Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 February 2011
A containerless method that produces highly uniform microspheres (> 50 microns in diameter) from many materials has been developed for biomedical applications. A piezoelectrically vibrated drop generator forms uniform (monodisperse) monomer droplets that are either electrostatically levitated and polymerized using UV irradiation, or free radical polymerized. Spheres of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) polymer have been produced with diameters of 155 microns ±1.57%.