Vascular prosthesis and method

• US 5,246,451 A
• Filed: 04/30/1991
• Issued: 09/21/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Cahalan, Patrick, Trescony, Paul V., Keeney, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Beck, Shrive
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dudash, Diana L.
• Application Number:
  US07/693,753
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 427/2, 427/40, 427/41, 427/490, 427/538, 427/536, 427/539, 623/1, 435/240.23
• US Class Current: 427/2.25
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/06 Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/34 Macromolecular materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/507 for artificial blood vessels apparatus for applying cells on a blood vessel prosthesis A61F2/062
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 33/0076 Chemical modification of the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 33/0094 Physical treatment, e.g. plasma treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 89/00 Compositions of proteins; Compositions of derivatives thereof foodstuff preparations A23J3/00
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 89/06 derived from leather or skin , e.g. gelatin
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 623/921 Blood vessel

Abstract

A vascular graft with improved endothelial cell adhesion can be achieved on a fluoropolymer surface of a vascular graft by treating the fluoropolymer with a plasma in the presence of a non-polymerizing gas capable of providing the fluoropolymer with anionic groups and binding a protein to the treated fluoropolymer. In a preferred embodiment, the fluoropolymer surface is a plasma deposited fluoropolymer. Also in a preferred embodiment, autologous endothelial cells are seeded onto the vascular graft prior to implantation of the vascular graft in the human body.

Claims

1. A method for making a vascular prosthesis comprising in sequence the steps of:

a. plasma coating a vascular graft material with a fluoropolymer;

b. separately treating the deposited fluoropolymer with a plasma in an atmosphere including only non-polymerizing gases and including at least one non-polymerizing gas capable of producing anionic groups; and

c. binding a protein to the treated fluoropolymer.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of seeding endothelial cells onto the bound protein.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-polymerizing gas is oxygen.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the protein is selected from the group consisting of fibronectin, laminin, type I collagen, type III collagen and type IV collagen.

5. A vascular prosthesis made according to the method of any one of claims 1, 2, 3 or 4.