The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 16, 2018
Filed:
Mar. 16, 2016
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Amanda C. Engler, Woodbury, MN (US);
Wei Han, San Jose, CA (US);
Hareem T. Maune, San Jose, CA (US);
Alshakim Nelson, Montlake, WA (US);
Ankit Vora, San Jose, CA (US);
Rudy J. Wojtecki, San Jose, CA (US);
Mu San Zhang, San Jose, CA (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A thermo-responsive shear-thinning photo-curable composition comprises water, a linear amphiphilic polyether ABA triblock copolymer comprising at least one pendent ene group (*—CH═CH) capable of undergoing a thiol-ene reaction, a water-soluble crosslinking agent comprising two or more methylenethiol groups (*—CHSH), and a photoinitiator. Under non-shear conditions and a triblock copolymer concentration suitable for direct-write printing, the composition is a viscoelastic solid (hydrogel) at a temperature of about 15° C. to about 45° C., and is a free-flowing liquid (sol) between 0° C. and about 10° C. The hydrogel form can be shear-thinned at about 15° C. to about 45° C. to form a sol suitable for a direct-write printer using an extruding print-head. The compositions covalently crosslink when flood-exposed to ultraviolet radiation. The compositions have utility in forming three-dimensional scaffolds for growing living cells.