Injectable polyethylene oxide gel implant and method for production
AssigneeUniversity of Miami
InventorsFranck L. Villain, Jean-Marie A. Parel, William G. Lee, Gabriel Simon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A biocompatible polyethylene oxide gel implant and method for production which can be injected into the human body for tissue replacement and augmentation. The implant is prepared by dissolving a sample of essentially pure polyethylene oxide in a saline solution in a sealed canister, removing all free oxygen from the container and replacing it with an inert gas, such as argon, and irradiating the canister with a gamma ray source to simultaneously crosslink the polyethylene oxide while sterilizing it. The gel can then be placed into a syringe and injected into the body.
Claims12
A biocompatible material for implantation into the cornea of an eye, comprising:
- a hydrogel configured to be implanted within the cornea for altering the radius of curvature of the cornea having a modulus of elasticity of less than approximately 4.times.10.sup.4 newtons/meter.sup.2 and an index of refraction of between 1.3 and 1.52.
A biocompatible implant injectable into the cornea of the eye of a mammal, comprising:
- a cross-linked polyethylene oxide gel configured to be implanted within the cornea of a mammal for altering the radius of curvature of the cornea formed from a solution containing between 0.8 and 8.0% by weight polyethylene oxide.
A biocompatible implant for implantation by injection into the cornea of an eye of a mammal to alter the radius of curvature of the eye, said implant produced by a process comprising the steps of:
- preparing a solution by dissolving a sample of polyethylene oxide in a Balanced Salt Solution;
- exposing said solution to gamma radiation of a dosage between 2.5 and 25 MRads to cross-link the polyethylene oxide and form a gel;
- removing any syneresis water from the gel;
- and injecting the gel into the cornea of the eye to produce an implant which alters the radius of curvature of the eye.
A biocompatible implant for implantation into the cornea of an eye of a mammal to alter the radius of curvature of the cornea, comprising:
- a cross-linked polyethylene oxide gel configured to be implanted within the cornea to alter the radius of curvature of the cornea formed from a saline solution containing between 0.8 and 8.0% by weight polyethylene oxide, wherein said gel prevents cell migration into the implant from the cornea.
A biocompatible implant for injection into the cornea of an eye of a mammal to alter the radius of curvature of the cornea, comprising:
- a cross-linked polyethylene oxide gel configured to be injected into an annular channel formed within the cornea of the eye to alter its radius of curvature formed from a saline solution containing between 0.8 and 8.0% by weight polyethylene oxide, whereby said gel does not effect an immunologic reaction within said eye.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.