Medical devices with improved elastic response
AssigneeHercules Incorporated
InventorSamuel Anthony Thompson
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Abstract
Elastically deformable medical devices, such as stents, having improved speed and degree of shape recovery are made by treating shaped hydrogels containing a polymer with a solution containing at least one elasticity agent, which may be nonionic or ionic. For example, polysaccharide-based hydrogels, such as barium alginate, are formed into tubing, shaped into pigtail stents, and exposed to an aqueous solution containing an elasticity agent such as potassium ions, sodium ions, sorbitol, glucose, citric acid, mannitol, dulcitol, or glycerol. The solution may also contain a crosslinking agent, such as calcium ions, to achieve the desired degree of elasticity.
Claims66
A medical device comprising a shaped, elastically deformable portion prepared from a hydrogel composition comprising a polymer, said elastically deformable portion having been exposed after shaping to a solution comprising an elasticity agent in an mount sufficient to enhance elastic response without substantial dissolution, degradation, or dehydration of the hydrogel composition.
A method of making a medical device having an improved elastic response, comprising:
- preparing an elastically deformable hydrogel composition comprising a polymer;
- shaping the hydrogel composition;
- and exposing the shaped hydrogel composition to a solution comprising an elasticity agent in an amount sufficient to enhance elastic response without substantial dissolution, degradation, or dehydration of the hydrogel composition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.