METHODS OF BONDING OR MODIFYING HYDROGELS USING IRRADIATION

• US 20070134333A1
• Filed: 12/07/2006
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zimmer Incorporated (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Zimmer Incorporated (Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Kai, Thomas, Brian, Hodorek, Robert, Hudgins, Garryl
• Granted Patent: US 8,262,730 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 424/486
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 24/0031 Hydrogels or hydrocolloids
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 24/06 obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds A61L24/043, A61L24/046 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/16 obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/52 Hydrogels or hydrocolloids
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 29/04 Polyvinyl alcohol; Partially hydrolysed homopolymers or copolymers of esters of unsaturated alcohols with saturated carboxylic acids

Abstract

This invention provides methods and processes to attach or bond hydrogels to suitable surfaces using irradiation techniques and also provides methods and processes to create crosslinked regions in hydrogel articles using these irradiation techniques. Specifically, lasers at wavelengths tuned to the irradiation absorption bands of hydroxyl groups, carboxylic acid groups or water may be used to attach or bond hydrogels to surfaces such as soft tissue and hydrogel surfaces or to crosslink regions in hydrogel articles.

Claims

1. A method of bonding a hydrogel component to a surface comprising:

contacting a surface with a hydrogel component;

irradiating a region at an interface of the hydrogel component and surface to bond the hydrogel component to the surface.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the hydrogel component comprises at least one polymer containing hydroxyl or carboxylic acid groups.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the hydrogel component comprises at least one polymer that is poly(vinyl alcohol) or a derivative thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the hydrogel component comprises a blend of polymers.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the hydrogel component is shaped to provide a hydrogel article for joint repair before contacting the surface with the hydrogel component.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the hydrogel component is shaped as at least one cylindrical, spherical, or polyhedral segment.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the surface is a soft tissue surface.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the soft tissue surface is at a collagen site, joint site, an articulating surface site or a load-bearing surface site.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the surface is a hydrogel article surface.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the hydrogel component is either a preformed hydrogel or a hydrogel precursor.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the hydrogel component is a blend of polymers.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the hydrogel component is fiber reinforced.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the hydrogel component is flowable.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the irradiating step comprises using a laser.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the laser emits at a wavelength in the range of 900-1600 nm.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the laser emits at a wavelength in the range of 1430-1470 nm.

17. A method of implanting a hydrogel article comprising:

attaching the hydrogel to a soft tissue surface by irradiating a region at an interface of the hydrogel article and soft tissue surface to bond the hydrogel article to the soft tissue surface.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the hydrogel component is either a preformed hydrogel or a hydrogel precursor.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the hydrogel component is a blend of polymers.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the hydrogel component is fiber reinforced.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the hydrogel component is flowable.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein the soft tissue surface comprises articular cartilage.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein the soft tissue surface comprises meniscual cartilage.

24. The method of claim 17 wherein the implanted hydrogel article comprises poly(vinyl alcohol) or a derivative thereof.

25. The method of claim 17 wherein the implanted hydrogel article comprises a blend of polymers.

26. The method of claim 17 wherein the implanted hydrogel article is used for joint articulation.

27. A method of making a crosslinked gradient in a hydrogel article comprising selectively irradiating predetermined regions of the hydrogel article to provide a greater concentration of crosslinking in the irradiated regions.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the predetermined regions are at least one rasterized pattern.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the predetermined regions are at least one geometric pattern.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein a laser is used to selectively irradiate the hydrogel article.

31. The method of claim 27 wherein the crosslinked gradient comprises at least one three dimensional pattern.

32. The method of claim 27 wherein the crosslinked gradient is created using a layering process comprising:

irradiating a first hydrogel component in a first predetermined pattern to provide a first patterned layer;

contacting the first patterned layer with a second layer of a hydrogel component; and

irradiating the second layer of the hydrogel component in a second predetermined pattern that is the same or different than the first predetermined pattern.

33. The method of claim 32 in which the layering process is repeated a predetermined number of times.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein at least one surface of the first layer is bonded to a contacting surface of the second layer.

35. A method of making a modified hydrogel article comprising:

attaching a hydrogel article to a soft tissue site by irradiating a region at an interface of the hydrogel article and soft tissue to bond the hydrogel article to the soft tissue, and

selectively irradiating predetermined regions of the hydrogel article to provide a greater concentration of crosslinking in the predetermined, irradiated regions.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein the hydrogel article is either a preformed hydrogel or a hydrogel precursor.

37. The method of claim 35 wherein the hydrogel article is a blend of polymers.

38. The method of claim 35 wherein the hydrogel article is fiber reinforced.

39. The method of claim 35 wherein the hydrogel article is flowable.

40. A method of creating a multilayered hydrogel article comprising:

(a) irradiating a first hydrogel component to provide a first crosslinked lamina;

(b) forming a second hydrogel component over the first crosslinked lamina;

(c) irradiating the second hydrogel component to form a second crosslinked lamina bonded to the first crosslinked lamina;

(d) repeating (b) and (c) to form a plurality of successively bonded laminae; and

(e) hydrating the plurality of bonded laminae to form the multilayered hydrogel article.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein the hydrogel component is either a preformed hydrogel or a hydrogel precursor.

42. The method of claim 40 wherein the hydrogel component is a blend of polymers.

43. The method of claim 40 wherein the hydrogel component is fiber reinforced.

44. The method of claim 40 wherein the hydrogel component is flowable.