Thermochromic polyvinyl alcohol based hydrogel artery

• US 9,179,997 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2013
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kozov, Valentine, Varadharajan, Sukanya, Willard, Steven N., Cho, Eunhee
• Primary Examiner(s): Khare, Atul P.
• Application Number:
  US13/786,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20140257275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• Field of Search: 264/28, 264/40.1, 264/233, 264/234, 607/102, 424/10.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/00 Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2010/0006 involving a colour change
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00084 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/015 By temperature mapping of body part
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/06 Blood vessels
• 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 29/04 Polyvinyl alcohol; Partially hydrolysed homopolymers or copolymers of esters of unsaturated alcohols with saturated carboxylic acids

Abstract

A method of creating a thermochromic artificial blood vessel includes physically cross-linking a polyvinyl alcohol solution in a mold shaped to mimic a blood vessel to create an artificial blood vessel. The artificial tissue is then chemically cross-linked with a solution including a chemical cross-linking reagent. A coagulation solution is then applied to the artificial blood vessel to both inhibit the chemical cross-linking and promote physical cross-linking of the artificial blood vessel. The artificial blood vessel can be used to test an ablation catheter. The vessel, when heated by the ablation catheter, changes color and/or transparency at locations where the temperature of artificial blood vessel increases.

Claims

1. A method of creating a thermochromic artificial blood vessel, the method comprising:

physically cross-linking a polyvinyl alcohol solution at a temperature below 0°

C. in an arterial mold so as to form an artificial blood vessel, the polyvinyl alcohol solution including polyvinyl alcohol and water;

chemically cross-linking the physically cross-linked blood vessel with a chemical cross-linking solution, the chemical cross-linking solution including a chemical cross-linking reagent and water; and

applying a coagulation solution to the chemically cross-linked blood vessel to both inhibit the chemical cross-linking and promote physical cross-linking of the artificial blood vessel, thereby imparting to the artificial blood vessel the ability to change color and/or transparency at locations thereof where temperature increases, the coagulation solution including water, a base, and a cross-linking promoter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the polyvinyl alcohol solution further comprises dimethyl sulfoxide, the chemical cross-linking reagent is glutaraldehyde, the base is potassium hydroxide, and the cross-linking promoter is sodium sulfate.

3. A method of creating a thermochromic artificial tissue, the method comprising steps of:

physically cross-linking a polyvinyl alcohol solution by freeze-thawing in a mold shaped to mimic an animal tissue so as to create the artificial tissue;

chemically cross-linking the physically cross-linked tissue with a chemical cross-linking solution comprising a chemical cross-linking reagent; and

applying a coagulation solution to the chemically cross-linked tissue to both inhibit the chemical cross-linking and promote physical cross-linking of the artificial tissue, thereby imparting to the artificial tissue the ability to change color and/or transparency at locations thereof where temperature increases.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the artificial tissue comprises an artificial blood vessel.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the polyvinyl alcohol solution includes polyvinyl alcohol and water.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the polyvinyl alcohol has a molecular weight of between about 146,000 to 186,000 Daltons.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the polyvinyl alcohol is at least about 99% hydrolyzed.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the polyvinyl alcohol solution further comprises dimethyl sulfoxide.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein said freeze-thawing is repeated at least once.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the chemical cross-linking solution comprises water.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the chemical cross-linking reagent is glutaraldehyde.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the chemical cross-linking solution further includes a pH modifying agent.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the pH modifying agent is sulfuric acid.

14. The method of claim 4, wherein the coagulation solution includes water, a base, and a cross-linking promoter.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the base is potassium hydroxide.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the cross-linking promoter is sodium sulfate.