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Method of providing medical metal components having through holes
G.K.L.Ng, L.Li and P.D.Hodson
3M Innovative Properties Company, USA Patent Office. US 2008/0271733. 2008 Nov 06..
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Abstract
A metal component, in particular a metal component of a medicinal device, such as a pharmaceutical aerosol delivery device, having a through hole extending along an axis from a first surface (10) to a second surface (20) of said component and having a sidewall, wherein the sidewall (30) in its planar cross-section along said axis through the first and second surfaces (10) has a geometric form generally corresponding to an arc of a segment (16) of a circle, an oval or an ellipse where the end points (11, 12) of the chord (17) of said segment (16) are located at the points of intersection of the sidewall (30) with the first and second surfaces (10, 20) (a “rounded sidewall”). Methods of providing a metal component with a through hole with a rounded sidewall, said methods comprising the step of directing at the entrance of the hole at the first surface a pulse of laser light having sufficient energy to melt the material in the vicinity of the hole, said laser light being focused and the focal plane of said focused laser light being positioned substantially normal to said axis of through hole between the source of said laser light and the first surface, while providing a flow of gas through the through hole.