Piezoelectric biomedical device

• US 5,522,879 A
• Filed: 02/18/1994
• Issued: 06/04/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Scopelianos, Angelo G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Prebilic, Paul B.
• Application Number:
  US08/199,365
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 128/898, 600/36, 602/41, 602/42, 602/58, 606/152, 623/1, 623/11, 623/12
• US Class Current: 623/1.49
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/16 obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/507 for artificial blood vessels apparatus for applying cells on a blood vessel prosthesis A61F2/062
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 27/16 Homopolymers or copolymers or vinylidene fluoride
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/0007 Electro-spinning non-woven fabrics produced by electro-spinning D04H1/728
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 6/32 comprising halogenated hydrocarbons as the major constituent

Abstract

A piezoelectric medical device prepared by electrostatically spinning a copolymer of vinylidene fluoride and a second fluorinated hydrocarbon, and collecting the spun fibers on a suitable receiver. The medical device can be in the form of a vascular prosthesis, neural prosthesis, or wound dressing and the copolymer can be composed of a predominant amount of vinylidene fluoride.

Claims

1. A biomedical device selected from the group consisting of a vascular prothesis, a neural prosthesis and a wound dressing exhibiting piezoelectricity prepared by electrostatically spinning under suitable conditions for the formation of piezoelectric fibers a copolymer suitable for direct contact with bodily fluids of a living organism of the following comonomers:

a) from in the range of from about 50 to about 95 weight percent of vinylidene fluoride, and

b) a second fluorinated hydrocarbon, selected from the group consisting of trifluoroethylene and tetrafluoroethylene,

and collecting the spun fibers on a suitable receiver.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the amount of vinylidene fluoride is between about 60 and about 80 weight percent.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the weight average molecular weight of the copolymer is between about 30,000 and about 1,000,000.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the weight average molecular weight of the copolymer is between about 50,000 and about 500,000.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the copolymer exhibits a crystallinity of between about 20 and about 60 percent.

6. The device of claim 5 in the form of a fibrous mat or sheet.

7. The device of claim 5 wherein the device has a tubular structure.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the tubular structure is corrugated.