Medical device employing liquid crystal block copolymers and method of making the same

• US 7,914,485 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2009
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Chen, John J., Delaney, Joseph Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): WU, SHEAN CHIU
• Application Number:
  US12/549,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20100016941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 252/299.01, 604/96.01, 604/103.01, 604/103.3, 604/524, 264/171.24, 428/35.7
• US Class Current: 604/96.01
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 29/049 Mixtures of macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/1027 Making of balloon catheters
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 19/00 Liquid crystal materials
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 19/3809 Polyesters; Polyester derivatives, e.g. polyamides
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 19/3852 Poly(meth)acrylate derivatives
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 19/408 Polysiloxanes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1352 Polymer or resin containing [i.e., natural or synthetic]

Abstract

A medical device, at least a portion of which is formed from a polymer composition including at least one liquid crystal block copolymer having at least one A block and at least one B block wherein the A block is a liquid crystal polymer block formed of repeating units comprising mesogenic groups and the B block is a non-liquid crystal polymer block.

Claims

1. A medical device, at least a portion of said device formed from a polymer composition comprising at least one liquid crystal block copolymer having at least one A block and at least one B block and wherein

the A block is a liquid crystal polymer block formed from repeating units comprising mesogenic groups, each of said mesogenic groups comprises at least two aromatic rings, the liquid crystal polymer block is a side chain liquid crystal polymer block;

and

the B block is a non-liquid crystal polymer block.

2. The medical device of claim 1 wherein the liquid crystal block copolymer is selected from the group consisting of those polymers having the general formula A-B diblock, (A-B)_n wherein n is 1 to 20, A(B-A)_n where n is 2 to 20, B(A-B)_n where n is 2 to 20, A-B-A triblock, B-A-B triblock, A-B-A-B-A pentablock, multiblock copolymers, linear tetrablock copolymers, random block copolymers and random alternating block copolymers, radial star block copolymers, H-type branched block copolymers, T-type branched block copolymers, combs, brushes, dendrons and mixtures thereof.

3. The medical device of claim 1 wherein said block copolymer further comprises a mesogenic block C different than the A block and said block copolymer has a structure which is selected from the group consisting of B-(A-B—

C)_n—

B wherein n is 3 to 20, A-B—

C triblock, A-C—

B triblock, and A-B—

C random block.

4. The medical device of claim 1 wherein said mesogenic groups comprise fluorinated side-chain groups of at least —

(CF₂)₈—

wherein said —

(CF₂)₈—

is connected to a spacer having three methylene groups or less.

5. The medical device of claim 1 wherein said B block comprises aromaticity.

6. The medical device of claim 5 wherein said B block is styrene.

7. The medical device of claim 1 wherein said A block is formed from repeating units wherein the repeating unit comprises a monomer selected from the group consisting of siloxanes, (meth)acrylates, isocyanates, styrenic monomers, and diene monomers.

8. The medical device of claim 7 wherein said monomer comprises side chain mesogenic groups.

9. The medical device of claim 1 wherein the A block is formed from repeating units wherein the repeating units comprises a (meth)acrylate monomer modified with mesogenic side chain groups and the B block comprises styrene.

10. The medical device of claim 1 wherein the polymer composition further comprises at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of polyamides, polyesters, polyethers, polyolefins, polyimides, block copolymers comprising at least one polyolefin, polyester, polyether, polyamide, and/or polyimide segment, silicones, and mixtures thereof and mixtures thereof.

11. The medical device of claim 1 wherein said liquid crystal block copolymer comprises about 50% to about 95% by weight of said A block and about 5% to about 50% by weight of said B block.

12. The medical device of claim 1 wherein said medical device is a catheter assembly comprising at least one shaft or shaft assembly, and said at least a portion of said medical device formed from said polymer composition is said at least one shaft or shaft assembly.

13. The medical device of claim 1 wherein the medical device is an inflatable medical balloon.

14. The medical device of claim 13 wherein said balloon is mounted on a catheter.

15. The medical device of claim 13 further in combination with a stent.

16. The medical device of claim 1 wherein said block copolymer further includes a C block, the C block comprises mesogenic repeating units, the mesogenic repeating units are different than those of the A block.

17. A medical device, at least a portion of said device formed from a polymer composition comprising at least one liquid crystal block copolymer having at least one A block and at least one B block and wherein

the A block is a liquid crystal polymer block formed from repeating units comprising mesogenic groups;

and

the B block comprises aromaticity.

18. An expandable medical balloon formed from a polymeric composition, the polymeric composition comprising:

at least one liquid crystal block copolymer having at least one A block formed from repeating units comprising mesogenic groups and the B block is a non-liquid crystal polymer block; and

at least one polymer that is compatible with the B block of said liquid crystal polymer.

19. The expandable medical balloon of claim 18 wherein said B block comprises aromaticity.

20. The expandable medical balloon of claim 19 wherein the polymer composition further comprises at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of polyamides, polyesters, polyethers, polyolefins, polyimides, block copolymers comprising at least one polyolefin, polyester, polyether, polyamide, and/or polyimide segment, silicones, and mixtures thereof and mixtures thereof.