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AssigneeSciMed Life Systems, Inc.
InventorsSheng Ping Zhong, Arthur R. Madenjian, Douglas E. Godshall, John M. Ronan, Samuel A. Thompson
Estimating the term…
The invention provides a means of boosting the mechanical performance of shaped shaped medical devices comprising polymer hydrogels, such as stents, so that they may be more easily inserted into or removed from the body. In one aspect, the invention provides shaped medical devices having increased mechanical strength and comprising both ionic and covalent crosslinks. In another aspect, the invention provides a shaped medical device having a heterogeneous polymer composition and a variable dissolution or degradation rate along its length. The shaped medical devices according to the present invention retain their shape and stiffness during insertion into the body and can swell and soften inside the body to enhance patient comfort.
A medical device that does not require a surgical procedure for removal comprising a crosslinkable polymer having ionic crosslinks susceptible to dissolution in vivo, the medical device comprising at least two segments that degrade in vivo at different rates.
The medical device of 15, wherein the first ion has a higher electron affinity than the second ion.
The medical device of 16, wherein the second ion is selected from the group consisting of Mg2++ and Ca2++.
The medical device of 17, wherein the first ion is selected from the group consisting of Ba2++ and Zn2++.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.