Patents by Inventor Alvin Thong Lip Tan

Alvin Thong Lip Tan has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11597144
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods for building colloidal solids by precipitation from a liquid bridge using a needle through which a colloidal particle suspension is dispensed onto a substrate in a temperature-controlled environment. The substrate can rest on a motion-controlled stage, and freeform shapes can be built by coordinating the motion of the stage with the rate of dispense of colloidal particle suspension. Aspects include a scaling law that governs the rate of assembly and a direct-write colloidal assembly process that combines self-assembly with direct-write 3D printing, and can be used to build exemplary freestanding structures using a diverse materials, such as polystyrene, silica and gold particles. Additionally, disclosed are methods for predicting and eliminating cracking by a geometric relationship between particle size and structure dimensions, enabling the production of macroscale, crack-free colloidal crystals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Anastasios John Hart, Justin Douglas Beroz, Alvin Thong Lip Tan
  • Publication number: 20190232557
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods for building colloidal solids by precipitation from a liquid bridge using a needle through which a colloidal particle suspension is dispensed onto a substrate in a temperature-controlled environment. The substrate can rest on a motion-controlled stage, and freeform shapes can be built by coordinating the motion of the stage with the rate of dispense of colloidal particle suspension. Aspects include a scaling law that governs the rate of assembly and a direct-write colloidal assembly process that combines self-assembly with direct-write 3D printing, and can be used to build exemplary freestanding structures using a diverse materials, such as polystyrene, silica and gold particles. Additionally, disclosed are methods for predicting and eliminating cracking by a geometric relationship between particle size and structure dimensions, enabling the production of macroscale, crack-free colloidal crystals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Inventors: Anastasios John Hart, Justin Douglas Beroz, Alvin Thong Lip Tan