WO2005020392A2 - Method and device for non-destructive analysis of perforations in a material - Google Patents
Method and device for non-destructive analysis of perforations in a material Download PDFInfo
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- WO2005020392A2 WO2005020392A2 PCT/US2003/025455 US0325455W WO2005020392A2 WO 2005020392 A2 WO2005020392 A2 WO 2005020392A2 US 0325455 W US0325455 W US 0325455W WO 2005020392 A2 WO2005020392 A2 WO 2005020392A2
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- Prior art keywords
- light
- pores
- pore
- sheet
- laser
- Prior art date
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Classifications
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
- G01N21/84—Systems specially adapted for particular applications
- G01N21/88—Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination
- G01N21/89—Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination in moving material, e.g. running paper or textiles
- G01N21/892—Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination in moving material, e.g. running paper or textiles characterised by the flaw, defect or object feature examined
- G01N21/894—Pinholes
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- B23K26/00—Working by laser beam, e.g. welding, cutting or boring
- B23K26/02—Positioning or observing the workpiece, e.g. with respect to the point of impact; Aligning, aiming or focusing the laser beam
- B23K26/03—Observing, e.g. monitoring, the workpiece
- B23K26/032—Observing, e.g. monitoring, the workpiece using optical means
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- B23K26/00—Working by laser beam, e.g. welding, cutting or boring
- B23K26/08—Devices involving relative movement between laser beam and workpiece
- B23K26/083—Devices involving movement of the workpiece in at least one axial direction
- B23K26/0838—Devices involving movement of the workpiece in at least one axial direction by using an endless conveyor belt
- B23K26/0846—Devices involving movement of the workpiece in at least one axial direction by using an endless conveyor belt for moving elongated workpieces longitudinally, e.g. wire or strip material
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- B23K26/00—Working by laser beam, e.g. welding, cutting or boring
- B23K26/12—Working by laser beam, e.g. welding, cutting or boring in a special atmosphere, e.g. in an enclosure
- B23K26/127—Working by laser beam, e.g. welding, cutting or boring in a special atmosphere, e.g. in an enclosure in an enclosure
- B23K26/128—Laser beam path enclosures
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B23—MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B23K—SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- B23K26/00—Working by laser beam, e.g. welding, cutting or boring
- B23K26/36—Removing material
- B23K26/38—Removing material by boring or cutting
- B23K26/382—Removing material by boring or cutting by boring
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
- G01N21/84—Systems specially adapted for particular applications
- G01N21/88—Investigating the presence of flaws or contamination
- G01N21/8851—Scan or image signal processing specially adapted therefor, e.g. for scan signal adjustment, for detecting different kinds of defects, for compensating for structures, markings, edges
Definitions
- the invention relates generally to methods of non-destructive analysis. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and device for quickly and non-destructively analyzing an array of small holes precisely placed in a material such as a thin film.
- aerosolized particles for respiratory delivery must have a diameter of 12 microns or less.
- the preferred particle size varies with the site targeted (e.g., delivery targeted to the bronchi, bronchia, bronchioles, alveoli, or circulatory system).
- topical lung treatment can be accomplished with particles having a diameter in the range of 1.0 to 12.0 microns.
- Effective systemic treatment requires particles having a smaller diameter, generally in the range of 0.5 to 6.0 microns, while effective ocular treatment is adequate with particles having a diameter of 15 microns or greater, generally in the range of 15-100 microns.
- U.S. Patent Nos. 5,544,646, 5,709,202, 5,497,763, 5,544,646, 5,718,222, 5,660,166, 5,823,178 and 5,829,435 describe devices and methods useful in the generation of aerosols suitable for drug delivery. These devices generate fine, uniform aerosols by passing a formulation through a nozzle array having micron-scale pores as may be formed, for example, by LASER ablation. [0006] Pore arrays having such small features are difficult and costly to manufacture.
- Thin films having small holes therein are inspected or non-destructively analyzed by (1) shining a light through the pores of the sheet (2) detecting light which has passed through the pores and (3) analyzing the detected light in a manner which makes it possible to quickly determine whether the sheet should "pass" inspection based on criteria such as pore size and pore density.
- the device used in the inspection must include (1) a light source (2) a light detector and (3) a means for analyzing the detected light.
- Other components may be and generally are present such- as light filters and lens for improving the overall accuracy of the system and a means for moving sheets into and out of position to improve the overall efficiency of the system.
- the inspection system of the invention can carry out non-destructive inspection for the presence of microscopic pores within a thin film and determine the characteristics of the pore array including the pore size and shape, pore density and overall acceptability of the pore array.
- the system includes the ability to detect the light transmitted through the holes within the sheet and utilize the detected light information to develop a relationship between the level of light and the existence, location, size and shape of the hole, i.e., light levels detected from each hole-feature can be related to the individual size or shape of the hole. Further, the light levels from an entire array of pores within a sheet can be related to the collective average size and/or shapes of the holes.
- an alarm can be triggered at a given threshold level indicating that the pore array being tested does not have an adequate number of holes having the desired size and/or shape.
- Such an evaluation is preferably made on an overall reading of the pore array. More specifically, light is shown on the pore array and allowed to move through the holes to a detector. If the detector does not detect a desired quantity of light, either an insufficient number of holes has been formed or the holes are of insufficient size or shape or some combination thereof. Further, if too much light is detected, either the holes are too large, have an undesired shape, or there are too many holes present in the sheet. Falling above or below the detected amount of light triggers an alarm which causes the pore array being inspected to be rejected.
- the system is capable of being used in connection with a variety of different pore arrays.
- the pores can have different sizes or shapes and can be present on the sheet in a variety of different patterns and pore densities. These different sheets with different patterns and pore sizes can be detected using the same charge-coupled light detector element and processed using the same microprocessor unit. If necessary the system can utilize a variety of different components including mirrors, rhomboids, wedges, or combinations thereof in order to obtain the desired results with a given pore array of the same basic components of the inspection system.
- the inspection system of the invention can be used to check all of the pore arrays produced by a given production system or used to spot-check a certain percentage amount of those pore arrays. Further, the system can be integrated into a production system so that sheets are inspected at a given point before being used in an assembly process to produce a component which includes a pore array. When utilized in this manner the pore array need not be removed from the system for inspection purposes. Light transmitted through the pores of the sheet can be detected and used as a trigger to accept or reject the pore array for further use in the manufacturing process.
- the inspection system of the invention may be a part of or used with a fabrication system for forming the holes that constitute pore arrays.
- the fabrication system includes an energy source and an energy transporter for directing the energy from the energy source to one or more locations on the sheet to be drilled.
- the energy source such as a focused LASER light, is used to create the pores in the sheet.
- the pores may be formed successively (one pore at a time) or simultaneously (multiple pores at once) or any combination thereof, i.e., fabricating a pore array by sequentially fabricating subsets of the array that consist of multiple holes.
- the same light which is used to form the pores may also be used to carry out the inspection, as discussed above, in real time.
- the LASER As the LASER drills through the sheet, light from the LASER (or possibly another source) begins to impact the detector. More specifically, the LASER light used in order to create the holes can be detected by the detector and used to determine if the holes have been made, made in sufficient size, made with the correct shape, whether the pore density is sufficient, or any other property of the pore array. The light may be transmitted through one hole at a time, multiple holes in aggregate, or multiple holes individually.
- the present invention may further include an energy feedback or control mechanism for controlling the amount or intensity of energy being delivered to the sheet and/or for controlling the direction or angle at which the energy is being delivered to the pore array.
- the feedback control mechanism utilizes the output of the detector to determine whether some property of the light detected has reached a threshold level, e.g. a minimum or maximum energy level indicative of the size, shape or number of holes that have been formed within the sheet. For example, if the LASER light used in making the holes in the sheet is detected, the detection of a certain amount, e.g., a. threshold level, of light can signal that the holes are sufficiently large or have reached the desired pore size thereby signaling that the LASER light should be discontinued in order to prevent the hole from being made too large.
- a threshold level e.g. a minimum or maximum energy level indicative of the size, shape or number of holes that have been formed within the sheet.
- the intensity, amount, pulse frequency, pulse duration, polarization, wavelength, or any other characteristic of the light may be modified based on measured parameters of the light transmitted through a hole or multiple holes.
- the LASER light may be modified to produce a different set of holes than the ones that are transmitting the power to be analyzed, e.g., the power to an array of holes may be modified based on the light transmitted through a sub-set of the holes. In this manner it is possible to repeatedly and accurately produce pores of a very small size in a sheet.
- the detection/inspection components of the invention are integrated with the controlled LASER.
- the analysis and manufacture are truly carried out simultaneously and carried out in a manner which hey complement each other.
- the method preferably can be carried out to simultaneously drill and analyze two, three or a plurality of holes at the same time.
- the present invention rapidly inspects samples for holes or through features as small as the micron and sub-micron level.
- This method can be used to inspect previously manufactured samples, or can be integrated into the manufacturing process in order to allow for concurrent production and inspection of samples containing such features.
- an imaging lens is used to reduce the size of the image which must be inspected, allowing for more rapid inspection and requiring a smaller CCD detector and shorter analysis time of the smaller image.
- An aspect of the invention is a method of analyzing a pore array which involves directing light onto a pore array, detecting light passing through pores of the sheet and then analyzing the detected light in a manner which determines if the pores of the sheet meet desired criteria.
- Another aspect of the invention is a method of analyzing a pore array by directing light onto the pore array, detecting light reflecting off of the sheet and analyzing the reflected light in a manner such that the analysis determines if pores of the sheet meet a desired criteria.
- Another aspect of the invention is an analysis system which includes a means for directing light onto a pore array, a means for detecting light which is reflected off of and/or light which passes through pores of the sheet and a means for analyzing either the reflected light and/or the light passing through pores of the sheet so as to determine if pores of the sheet meet a desired criteria.
- a preferred aspect of the invention includes a means for moving one pore array after another into position for analysis or moving the system relative to the sheets in order to continuously analyze one sheet after another.
- a means for moving one pore array after another into position for analysis or moving the system relative to the sheets in order to continuously analyze one sheet after another comprises a film, e.g., a polyimide film containing LASER-ablated pores which has been inspected to determine the number and size of the pores.
- the light source employed produces ultraviolet light which is selectively transmitted through the features in the inspected sample.
- the light used to fabricated the pore or pores is detected, and some parameter or parameters of the light are modified based on some parameter or parameters that are detected.
- a method of producing an aerosolization container comprising an aerosolization nozzle passing the inspection method is provided.
- a method of producing an aerosolization device comprising such a container is also provided.
- An advantage of the invention is that pore arrays can be quickly, accurately and efficiently inspected.
- Another advantage of the invention is that the fabricated pore sizes and shapes can be very tightly controlled, and smaller features can be achieved, leading to a better performing final product.
- a feature of the invention is that different types of light sources can be used and different types of filters can be used and positioned differently relative to the sheet being inspected.
- Figure 2 shows optical images from samples which pass inspection following the inspection method of the present invention.
- porosity is used herein to mean a percentage of an area of a surface area that is composed of open space, e.g., a pore, hole, channel or other opening, in a sheet, nozzle, filter or other material.
- the percent porosity is thus defined as the total area of open space divided by the area of the material, expressed as a percentage (multiplied by 100).
- High porosity e.g., a porosity greater than about 50%
- the pore array subsequently has liquid passed though it, e.g., aerosolization nozzles, fuel injectors, or filters
- the porosity of the pore array is less than about 10%), and can vary from about 10 "5 % to about 10%.
- Pore arrays of the invention may have any porosity without limitation.
- a pore array may have any number of pores (including one), any pore density, any pore shape, or any pore size.
- a sheet may have a single pore which can range considerably in size or have thousands of pores each of which could be the same or different in size and range considerably in size.
- the area of the material is not well defined, i.e., the pores may exist only in a small fraction of the sheet. In this case, the porosity will be taken to mean the porosity in the area defined by the existence of pores, and not of the total area of the sheet.
- the term "sheet” as used herein will include any material wherein the present process is used to inspect or create a pore or plurality of pores.
- the sheet is presented as a section of a web of polymeric material or laminates of polymeric and/or other materials, such as metals.
- the sheet material may be hydrophobic and may include materials such as polycarbonates, polyimides, polye hers, polyetherimides, polyethylene and polyesters and the like. Other useful materials include non-polymeric, relatively rigid materials, such as metals, glasses or ceramics.
- the sheet may have the pores formed therein by any suitable method including LASER drilling or anisotropic etching through a thin film of metal or other suitable material.
- the sheet When used as a nozzle, e.g., for aerosol drug delivery, the sheet preferably has sufficient structural integrity so that it is maintained intact (will not rupture) when subjected to force in the amount up to about 40 bar, preferably of up to about 50 bar while the formulation is forced through the pores.
- the sheet is presented as a section of a web of polymeric material or laminates of polymeric and/or other materials, such as metals.
- the sheet is in general not limited to planar geometries. It would be obvious to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be applied to many geometries, metal parts used in fuel injection systems, or numerous other applications
- Figure 1 is a view of a schematic representation of the inspection system of the invention.
- the light source 1 is chosen based on a variety of criteria relating to factors such as how the wavelength of light emitted by the source will be effected by the material of the sheet 10 being inspected.
- Light from the source 1 may shine directly on the sheet 10 but is preferably directed through a light guide 2, e.g., optical fiber or optical fibers.
- Light emitted from the light guide 2 may shine directly on the sheet 10 but is preferably directed through all or any of an optical diffuser 3, illuminated lens 4 and one or more spectral filters 5.
- arc lamps are preferred and are characteristically small sources of light which enable more efficient focusing and collimation of the light. This makes it possible to transmit light into a light guide and also makes it possible to obtain relatively good collimation of the light emitted from the light guide. Collimated light on the inspection sample insures that the illuminated incident light is at the same angle for each hole in the film. If light were shown on the film at an angle this could provide distorted signals in that some signals entering the holes in the film at the beginning might not exit even though the hole was completely through the film. This would create an error which error would be enhanced as the film became thicker and/or the angle of the light increased. Other sources of light may clearly be used, so long as they are of a wavelength that can be transmitted through the desired pore, but are substantially blocked by the sheet.
- the diffuser contributes to the uniformity of the beam on exiting the fiber.
- the diffuser consists of glass with gentle ripples on the surface on each side. Although the diffuser is not necessary some improvements in the accuracy of readings obtained could be expected by the use of a diffuser.
- a particularly preferred diffuser is the Coherent-Ealing glass diffuser.
- the UG-11 essentially blocks a visible portion and the KG-3 blocks the infrared portion resulting in UV being transmitted through the filtered combination.
- These transmission filters or a more suitable spectrally selected mirror could be an integral part of the illumination source precluding the need for external filters.
- filters or combinations of filters can be used in order to block light that might be transmitted through the sheet even though a pore is not present. Accordingly, such a filter or group of filters could be placed at any desired position between the light source and detector including immediately in front of the light source (i.e., before the pore array) or immediately in front of the light detector. Provided the material of the sheet is comprised of material which is not transparent to any of the light then the filters are not necessary. However, when the sheet is particularly thin (as is often the case) and comprised of polymer materials (as is often the case) light is transmitted or at least some wavelengths of light are transmitted. Accordingly, to obtain accurate readings the filters are used to filter out the light that would be transmitted through the sheet even though a pore is not present.
- a useful aperture stop is a variable iris sold by Thorlabs.
- the aperture stop is used to sharpen the resolution as needed. The smaller the aperture the greater the ability to reduce the effects of lens aberrations. Thus, the aperture is needed less if the lens includes no aberrations. By closing the aperture down it is possible to sharpen the image. This is especially useful for imaging lenses that are not corrected for off-axis rays such as the single element lenses described above.
- a useful light detector is sold by Sony and is a black and white CCD sold as model XC- 75CE.
- the detection element is typically a standard charge-coupled device (CCD) of the type used in cameras which capture a two-dimensional image and allow computer image processing to be performed on the signal detected.
- CCD charge-coupled device
- a typical CCD is the type used in an eight-bit camera having 256 gray levels available per pixel. Cameras with greater or lesser than eight bits may also be used.
- a typical CCD chip in a camera has a size of about 4.8 mm vertically and about 6.4 mm horizontally containing 439,992 pixels.
- Each of the pixels is about 8.6 microns wide by about 8.3 microns vertically and there are 756 pixels horizontally and 582 pixels vertically.
- the configuration described here is a common CCD configuration used in cameras and provides a cost effective system.
- (1 : 1 imaging) the area which can be inspected is equal to the active area of the detection element.
- this magnification it is possible to separate the bright spots in the image by a distance of approximately 5 pixels. If there are less than 5 pixels between bright spots the spots begin to blur together and the ability to correctly count the number of holes is compromised.
- a useful image acquisition and processing unit is Checkpoint 900C by Cognex.
- the frame grabber is a computer expansional electronics board which converts the image signal from the light detector 8 to a digital array of numbers consisting of gray levels and their pixel location in the two-dimensional image. This makes it possible for computer processing of the array of numbers (image processing).
- Blob analysis is a typical image-processing tool which is widely available commercially. This type of processing detects whether many bright pixels are adjacent to one another. Then the tool can count within the image the number of Blobs that are above a pre-specified threshold. The number of Blobs typically corresponds to the number of holes in the inspection sample.
- Another image processing tool which could be used is referred to as a "light meter” or "mean pixel value" which sums the gray levels of all of the pixels within a particular pre-specified region of interest (ROI) and calculates the average.
- ROI region of interest
- the present invention is directed towards analysis of perforations in a material.
- the method is used to scan a pore array which includes a plurality of pores and make an analysis as to whether or not the sheet passes or fails based on an analysis of a plurality of pores with consideration to a plurality of criteria simultaneously.
- the invention is also designed so that pore arrays can be analyzed sequentially. More specifically, the device for analyzing the sheets can include a means for holding the sheet in place while it is analyzed and a means for moving one sheet after another into an inspection position. This type of consecutive inspection/analysis procedure is useful during manufacturing. However, this method does not specifically affect the manufacturing other than to indicate that a sheet either passes or fails the inspection analysis.
- the invention can be designed so that it specifically affects, controls or improves the actual manufacturing/production process.
- Pore arrays made with currently known systems and techniques produce an average pore size that can vary unacceptably from pore array to pore array, or within a given pore array.
- the aerosol size is in general related to the size of the nozzle. Control of the pore size thus directly affects control of regional deposition in the lung.
- This alternative system and method are used to analyze each pore array as it is created and to provide feedback to adjust or stop the manufacturing/production process in order to reduce the variability of the size, shape, and or number of the pores. Because of this reduction in variability, smaller pores can also be reproducibly manufactured.
- FIG. 4 The basic components of such a closed-loop feedback system are schematically shown in Figure 4 with the necessary components including an energy or LASER light source 20, an energy or light transport system 24, a detection means 28, and a feedback mechanism including an analyzing means 32 and feedback control lines 34 and/or 36.
- the other components are preferably used in order to increase the accuracy and efficiency of the system.
- the system of Figure 4 functions similarly to the system of Figure 1 with the primary difference being that the light source 20 is used both for pore creation and inspection, and the additional use of a feedback control mechanism to adjust or discontinue the pore array manufacturing process (e.g., the delivery of light to the sheet, the position of the pore array, the temperature, etc.).
- the light transport mechanism may comprise an optional spatial filter, an optional diffractive element, and a focusing lens, an optical system better suited to LASERs such as frequency multiplied Yittrium-Aluminum-Garnet (YAG) or similar LASERs.
- LASER light may be transmitted in a continuous stream or as discrete pulses depending on the desired result. Upon formation of a pore, light passes through the pore and is transmitted to and strikes light detector 28 which is positioned on the opposite side or exit side of sheet 38.
- the light may pass through an imaging lens 26 and an aperture stop 27.
- the transmitted light may simply fall directly on the detector, in the cases where only the total transmitted power is measured, or when the detector is close enough to the pore array that the light from individual pores is distinguishable. All of the light exiting the pores of the pore array 28 is preferably contained within a light containment structure 30 in order to minimize light from straying which might affect the signal on the light detector 28.
- a signal representative of one or more parameter of the LASER light e.g., temporal and/or spatial distributions of the light's power or intensity level
- a feedback control 32 which carries out analysis of one or more parameters known to be affected by pore size, shape, or density. Based on this analysis, and in particular, based on the determination as to whether the light parameter is below or above a certain threshold level, a control signal is sent from feedback control 32 back to LASER light source 20 and/or to energy transport system 24 and/or to tape transport 42 via signal lines 34, 36, and/or 43, respectively.
- Pore size may be controlled where the threshold level corresponds to the optimum pore size.
- Energy source 20 is preferably a LASER light such as a UV LASER, an IR LASER or a visible light LASER.
- UV LASERs examples include a Nd: YAG or Nd: YLF frequency multiplied UV LASER, preferably a solid state diode pumped Nd: YAG frequency tripled LASER with 2-20 nanosecond pulses emitting light at 355 nanometers LASER.
- the LASER is an excimer LASER, with a wavelenght from about 100 to about 500 nm, preferably from about 193 to about 350 nm, most preferably from about 248 or about 308 nm.
- the prefered chemsities of the excimer LASER are xenon/chlorine or krypton/florine.
- the excimer systems are generally pulsed, with repetion rates of about 50 to about 1000 hz, preferably from about 100 to about 400 hz, and most preferably about 300Hz.
- An example of a suitable LASER is the Llambda Physik Steel 1000 LASER, although it will be obvious to one skilled in the art that other LASER systems could be used.
- Pulse durations are generally in the range of from about 10 to about 100 ns, preferably from about 15 to about 40 ns, and most preferably about 28 ns.
- Pulse energies will vary based on the application, but will be generally in the range of about 1 mJ to about 1000 mJ, and for the fabrication of pore arrays in thin polymer films they will be preferably from about 300 to about 800 mJ, most preferably from about 400 to about 600 mJ.
- the pulse energy incident on the sheet will range from about 0.01 mJ to about 10 mJ, for the fabrication of pore arrays in thin polymer films they will be preferably from about 3 to about 8 mJ, most preferably 4 to 6 mj.
- a suitable IR LASER for use with the present invention is a short (1-100 femtosecond) pulse IR. It would be obvious to those skilled in the art to substitute other light sources and frequency mutliplying schemes as appropriate for the process and materials under consideration
- Energy transport system 24 may be a lens system which may include one or more means for creating one or more focused beams of light characterized by parameters for the size and shape of the one or more pores or spots to be formed.
- Such means may include but are not limited to one or more of the following: a beam-expander, a final objective/projection lens, a spatial filter, a variable attenuator, a beam splitter for directing energy at multiple locations at once, or a galvo mirror for rapidly directly energy to multiple locations simultaneously.
- the beam splitter may be based on refraction/transmission interfaces or on diffractive optics, or can be split using a homogenizer.
- Various types of diffractive optic beam splitters may be used including but not limited to those based on a transmission mask, on phase difference optics or on index of refraction, or a combination thereof, each of which may be either binary, stepped, or continuously varying.
- the beam splitter may divide the beam in one or two directions, providing a few beams (about 4 or more) or a large array of dozens or hundreds of beams.
- the beam splitter may produce a 1 -dimensional array of about 4 to about 100 beams, for example, or a two-dimensional array of about 12 to about 1000 beams, for example, or multiple copies of the above arrays.
- the parameters of the energy directed by energy transporter 24 may be the same and controlled in the same way for all of the pores or spots, or may be different and controlled differently from pore to pore or from spot to spot.
- the power or intensity (both temporal and spatial distribution) of the delivered energy may be preset such that in one or more regions of the material to be drilled it is above or below a threshold level, such as for example, the threshold for damage to the material, the threshold for thermal ablation of the material, or the threshold for photoablation of the material.
- a threshold level such as for example, the threshold for damage to the material, the threshold for thermal ablation of the material, or the threshold for photoablation of the material.
- the total amount of energy per pore may vary from application to application.
- Typical ranges for micro-meter scale structures fabricated using pulsed UV LASERs suitable for, for example, aerosol drug delivery nozzles in thin polymer films include from about 0.1 to about 5 micro Joules per pulse, more typically from about 0.2 to about 1 microJoule per pulse, and even more typically from about 0.2 to about 0.6 microJoule per pulse.
- the transmitted energy per pulse per pore at the end of the fabrication process will in general also vary from application to application, depending on for example the size and shape of the pore, the properies of the light source, and the material of the sheet.
- Detector means 28 may also be a photo-diode or charge- coupled (CCD) device.
- the feedback control mechanism uses the output of detector 28 to determine whether the light being delivered to the pore sites requires adjustment or if a new sheet or sheets should be moved to the processing position. In the case of multiple pore sites, this determination may include identifying which of the pore sites require adjustment and which do not.
- the feedback control or adjustment may be achieved by sending a control signal via signal line 34 to, for example, turn off the energy source 20 such as when the transmitted energy rises above a threshold level which indicates that the desired hole size has been achieved for a particular pore site or set of pore sites.
- the LASER power may be adjusted or stopped completely when the detector measures an incident power.
- a control signal sent via signal line 36 may be used to adjust the energy delivery system 24 in order to modify or interupt the delivery of energy to one or more array sites while the energy delivered to other array sites is maintained until their respective pores achieve the target configuration, e.g., size.
- One means for accomplishing this is to provide as a part of the enengy delivery system 24 a shutter for each beam or set of beams of LASER light impinging on the sheet or for each pore site.
- the shutter may be positioned anywhere between the light source and the sheet to be drilled, but must be down stream of any beam splitting component if individual beams or series of beams are to be shut off individually.
- This determination may include averaging the energy of some or all pore sites either with equal or unequal weighting.
- the determination may use exponential weighting as occurs when the detector time constant is similar to the pulse repitition rate.
- the feedback system may be used, after the determined amount of transmitted energy is measured, to change some parameter of the process until a different transmitted energy level is achieved, or until a certain number of additional pulses are delivered, or until some other action is accomplished or criterion is achieved.
- the various parameters which may be controlled include but are not limited to the intensity or power of the delivered energy, the pulse rate, the fluence, the focal point of the LASER, the pulse duration, and/or the pulse repetition rate
- the beams delivered to the sheet may have any radial shape including but not limited to substantially circular and may be characterized by any appropriate profile including but not limited to roughly gaussian or top-hat profiles. Any suitable number of pores or holes may be formed including from one hole to several hundreds or more.
- EXAMPLE 1 This experiment demonstrates the use of a method of the invention to inspect holes in a sample.
- a mercury arc lamp of the type commonly used for ultraviolet adhesive curing was used for the light source.
- the ultraviolet portion of the spectrum was specifically isolated between about 300 and 400 nanometers utilizing appropriate reflective and transmissive optical filter elements well known to those skilled in the art. This ultraviolet portion consisted mainly of the strong emission line from mercury at 365 nanometers.
- the filtered light was guided via a commonly used liquid light guide which transmits near ultraviolet in the spectral range selected.
- a diffuse reflectance glass was used to provide additional homogenization of the beam exiting the guide.
- a condensing lens was then used to collimate the light and illuminate the sample to be inspected.
- the sample was a polyimide film. Spectral filters were located in the collimated light to ensure the rejection of any detectable visible and infrared light which would transmit through the sample substrate.
- An imaging lens was positioned in back of the sample to provide an image onto a light detection element. This element was a charge-coupled device or CCD. In close proximity to the imaging lens was an aperture stop which, when closed down to a small diameter, produced a clearer image at the CCD.
- the image was displayed on a monitor and the image information stored into a computer image file. This image was processed in order to determine the number and size of features in the sample. For example, a nozzle with an array of hundreds of through holes appeared on the image as an array of bright spots.
- EXAMPLE 2 This experiment demonstrates the use of a method of the invention to inspect holes in a sample.
- a mercury arc lamp of the type commonly used for ultraviolet adhesive curing was used for the light source.
- the ultraviolet portion of the spectrum was specifically isolated between about 300 and 400 nanometers utilizing appropriate reflective and transmissive optical filter elements well known to those skilled in the art. This ultraviolet portion consisted mainly of the strong emission line from mercury at 365 nanometers.
- the filtered light was guided via a commonly used liquid light guide which transmits near ultraviolet in the spectral range selected.
- a diffuse reflectance glass was used to provide additional homogenization of the beam exiting the guide.
- a condensing lens was then used to collimate the light and illuminate the sample to be inspected.
- the sample was a polyimide film. Spectral filters were located in the collimated light to ensure the rejection of any detectable visible and infrared light which would transmit through the sample substrate.
- An imaging lens was positioned in back of the sample to provide an image onto a light detection element. This element was a charge-coupled device or CCD. In close proximity to the imaging lens was an aperture stop which, when closed down to a small diameter, produced a clearer image at the CCD.
- the image was displayed on a monitor and the image information stored into a computer image file. This image was processed in order to determine the number and size of features in the sample. For example, a nozzle with an array of hundreds of through holes appeared on the image as an array of bright spots.
- a discrete electronic feedback circuit comprising a comparator, a reference voltage and logic gates sent an electronic signal to the LASER to stop generating light pulses.
- Several sets of pore arrays were fabricated using the same light source and optical system drilling one pore at a time. Some arrays were produced using a predetermined number of pulses and some using the feedback system to control the number of pulses used to drill in an attempt to control the size of pores produced. The following data illustrate the improvement in control of pore size that was achieved by the implementation of feedback.
- Each value in "Array Avg. Size” is the average size often pores within a single array, and "SD, Intra” gives the standard deviation of these ten pore sizes for each of the arrays.
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (7)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US09/330,254 US6624885B1 (en) | 1999-06-10 | 1999-06-10 | Method and device for non-destructive analysis of perforation in a material |
US10/642,436 US7148960B2 (en) | 1999-06-10 | 2003-08-14 | Method and device for non-destructive analysis of perforations in a material |
AU2003258227A AU2003258227B2 (en) | 2003-08-14 | 2003-08-14 | Method and device for non-destructive analysis of perforations in a material |
PCT/US2003/025455 WO2005020392A2 (en) | 1999-06-10 | 2003-08-14 | Method and device for non-destructive analysis of perforations in a material |
EP03818337A EP1654789A4 (en) | 2003-08-14 | 2003-08-14 | Method and device for non-destructive analysis of perforations in a material |
JP2005508252A JP2007528980A (en) | 2003-08-14 | 2003-08-14 | Method and apparatus for non-destructive analysis of material perforations |
CA002535839A CA2535839A1 (en) | 2003-08-14 | 2003-08-14 | Method and device for non-destructive analysis of perforations in a material |
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US09/330,254 US6624885B1 (en) | 1999-06-10 | 1999-06-10 | Method and device for non-destructive analysis of perforation in a material |
US10/642,436 US7148960B2 (en) | 1999-06-10 | 2003-08-14 | Method and device for non-destructive analysis of perforations in a material |
PCT/US2003/025455 WO2005020392A2 (en) | 1999-06-10 | 2003-08-14 | Method and device for non-destructive analysis of perforations in a material |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2005020392A2 true WO2005020392A2 (en) | 2005-03-03 |
WO2005020392A3 WO2005020392A3 (en) | 2007-05-03 |
Family
ID=34425495
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/US2003/025455 WO2005020392A2 (en) | 1999-06-10 | 2003-08-14 | Method and device for non-destructive analysis of perforations in a material |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US6624885B1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2005020392A2 (en) |
Families Citing this family (16)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US7301621B2 (en) * | 1999-06-10 | 2007-11-27 | Aradigm Corporation | Method and device for non-destructive analysis of perforations in a material |
US7148960B2 (en) * | 1999-06-10 | 2006-12-12 | Aradigm Corporation | Method and device for non-destructive analysis of perforations in a material |
TWI243895B (en) * | 2000-03-29 | 2005-11-21 | Seiko Epson Corp | Method and apparatus for examining through holes |
CN1302280C (en) * | 2000-04-27 | 2007-02-28 | 精工爱普生株式会社 | Inspection method for foreign matters inside through hole |
CA2535839A1 (en) * | 2003-08-14 | 2005-03-03 | Aradigm Corporation | Method and device for non-destructive analysis of perforations in a material |
JP4419831B2 (en) * | 2004-02-12 | 2010-02-24 | 株式会社村田製作所 | Appearance sorter for chip-type electronic components |
DE102004023872B4 (en) * | 2004-05-12 | 2016-01-14 | Institut für innovative Technologien, Technologietransfer, Ausbildung und berufsbegleitende Weiterbildung (ITW) e. V. | Method and device for determining the quality of nozzle bodies for internal combustion engines |
US7767930B2 (en) * | 2005-10-03 | 2010-08-03 | Aradigm Corporation | Method and system for LASER machining |
EP1857812A1 (en) * | 2006-05-19 | 2007-11-21 | Amcor Flexibles A/S | Control system |
CN1987419B (en) * | 2006-12-21 | 2010-05-19 | 复旦大学 | Electrochemical method for detecting anodic aluminium oxide formwork effective hole density |
JP2013104746A (en) * | 2011-11-11 | 2013-05-30 | Ricoh Co Ltd | Laser radar device |
US9615036B2 (en) | 2013-03-14 | 2017-04-04 | Drs Network & Imaging Systems, Llc | Single element radiometric lens |
WO2014188650A1 (en) * | 2013-05-22 | 2014-11-27 | パナソニックヘルスケア株式会社 | Pill inspection device and pill inspection method |
CN105842171B (en) * | 2015-01-15 | 2019-05-17 | 中国科学院苏州纳米技术与纳米仿生研究所 | A kind of biochemistry detection system |
JP6500518B2 (en) * | 2015-03-10 | 2019-04-17 | オムロン株式会社 | Sheet inspection device |
JP7141872B2 (en) * | 2018-07-10 | 2022-09-26 | 花王株式会社 | Perforated sheet inspection method and inspection apparatus, and perforated sheet manufacturing method |
Citations (1)
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US5528359A (en) * | 1993-07-30 | 1996-06-18 | Sony Corporation | Image scanning apparatus and method |
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US3711205A (en) * | 1971-07-22 | 1973-01-16 | Gte Sylvania Inc | Inspection method and apparatus for detecting oversized apertures in relatively thin sheets of opaque material |
US3806252A (en) * | 1972-07-10 | 1974-04-23 | Eastman Kodak Co | Hole measurer |
US4596037A (en) * | 1984-03-09 | 1986-06-17 | International Business Machines Corporation | Video measuring system for defining location orthogonally |
US4647208A (en) * | 1985-07-22 | 1987-03-03 | Perceptron, Inc. | Method for spatial measurement of holes |
GB2207237A (en) * | 1987-07-22 | 1989-01-25 | Philips Nv | A method of inspecting apertured mask sheet |
WO1994016759A1 (en) | 1991-03-05 | 1994-08-04 | Miris Medical Corporation | An automatic aerosol medication delivery system and methods |
US5497763A (en) | 1993-05-21 | 1996-03-12 | Aradigm Corporation | Disposable package for intrapulmonary delivery of aerosolized formulations |
US5709202A (en) | 1993-05-21 | 1998-01-20 | Aradigm Corporation | Intrapulmonary delivery of aerosolized formulations |
US5745168A (en) * | 1995-01-26 | 1998-04-28 | Nec Corporation | Hole-size measuring system for CRT black matrix layer |
US5829435A (en) | 1997-02-24 | 1998-11-03 | Aradigm Corporation | Prefilter for prevention of clogging of a nozzle in the generation of an aerosol and prevention of administration of undesirable particles |
US6140604A (en) * | 1998-06-18 | 2000-10-31 | General Electric Company | Laser drilling breakthrough detector |
US6441340B1 (en) * | 1999-05-04 | 2002-08-27 | Elizabeth Varriano-Marston | Registered microperforated films for modified/controlled atmosphere packaging |
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1999
- 1999-06-10 US US09/330,254 patent/US6624885B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
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- 2003-08-14 WO PCT/US2003/025455 patent/WO2005020392A2/en active Application Filing
Patent Citations (1)
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US5528359A (en) * | 1993-07-30 | 1996-06-18 | Sony Corporation | Image scanning apparatus and method |
Non-Patent Citations (1)
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See also references of EP1654789A2 * |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
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US6624885B1 (en) | 2003-09-23 |
WO2005020392A3 (en) | 2007-05-03 |
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