Process for the manufacture of moldings

• US 6,255,360 B1
• Filed: 05/15/2000
• Issued: 07/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Novartis Ag
• Original Assignee: Novartis Ag
• Inventors: Domschke, Angelika Maria, Francis, Vimala Mary
• Primary Examiner(s): Foelak, Morton
• Application Number:
  US09/570,656
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 526/246, 526/247, 526/72, 526/248, 526/320, 521/145, 521/149, 521/64, 435/395
• US Class Current: 521/64
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2533/30 Synthetic polymers thermoreactive polymers, e.g. PNIPAm, C12N2539/10
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 5/0068 General culture methods using substrates for specific animal cell type C12N5/06

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for the manufacture of porous polymers, wherein a polymerizable component comprising at least one free radically polymerizable unsaturated monomer of formula

Q—X—A  (1),

wherein the variables are defined as described in the claims, is polymerized in the presence of a specific solvent mixture, and the resulting porous polymer, after removal of the solvent, is subjected to an aftertreatment in an acidic or basic medium. The polymers obtainable according to the invention are useful, for example, as substrates for the attachment and growth of mammalian cells and tissue and in particular as materials for the manufacture of biomedical devices and prostheses, including implanted devices.

Claims

1. Process for producing a porous polymer comprising the steps of:

(a) forming a composition comprising

(i) a polymerizable component comprising at least one free radically polymerizable unsaturated monomer of formula

2. A process according to claim 1 wherein the polymerizable component comprises a least one monomer of formula (1), wherein

Q is a radical of formula

X is is —

O—

, and

A is a radical of formula

3. A process according to claim 1, wherein the polymerizable component comprises at least two different monomers of formula (1).

4. A process according to claim 1, wherein the polymerizable component in addition comprises one or more different crosslinkers.

5. A process according to claim 1, wherein the polymerizable component comprises a crosslinker of formula

6. A process according to claim 1, wherein the polymerizable component comprises a crosslinker of formula

7. A process according to claim 1, wherein the polymerizable component comprises

(i) at least two different monomers of formula

8. A process according to claim 1, wherein the solvent system (ii) according to step (a) comprises at least two components selected from the group consisting of a non-solvent, an intermediate solvent and a solvent for the respective polymerizable component (i).

9. A process according to claim 8, wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of a C₅-C₁₂-alkane, C₅-C₁₂-cycloalkane, benzene, C₃-C₁₀-ether and C₃-C₁₀-ketone, each of which unsubstituted or substituted by C₁-C₄-alkyl, C₁-C₄-alkoxy or halogen.

10. A process according to claim 8, wherein the intermediate solvent is selected from the group consisting of a non-fluorinated C₁-C₁₀-alkanol, C₁-C₁₀-amine, C₁-C₁₀-nitrile and a C₁-C₁₀-carboxylic acid.

11. A process according to claim 8, wherein the non-solvent is water.

12. A process according to claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of polymerizable component and solvent system is from 85%:

15% to 50% to 50%.

13. A process according to claim 1, wherein in step (b) the polymerizable component is polymerized in the presence of a photoinitiator using UV radiation.

14. A process according to claim 1, wherein the aftertreatment according to step (d) is carried out in a basic medium.

15. A process according to claim 14, wherein the aftertreatment comprises treating the polymer in an basic medium for a time period from 30 seconds to 30 minutes at a temperature from 15 to 100°

C.

16. A molding obtained by the process according to claim 1.

17. A molding according to claim 16 is a biomedical device.

18. A molding according to claim 16 is a medical implant.

19. A molding according to claim 16 is an ocular prostheses.

20. A molding according to claim 19 is an implantable intraocular lens or artificial cornea.

21. A molding according to claim 16 is a wound healing dressing.

22. A method of using a polymer that is obtainable by the process according to claim 1 as cell growth material, which comprises causing the polymer to interact with mammalian tissue cells.

23. A polymer which is the polymerization product of a composition comprising

(i) at least two different monomers of formula (1) according to claim 1;

and

(ii) one or more different crosslinkers.

24. A polymer according to claim 23, wherein the composition comprises one or more different crosslinkers selected from the group consisting of

a compound of formula

25. A molding comprising a polymer according to claim 23.