Extrusion Device, Method for Producing a Hollow Structure, and Use of an Extrusion Device

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The invention is a highly precise extrusion device for manufacturing hollow structures—especially for biofabrication applications—via coaxial extrusion of multiple materials through several axially and radially adjustable concentric nozzles. This device can produce extremely small, multilayered tubular structures (potentially as small as cellular scale, about 10–200 micrometers in diameter) with automated, reproducible, and flexible control over nozzle positions and material flow. Its unique holder and bearing system allows precise, automated adjustment and alignment, enabling the production of complex, branched, or hierarchical hollow structures such as artificial blood vessels.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Bioprinting artificial blood vessels and capillary networks for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
• Production of hollow microstructures for microfluidic devices or lab-on-chip applications.
• Fabrication of multilayered biomedical implants or scaffolds with integrated channels for nutrient transport.
• Manufacture of fiber-based bioreactors or hollow fiber membranes for cell cultivation or filtration.
• Precision engineering of tiny, branched tubular elements needed in advanced drug delivery systems.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Enables the automated, reproducible, and highly precise fabrication of extremely small and complex hollow structures (down to single-cell scale).
• Allows flexible adjustment of nozzle positions, supporting complex shapes (such as branches or hierarchical networks).
• Reduces dependency on manual skills for nozzle alignment and assembly, increasing production consistency and scalability.
• Improves quality of produced structures by ensuring optimal concentricity, minimal tolerances, and robust sealing (important for living cell environments).
• Supports multi-material extrusion, allowing functionalization of internal surfaces and multilayer constructs (e.g., coating with cells inside artificial vessels).
• Facilitates integration into automated, high-throughput additive manufacturing or bioprinting platforms.

Technical Classifications (CPCs)

Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

The invention relates to an extrusion device (2) for manufacturing a hollow structure (4) by coaxial extrusion of a plurality of media, wherein the extrusion device has a plurality of mountings (6, 8, 10), each for a nozzle (12, 14, 16) for extruding one of the media, wherein the mountings (6, 8, 10) extend in an axial direction (A) along a central axis (Z) and are arranged coaxially, for coaxial arrangement of the nozzles (12, 14, 16) in one another, wherein at least two of the mountings (6, 8, 10) follow one another in a radial direction (R) and are mounted against one another in the radial direction (R) by means of a bearing such that the at least two mountings (6, 8, 10) can be displaced relative to one another in the axial direction (A) in order to adjust the relative axial positions of the respective nozzles (12, 14, 16). The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a hollow structure (4) and to a use of an extrusion device (2).