Methods of making medical devices

• US 20070178221A1
• Filed: 01/31/2006
• Published: 08/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vactronix Scientific, LLC
• Original Assignee: Advanced Bio Prosthetic Surfaces, Ltd.
• Inventors: Sims, Daniel, Steinmetz, Jeffrey, Wood, Alexander, Banas, Christopher, Mullens, Conor
• Granted Patent: US 7,736,687 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/2.210
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/91 made from perforated sheet material or tubes, e.g. perforated by laser cuts or etched holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/915 with bands having a meander structure, adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/9155 Adjacent bands being connected to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/91575 connected peak to trough
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2210/0076 multilayered, e.g. laminated structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0041 using additional screws, bolts, dowels or rivets, e.g. connecting screws
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/005 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0058 soldered or brazed or welded
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2220/0075 sutured, ligatured or stitched, retained or tied with a rope, string, thread, wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2240/001 Designing or manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0068 the pharmaceutical product being in a reservoir
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 59/04 using rollers or endless belts
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 59/043 for profiled articles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 14/24 Vacuum evaporation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1043 Subsequent to assembly

Abstract

Scaffold-supported metal or pseudometallic film covers suitable for use as medical devices are disclosed together with methods of fabricating the devices. Methods for making the medical devices consist of either providing or forming a scaffold, then depositing a metallic or pseudometallic film cover onto the scaffold in such a manner as to form an integral, substantially monolithic junction between the deposited cover material and the scaffold.

Claims

1. A method of making a medical device having a covered scaffold, comprising the steps of:

a) Forming a scaffold in association with a deposition substrate;

b) Depositing a cover-forming material onto the formed scaffold, thereby monolithically joining the scaffold and the cover-forming material;

c) Creating a plurality of openings passing through the cover-forming material; and

d) Releasing the monolithically joined scaffold and cover-forming material from the deposition substrate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step a) further comprises the steps of:

i) Forming a pattern associated with the deposition substrate corresponding to a geometry for the scaffold;

ii) Depositing a scaffold-forming material onto the patterned substrate;

iii) Removing regions of the deposited scaffold-forming material.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step a) further comprises the steps of:

i) Forming a pattern of recesses in the deposition substrate corresponding to a geometry for the scaffold; and

ii) Engaging a scaffold into the pattern of recesses in the deposition substrate.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein step i) further comprises a step of embossing the pattern of recesses in the deposition substrate.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein step i) further comprises a step of etching the pattern of recesses in the deposition substrate.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step a) further comprises a step of disposing a scaffold onto the deposition substrate.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising after step iii) the steps of:

(1) depositing a sacrificial material onto the scaffold-forming material and the deposition substrate; and

(2) planarizing the sacrificial material to expose the scaffold.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein step d) further comprises the step of removing the sacrificial material.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein step (2) further comprises the step of planarizing the sacrificial material to expose only at least one terminal end portion of the scaffold.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein steps b) and ii) each further comprise the step of vacuum depositing the cover-forming material and scaffold-forming material, respectively.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein b) further comprises the step of electrochemically depositing the cover-forming material.

12. The method of claim 1, after step b), further comprising the steps of:

i) disposing a second scaffold member onto the cover-forming material;

ii) depositing a sacrificial material onto the second scaffold member and the cover-forming material;

iii) removing portions of the sacrificial material to expose portions of the second scaffold member; and

iv) depositing a second cover-forming material onto the exposed portions of the second scaffold member and the sacrificial material.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step c) of creating a plurality of openings further comprises the step of creating a plurality of openings in the second cover-forming material, and step d) of releasing the monolithically joined scaffold and cover-forming material further comprises the step of removing the sacrificial material to form a void plenum between the cover-forming material and the second-cover forming material.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of loading at least one pharmacologically agent into the void plenum between the cover-forming material and the second cover-forming material.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the cover forming material is a shape memory alloy having an austenite phase transition temperature is greater than 37°

C.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein in step b the cover forming material is sputter deposited onto the scaffold and substrate.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein a pharmaceutically active agent is loaded into the medical device, with a suitable carrier, excipient or matrix.

22. The method of claim 3, wherein step i) further comprises a step of gravure calendaring the pattern.

15. A method of making a medical device having a structural scaffold and a cover, comprising the steps of:

a) Providing a substrate suitable for vacuum deposition of biocompatible metals and pseudometals thereupon, the substrate having a pattern imparted thereto corresponding to the structural scaffold;

b) Vacuum depositing a scaffold-forming biocompatible metal or pseudometal onto the substrate and into the pattern;

c) Planarizing the scaffold-forming biocompatible metal or pseudometal to a surface of the substrate such that at least a portion of the scaffold-forming biocompatible metal or pseudometal in the pattern is substantially co-planar with the surface of the substrate;

d) Vacuum depositing a cover-forming biocompatible metal or pseudometal onto the substrate and the scaffold-forming biocompatible metal or pseudometal;

e) Forming a plurality of openings in the deposited cover-forming biocompatible metal or pseudometal; and

f) Removing the substrate from the deposited scaffold-forming and cover-forming biocompatible metals or pseudometals.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein step c) further comprises the step of vacuum depositing a sacrificial material onto the scaffold-forming biocompatible metal or pseudometal and substrate.

17. The method of claim 16, after step c), further comprising the step of planarizing portions of the sacrificial material to expose only terminal end portions of the scaffold-forming biocompatible metal or pseudometal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein step f) further comprises the step of removing the sacrificial material.