POROUS MATERIALS, METHODS OF MAKING AND USES

• US 20120077010A1
• Filed: 09/28/2011
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Allergan, Inc. (Canada) (Abbvie Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Allergan, Inc. (Canada) (Abbvie Incorporated)
• Inventors: Manesis, Nicholas J., Liu, Futian
• Granted Patent: US 9,044,897 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/220
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 67/20 for porous or cellular articles, e.g. of foam plastics, coarse-pored chemical aspects of working up macro-molecular substances to porous or cellular articles C08J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/02 Synthetic macromolecular fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2305/026 Porous
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/26 another layer next to it also being fibrous or filamentary relative arrangement of fibres or filaments of different layers B32B5/12

Abstract

The present specification discloses porous materials, methods of forming such porous materials, materials and devices comprising such porous materials, and methods of making such materials and devices.

Claims

1. A method for forming an elastomeric porous material, the method comprising the steps of:

a) applying a matrix material to a contoured mold;

b) applying a fibrous covering to the contoured mold;

c) treating the matrix material having the fibrous covering to cure or harden the matrix material on the mold; and

d) removing the fibrous covering, wherein fibrous covering removal results in a porous material, the porous material comprising a matrix defining an array of interconnected tunnels and channels, wherein the material has a porosity of at least 40%, wherein the material exhibits an elastic elongation of at least 80%, and wherein the layer of porous material has a thickness of at least 300 μ

m.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein fibrous covering comprises polymer fibers having an average thickness between about 100 μ

m and 1000 μ

m.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the polymer fibers comprise poly (L-lactic acid-co-trimethylcarbonate), polycaprolactone, poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(L-lactic acid), poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), poly(ethylene-vinyl acetate), poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-valerate), polydioxanone, polyorthoester, polyanhydride, poly(glycolic acid), poly(D,L-lactic acid), poly(glycolic acid-co-trimethylene carbonate), polyphosphoester, polyphosphoester urethane, poly(amino acids), cyanoacrylates, poly(trimethylene carbonate), poly(iminocarbonate), copoly(ether-esters), polyalkylene oxalates, polyphosphazenes, fibrin, fibrinogen, cellulose, starch, collagen hyaluronic acid, or combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the fibrous covering comprises a fiber assemblage including a plurality of eyes having a mean area of about 50 μ

m² to about 2000 μ

m².

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the fiber assemblage comprises a plurality of layers.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the fiber assemblage is a mesh or a felt.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the fibrous covering comprises a fiber assemblage having an open end and a closed end.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the fiber assemblage is generally in the form of a tube.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein steps (a) and (c) are repeated at least once before step (d) is performed.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein steps (a), (b) and (c) repeated at least repeated at least once before step (d) is performed.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) is repeated at least once before step (d) is performed.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the fibrous covering comprises poly(L-lactic acid).

13. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) is done before step (a).

14. An article of manufacture made by the method of claim 1.

15. An article of manufacture comprising:

an elastomeric porous material made by the method of;

a) applying a matrix material to a contoured mold;

b) applying a fibrous covering to the contoured mold;

c) treating the matrix material having the fibrous covering to cure or harden the matrix material on the mold; and

d) removing the fibrous covering, wherein fibrous covering removal results in a porous material, the porous material comprising a matrix defining an array of interconnected tunnels and channels, wherein the material has a porosity of at least 40%, wherein the material exhibits an elastic elongation of at least 80%, and wherein the layer of porous material has a thickness of at least 300 μ

m.

16. The article of claim 15 wherein the matrix material is a silicone dispersion.

17. The article of claim 15 wherein the elastomeric porous material is a porous silicone elastomer.

18. The article of claim 15 forming at least a component of a personal hygiene product.