NEEDLE-TO-NEEDLE ELECTROSPINNING

• US 20120141656A1
• Filed: 01/23/2012
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cook Medical Incorporated (Cook Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cook Medical Incorporated (Cook Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Orr, David E., Moore, William F., Vad, Siddharth
• Granted Patent: US 8,795,577 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/2.25
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 5/0255 spraying and depositing by electrostatic forces only
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 5/08 Plant for applying liquids or other fluent materials to objects
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 5/087 Arrangements of electrodes, e.g. of charging, shielding, collecting electrodes B05B5/12, B05B5/14 take precedence; arrangements of electrodes on the discharge apparatus B05B5/0533
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 5/12 specially adapted for coating the interior of hollow bodies
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/04 involving the use of an electrostatic field B05D1/025 and B05D1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 2252/10 Applying the material on both sides
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 2254/02 Applying the material on the exterior of the tube
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 2254/04 Applying the material on the interior of the tube
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/0061 characterised by the electro-spinning apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/0084 Coating by electro-spinning, i.e. the electro-spun fibres are not removed from the collecting device but remain integral with it, e.g. coating of prostheses

Abstract

An electrospinning apparatus may include a first spinneret and a second spinneret, each including a reservoir and an orifice. The first and second spinnerets may have first and second electrical charges, respectively. The first spinneret orifice may be located substantially opposite the second spinneret orifice. The first and second spinnerets may be used to prepare a medical device defining a lumen with a proximal end, a distal end, a luminal surface and an abluminal surface. The first spinneret orifice distal end may be configured to be located outside of the medical device lumen and between about 0.1 inches and about 6.0 inches from the medical device abluminal surface. The second spinneret orifice distal end may be configured to be located in the medical device lumen and between about 0.1 inches and about 6.0 inches from the medical device luminal surface.

Claims

1. An electrospinning apparatus comprising:

a first spinneret comprising a reservoir and an orifice, the first spinneret orifice comprising a proximal end fluidly coupled to the reservoir and a distal end through which a first solution is electrospun, the first spinneret comprising a first electrical charge;

a second spinneret comprising a reservoir and an orifice, the second spinneret orifice comprising a proximal end fluidly coupled to the reservoir and a distal end through which a second solution is electrospun, the second spinneret comprising a second electrical charge;

wherein the first spinneret orifice is located substantially opposite the second spinneret orifice,

wherein the first and second spinnerets are used to prepare a medical device defining a lumen with a proximal end, a distal end, a luminal surface and an abluminal surface,

wherein the first spinneret orifice distal end is configured to be located outside of the medical device lumen between the medical device proximal end and the medical device distal end and between about 0.1 inches and about 6.0 inches from the medical device abluminal surface, the first spinneret orifice distal end being configured to directly face the medical device abluminal surface, and

wherein the second spinneret orifice distal end is configured to be located in the medical device lumen between the medical device proximal end and the medical device distal end and between about 0.1 inches and about 6.0 inches from the medical device luminal surface, the second spinneret orifice distal end being configured to directly face the medical device luminal surface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first electrical charge of the first spinneret and the second electrical charge of the second spinneret are opposing electrical charges.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a sign of the first electrical charge of the first spinneret is the same as a sign of the second electrical charge of the second spinneret.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a magnitude of the first electrical charge of the first spinneret is substantially the same as a magnitude of the second electrical charge of the second spinneret.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the medical device comprises a third electrical charge.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein a magnitude of the third electrical charge of the medical device is greater than a magnitude of the first electrical charge of the first spinneret and a magnitude of the second electrical charge of the second spinneret.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein a sign of the first electrical charge of the first spinneret is positive, a sign of the second electrical charge of the second spinneret is positive, and a sign of the third electrical charge of the medical device is negative.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein a sign of the first electrical charge of the first spinneret is negative, a sign of the second electrical charge of the second spinneret is negative, and a sign of the third electrical charge of the medical device is positive.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first solution is different from the second solution.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein an electrical conductivity of the first solution is different than an electrical conductivity of the second solution.

11. An electrospinning apparatus comprising:

a first spinneret comprising a reservoir and an orifice, the first spinneret orifice comprising a proximal end fluidly coupled to the reservoir and a distal end through which a first solution is electrospun, the first spinneret comprising a first electrical charge;

a second spinneret comprising a reservoir and an orifice, the second spinneret orifice comprising a proximal end fluidly coupled to the reservoir and a distal end through which a second solution is electrospun, the second spinneret comprising a second electrical charge;

wherein the first spinneret orifice is located substantially opposite the second spinneret orifice,

wherein the first and second spinnerets are used to prepare a medical device defining a lumen with a proximal end, a distal end, a luminal surface and an abluminal surface,

wherein the first spinneret orifice distal end is configured to be located outside of the medical device lumen between the medical device proximal end and the medical device distal end and to directly face the medical device abluminal surface, and

wherein the second spinneret orifice distal end is configured to be located in the medical device lumen between the medical device proximal end and the medical device distal end and to directly face the medical device luminal surface.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein a sign of the first electrical charge of the first spinneret is opposite of a sign of the second electrical charge of the second spinneret.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein a sign of the first electrical charge of the first spinneret is the same as a sign of the second electrical charge of the second spinneret.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the medical device comprises a third electrical charge, and a sign of the third electrical charge is opposite of the sign of the first electrical charge and the sign of the second electrical charge.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein a magnitude of the third electrical charge of the medical device is greater than a magnitude of the first electrical charge of the first spinneret and a magnitude of the second electrical charge of the second spinneret.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each of the first solution and the second solution comprises at least one material selected from the group comprising polymers, proteins, bioadhesives, and bioactive agents.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein an electrical conductivity of the first solution is different than an electrical conductivity of the second solution.

18. A method for preparing a medical device, the method comprising:

providing the medical device, the medical device comprising a first surface and an opposing second surface;

providing an electrospinning apparatus, the electrospinning apparatus comprising a first spinneret and a second spinneret located substantially opposite the first spinneret, the first spinneret comprising a reservoir and an orifice fluidly coupled to the first spinneret reservoir, the second spinneret comprising a reservoir and an orifice fluidly coupled to the second spinneret reservoir;

applying a first electrical charge to the first spinneret;

applying a second electrical charge to the second spinneret, a sign of the second electrical charge being the same as a sign of the first electrical charge;

applying a third electrical charge to the medical device, a sign of the third electrical charge being opposite of the sign of the first electrical charge and the sign of the second electrical charge;

locating the first spinneret orifice nearby the medical device first surface;

locating the second spinneret orifice nearby the medical device second surface;

simultaneously electrospinning a first solution onto the medical device first surface with the first spinneret and a second solution onto the medical device second surface with the second spinneret.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising moving the medical device relative to the first spinneret orifice or the second spinneret orifice and simultaneously electrospinning the first solution about a length or a width of the medical device first surface and the second solution about a length or a width of the medical device second surface.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein an electrical conductivity of the first solution is different than an electrical conductivity of the second solution.