Durable high strength polymer composite suitable for implant and articles produced therefrom
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A prosthetic valve comprising:
- a support structure including a plurality of posts; and
a leaflet coupled to each of the plurality of posts, each leaflet movable between open and closed positions, each leaflet including at least three layers of a composite material, the composite material including a fluoropolymer layer having a plurality of pores and an elastomer present in substantially all of the pores of the fluoropolymer layer, the at least three layers of composite material being coupled together with a layer of the elastomer between each of the at least three layers of composite material.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A thin, biocompatible, high-strength, composite material is disclosed that is suitable for use in various implanted configurations. In one aspect, the composite material maintains flexibility in high-cycle flexural applications, making it particularly applicable to high-flex implants such as heart pacing lead or heart valve leaflet. The composite material includes a porous expanded fluoropolymer membrane and an elastomer, wherein the elastomer fills substantially all of the pores of the porous expanded fluoropolymer, and the composite material comprising less than about 80% fluoropolymer by weight.
90 Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A prosthetic valve comprising:
-
a support structure including a plurality of posts; and a leaflet coupled to each of the plurality of posts, each leaflet movable between open and closed positions, each leaflet including at least three layers of a composite material, the composite material including a fluoropolymer layer having a plurality of pores and an elastomer present in substantially all of the pores of the fluoropolymer layer, the at least three layers of composite material being coupled together with a layer of the elastomer between each of the at least three layers of composite material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. A prosthetic heart valve comprising:
-
a support structure including a plurality of posts; and a leaflet coupled to each of the plurality of posts, each leaflet movable between open and closed positions, each leaflet including at least three layers of a composite material, the composite material including a fluoropolymer layer having a plurality of pores and an elastomer present in substantially all of the pores of the fluoropolymer layer, the at least three layers of composite material being coupled together with a layer of the elastomer between each of the at least three layers of composite material, wherein the fluoropolymer layer of the composite material has a thickness of less than 12 microns.
-
-
22. A prosthetic valve comprising:
-
a support structure including a plurality of posts; and a leaflet coupled to each of the plurality of posts, each leaflet movable between open and closed positions, each leaflet including at least three layers of a composite material, the composite material including a fluoropolymer layer having a plurality of pores and an elastomer in a portion of the pores, the at least three layers of composite material being coupled together with a layer of the elastomer between each of the at least three layers of composite material, wherein each fluoropolymer layer has a thickness that is less than about 6 microns. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
-
Specification