Reducing adhesion

• US 6,693,089 B1
• Filed: 01/10/2003
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Scimed Life Systems Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Li, Jianmin, Bucay-Couto, Weenna, Harrah, Timothy P.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Sullivan, Peter
• Application Number:
  US10/339,905
• Time in Patent Office: 403 Days
• Field of Search: 514/54, 536/3
• US Class Current: 514/54
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 47/6957 the form being a device or a kit, e.g. stents or microdevices
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/20 Polysaccharides
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/26 Mixtures of macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/041 Mixtures of macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/042 Polysaccharides
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 5/04 Alginic acid; Derivatives thereof

Abstract

A method of reducing adhesion at a site of trauma includes forming a film from an alginate solution, contacting the film with a cross-linking solution to form a cross-linked mechanically stable sheet, and placing at least a portion of the sheet at the site of trauma. An anti-adhesion barrier includes a sheet of ionically cross-linked alginate having a thickness in a range of 0.25 mm to 10 mm. The sheet has a tear strength sufficient for suturing and repositioning. A drug delivery device includes a cross-linked alginate container that can be filled with a drug.

Claims

1. A method for forming a device for insertion into a body, comprising:

providing a substrate;

forming a film comprising an alginate solution on the substrate; and

contacting the film with a cross-linking solution.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the film comprises disposing the film on a portion of the substrate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate has a first side and an opposed second side, and forming the film comprises disposing the film only on the first side of the substrate.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing the film from the substrate after contacting the film, wherein the film is conformable to a body tissue.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising altering a shape of the film after removing the film from the substrate.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the film comprises dipping the substrate in a bath of the alginate solution.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein contacting the film with the cross-linking solution comprises spraying the cross-linking solution onto the film on the substrate.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein contacting the film with the cross-linking solution comprises dipping the substrate in a bath of the cross-linking solution.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the alginate solution comprises one or more drugs.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a material selected from the group consisting of glass, polymer, aluminum and steel.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the alginate solution comprises a filler.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the filter comprises a radiopaque material.

13. A method for forming a medical device, comprising:

forming a film from a solution comprising a cross-linkable polymer; and

contacting the film with a cross-linking solution to form a cross-linked mechanically stable barrier for placement of the barrier at a site of trauma to provide an adhesion barrier.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the cross-linkable polymer comprises a polysaccharide.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the solution further comprises one or more drugs.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the solution further comprises a filler.

17. A method for forming a device for use as an adhesion barrier, comprising:

forming a film from a solution comprising a cross-linkable polymer; and

exposing the film to at least one non-ionic cross-linking mechanism.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one non-ionic cross-linking mechanism comprises at least one of covalent bonds and physical cross-linking.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the cross-linkable polymer comprises an alginate.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the solution comprises more than one cross-linkable polymer.

21. A method for reducing adhesion at a site of trauma, comprising:

disposing a film of a solution comprising a cross-linkable polymer at the site of trauma; and

contacting the film disposed at the site of trauma with a cross-linking solution to form a cross-linked barrier layer.

22. The method of claim 21, whereby the barrier layer has a thickness in a range of 0.25 mm to 10 mm.

23. The method of claim 21, whereby the barrier layer has a tear strength in a range of 5 psi to 500 psi.

24. A method for reduction of adhesion at a site of trauma, comprising:

disposing a film of cross-linking solution at the site of trauma; and

contacting the film disposed at the site of trauma with a solution comprising a cross-linkable polymer to form a cross-linked barrier layer.