Radiopaque polymers

Abstract

A hydrophilic polymer comprising pendent groups of the formula I: Wherein: W is independently selected from —OH, —COOH, —SO3H, —OPO3H, —O—(C1-4alkyl), —O—(C1-4alkyl)OH, —O—(C1-4alkyl)R2, —O—(C2H5O)qR1—(C═O)—O—C1-4alkyl and —O—(C═O)C1-4alkyl; or a group —BZ; wherein —OH, COOH, O—PO3H and SO3H maybe in the form of a pharmaceutically acceptable salt; wherein: B is a bond, or a straight branched alkanediyl, oxyalkylene, alkylene oxaalkylene, or alkylene (oligooxalkylene) group, optionally containing one or more fluorine substituents; and Z is an ammonium, phosphonium, or sulphonium phosphate or phosphonate ester zwitterionic group; X is either a bond or a linking group having 1 to 8 carbons and optionally 1 to 4 heteroatoms selected from O, N and S; G is a coupling group through which the group of the formula I is coupled to the polymer and is selected from ether, ester, amide, carbonate, carbamate, 1,3 dioxolone, and 1,3 dioxane; R1 is H or C1-4 alkyl; R2 is —COOH, —SO3H, or —OPO3H2 q is an integer from 1 to 4; n is an integer from 1 to 4; p is an integer from 1 to 3; and n+p is from 2 to 5; and wherein —COOH, —OPO3H2 and —SO3H as well as phenolic —OH maybe in the form of a pharmaceutically acceptable salt.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.