Production and use of laminated nanofibrous structures

Abstract

An electrospinning device for providing a predetermined distance profile for the distance between outlets of the electrospinning device and the receiving surface. The latter may be obtained by geometrically adapting the electrospinning device or by moving the outlets with respect to the receiving surface during growth of the fibrous structure.

1 - 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . An electrospinning device for electrospinning fibrous structures, said electrospinning device comprising:
 a set of outlets arranged to output solution or melt,   a receiving surface arranged to receive output from said set of outlets, wherein said receiving surface is adapted to move in a first direction parallel to said receiving surface, said movement causing the lengthwise production of said fibrous structures,   a voltage source arranged to generate a potential difference between said set of outlets and said receiving surface,   wherein said electrospinning device is configured so that during electrospinning a variation between outlets of the device and the receiving surface according to a predetermined profile is present in order to produce a predetermined fibre thickness profile over the fibrous structure.   
     
     
         27 . The electrospinning device according to  claim 26 , wherein said variable distance is obtained by providing a predetermined distance profile for the distance between the outlets and the receiving surface in a direction perpendicular to the receiving surface for different outlets along said first direction. 
     
     
         28 . The electrospinning device according to  claim 26 , wherein the predetermined distance profile is a decreasing or increasing distance profile. 
     
     
         29 . The electrospinning device according to  claim 28 , wherein said distance profile is monotonously decreasing or a monotonously increasing distance profile. 
     
     
         30 . The electrospinning device according to  claim 26 , wherein said set of outlets comprises at least two subsets of outlets, wherein each subset comprises outlets equidistant to said receiving surface and wherein the distance between each subset and the receiving surface is settable according to said predetermined distance profile along said first direction. 
     
     
         31 . The electrospinning device according to  claim 26 , wherein said set of outlets is arranged in a plane inclined at an angle relative to the receiving surface. 
     
     
         32 . The electrospinning device according to  claim 26 , wherein at least two neighbouring outlets of said set of outlets are separated from one another by a distance of at least 1 cm. 
     
     
         33 . The electrospinning device according to  claim 26 , wherein the distance between the outlets within each of said set of outlets is adapted for obtaining a fibrous structure comprising at least 50% of fibres substantially free of cross-links to neighboring fibres. 
     
     
         34 . The electrospinning device according to  claim 26 , wherein said set of outlets is adapted to be movable reciprocally in a direction parallel to said receiving surface and perpendicular to said first direction. 
     
     
         35 . The electrospinning device according to  claim 26 , comprising a control device arranged to vary the distance between the outlets and the receiving surface to vary the diameter of the produced fibres during said electrospinning of said fibrous structure. 
     
     
         36 . A method for electrospinning fibrous structures, the method comprising:
 Outputting a solution or melt through a set of outlets   Moving a receiving surface arranged for receiving the output from the set of outlets in a first direction parallel to said receiving surface, said moving causing the lengthwise production of said fibrous structures,   Generating a potential difference between said set of outlets and said receiving surface,   
       wherein the method comprises 
       Varying the distance between outlets of the device and the receiving surface according to a predetermined distance profile during electrospinning in order to produce a predetermined fibre thickness profile over the fibrous structure.