IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,383,652
Granted Patent B2
US 12,383,652 · App. 17/413,147 · Granted Aug 12, 2025

Nanofiber structures and methods of manufacture and use thereof

Inventors: Jingwei Xie (Omaha, NE); Shixuan Chen (Omaha, NE)
Assignee: BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA
A61L27/18A61P19/00C12N5/0656D01D5/0007A61L2430/02B82Y40/00C12N2513/00C12N2533/30C12N2535/00D10B2331/041
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,383,652
App. No.
17/413,147
Granted
Aug 12, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Nanofiber structures are provided as well as methods of use thereof and methods of making.

Claims (55)

1. An expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure,

wherein said expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure is an expanded nanofiber or microfiber mat having only one fixed side or a portion thereof.

2. The expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure of claim 1 , wherein said nanofiber or microfiber mat comprises electrospun fibers.

3. The expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure of claim 1 , wherein said nanofiber or microfiber mat comprises a plurality of uniaxially-aligned nanofibers or microfibers, random nanofibers or microfibers, and/or entangled nanofibers or microfibers.

4. The expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure of claim 1 , wherein said nanofiber or microfiber mat comprises polycaprolactone (PCL).

5. The expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure of claim 1 , wherein said nanofiber or microfiber mat comprises a poloxamer.

6. The expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure of claim 5 , wherein said poloxamer is poloxamer 407.

7. The expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure of claim 1 , wherein said fixed side or a portion thereof is thermally fixed.

8. The expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure of claim 1 , wherein said fixed side or a portion thereof is chemically fixed.

9. The expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure of claim 1 , wherein an entire side of said nanofiber or microfiber mat is fixed.

10. The expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure of claim 1 , wherein said expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure is a cylinder, sphere, tube, or hollow sphere.

11. The expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure of claim 1 , wherein said expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure comprises an active agent.

12. The expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure of claim 11 , wherein said active agent is selected from the group consisting of a therapeutic agent, a growth factor, a signaling molecule, a cytokine, a hemostatic agent, an antimicrobial, and an antibiotic.

13. The expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure of claim 1 , wherein said expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure comprises holes or wells.

14. The expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure of claim 1 , wherein said expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure is crosslinked.

15. The expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure of claim 1 , wherein said expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure further comprises a material selected from the group consisting of gelatin, chitosan, starch, pectin, cellulose, methylcellulose, sodium polyacrylate, and starch-acrylonitrile co-polymers.

16. The expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure of claim 1 , wherein at least one side of the expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure is blocked with a nanofiber mat or membrane.

17. The expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure of claim 1 , wherein said nanofiber or microfiber mat is expanded by exposing the nanofiber or microfiber mat to gas bubbles.

18. The expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure of claim 1 , wherein said nanofiber or microfiber mat has only one melted side or a portion thereof.

19. The expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure of claim 1 , wherein said nanofiber or microfiber mat has only one melted side.

20. The expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure of claim 1 , wherein said nanofiber or microfiber mat has only one chemically crosslinked side or a portion thereof.

21. The expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure of claim 1 , wherein said nanofiber or microfiber mat has only one chemically crosslinked side.

22. The expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure of claim 1 , wherein said nanofiber or microfiber mat has only one fixed side.

23. An expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure,

wherein said expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure is an expanded nanofiber or microfiber mat having only one melted side,

wherein said expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure is a cylinder.

24. A method for producing the expanded nanofiber or microfiber structure of claim 1 , said method comprising:

a) fixing only one side or a portion thereof of a nanofiber or microfiber mat, and

b) expanding the nanofiber or microfiber mat after step a) by exposing the nanofiber or microfiber mat to gas bubbles,

thereby producing said nanofiber or microfiber structure.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein step b) comprises exposing the nanofiber or microfiber mat to a subcritical fluid and depressurizing.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein said subcritical fluid comprises CO 2 , N 2 , N 2 O, hydrocarbons, or fluorocarbons.

27. The method of claim 25 , wherein said subcritical fluid is subcritical CO 2 .

28. The method of claim 25 , wherein said exposure comprises immersing said nanofiber or microfiber mat in said subcritical fluid.

29. The method of claim 24 , wherein said nanofiber or microfiber mat comprises electrospun fibers.

30. The method of claim 24 , wherein said nanofiber or microfiber mat comprises a plurality of uniaxially-aligned nanofibers or microfibers, random nanofibers or microfibers, and/or entangled nanofibers or microfibers.

31. The method of claim 24 , further comprising synthesizing said nanofiber or microfiber mat by electrospinning prior to step a).

32. The method of claim 24 , further comprising cutting said nanofiber or microfiber mat prior to step a).

33. The method of claim 24 , wherein said nanofiber or microfiber mat comprises polycaprolactone (PCL).

34. The method of claim 24 , wherein said nanofiber or microfiber mat comprises a poloxamer.

35. The method of claim 34 , wherein said poloxamer is poloxamer 407.

36. The method of claim 24 , wherein step a) comprises thermally fixing only one side or a portion thereof of said nanofiber or microfiber mat.

37. The method of claim 24 , wherein step a) comprises chemically fixing only one side or a portion thereof of said nanofiber or microfiber mat.

38. The method of claim 24 , wherein step a) comprises fixing an entire side of said nanofiber or microfiber mat.

39. The method of claim 24 , wherein said nanofiber or microfiber structure is a cylinder, sphere, tube, or hollow sphere.

40. The method of claim 24 , wherein said nanofiber or microfiber structure comprises an active agent.

41. The method of claim 40 , wherein said active agent is selected from the group consisting of a therapeutic agent, a growth factor, a signaling molecule, a cytokine, a hemostatic agent, an antimicrobial, and an antibiotic.

42. The method of claim 24 , wherein said nanofiber or microfiber structure comprises holes or wells.

43. The method of claim 24 , further comprising crosslinking the nanofiber or microfiber structure.

44. The method of claim 24 , wherein said nanofiber or microfiber structure further comprise a material selected from the group consisting of gelatin, chitosan, starch, pectin, cellulose, methylcellulose, sodium polyacrylate, and starch-acrylonitrile co-polymers.

45. The method of claim 24 , further comprising blocking at least one side of the nanofiber or microfiber structure with a nanofiber mat or membrane.

46. A method for producing the nanofiber or microfiber structure of claim 1 , said method comprising:

a) thermally fixing only one side or a portion thereof of a nanofiber or microfiber mat, wherein said nanofiber or microfiber mat comprises polycaprolactone (PCL) and a poloxamer, wherein said nanofiber or microfiber mat comprises electrospun fibers, and

b) expanding the nanofiber or microfiber mat after step a) by exposing the nanofiber or microfiber mat to subcritical fluid CO 2 and depressurizing,

thereby producing said nanofiber or microfiber structure.

Assignments (2)
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE Recorded Dec 6, 2023
From: UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER
To: NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH), U.S. DEPT. OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (DHHS), U.S. GOVERNMENT
Reel/Frame 065790/0756 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 15, 2021
From: XIE, JINGWEI; CHEN, SHIXUAN
To: BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA
Reel/Frame 056592/0566 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62779564 · Dec 14, 2018
Related Publication 20220023496A1 · Jan 27, 2022
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