Methods and apparatus for in situ formation of hydrogels

• US 6,673,093 B1
• Filed: 04/21/2000
• Issued: 01/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Incept LLC
• Original Assignee: Incept LLC
• Inventors: Sawhney, Amarpreet S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Gary
• Application Number:
  US09/513,491
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 606/213, 606/214, 604/82, 604/197, 604/240
• US Class Current: 606/214
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00491 Surgical glue applicators surgical adhesives A61L24/00; two-component delivery syringes A61M5/19
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00495 for two-component glue
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0071 Multiple separate lumens multiple separate lumens throughout the catheter A61M25/0026
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 35/30 Gas therapy for therapeutic treatment of the skin

Abstract

Methods and apparatus of forming in situ tissue adherent barriers are provided using a sprayer capable of applying two or more viscous crosslinkable components to tissue. The sprayer comprises separate spray nozzles for each of two or more crosslinkable solutions, with each nozzle surrounded by an annular gas flow outlet. Crosslinkable solutions are stored in separate compartments and communicated under pressure to the spray nozzles. In the presence of gas flow through the annular gas flow outlets, the crosslinkable solutions are atomized and mixed in the gas flow to form a spray. Multi-component hydrogel systems suitable for use with the inventive methods and apparatus are also described.

Claims

1. A method of forming an adherent coating on a tissue surface comprising:

providing a sprayer having a first chamber containing a first component, a second chamber containing a second component, a first nozzle coupled to the first chamber, and a second nozzle coupled to the second chamber, a gas flow outlet surrounding the first and the second nozzles, and a source of pressurized gas coupled to the gas flow outlet;

spraying the first component from the first chamber through the first nozzle onto the tissue surface; and

spraying the second component from the second chamber through the second nozzle onto the tissue surface;

thereby reacting the first component with the second component to form coating on the tissue surface.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein spraying the first component from the first chamber onto the tissue surface and spraying the second component from the second chamber onto the tissue surface further comprises simultaneously spraying the first component from the first chamber and the second component from the second chamber onto the tissue surface.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising warming the first and the second components to physiological temperatures.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein crosslinking the first and second components comprises crosslinking the first and second components by a physical crosslinking process.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising adding an addition-polymerizable or condensation-polymerizable compound to the first chamber.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first component is an electrophilic compound and the second component is a nueleophilic compound such that the mixing of the first and second components causes the formation of a hydrogel that coats the tissue.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the coating is deposited to form a barrier that reduces leakage of body fluids.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the coating is deposited to form a barrier that reduces formation of post-surgical adhesions.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the coating contains biologically-active therapeutic materials for release to the tissue.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising displacing fluid from the tissue surface prior to spraying the first and second components.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming the coating on the tissue surface with biologically-active therapeutic materials mixed therein.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the first chamber is separable from the sprayer.

13. The method of claim 6 wherein the first component further comprises a second electrophilic compound.

14. A method of forming a coating on a tissue surface comprising:

providing a sprayer having a first chamber containing a first component, a second chamber containing a second component, a first nozzle coupled to the first chamber, a second nozzle coupled to the second chamber, a gas flow outlet.-disposed surrounding the first and the second nozzles, and a source of pressurized gas coupled to the gas flow outlet;

causing the first component to flow from the first nozzle;

causing the second component to flow from the second nozzle; and

atomizing at least the first component;

thereby reacting the first component with the second component to form a coating on the tissue surface.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the first chamber is detachably coupled to the first nozzle.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the gas flow outlet is selectively coupled to the source of pressurized gas.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising using at least one plunger to displace at least one of the components.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising disposing the first component in a first solution and a second component in a second solution, and causing the first solution to flow from the first nozzle and the second solution to flow from the second nozzle by configuring the first and second nozzles and the gas flow outlet to induce a venturi effect to draw the first and second solutions from the first and second nozzles, respectively.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising atomizing the second solution.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising forming the coating on the tissue surface with biologically-active therapeutic materials mixed therein.