Electrospun filaments - A method for making continuous electrospun yarns
Mouthuy PA.
A method for producing a continuous filament from electrospun fibres uses a conducting collection surface that is an elongate, three-dimensional surface, such as a moving wire (2). An attractive electric field gradient is formed between the collection surface of the wire (2) and a source (16) of electrically charged fibres (14). The collection surface of the wire (2) is moving in a longitudinal direction relative to the source (16) of electrically charged fibres. The fibres are collected on the surface of the wire (2) so as to form a continuous filament (24). The filaments (24) can then be stretched and assembled into multifilament yarns which imitate the hierarchical structure of tissues such as tendons and ligaments.