLC
    Inventor: William Hudson Hofmeister
  • Patent number: 10159926
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Ultra Small Fibers, LLC
    Inventors: William Hudson Hofmeister, Robert A. Van Wyk, Keith Allen Holloway