CN112334825A - Display panel with pre-patterned image - Google Patents

Display panel with pre-patterned image Download PDF

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Publication number
CN112334825A
CN112334825A CN201980043702.9A CN201980043702A CN112334825A CN 112334825 A CN112334825 A CN 112334825A CN 201980043702 A CN201980043702 A CN 201980043702A CN 112334825 A CN112334825 A CN 112334825A
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China
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region
micropores
microwells
delivery system
display panel
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CN201980043702.9A
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Chinese (zh)
Inventor
康义明
D·A·舒尔茨
刘雷
郑仁夫
邵林
杜惠
王铭
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E Ink Corp
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E Ink California LLC
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Priority claimed from US16/100,528 external-priority patent/US10816868B2/en
Application filed by E Ink California LLC filed Critical E Ink California LLC
Publication of CN112334825A publication Critical patent/CN112334825A/en
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B26/00—Optical devices or arrangements for the control of light using movable or deformable optical elements
    • G02B26/004—Optical devices or arrangements for the control of light using movable or deformable optical elements based on a displacement or a deformation of a fluid
    • G02B26/005—Optical devices or arrangements for the control of light using movable or deformable optical elements based on a displacement or a deformation of a fluid based on electrowetting
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02F—OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
    • G02F1/00—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics
    • G02F1/01—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour 
    • G02F1/165—Devices or arrangements for the control of the intensity, colour, phase, polarisation or direction of light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. switching, gating or modulating; Non-linear optics for the control of the intensity, phase, polarisation or colour  based on translational movement of particles in a fluid under the influence of an applied field
    • G02F1/1675—Constructional details
    • G02F1/1679—Gaskets; Spacers; Sealing of cells; Filling or closing of cells
    • G02F1/1681—Gaskets; Spacers; Sealing of cells; Filling or closing of cells having two or more microcells partitioned by walls, e.g. of microcup type
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
    • G09G—ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION
    • G09G3/00—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes
    • G09G3/20—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters
    • G09G3/34—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters by control of light from an independent source
    • G09G3/3433—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters by control of light from an independent source using light modulating elements actuated by an electric field and being other than liquid crystal devices and electrochromic devices
    • G09G3/344—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters by control of light from an independent source using light modulating elements actuated by an electric field and being other than liquid crystal devices and electrochromic devices based on particles moving in a fluid or in a gas, e.g. electrophoretic devices
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
    • G09G—ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION
    • G09G3/00—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes
    • G09G3/20—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters
    • G09G3/34—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters by control of light from an independent source
    • G09G3/3433—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters by control of light from an independent source using light modulating elements actuated by an electric field and being other than liquid crystal devices and electrochromic devices
    • G09G3/344—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters by control of light from an independent source using light modulating elements actuated by an electric field and being other than liquid crystal devices and electrochromic devices based on particles moving in a fluid or in a gas, e.g. electrophoretic devices
    • G09G3/3446—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters by control of light from an independent source using light modulating elements actuated by an electric field and being other than liquid crystal devices and electrochromic devices based on particles moving in a fluid or in a gas, e.g. electrophoretic devices with more than two electrodes controlling the modulating element
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
    • G09G—ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION
    • G09G2300/00—Aspects of the constitution of display devices
    • G09G2300/04—Structural and physical details of display devices
    • G09G2300/0421—Structural details of the set of electrodes
    • G09G2300/0426—Layout of electrodes and connections
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
    • G09G—ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION
    • G09G2300/00—Aspects of the constitution of display devices
    • G09G2300/04—Structural and physical details of display devices
    • G09G2300/0439—Pixel structures
    • G09G2300/0443—Pixel structures with several sub-pixels for the same colour in a pixel, not specifically used to display gradations

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Nonlinear Science (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Electrochromic Elements, Electrophoresis, Or Variable Reflection Or Absorption Elements (AREA)

Abstract

The present invention relates to an active molecule delivery system comprising a plurality of microwells, wherein each microwell has a bottom, a panel has a first region and a second region, and microwells in said first region have substantially the same bottom thickness and microwells in said second region have an increased bottom thickness. Such panels are useful for many applications such as drug administration.

Description

Display panel with pre-patterned image
This application claims benefit of serial No. 16/100,528 application filed on 8/10/2018.
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a display panel having a pre-patterned image. Such panels have a variety of applications such as signage with fixed image patterns or watermarking features for protection from counterfeiting or simply for decorative purposes.
Summary of The Invention
The invention relates to an active molecule delivery system comprising microwells filled with an electrophoretic fluid, wherein each microwell has a bottom and one surface of said bottom is in contact with said electrophoretic fluid, a display panel has a first region and a second region, and the microwells in the first region have substantially the same bottom thickness and the microwells in the second region have an increased bottom thickness.
In one embodiment, the base thickness of the micropores in the second region is from 0.001 microns to 9/10 microns of the depth of the micropores in the first region, greater than the base thickness of the micropores in the first region.
In one embodiment, the base thickness of the micropores in the second region is from 0.001 microns to 1/2 microns of the depth of the micropores in the first region, greater than the base thickness of the micropores in the first region.
In one embodiment, the bottom thicknesses of the microwells in the second region are different.
In one embodiment, the electrophoretic fluid filled in the micropores in both the first region and the second region comprises one type of charged particles dispersed in a solvent or solvent mixture. In another embodiment, the electrophoretic fluid filled in the pores in the first and second regions comprises two types of charged particles dispersed in a solvent or solvent mixture. In another embodiment, the electrophoretic fluid filled in the micro-pores in the first and second regions comprises more than two types of charged particles dispersed in a solvent or solvent mixture.
In one embodiment, the active molecule delivery system is sandwiched between two electrode layers. In one embodiment, both electrode layers are non-patterned conductive layers. In another embodiment, one of the electrode layers is a common electrode layer and the other electrode layer is a thin film transistor matrix drive system or a segmented backplane drive system.
In one embodiment, the display panel is used in a bar code, security label, directional sign or shelf label. In another embodiment, the display panel is used in watermarking applications.
Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method for preparing an active molecule delivery system of the present invention, comprising:
a) providing a nip roller having engraved areas on a surface thereof to form a pattern, the pattern being a positive or negative image of a desired pattern for a display panel;
b) applying an imprintable composition to a substrate layer on the surface of the nip roll; and
c) applying a positive mold over the imprintable composition.
In one embodiment, the engraved areas have different depths.
In one embodiment, the substrate layer is attached to an electrode layer.
Another aspect of the invention relates to a method for preparing an active molecule delivery system of the invention, comprising:
a) providing a micropore;
b) filling the micropores in a predetermined region with a chemical composition in a solvent;
c) removing the solvent; and
d) optionally curing the chemical composition after removing the solvent.
In one embodiment, the solvent is methyl ethyl ketone, acetone, or isopropanol. In one embodiment, the microwells are filled with different concentrations of chemical compositions. In one embodiment, the concentration is from 0.01 wt% to 90 wt%. In one embodiment, the concentration is from 0.01 wt% to 50 wt%.
In one embodiment, the chemical composition is different from the composition forming the micropores. In another embodiment, the chemical composition is the same as the composition forming the micropores.
Brief Description of Drawings
Fig. 1 shows a display panel comprising a pre-patterned image.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a microwell.
Fig. 3 shows a display panel of the invention in which the micro-holes in one area have a thicker bottom than the micro-holes in the other area.
Fig. 4A and 4B illustrate an imprinting process for preparing micro-holes.
Fig. 5 illustrates a method for preparing a display panel of the present invention.
Fig. 6 illustrates an alternative method for making a display panel of the present invention.
Fig. 7 shows a display panel of the present invention sandwiched between two electrode layers.
Fig. 8 shows how different levels of color intensity can be achieved by the display panel of the present invention.
Fig. 9 shows an alternative design of the invention.
Fig. 10 illustrates an embodiment of an active molecule delivery system comprising a plurality of micropores comprising a porous diffusion layer, wherein different micropores have different volumes.
Detailed Description
A first aspect of the invention relates to a display panel comprising a pre-patterned image. Fig. 1 is a top view of a display panel (10) comprising micro-holes (10a) on which a pre-patterned image "8" (11) appears. Thus, the display panel has a patterned region (11) and a background region (i.e., a region outside the patterned region).
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a microwell (20). Each microwell has a bottom (21), and the microwells are filled with a display fluid (22). The inner or top surface (21a) of the bottom is in direct contact with the display fluid.
In one embodiment, the term "microwell" may be a cup-shaped micro-container such as those described in U.S. patent No. 6,930,818. It comprises
Figure BDA0002864740180000031
Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of micro-holes in a display panel of the present invention. The panel has a first region and a second region. In the context of the present application, the term "first region" refers to a region in which the micropores (30b) have substantially the same bottom thickness, and the term "second region" refers to a region in which the micropores (30a) have a thicker bottom than the bottoms of the micropores in the first region. The term "substantially the same" means that the thickness variation is within manufacturing tolerances, e.g., ± 5%.
The micropores (30a) in the second region have an increased thickness "t" which may be from 0.001 microns to 9/10 (where the depth of the micropores is substantially uniform) of the depth ("d") of the micropores in the first region, preferably 1/2 microns to the depth of the micropores in the first region. In other words, the bottom thickness of the micropores in the second region is 0.001 micrometers to 9/10 the depth of the micropores in the first region, preferably 0.001 micrometers to 1/2 the depth of the micropores in the first region, greater than the bottom thickness of the micropores in the first region.
The second region may be a patterned region and the first region a background region, or vice versa.
The increased base thickness in each microwell in the second region need not be the same. Some of them may be thicker than others.
The display panel of the present invention can be manufactured by various methods.
Fig. 4A and 4B illustrate an embossing process as described in U.S. patent nos. 6,831,770 and 6,930,818. As shown, the imprintable composition (40) is first coated onto a substrate layer (41). The substrate layer is on the nip roll (42). A male mold (43) is pressed against the imprintable composition to form the micro-pores (44). The imprintable composition used to form the micro-apertures may be hardened during or after release of the male mould. In this method, the microwells have a substantially uniform bottom thickness.
Optionally, there may be an electrode layer attached to the substrate layer (41). When an electrode layer is present, the imprintable composition is coated on the electrode layer side. In this case, the electrode layer will be one of two layers sandwiching the display panel in the final product.
When the electrode layer is not present in the process, the substrate layer attached to the resulting display panel may be removed after the imprinting process and replaced with an electrode or another substrate layer.
To prepare a display panel with a pre-patterned image, the method shown in fig. 4A and 4B is modified by engraving areas (55) on a nip roll (52) (see fig. 5) to form a pattern that can be a "positive" image or a "negative" image of the desired pattern of the display panel.
During the embossing process, the pressure exerted by the positive mold on the imprintable composition in the engraved areas is less than the pressure exerted by the positive mold on the imprintable composition in the other areas. As a result, the bottoms of the minute holes corresponding to the engraved areas in the resulting display panel are thicker. The degree of increased thickness can be adjusted by varying the depth of the engraved areas on the roll. Deeper engraved areas on the roll will result in thicker bottoms of micro-holes in the corresponding areas.
The term "positive image" mentioned above means that the engraved pattern on the roll is the same as the intended pattern of the display panel. In this case, the display panel will be formed with a patterned area in which the micro-holes have a thicker bottom.
The term "negative image" mentioned above means that the engraved pattern corresponds to an area excluding the intended pattern of the display panel. In this case, the display panel will be formed to have a background area in which the micro-holes have a thicker bottom.
The surface of the roll is curved. However, it is drawn as a straight line in fig. 4 and 5 for illustrative purposes only.
The increased thickness of the micropores need not be the same, which can be achieved by the described method. In other words, variations in the depth of the engraved areas on the roll will result in variations in the thickness of the bottom of the microholes.
Suitable imprintable compositions for forming micro-apertures have been previously disclosed. U.S. patent nos. 6,831,770 and 6,930,818 describe that suitable compositions for forming micropores may include thermoplastic materials, thermoset materials, or precursors thereof. Examples of thermoplastic or thermoset precursors may include multifunctional acrylates or methacrylates, multifunctional vinyl ethers, multifunctional epoxides, and oligomers or polymers thereof. Crosslinkable oligomers imparting flexibility, such as urethane acrylates or polyester acrylates, may also be added to improve the flexure resistance of the embossed cells.
Another imprintable composition for micro-apertures is described in us 7,880,958, which may comprise polar oligomeric or polymeric materials. Such polar oligomeric or polymeric materials may be selected from materials having at least one group such as nitro (-NO)2) Hydroxy (-OH), carboxy (-COO), alkoxy (-OR) in which R is an alkyl group, halogen (e.g. fluorine, chlorine, bromine OR iodine), cyano (-CN), sulfonate (-SO), OR a salt thereof3) And the like. The glass transition temperature of the polar polymeric material is preferably about 100 ℃ or less, and more preferably about 60 ℃ or less. Specific examples of suitable polar oligomeric or polymeric materials can include, but are not limited to, polyhydroxy-functional polyester acrylates (e.g., BDE 1025, Bomar Specialties Co, Winsted, CT) or alkoxylated acrylates, such as ethoxylated nonylphenol acrylates (e.g., SR504, Sartomer corporation), ethoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylateAcrylate (e.g., SR9035, Sartomer company) or ethoxylated pentaerythritol tetraacrylate (e.g., SR494, from Sartomer company).
U.S. patent application No. 13/686,778 discloses another type of imprintable composition for forming micro-apertures. The composition comprises (a) at least one difunctional UV curable component, (b) at least one photoinitiator, and (c) at least one release agent. Suitable difunctional components may have a molecular weight of greater than about 200. Difunctional acrylates are preferred and difunctional acrylates with urethane or ethoxylated backbones are particularly preferred. More specifically, suitable difunctional components may include, but are not limited to, diethylene glycol diacrylate (such as SR230 from Sartomer), triethylene glycol diacrylate (such as SR272 from Sartomer), tetraethylene glycol diacrylate (such as SR268 from Sartomer), polyethylene glycol diacrylate (such as SR 880880880880295, SR344, or SR610 from Sartomer), polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate (such as SR603, SR644, SR252, or SR740 from Sartomer), ethoxylated bisphenol A diacrylate (such as CD9038, SR349, SR601, or SR602 from Sartomer), ethoxylated bisphenol A dimethacrylate (such as CD540, CD542, SR101, SR150, SR348, SR480, or SR541 from Sartomer), and urethane diacrylate (such as CN959, CN961, CN964, CN965, CN980, or CN981 from Sartomer; Ebecryl 230, Ebecryl 270, Ebecyl 270, Ebecryl, Ebecyl 02, or Ebecyl 848 from Cytec). Suitable photoinitiators may include, but are not limited to, bisacylphosphine oxide, 2-benzyl-2- (dimethylamino) -1- [4- (4-morpholinyl) phenyl ] -1-butanone, 2,4, 6-trimethylbenzoyldiphenylphosphine oxide, 2-isopropyl-9H-thioxanthen-9-one, 4-benzoyl-4' -methyldiphenylsulfide and 1-hydroxy-cyclohexyl-phenyl-ketone, 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenyl-propan-1-one, 1- [4- (2-hydroxyethoxy) -phenyl ] -2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-propan-1-one, 2, 2-dimethoxy-1, 2-diphenylethan-1-one or 2-methyl-1 [4- (methylthio) phenyl ] -2-morpholinopropan-1-one. Suitable release agents may include, but are not limited to, organically modified silicone copolymers, such as silicone acrylates (e.g., Ebercryl 1360 or Ebercyl 350 from Cytec), silicone polyethers (e.g., Silwet 7200, Silwet 7210, Silwet 7220, Silwet 7230, Silwet 7500, Silwet 7600, or Silwet 7607 from Momentive). The composition may further optionally comprise one or more of a co-initiator, a monofunctional UV curable component, a multifunctional UV curable component or a stabilizer.
The contents of all patents/patent applications mentioned above are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Alternatively, the display panel of the present invention may be prepared as shown in fig. 6. In this case, the microwells may be first prepared according to the method of fig. 4A and 4B. After hardening the imprintable composition and forming the pores (60), a chemical composition (61) is filled into the pores of a predetermined area, which may correspond to a patterned area or a background area on the display panel. Chemical compositions contain solid materials dissolved or dispersed in a solvent that is easily removed.
The filling of the chemical composition in the predetermined area may be accomplished by a method such as ink jet printing or screen printing.
The solid material may be a curable material, such as any of those materials described above for use in the impression composition. If the solid material is a curable material, there may be an optional curing step after removal of the solvent. Curing can be accomplished by known conventional methods such as thermal or radiation curing.
The solid material may also be a material that does not require curing, such as polyurethane, poly (ethylene oxide), polystyrene, acrylate polymers [ such as poly (methyl acrylate) and poly (butyl acrylate) ] or methacrylate polymers [ such as poly (methyl methacrylate) and poly (ethyl methacrylate) ].
Note that the solid material in the chemical composition need not be the same as the imprintable composition used to form the micro-holes.
Examples of suitable solvents for the process may include, but are not limited to, methyl ethyl ketone, acetone, or isopropanol. After the chemical composition (61) is filled into the micropores of the predetermined region, the solvent in the chemical composition is removed by evaporation or boiling.
Once the solvent is removed, the solid material remaining in the chemical composition should provide good adhesion to the bottom of the microwells and also not interact with the display fluid filled in the microwells.
The increased thickness in the micropores is determined by the solids content of the chemical composition. In other words, the increased thickness in the micropores may be determined by the concentration of the chemical composition. In general, concentrations of from 0.01% to 90% by weight, preferably from 0.01% to 50% by weight, are suitable.
The microwells may also be filled with different concentrations of chemical composition, resulting in different bottom thicknesses.
In any of the above methods, after the micropores are formed, the display fluid is filled into the micropores. The display fluid may be an electrophoretic fluid comprising charged particles dispersed in a solvent or solvent mixture.
As shown in fig. 7, a display panel (70) having a predetermined image is sandwiched between two electrode layers (77 and 78) in a state of being filled with an electrophoretic fluid (76).
Traditionally, electrophoretic fluids may have one type of charged pigment particles dispersed in a solvent or solvent mixture of contrasting colors. In this case, when a voltage potential difference is applied between the two electrode plates sandwiching the display panel, the charged particles migrate by attraction to the plate having the polarity opposite to that of the particles. Thus, the color displayed on the transparent plate may be the color of the solvent or the color of the pigment particles. The reversal of the plate polarity will cause the charged particles to migrate back to the opposite plate, thereby reversing the color. Alternatively, the electrophoretic fluid may have two types of charged particles having contrasting colors and having opposite charges, and the two types of pigment particles are dispersed in a transparent solvent or solvent mixture. In this case, when a voltage potential difference is applied between two electrode plates sandwiching the display panel, the two types of pigment particles will move to opposite ends (top or bottom). Thus, one of the colors of the two types of pigment particles will be seen on the viewing side. In another alternative, charged particles of another colour are added to the electrophoretic fluid to form a highlight or multicolour display device. All these options are suitable for the display panel of the present invention.
Due to the difference in bottom thickness, the charged particles in the pores in one region will respond differently to the electric field generated between the two electrode layers than the charged particles in the pores in the other region, resulting in different color intensity levels being displayed. Fig. 8 shows an example of such a phenomenon. The white particles in the micropores a respond (in one region) to an electric field generated between the electrode layers 87 and 88, and move to the vicinity of the electrode 87 or to the electrode 87, and as a result, white is seen on the observation side. In the microwell B (in another region), the white particles induce a weaker electric field due to the thicker bottom, and the result shows a gray color.
Since the micro-holes may have different bottom thicknesses in the region represented by the micro-hole B, different color intensity levels (i.e., gray levels) are possible.
Although fig. 8 shows a design with only one type of charged particle, the phenomena shown apply to electrophoretic fluids with any number of types of charged particles.
In one embodiment of the invention, both electrode layers are non-patterned conductive layers such as indium tin oxide, copper or aluminum. In this case, when a voltage potential difference is applied across the two electrode layers, the region in which the micropores have bottom thickness levels different from those of the other regions will be displayed in a color state having different intensity from the other regions. The design is particularly suitable for signage with fixed images such as bar codes, security labels, directional signs or shelf labels.
In another embodiment, one of the electrode layers is a common electrode and the other electrode layer is a TFT (thin film transistor) matrix drive system or a segmented backplane drive system. In this case, the entire display panel may be switched from one image to another while one region remains visually distinguishable from the other. This embodiment of the invention is particularly suitable as a watermark and the watermark does not interfere with the switching of the image.
In another embodiment, the interior surfaces of the microwells can be treated to alter their chemical function, morphology, microstructure, charge characteristics, surface tension, or optical density.
For example, the surface may be treated with electron donating or proton accepting probe molecules or precursors thereof including, but not limited to, ammonia, amines, imines, pyridines, ureas, thioureas, urethanes, pyrrolidones, imidazoles, ethers, thioethers, ketones, acrylates, and acrylamides. Alternatively, the surface may be treated with electron accepting or proton donating probe molecules or precursors thereof, including but not limited to oxygen, carboxylic acid compounds, hydroxyl containing compounds, acrylamides, silanols or organometallic compounds containing electron defect centers.
Another option for surface treatment involves altering the chemical function of the microporous surface by plasma or corona treatment to induce interactions between the charged pigment particles and the surface. One specific example is to modify the surface by plasma treatment by using probe molecules having a functional group capable of forming a hydrogen bond or an acid-base reaction with a functional group on the surface of the dispersed particle. Hydrogen bonds may be formed by proton donors or electron acceptors on the surface of the micropores and proton acceptors or electron donors on the particles, or vice versa.
Further alternatively, the surface may be modified with plasma treatment to form a spatially stable or protective colloid layer on the pore surface.
All of the above-mentioned surface treatment methods and other options are described in U.S. patent No. 6,870,662, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
It should also be noted that the surface treatment of the micropores may be applied to all micropores or only selected micropores, depending on the need.
The subject matter presented herein can also be employed to construct active molecule delivery systems whereby active molecules can be released on demand and/or multiple different active molecules can be delivered from the same system and/or different concentrations of active molecules can be delivered from the same system. The subject matter is well suited for transdermal drug delivery to a patient, however the concepts presented herein can generally be used to deliver active ingredients. For example, the present subject matter may deliver sedation to horses during transport. The active delivery system comprises a plurality of micropores, wherein the micropores are filled with a medium comprising an active molecule. The micropores include openings, and the openings are spanned by porous diffusion layers. The microwell array can be loaded with different active ingredients, thereby providing a mechanism for delivering different or complementary active ingredients on demand.
In addition to more conventional applications such as transdermal delivery of pharmaceutical compounds, active molecule delivery systems may be the basis for delivering agricultural nutrients. For example, the micro-pore array may be made in large pieces that can be used in conjunction with hydroponic growth systems, or the micro-pore array may be integrated into hydrogel film agriculture. See, for example, Mebiol, Inc. Active molecule delivery systems can also be incorporated into the structural walls of smart packaging. Such a delivery system makes possible the long-term release of the antioxidant into the package containing the fresh vegetables. Such "smart" packaging would significantly improve the shelf life of certain foods and only require the amount of antioxidant needed to remain fresh until the package is opened. Thus, the same package can be used for food products distributed locally, nationally or globally.
The present subject matter can also provide a system for simple and low cost delivery of active molecule "cocktails" on demand. Such a delivery system may for example be used as an emergency delivery system for a person experiencing an allergic reaction. The system may include epinephrine and an antihistamine. The device may be applied and then triggered to rapidly pass the active through the skin. The system may be particularly effective as a back-up system for children who may be exposed to life-threatening allergens during field trips and the like. A parent may secure a delivery system with instructions to the child to activate the device in the event of a bee bite, for example. Because the device is relatively simple, compliance with the appropriate delivery protocol will be greater than, for example, an epinephrine pen (epipen).
Figure 10 shows an overview of the active molecule delivery system. The system includes a plurality of microwells 110, wherein each microwell may have a different bottom thickness and may include a medium (also referred to as an internal phase) containing reactive molecules 120 a/b/c. As shown in fig. 10, the first microwell may contain a first active 120a, while the second microwell may contain a second active 120b, and the third microwell contains a third active 120 c. Each microwell 110 is part of an array formed from a polymer matrix, which will be described in more detail below. The active molecule delivery system will typically include a backing barrier 130 to provide structural support and prevent moisture ingress and physical interaction. The micropores are defined by walls 140 that are at least 1 μm high, although they may be much higher depending on the desired depth of the micropores. The cells may be arranged in squares, honeycombs, circles, or the like. The micropores 110 will have openings that are spanned by a porous diffusion layer 150, which porous diffusion layer 150 may be composed of a variety of natural or non-natural polymers such as acrylates, methacrylates, polycarbonates, polyvinyl alcohols, celluloses, poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm), poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), polyvinylidene chloride, acrylonitrile, amorphous nylon, oriented polyesters, terephthalates, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutylene, polyisobutylene, or polystyrene. Often, the system will additionally include an adhesive layer 160 that is also porous to reactive molecules. The adhesive layer 160 helps to keep the active molecule delivery system adjacent to the surface. Using picoliter injection with an inkjet or other fluidic system, individual microwells can be filled to contain a variety of different actives in an active molecule delivery system.
As also shown in FIG. 10, the depth of the different microwells 127, 128, 129 is varied by increasing the amount of polymer at the bottom of the microwells. This is readily accomplished by using a mold having the desired depth and the imprinting technique described below. In other embodiments, the width of the microwells may be greater or smaller depending on the volume of the solution that includes the active desired to be contained within a given microwell.
While the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation, material, composition, process step or steps, to the objective, spirit and scope of the present invention. All such modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Claims (13)

1. An active molecule delivery system comprising a plurality of micropores, wherein: each microwell has a bottom, the panel has a first region and a second region, the microwells in the first region have substantially the same bottom thickness, and the microwells in the second region have a thicker bottom than the microwells in the first region.
2. The active molecule delivery system of claim 1, wherein the bottom thickness of the micropores in the second region is from 0.001 micron to 9/10 microns of the depth of the micropores in the first region, greater than the bottom thickness of the micropores in the first region.
3. The active molecule delivery system of claim 1, wherein the bottom thickness of the micropores in the second region is from 0.001 micron to 1/2 microns of the depth of the micropores in the first region, greater than the bottom thickness of the micropores in the first region.
4. The active molecule delivery system of claim 1, wherein the bottom thickness of the micropores in the second region is different.
5. A method for preparing the active molecule delivery system of claim 1, comprising:
a) providing a nip roller having engraved areas on a surface thereof to form a pattern, the pattern being a positive or negative image of a desired pattern for a display panel;
b) applying an imprintable composition to a substrate layer on the surface of the nip roll; and
c) applying a positive mold over the imprintable composition.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the engraved areas have different depths.
7. A method for preparing the active molecule delivery system of claim 1, comprising:
a) providing a micropore;
b) filling the micropores in the predetermined region with a chemical composition in a solvent;
c) removing the solvent; and
d) optionally curing the chemical composition after removing the solvent.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the solvent is methyl ethyl ketone, acetone, or isopropanol.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein the microwells are filled with different concentrations of chemical compositions.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the concentration is 0.01 wt% to 90 wt%.
11. The method of claim 9, wherein the concentration is 0.01 wt% to 50 wt%.
12. The method of claim 7, wherein the chemical composition is different from the composition forming the micropores.
13. The method of claim 7, wherein the chemical composition is the same as the composition forming the micropores.
CN201980043702.9A 2018-08-10 2019-05-31 Display panel with pre-patterned image Pending CN112334825A (en)

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US20070205979A1 (en) * 2006-03-02 2007-09-06 Bigelow Donald O Electro-optical modulating display devices comprising and array of microcells and a method for making such devices
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