Nano-porous PTFE biomaterial

• US 5,480,711 A
• Filed: 07/12/1994
• Issued: 01/02/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bruce G. Ruefer
• Original Assignee: Bruce G. Ruefer
• Inventors: Ruefer, Bruce G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bell, James J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEZZUTO, HELEN LEE
• Application Number:
  US08/273,460
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: 428/131, 428/421, 428/422, 428/315.5, 428/316.6, 428/318.4, 428/304.4
• US Class Current: 428/315.5
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/16 obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/048 obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds A61L31/041 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 55/18 by squeezing between surfaces, e.g. rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2027/18 PTFE, i.e. polytetrafluorethene , e.g. ePTFE, i.e. expanded polytetrafluorethene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/04 cellular or porous
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2327/18 Homopolymers or copolymers of tetrafluoroethylene
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 9/28 by elimination of a liquid phase from a macromolecular composition or article, e.g. drying of coagulum
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 27/18 Homopolymers or copolymers or tetrafluoroethene
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249953 Composite having voids in a component [e.g., porous, cellular, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249978 Voids specified as micro
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249979 Specified thickness of void-containing component [absolute or relative] or numerical cell dimension
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249981 Plural void-containing components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249987 With nonvoid component of specified composition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/3154 Of fluorinated addition polymer from unsaturated monomers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31544 Addition polymer is perhalogenated

Abstract

The invention provides for a nano-porous highly amorphous polytetrafluoroethylene biomaterial which is soft, flexible, permeable to various biomolecules and gases, and high in strength in one or more directions. The invention can be made into many desired shapes as product needs dictate and multidirectional strength can be attained by layering the invention.

Claims

1. A nano-porous PTFE biomaterial consisting of highly amorphous polytetrafluoroethylene polymer, wherein said material is characterized by a microstructure of voids created by separation of parallel and semi-parallel polymeric chains and has unidirectional high strength and soft and flexible mechanical properties.

2. A nano-porous PTFE biomaterial as described in claim 1 in which the void size is from about 50 nanometers to about 5,000 nanometers.

3. A nano-porous PTFE biomaterial as described in claim 1 in which the density is from about 1.2 gm/cc to about 2.0 gm/cc.

4. A nano-porous PTFE biomaterial as described in claim 1 in which said biomaterial is made of a highly amorphous polytetrafluoroethylene polymer, wherein said material is characterized by a microstructure of voids created by separation of parallel and semi-parallel polymeric chains and layered such that multi-directional strength is attained by orientating the polymeric chains in various relative biases one to another.

5. A nano-porous PTFE biomaterial as described in claim 4 in which the void size is from about 50 nanometers to about 5,000 nanometers.

6. A nano-porous PTFE biomaterial as described in claim 4 in which the density is from about 1.2 gm/cc to about 2.0 gm/cc.