Patent ID: 7707854

Claim:
A method of making an article having channels therethrough comprising: a. providing a ductile tube defining at least one macro-channel, wherein said ductile tube comprises a composition selected from the group consisting of a glass, a glassy composition, and a polymer; b. filling said at least one macro-channel with a salt to produce a filled ductile tube; c. heating said filled ductile tube to a sufficient temperature so that said tube can be drawn and so that said salt melts; d. drawing said filled ductile tube in an axial direction of said at least one macro-channel to reduce diameter of said at least one macro-channel and to produce a fiber; e. cutting and bundling said fiber into a bundle; f. heating and redrawing said bundle to form a fused bundle; and g. contacting said fused bundle with a solvent to dissolve said salt to produce an article having at least one microchannel.