Electrospinning or electrospraying composite fibres or vesicles

• Main Authors: WILLIAM IAN FRASER DAVID, DEREK WILLIAM KENNETH JENKINS, MARTIN OWEN-JONES, STEPHEN BENNINGTON, ARTHUR LOVELL, ZEYNEP KURBAN
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 08.02.2012
• Subjects: APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS, ORSURGICAL ARTICLES; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION, OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS, OR SURGICALARTICLES; MECHANICAL METHODS OR APPARATUS IN THE MANUFACTURE OFARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES ORRIBBONS; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS INGENERAL; NATURAL OR ARTIFICIAL THREADS OR FIBRES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PROCESSES FOR APPLYING LIQUIDS OR OTHER FLUENT MATERIALS TOSURFACES, IN GENERAL; SPINNING; SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; TEXTILES; TRANSPORTING

Composite fibres are produced by co-electro-spinning core and shell / sheath liquids. Vesicles are produced by co-electro-spraying core and shell liquids. The core has higher electrical conductivity than the outer layer which surrounds it in a jet issuing from a Taylor cone. Porous or non-porous outer layers can be formed by using miscible or immiscible liquids. Hollow fibres can be produced by removing the core. Preferably the core comprises a pharmaceutical drug or a hydride, especially ammonia borane or an amide-hydride compound, a borohydride or a amido-borane of magnesium, lithium, sodium, aluminium, potassium, beryllium or calcium. Preferably the shell comprises a polymer, especially polystyrene, polysulphone, polyvinyl acetate (PVAc), polyimide, polybenzinmidazole, polystyrene butadiene, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVdF). The materials can be used to store hydrogen, as a wound dressing or tissue scaffolding.