MICROSTRUCTURE SYNTHESIS BY FLOW LITHOGRAPHY AND POLYMERIZATION
In a method for synthesizing polymeric microstructures, a monomer stream is flowed, at a selected flow rate, through a fluidic channel. At least one shaped pulse of illumination is projected to the monomer stream, defining in the monomer stream a shape of at least one microstructure corresponding to the illumination pulse shape while polymerizing that microstructure shape in the monomer stream by the illumination pulse. An article of manufacture includes a non-spheroidal polymeric microstructure that has a plurality of distinct material regions.
1 . A non-spheroidal polymeric microstructure having a plurality of distinct material regions.
2 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 1 provided in a population of monodisperse non-spheroidal polymeric microstructures.
3 . A planar polymeric microstructure having a plurality of distinct material regions.
4 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the polymeric microstructure is characterized by an anisotropic material composition.
5 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein at least two of the distinct regions are of a distinct polymeric composition.
6 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein at least one of the distinct regions includes a porogen.
7 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein at least one of the distinct regions includes a covalently bonded moiety.
8 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein at least one of the distinct regions is hydrophobic and at least one of the distinct regions is hydrophilic.
9 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 further comprising three-dimensional features.
10 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 further comprising two-dimensional extruded features.
11 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 further comprising at least one straight edge.
12 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 11 further comprising a plurality of straight edges.
13 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 further comprising at least one rounded feature.
14 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure is hollow.
15 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure is cylindrical.
16 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure is non-continuous across a plane of the microstructure.
17 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 16 wherein apertures in the microstructure result in the non-continuity of the microstructure.
18 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 17 wherein at least one aperture is straight-edged.
19 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 17 wherein at least one aperture is rounded.
20 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure is characterized by a sensitivity to temperature.
21 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure is characterized by a sensitivity to pH.
22 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure is characterized by a sensitivity to illumination.
23 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure is characterized by a responsiveness to at least one antigen.
24 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure is biodegradable.
25 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure includes biological material.
26 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 25 wherein the biological material comprises DNA.
27 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 25 wherein the biological material comprises RNA.
28 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 25 wherein the biological material comprises a polypeptide.
29 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 25 wherein the biological material comprises an enzyme.
30 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 25 wherein the biological material comprises an antibody.
31 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 25 wherein the biological material comprises at least a portion of a cell.
32 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 25 wherein the biological material comprises mitochondria.
33 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure includes a fluorophore.
34 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure includes a chromophore.
35 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure includes a porogen.
36 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure includes particles.
37 . The polymeric microstructure of 3 wherein the microstructure includes quantum dots.
38 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure includes carbon nanotubes.
39 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure includes emulsified liquid droplets.
40 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure includes gas bubbles.
41 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure includes electrically conducting particles.
42 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure includes magnetizable particles.
43 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure includes three-dimensional structures.
44 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure includes liquid crystals.
45 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 wherein the microstructure comprises a microstructure chain in which microstructures are linked to the chain by an overlapping polymerized region.
46 . The polymeric microstructure of claim 3 provided in a population of monodisperse polymeric microstructures.