Method for making a porous polymeric material

• Main Authors: GOLDMAN SCOTT M, RINGEISEN TIMOTHY A
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 30.12.2004
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F,C08G; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; BLASTING; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS, ORSURGICAL ARTICLES; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON; COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS,e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES,DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; CONVEYING; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF,TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, E.G. STENTS; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION, OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; FIRST-AID KITS; FOMENTATION; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; HEATING; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; LAYERED PRODUCTS; LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT ORNON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM; LIGHTING; MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVINGCARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS, OR SURGICALARTICLES; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; METALLURGY; METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS INGENERAL; ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; PACKAGES; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PIPES; PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL, OR TOILET PURPOSES; PRODUCING PARTICULAR ARTICLES FROM PLASTICS OR FROM SUBSTANCESIN A PLASTIC STATE; PROSTHESES; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; STORING; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; TRANSPORTING; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; USE OF INORGANIC OR NON-MACROMOLECULAR ORGANIC SUBSTANCES ASCOMPOUNDING INGREDIENTS; WEAPONS; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL; WORKING-UP

Porous polymers having a plurality of openings or chambers that are highly convoluted, with each chamber being defined by multiple, thin, flat partitions are produced by a new gel enhanced phase separation technique. In a preferred embodiment, a second solvent is added to a polymer solution, the second solvent causing the solution to gel. The gel can then be shaped as needed. Subsequent solvent extraction leaves the porous polymeric body of defined shape. The porous polymers have utility as medical prostheses, the porosity permitting ingrowth of neighboring tissue. A second polymer material may be incorporated into the chambers, thereby creating a microstructure filling the voids of the macrostructure. A porous polymeric body manufactured by this process may serve to deliver biologically active agents in a time-staged delivery manner, where differing drugs may be delivered over differing periods.