Polymer systems suitable for blood-contacting surfaces of a biomedical device, and methods for forming

A modified, solid polymer and a solid thermoplastic segmented block copolymer additive blended with said base polymer,

• said additive comprising an essentially linear segmented copolymer chain;
• said additive characterized by .gamma..sub.c less than said base polymer and said segmented copolymer chain characterized by the presence of at least one polar hard segment having a glass transition temperature or crystalline melting temperature above 37.degree. C., and a nonpolar soft block having a glass transition temperature below 37.degree. C. said additive further comprising a second essentially linear polymer chain chemically bonded to said segmented copolymer chain, said second polymer chain selected from a polar homopolymer or a second segmented copolymer, said second segmented copolymer or polar homopolymer characterized by the presence of at least one second polar hard segment having a glass transition temperature or crystalline melting temperature above 37.degree. C., said polar hard segments independently selected from the group consisting of a polyurethane and a polyurethaneurea, and said second segmented copolymer further characterized by the presence of a polar soft block having a glass transition temperature or crystalline melting temperature below 37.degree. C. with the proviso that said base polymer is not a polycarbonate of 4,4'-diphenyldimethylmethane;
• and wherein said base polymer and said polar hard segments are formed of the same type of homopolymer.

In method of forming the exposed blood-contacting surface of a biomedical device, or components thereof, the steps of

• (a) thoroughly dispersing no greater than about 5 volume % of a polymer additive throughout at least 95 volume % of a base polymer, while said polymer additive and base polymer are in fluid form, to form a polymer admixture, said polymer additive comprising a thermoplastic segmented block copolymer characterized by the presence of at least one polar hard segment of from 1 to 10 repeating monomer units, said segment selected from the group consisting of a polyurethane and a polyurethaneurea and having a glass transition temperature or crystalline melting temperature above 37.degree. C. and a nonpolar soft block having a glass transition temperature or a crystalline melting temperature below 37.degree. C., said polymer additive being characterized by a .gamma..sub.c between about 10 and 35 dyne/cm;
• and
• (b) solidifying said polymer mixture and
• (c) depositing said polymer mixture as a film onto a biomedical device or component thereof.

A modified solid polymer blend formed of a base polymer including end groups capable of hydrogen bonding or reacting with proteins and a solid thermoplastic segmented block copolymer additive blended with said base polymer,

• said additive comprising a first essentially linear segmented copolymer chain and a second essentially linear polymer chain chemically bonded to said first segmented copolymer chain, said second polymer chain being selected from a polar homopolymer or a second segmented copolymer
• said additive characterized by a .gamma..sub.c less than said base polymer and said first segmented copolymer chain characterized by the presence of at least one polar hard segment having a glass transition temperature or crystalline melting temperature above 37.degree. C., and a nonpolar soft block having a glass transition temperature or crystalline melting temperature below 37.degree. C.;
• said second segmented copolymer or polar homopolymer characterized by the presence of at least one second polar hard segment having a glass transition temperature or crystalline melting temperature above 37.degree. C., and said second segmented copolymer further characterized by the presence of a polar soft block having a glass transition temperature or crystalline melting temperatures below 37.degree. C., said polar hard segments independently selected from the group consisting of a polyurethane and a polyurethaneura wherein said nonpolar and polar soft blocks control the surface properties of said modified solid polymer blend;
• and
• said base is selected from the group consisting of a polyurethane, polyester, polyesterether, polyamide, polyether-polyamide, styrene-isoprene, styrene-butadiene, thermoplastic polyolefin, styrene-saturated olefin, polyester-polyester, ethylenevinyl acetate, ethylene-ethylacrylate, ionomers and thermoplastic polydiene.

A modified, solid polymer formed of a base polymer including end groups capable of hydrogen bonding or reacting with proteins and a solid thermoplastic segmented block copolymer additive blended with said base polymer,

• said additive comprising an essentially linear segmented copolymer chain;
• said additive characterized by .gamma..sub.c less than said base polymer and said segmented copolymer chain characterized by the presence of at least one polar hard segment having a glass transition temperature of crystalline melting temperature above 37.degree. C., and a nonpolar soft block having a glass transition temperature below 37.degree. C. said additive further comprising a second essentially linear polymer chain chemically bonded to said segmented copolymer chain, said second polymer chain being selected from a polar homopolymer or a second segmented copolymer, said second segmented copolymer or polar homopolymer characterized by the presence of at least one second polar hard segment having a glass transition temperature or crystalline melting temperature above 37.degree. C., said polar hard segments independently selected from the group consisting of a polyurethane and a polyurethaneurea, and said second segmented copolymer further characterized by the presence of polar soft block having a glass transition temperature or crystalline melting temperature below 37.degree. C.;
• and
• said base polymer is selected from the group consisting of a polyurethane, polyester, polyester-polyether, polyamide, polyether-polyamide, styrene-isoprene, styrene-butadiene, thermoplastic polyolefin, styrene-saturated olefin, polyester-polyester, ethylene-vinyl acetate, ethylethylacrylate, ionomers, and thermoplastic polydiene.

A modified solid polymer blend formed of a base polymer comprising a segmented block polymer and a solid thermoplastic segmented block copolymer additive blended with said base polymer,

• said additive comprising a first essentially linear segmented copolymer chain and a second essentially linear polymer chain chemically bonded to said first segmented copolymer chain, said second polymer chain being selected from a polar homopolymer or a second segmented copolymer
• said additive characterized by a .gamma..sub.c less than said base polymer and said first segmented copolymer chain characterized by the presence of at least one polar hard segment having a glass transition temperatures or crystalline melting temperature above 37.degree. C., and a nonpolar soft block having a glass transition temperature or crystalline melting temperature below 37.degree. C.;
• said second segmented copolymer or polar homopolymer characterized by the presence of at least one second polar hard segment having a glass transition temperature or crystalline melting temperature above 37.degree. C., and second segmented copolymer further characterized by the presence of a polar soft block having a glass transition temperature or crystalline melting temperature below 37.degree. C., said polar hard segments independently selected from the group of a polyurethane and a polyurethaneurea wherein said nonpolar and polar soft blocks control the surface properties of said modified solid polymer blend;
• and
• said base polymer is selected from the group consisting of a polyurethane, polyester, polyester-polyether, polyamide, polyether-polyamide, styrene-isoprene, styrene-butadiene, thermoplastic polyolefin, styrene-saturated olefin, polyester-polyester, ethylenevinyl acetate, ethylene-ethylacrylate, ionomers and thermoplastic polydiene.

A modified, solid polymer formed of a base polymer comprising a segmented block copolymer and a solid thermoplastic segmented block copolymer additive blended with said base polymer,

• said additive comprising an essentially linear segmented copolymer chain;
• said additive characterized by a .gamma..sub.c less than said base polymer and said segmented copolymer chain characterized by the presence of at least one polar hard segment having a transition temperature or crystalline melting temperature above 37.degree. C., and a nonpolar soft block having a glass transition temperature below 37.degree. C. said additive chemically bonded to said segmented copolymer chain, said second polymer chain being selected from a polar homopolymer or a second segmented copolymer, said second segmented copolymer or polar homopolymer characterized by the presence of at least one second polar hard segment having a glass transition temperature or crystalline melting temperature 37.degree. C., said polar hard segments independently selected from the group consisting of a polyurethane and a polyurethaneurea, and said second segmented copolymer further characterized by the presence of a polar soft block having a glass transition temperature or crystalline melting temperature below 37.degree. C.;
• and
• said base polymer is selected from the group consisting of a polyurethane, polyester, polyester-polyether, polyamide, polyether-polyamide, styrene-isoprene, styrene-butadiene, thermoplastic polyolefin, styrene, saturated olefin, polyester-polyster, ethylene-vinyl acetate, ethylethylacrylate, ionomers, and thermoplastic polydiene.

A modified solid polymer blend formed of a segmented polyurethane base polymer and a solid thermoplastic segmented block copolymer additive blended with said base polymer,

• said additive comprising a first essentially linear segmented copolymer chain and a second essentially linear polymer chain chemically bonded to said first segmented copolymer chain, said second polymer chain being selected from a polar homopolymer or a second segmented copolymer
• said additive characterized by a .gamma..sub.c less than base polymer and said first segmented copolymer chain characterized by the presence of at least one polar hard segment having a glass transition temperature or crystalline melting temperature above 37.degree. C., and a nonpolar soft block having a glass transition temperature or crystalline melting temperature below 37.degree. C.;
• said second segmented copolymer or polar homopolymer characterized by the presence of at least one second polar hard segment having a glass transition temperature or crystalline melting temperature above 37.degree. C., and said second segmented copolymer further characterized by the presence of a polar soft block having a glass transition temperature or crystalline melting temperature below 37.degree. C., said polar hard segments independently selected from the group consisting of a polyurethane and a polyurethaneurea with the proviso that said base polymer is not a polycarbonate of 4,4'-diphenylmethylmethane, wherein said nonpolar and polar soft blocks control the surface properties of said modified solid polymer blend.