Patent ID: 8557159

Claim:
A method of forming a plurality of hollow fibers, comprising the steps of: providing an elongated flexible substantially continuous support fiber having an outer surface; coating the outer surface of the support fiber with a hollow fiber material; curing or hardening the hollow fiber material coating on the outer surface so as to form a substantially continuous and uniform coating layer on the outer surface of the support fiber, the coating layer having an inner surface adjacent the outer surface of the support fiber; forming the coated support fiber into a bundle having an end; potting the end of the bundle in a potting material so as to form a potted end; creating a gap between the outer surface of the intact support fiber and the inner surface of the coating layer defined thereon; cutting the coated support fiber into a plurality of fiber segments each having exposed ends; and removing the support fiber segments from the coating layers so as to provide a plurality of hollow fibers; wherein the potting step is performed prior to the removing step.