Controlled vapor deposition of biocompatible coatings for medical devices

• US 20060251795A1
• Filed: 05/05/2005
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Applied Microstructures, Inc. (KLA Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Applied Microstructures, Inc. (KLA Corporation)
• Inventors: Yi, Richard C., Chinn, Jeffrey D., Nowak, Romuald, Kobrin, Boris
• Application Number:
  US11/123,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20060251795A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/2.100
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/34 Macromolecular materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 29/085 Macromolecular materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/10 Macromolecular materials
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 71/02 Polyalkylene oxides
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/261 In terms of molecular thickness or light wave length
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31667 Next to addition polymer from unsaturated monomers, or aldehyde or ketone condensation product

Abstract

We have developed an improved vapor-phase deposition method and apparatus for the application of layers and coatings on various substrates. The method and apparatus are useful in the fabrication of biofunctional devices, Bio-MEMS devices, and in the fabrication of microfluidic devices for biological applications. In one important embodiment, oxide/polyethylene glycol coatings provide increased hydrophilicity and improved biocompatibility for medical devices and implants.

Claims

1. A method of depositing a biocompatible coating on a substrate, wherein a surface of said substrate is vapor deposition coated, wherein at least one coating layer or a portion of a coating layer deposited on said surface is deposited using a stagnation reaction step, and wherein a polyethylene glycol/polyethylene oxide-comprising precursor is reacted to form at least one coating layer or a portion of a coating layer.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said polyethylene glycol/polyethylene oxide-comprising precursor is reacted to form a biocompatible coating which provides a hydrophilicity which is related to a surface tension of a biological fluid.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein said substrate forms at least one surface of a device which is intended for temporary use within or adjacent to tissue of a mammal.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein said device is a contact lens or a catheter.

5. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein said substrate forms at least one surface of a device which is intended for implantation within a body, which implantation lasts for a period of at least one year.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5, wherein said device is selected from the group consisting of an intra-ocular lens, a synthetic blood vessel, a synthetic heart valve, a stent, a joint replacement, a bone replacement, and a breast implant.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said biocompatible vapor-deposited coating includes at least one oxide-based layer and at least one organic functional layer, and wherein said at least one organic functional layer includes a surface layer which is generated from said polyethylene glycol-comprising precursor.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7, wherein said surface layer of said vapor-deposited coating exhibits a DI water wetting angle ranging from about 5°

to about 90°

.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8, wherein said surface layer of said vapor-deposited coating exhibits a DI water wetting angle ranging from about 15°

to about 60°

.

10. A method in accordance with claim 9, wherein said surface layer of said vapor-deposited coating exhibits a DI water wetting angle ranging from about 25°

to about 45°

.

11. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said method comprises the steps of:

a) exposing said surface of said substrate to an oxygen-comprising plasma in a processing chamber which is at subatmospheric pressure;

b) subsequently, without exposure of said oxygen-comprising plasma treated surface to ambient conditions which contaminate or react with said plasma treated surface, exposing said surface to a silicon chloride containing vapor in the presence of moisture, to form a hydrophilic silicon oxide layer on said surface;

c) subsequently, without exposure of said hydrophilic silicon oxide layer to ambient conditions which contaminate or react with said hydrophilic silicon oxide layer, exposing said silicon oxide layer to a functionalized silane precursor vapor containing polyethylene glycol/polyethylene oxide-comprising functional groups, to form a layer selected from the group consisting of a monolayer, a self-aligned monolayer, and a polymerized cross-linked layer.

12. A method in accordance with claim 11, including an additional step:

d) repeating steps a) through c), or repeating steps b) through c), or repeating step c) a nominal number of times, without exposing said substrate to ambient conditions.

13. A method in accordance with claim 11, wherein said subatmospheric pressure during step a) ranges from about 0.01 Torr to about 1 Torr.

14. A method in accordance with claim 11, wherein said silicon chloride-containing precursor in step b) is silicon tetrachloride.

15. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said method comprises the steps of:

a) exposing said surface of said substrate to a silicon chloride containing vapor in the presence of moisture, to form a hydrophilic Si_xO_y layer is produced on said surface; and

b) subsequently, without exposure of said hydrophilic silicon oxide layer to ambient conditions which contaminate or react with said hydrophilic Si_xO_y layer, exposing said Si_xO_y layer to a functionalized silane precursor vapor containing polyethylene glycol/polyethylene oxide-comprising functional groups, to form a layer selected from the group consisting of a monolayer, a self-aligned monolayer, and a polymerized cross-linked layer.

16. A method in accordance with claim 15, including an additional step:

c) repeating steps a) through b), or repeating step b) a nominal number of times, without exposing said substrate to ambient conditions.

17. A method in accordance with claim 15, wherein said silicon chloride-containing precursor in step a) is silicon tetrachloride.

18. A method in accordance with claim 11, wherein an individual layer of said biocompatible coating is formed by repeating a given step a nominal number of times.

19. A method in accordance with claim 18, wherein said individual layer is a Si_xO_y—

containing layer.

20. A method in accordance with claim 18, wherein said individual layer is a polyethylene glycol/polyethylene oxide-containing layer.

21. A method in accordance with claim 15, wherein an individual layer of said biocompatible coating is formed by repeating a given step a nominal number of times.

22. A method in accordance with claim 21, wherein said individual layer is a Si_xO_y—

containing layer.

23. A method in accordance with claim 21, wherein said individual layer is a polyethylene glycol/polyethylene oxide-containing layer.