Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, medical devices are provided that contain at least one polymeric region which contains (a) at least one block copolymer that contains at least three polymer blocks that differ from one another and (b) at least one therapeutic agent.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods of coating an implantable device comprising applying a composition to the device in a predetermined pattern. The composition is then set to form a monolith. The composition applied can comprise a biodegradable polymer linked to a chemical moiety through a covalent bond, wherein the chemical moiety forms a pharmaceutically active agent upon degradation of the covalent bond.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, bioactive polymers are provided which have (a) a hydrophilic bioactive portion and (b) at least one hydrophobic polymer group that is linked to the hydrophilic bioactive portion by a covalent linkage that contains a chain transfer agent residue. According to another aspect of the present invention, medical articles are provided with bioactive surface by coating them with a coating material that contains such bioactive polymers.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention, implantable or insertable medical devices are provided, which contain polymeric release regions that control the release of one or more therapeutic agents. The polymeric release regions, in turn, contain one or more polymers that contain one or more rigid, nonplanar polycyclic molecular structures. The therapeutic agent is disposed beneath or within the polymeric release region.

Abstract: An implantable or insertable medical device is provided that contains at least one polymeric region which comes into contact with a subject upon implantation or insertion of the device into the subject. The polymeric region(s) contain at least one bulk polymer moiety and at least one surface-active polymer moiety that (a) is covalently attached to the bulk polymer moiety/moieties or admixed with the bulk polymer moiety/moieties and (b) is provided in an amount that is effective in providing the polymeric region(s) with a critical surface energy that is between 20 dynes/cm and 30 dynes/cm upon implantation or insertion of the device into the subject.

Abstract: The present invention relates to phase separated polymeric regions and to their use in conjunction with implantable or insertable medical devices. In some aspects of the invention, phase separated polymeric regions are provided that include (a) at least one biostable polymeric phase and (b) at least one biodisintegrable polymeric phase, which is of nanoscale dimensions and which undergoes biodisintegration such that the phase separated polymeric region becomes a nanoporous polymeric region in vivo. Other aspects of the invention are directed to methods of making implantable or insertable medical devices having at least one nanoporous polymeric region. These methods include (a) providing a phase separated polymeric region comprising a stable polymeric phase and a disintegrable polymeric phase of nanoscale dimensions, (b) selectively removing the disintegrable polymeric phase thereby producing the nanoporous polymeric region.

Abstract: A medical device that contains (a) at least one polymeric release region that either contains crazing or which is adapted to undergo crazing as a result of stresses (e.g., mechanical, chemical or thermal) that are applied during the implantation or insertion of the medical device into a patient; and (b) and a therapeutic agent disposed beneath or within the polymeric release region.

Abstract: According to certain aspects of the invention, implantable or insertable medical devices are provided that contain one or more nanoporous regions, which may further comprise interconnected nanopores. Other aspects of the invention are directed to implantable or insertable medical devices that contain one or more nanostructured regions, which are formed by a variety of methods. Still other aspects of the invention are directed to implantable or insertable medical devices having nanotextured surface regions, in which cell-adhesion-promoting biomolecules (e.g., glycosaminoglycans, proteoglycans, cell adhesion peptides, and adhesive proteins) are provided on, within or beneath the nanotextured surface regions.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for the formation of a medical device that comprises a therapeutic agent and a release region, which regulates the rate at which the therapeutic agent is released from the medical device. The method comprises providing a precursor region that comprises a polymer composition comprising two or more microphase separated polymer domains that are immiscible with one another, and forming said release region by a process that comprises applying an orienting field comprising an electric field, a magnetic field, a mechanical shear field, or a solvent gradient field, or a combination of two or more fields to said precursor region, wherein said field or combination of fields changes the spatial orientation of the microphase separated polymer domains within the release region. The electric, magnetic, mechanical shear or solvent gradient field is of sufficient strength to change the spatial orientation of the microphase separated domains.

Abstract: A method of coating an article is provided. The method includes: preparing a solution including a bioactive agent and a carbon nanotube precursor; treating the solution to form carbon nanotubes; and applying the solution to the article. A method of producing a medical device is provided. The method includes: forming a core of the medical device with a pattern on a surface of the core and assembling a multi-walled carbon nanotube array on the pattern on the surface. The pattern on the surface may determine an orientation of the multi-walled carbon nanotube array. A method of manufacturing a medical appliance is provided. The method includes creating a mixture of a carbon nanotube precursor and a polymer and injecting the mixture into a mold. The mold forms the mixture into a shape of the medical appliance. A method of forming a nanotube tissue scaffold is provided. The method includes forming a nanotube precursor and treating the nanotube precursor to form the nanotube tissue scaffold.

Abstract: Implantable or insertable medical devices comprising a surface region that is modified by covalently coupling a molecular species (or a combination of molecular species) to the same. The molecular species are selected such that the resulting modified surface region has critical surface energy between 20 and 30 dynes/cm. In certain embodiments, the covalently coupled molecular species comprise one or more methyl groups. An advantage of the present invention is that novel medical devices are provided, which have a surface with a critical surface energy value that has been shown to display enhanced biocompatibility, including enhanced throboresistance, relative to other surfaces.

Abstract: The present invention provides fiber strands and products coated with a blend of a hydrophobic fluoroalkylacrylate polymer and an amine-reactive material or a polymerization reaction product of a hydrophobic fluoroalkylacrylate and a amine reactive monomeric material which are useful as reinforcements for nylon composites to inhibit hydrolysis.