Device and method for coating surfaces

Inventors

Wang, Xi • Junger, Michael Carl • KANDASAMY, Sasikaran • Harris, Neil • Flaim, Christopher

Assignees

Vaxxas Pty Ltd

Abstract

The present invention relates to devices and methods for coating surfaces including surfaces of medical devices, in particular the coating of microprojections on microprojection arrays. The present invention also relates to print head devices and their manufacture and to methods of using the print head devices for manufacturing articles such as microprojection arrays as well as to coating the surfaces of microprojection arrays. The present invention also relates to high throughput printing devices that utilize the print heads of the present invention.

Core Innovation

The invention provides a device for coating a substrate in which a biological fluid is dispensed from a pumping chamber plate through a nozzle plate attached to the pumping chamber plate, where the nozzle plate contains nozzle holes arranged in a two dimensional array. The nozzle plate is from 200 to 500 microns thick, and the nozzle holes are 60 to 200 microns in diameter. The nozzle plate also comprises venting holes connected to one or more air venting facilities of the pumping chamber plate.

A membrane plate is positioned with respect to a piezoelectric actuator so that, in operation, the piezoelectric actuator pushes against the membrane plate to dispense the biological fluid in 100 to 500 picoliter drops. The system is configured to dispense very small drops from the two dimensional nozzle array.

The device controls dispensing of the biological fluid via structural relationships between nozzle holes and venting holes, including venting holes connected to the one or more air venting facilities. In additional configurations, the biological fluid is a vaccine antigen formulation, and the device is used to coat substrates such as microprojection arrays. The nozzle plate and pumping chamber plate are configured to provide a controlled coating process using the piezoelectric actuation and the venting architecture.

Claims Coverage

The partial content provides one independent claim. The claim covers the core coating device architecture using an air-vented pumping chamber plate, an attached nozzle plate with a two dimensional array of nozzle holes and connected venting holes, a membrane plate, and a piezoelectric actuator that dispenses the biological fluid in defined picoliter drop volumes; additional dependent claim refinements add further structural and quantitative features.

Across the independent claim, the main inventive features are the combination of an air-vented pumping chamber plate with a nozzle plate that includes venting holes connected to the air venting facilities, a two dimensional array nozzle plate with specified thickness and nozzle hole dimensions, and a membrane plate driven by a piezoelectric actuator to dispense 100 to 500 picoliter drops; dependent refinements specify configurations such as a vaccine antigen formulation.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications

No documented applications found