Bioabsorbable materials and medical devices made therefrom
AssigneeStryker Technologies Corporation
InventorDeger C. Tunc
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bioabsorbable material such as a terpolymer of poly-(L-lactide/D-lactide/glycolide). The material may consist of 85 molar percent L-lactide, 5 molar percent D-lactide, and 10 molar percent glycolide. The material may have a heat of fusion of about 15-25 J/G, tensile strength retention at 26 weeks of incubation of at least about 50%, and tensile strength retention at 52 weeks of incubation of at most about 25%. The material may be used in implantable devices such as bone fixation devices.
Claims33
A material comprising poly-(L-lactide/D-lactide/glycolide).
A process of making a material, the process comprising:
- a) combining L-lactic acid monomer, glycolic acid monomer and at least about 2 molar percent D-lactic acid monomer to form a mixture;
- and
- b) polymerizing substantially all of the mixture.
An implantable medical device comprising poly-(L-lactide/D-lactide/glycolide).
A method of using a bioabsorbable bone fixation device, the method comprising:
- a) providing a bioabsorbable bone fixation device comprising poly-(L-lactide/D-lactide/glycolide), the device disposed in a first shape in a free state;
- then
- b) heating the bone fixation device;
- and then
- c) applying force to the device so that the device obtains a second shape in a free state which is different than the first shape and which approaches the shape of a bone surface to which it will be attached.
Polymeric material having a heat of fusion of about 0.4-10 J/G, tensile strength retention at 26 weeks of incubation of at least about 50% and tensile strength retention at 52 weeks at incubation of at most about 25%.
Polymeric resin having a heat of fusion of about 15 to about 25 J/G, which upon molding has tensile strength retention at 26 weeks of incubation of at least about 50% and tensile strength retention at 52 weeks of incubation of at most about 25%.
Polymeric material having tensile strength at 0 weeks of incubation of about 65-101 MPa, tensile strength at 26 weeks of incubation of about 50-75 MPa, tensile strength at 44 weeks of incubation of about 0-37 MPa, and tensile strength at 60 weeks of incubation of 0 MPa.
A material comprising poly-(L-lactide/D-lactide/glycolide) made by the process comprising:
- (a) combining L-lactic acid monomer, glycolic acid monomer and at least about 2 molar percent D-lactic acid monomer to make a mixture;
- and
- (b) polymerizing substantially all of the mixture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.