Abstract:
Methods to expand polymer tubing with desirable or optimum morphology and mechanical properties for stem manufacture and fabrication of a stent therefrom are disclosed.
Abstract:
A block copolymer comprises an A block and a B block. The A block provides mechanical strength while the B block provides elasticity to the polymeric material. The block copolymer may be an ABA tri-block copolymer. The A block may include one or more of polyglycolide (PGA), polylactic acid (PLA), or copolymer thereof. The B block may include a random copolymer of (i) glycolide (GA) and/or lactide (LA), (ii) trimethylene carbonate (TMC), and (iii) ε-caprolactone (CL). The block copolymer may cover an implantable device which may be used in delivering immediate hemostasis at a puncture site in a wall of a blood vessel.
Abstract:
A method of accelerated aging of bioresorbable polymer scaffolds including exposing the scaffold to water is disclosed. The scaffold is exposed to water at a controlled temperature for a selected aging time. The functional outputs, such as radial strength, expandability, and % recoil obtained from aged scaffolds predict those of real-time aging of the scaffold. The accelerated aging factor, which is the required shelf life divided by the aging time, is significantly higher for poly(L-lactide) scaffolds tested than thermal aging.
Abstract:
An implantable medical devices such as a stent that includes sparse comb polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) systems is disclosed. The stent includes a stent body, scaffold, or substrate made partially or completely of polymer material including PHA.
Abstract:
An endoprosthesis, a method for imaging an endoprosthesis, a method of making an endoprosthesis involve a polymeric substrate that has been modified to have voids embedded within the substrate. The voids are sized to scatter optical radiation from within the substrate so that an optical coherence tomography (OCT) image can be obtained in which an interior region of the substrate can be easily differentiated from empty space and other structures that surround the endoprosthesis. The voids allow for OCT visualization of the polymeric substrate which may be difficult to visualize by other methods such as fluoroscopy.