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Process for making porous membranes

Assignee: Kontron Instruments Holding NV
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Filing: 1991-09-18
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Granted: 1993-07-20
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Expires: 2011-09-18
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Abstract

Abstract Porous, distensible, gel-like membranes which in tubular form are suitable as implants, e.g., vascular prostheses and a process for the preparation thereof. The membranes are formed by a spraying, phase-inversion technique which employs thermodynamically unstable polymer solutions and is accomplished by separately spraying the unstable solution and a nonsolvent onto a rotating surface. Prostheses from the highly porous tubular membranes have shown a high degree of patency and completeness of the healing process and are useful for direct implantation in the body or for extracorporeal vascular accesses.

Inventors

  • 👤 Giorgio Soldani

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 10:21
CPC Classifications
C; C08; C08J; C08J9/00; C08J9/28; A; A61; A61F; A61F2/00; A61F2/02; A61F2/04; A61F2/06; A61L; A61L27/00; A61L27/14; A61L27/50; A61L27/56; C08J2201/00; C08J2201/04; C08J2201/054; C08J2201/0542; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S623/00; Y10S623/92; Y10S623/921

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim 80 words
A process for the preparation of porous polymeric membranes comprising, a) forming a solution of a polymer in a solvent for the polymer; b) adding a nonsolvent to the polymer solution until a thermodynamically unstable polymer solution is obtained; c) separately spraying the unstable polymer solution and nonsolvent from separate spray means onto a sliding and rotating mandrel means to form a precipitated material; and d) placing the precipitated material into a bath of nonsolvent to cure the precipitated material.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 80 words
A process for the preparation of porous polymeric membranes comprising, a) forming a solution of a polymer in a solvent for the polymer; b) adding a nonsolvent to the polymer solution until a thermodynamically unstable polymer solution is obtained; c) separately spraying the unstable polymer solution and nonsolvent from separate spray means onto a sliding and rotating mandrel means to form a precipitated material; and d) placing the precipitated material into a bath of nonsolvent to cure the precipitated material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 25 words
Process according to claim 1, wherein the polymer is a polyamino-acid, a polysaccharide, a cellulose derivative, an alginate, a silicone, a polyurethane or mixtures thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 14 words
Process according to claim 1, wherein the polymer is elastomeric, biocompatible and blood compatible.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 16 words
Process according to claim 1, wherein the solvent is water-miscible and has a low boiling point.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 21 words
Process according to claim 4, wherein the solvent is tetrahydrofuran, an amide solvent, a sulfoxide solvent, a dioxane or mixtures thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 22 words
Process according to claim 1, wherein the nonsolvent is miscible with the solvent and has a solubility parameter different from the polymer.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 31 words
Process according to claim 1, wherein the nonsolvent is water, an alcohol, or water containing a substance which enhances the inducement of solution instability and/or precipitation of polymer from the solution.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 16 words
Process according to claim 7, wherein the solvent is water, a lower alkanol or mixtures thereof.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 10 words
Process according to claim 1, wherein the polymer is polyurethane.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 12 words
Process according to claim 1, wherein the polymer is a polyether urethane-poly(dialkylsiloxane).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 16 words
Process according to claim 10, wherein the solvent is a mixture of tetrahydrofuran and 1, 4-dioxane.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 10 words
Process according to claim 11, wherein the nonsolvent is water.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 158 words
Process according to claim 12, wherein the polymer solution concentration (% w/v) is from about 0.1 to 5.0, the amount of nonsolvent added to the polymer is about 1 to 50 (%v/v), the spray means is driven under gas driving pressure of from about 1 to 45 psi, the polymer solution flow rate from the spray means is about 0.5 to 5.0 ml/min, the nonsolvent flow rate from the spray means is about 0.5 to 5.0 ml/min the angle between the separate spray means for the nonsolvent and polymer solution and the mandrel means is about 70° to 80°, the distance between nozzles of the separate spray means and the mandrel means of about 15 to 100 mm, the mandrel means diameter is from about 0.5 to 1000 mm, the speed of rotation of the mandrel means is about 100 to 2000 rpm and the sliding movement speed of the mandrel means is about 10 to 500 m/min.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4770664A Cited
WO1986002843A1 Cited
US4834747A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1996-07-19 1997-01-18 1997-07-20 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2000-07-19 2001-01-18 2001-07-20 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2004-07-19 2005-01-18 2005-07-20 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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