3D-printed water-soluble pods with tunable dissolution
This technology describes a water-soluble container — think a dissolvable pod or capsule — whose shell is built from a set of discrete three-dimensional units (voxels), suggesting it is manufactured using additive (3D printing) techniques. The shell fully encases a liquid benefit agent, such as a detergent, fragrance, or personal care ingredient, and dissolves when exposed to water, releasing its contents. The voxel-based construction implies precise control over shell geometry, thickness, and potentially dissolution rate at different locations on the shell. This is essentially an advanced, digitally manufactured version of the single-dose detergent pod concept already familiar to consumers.
What you could build
A digitally manufactured single-dose consumer pod — for laundry detergent, dishwasher soap, personal care, or specialty cleaning products — with programmable shell geometry and dissolution profiles; target buyers would be consumer packaged goods companies like P&G, Henkel, or Reckitt seeking differentiated pod formats.
Who in Virginia should care
Consumer packaged goods manufacturers or specialty chemical companies with Virginia operations, or contract packaging firms looking to differentiate pod-format products.
Readiness: Concept
Concept — described but not yet demonstrated. Lab validated — supported by experimental results in the patent. Prototype likely — the text describes a built, working embodiment.
Readiness is inferred from the patent text, not from a lab visit.
The record
- Inventors
- Travis Kyle Hodgdon, Douglas Michael Graham, Michael Sean Farrell, Corey James Kenneally, Christopher B. Williams, Callie Zawaski
- Granted
- July 7, 2020
- Status
- Granted patent
- Patent number
- 10703549
Ready to talk?
Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties handles licensing for this technology.
Prosim summaries are generated from public patent text and are not legal advice.