Abstract: The present invention involves a method of making a multiblock copolymer containing two or more types of sequences of derivatives of acrylic acid with at least one derivative being acrylic acid salt and at least one being acrylamide.

Abstract: The present invention involves a method of making a multiblock copolymer containing two or more types of sequences of derivatives of acrylic acid with at least one derivative being acrylic acid salt and at least one being acrylamide.

Abstract: The present invention is a spinal nucleus implant for replacement of at least a portion of nucleus pulposus tissue removed from a spinal disc of a living vertebrate to restore function of the spinal disc and related vertebral joint. The implant is an anisotropically swellable, biomimetic xerogel plastic, having a two phase structure with a hydrophobic phase having high crystallinity and low water content and with hydrophilic phase having low crystallinity and high water content and having a negatively charged lubricious surface. The xerogel plastic is capable of rehydration and of osmotic movement of liquid therethrough in response to osmotic pressure change to thereby increase and decrease liquid content in its hydrated state. The present invention also relates to surgical implant procedures utilizing this spinal nucleus implant.

Abstract: The present invention is a method of making acrylonitrile copolymers having multi block structure comprising acrylic acid, acryl amids and acrylamidine hydrophilic groups in hydrophilic blocks and residual nitrile groups in hydrophobic blocks, by partial hydrolysis of polyacrylonitrile to a predetermined hydrolysis conversion at which the hydrolysis is self terminating by a process that improves quality and reduces product heterogeneity.

Abstract: The present invention is a bioreactor wound dressing which includes a first layer, being a transport layer, in direct contact with a wound. It includes at least one layer of a permeable polymeric media containing, in equilibrium with body fluids, at least 40% by weight of liquid, and is impermeable for infectious agents of any kind and being permeable to water soluble substances having molecular weight up to at least 1000 Daltons. There is a second layer, being a fluid reservoir layer that is adjacent to the transport layer and is capable of containing between 40% and 100% of its volume of an aqueous liquid, wherein the transport layer and reservoir layer are permeably interconnected for aqueous solutions and are in a substantial osmotic equilibrium. The invention also includes a method of wound treatment utilizing the bioreactor wound dressing.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a coating composition which includes a component A and component B. Component A is either an emulsion or dispersion having a hydrophobic elastomer stabilized with at lease one emulsifier. Component B is a dispersion or solution of a hydrophilic polymer which is insoluble in water, swellable in water and soluble in one or more water-miscible solvents. The hydrophobic elastomers may be polymers or copolymers of butadiene, isoprene, chloroprene, styrene, acrylonitrile, ethylene, propylene, isobutylene, alkylacrylates and alkylmethacrylates; polyrethanes, polyureas, polysiloxanes, elastomeric polyamides and polyesters. The hydrophilic polymers may be segmented polyurethanes, segmented polyures, segmented polyesters, partially hydrolyzed poly(vinyl acetate), partially hydrolyzed polyacrylonitrile, partially aminolyzed polyacrylonitrile, and ethylene glycol monomethacrylate.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a composition comprising a nitrogen-containig drug-polymer salt and a method for making said composition. The drug-polymer salt is comprised of one or more drugs having basic groups as part of their chemical structure which are capable of forming salts with acids and one or more hydrophilic polymers containing carboxylate groups and amidine groups as pendant groups. Such polymeric salts of drugs have been found to have excellent bio-availability and advantageous release profiles in various forms (gels, ointments, pills, etc.). Particularly advantageous polymers contain pendant nitrile groups in addition to carboxyls and amidines which provide the polymer with hydrogel characteristics.

Abstract: A hydrophilic coating composition used to impart increased lubricity and wettability to the surface of a hydrophobic substrate which is comprised of three essential components:1) Hydrogel-forming polymer component A2) Water-soluble polymer component B3) Common solvent C for the components A and BThe water-insoluble, hydrogel-forming component A consists of a segmented copolymer with long, hydrophilic terminal blocks and the essentially hydrophobic central section. The two polymer components A and B have a limited miscibility in the absence of a common solvent C. Therefore, their blend tends to separate spontaneously into two polymer phases. The phase separation takes place during the solvent evaporation or extraction. A gradient of hydrophilicity and swelling within the coating layer is thus spontaneously created achieving a good adhesion to the substrate and high surface hydrophilicity at the same time.

Abstract: An implantable ophthalmic lens manufactured at least partly out of soft, elastic and pliable material substantially in the shape of a saucer is described. It includes an outer optical face forming one side of the lens, and an inner optical face forming the other side of the lens. A center portion of the inner optical face of the lens as well as the lens rim each have the shape of meniscus derived from the corresponding meniscus of a liquid precursor prior to solidification, the center portion meniscus and the rim meniscus being connected by an annular ring, all surfaces of the lens except the center portion of the inner optical face and the lens rim being replicas of a solid mold from which it is formed. The inner optical face center portion and the lens rim have the shape of a liquid precursor solidified in contact with an inert fluid.

Abstract: This application describes devices which have a first softer formable state, and the second stiffer shape-retaining shape and which are capable of repeatable transition from the first state to the second state (or vice versa) on demand.

Abstract: Novel amphoteric acrylic and methacrylic copolymers are described comprising cationic units of pendant N-substituted amidine and anionic units of acrylic or methacrylic acid and/or acidic groups carried by substituents of N-acrylamide, N-methacrylamide, N-acrylamidine or N-methacrylamidine. One preferred embodiment is a copolymer in which at least some types of functional groups are organized in blocks. Particularly preferred are blocks of pendant nitrile groups. Preferred compositions have the said N-substituents of the amides and/or amidines containing polar groups other than primary amines. Particularly preferred polar groups are tertiary amines, quaternary ammonium salts, hydroxyls and sulfonic acid. These copolymers may optionally be convalently or physically crosslinked and swellable rather than soluble in water.

Abstract: Stable emulsions and dispersions of both the water-in-oil and oil-in-water types are prepared by subjecting mixtures of the two phases to shear stress in the presence of nitrile group-containing copolymers capable of forming hydrogels containing at least 90% by weight of water at room temperature.

Abstract: The present invention guidewire involves an elongated, non-hydrogel core element forming an inner part of the device, and an integral outside tubular layer of elastomeric hydrogel ("hydrogel sleeve"). This outer hydrogel layer has unique physical characteristics. They are (a) Gradient of chemical composition with increasing concentration of polar groups in the outward direction away from the core element; (b) Gradient of swelling in contact with water with water content increasing in the outward direction away from the core element; (c) Compressive stress in the outer hydrophilic layer causing the hydrogel in that layer to swell to a water content lower than its equilibrium value in a free-swelling state; and, optionally, (d) Inward-directed radial stress pushing the outside hydrogel layer constantly against the inner core element.

Abstract: The present invention contact lens is a soft, disposable lens which, under eye wearer conditions, changes one or more characteristics essential for comfortable use, at a predetermined time to initiate disposal thereof by the user. This lens, under wear conditions, changes, for example, at least its base curve redius and its deformability as a consequence of a change in hydrophilicity of at least a portion of the contact lens material. This hydrophilicity change may be achieved by various means, e.g. degradation of crosslinking bridges or conversion of less hydrophilic groups to groups having greater hydrophilicity. In one preferred embodiment, the conversion is achieved by hydrolysis of selected functional (hydrophobic) groups into hydrophilic groups.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for precision molding soluable polymers is disclosed, in order to form an exact and precisely shaped product, such as contact lenses and surgical implants. A preferred mold for forming contact lenses includes a female part having an indentation and a sharp circumferential edge surrounding the indentation. The mold also includes a male part which is adapted to contact the sharp circumferential edge of the female part to form the molding cavity between the indentation of the female part and the male part. A semi-permeable gate is formed between the female part and the male part for introducing coagulating fluid into the molding cavity while preventing the escape of the polymer solution from the molding cavity. The semi-permeable gate allows the diffusion of the coagulating fluid into the molding cavity at a faster rate than the rate of diffusion of solvent out of the molding cavity.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a device and method for precise positioning, or alignment of two or more articles with respect to each other. The device comprises a Unistructural Mass of Inherent Memory Polymer with two or more internal cavities which have inherent shapes with at least one cross-sectional configuration which is congruent to a cross-sectional configuration shape of the said article(s) in the positioned or aligned position(s). The unistructural mass cavities have cross-sectional configurations which are the same or smaller than those corresponding to the positions of the articles. The unistructural mass also includes at least one separate access cavity. It is deformed such that the articles can be readily inserted into the corresponding cavities.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a device and method for precise positioning, or alignment of one or more articles with respect to the device or to each other. The device comprises one or more elements of Unistructural Mass of Inherent Memory Polymer with one or more internal cavities which have inherent shapes with at least one cross-sectional configuration which is congruent to a cross-sectional configuration shape of the said article(s) in the positioned or aligned position(s). The unistructural mass has cross-sectional configurations which are the same or smaller than those corresponding to the positions of the articles. The unistructural mass is deformed such that the articles can be readily inserted into the corresponding cavities. In one embodiment, a single unistructural mass has a single cavity for precision positioning of the article. In another embodiment, the mass has at least two cavities for article alignment.

Abstract: The present invention involves a multiple cavity optical fiber splice made of a unistructural mass of inherent shape memory polymer material. The unistructural mass has a longitudinal dimension with opposite ends which includes at least a first bore at one end and at least a second bore and a third bore at the other end wherein the bores go into the mass and at least two connect to each other. The unistructural mass has two shapes, the first shape is a unique, recoverable, predetermined inherent shape wherein each bore has a preset diameter to accommodate and tightly hold end segments of denuded optical fibers of predetermined diameter and the second shape is a deformed shape which may be caused by solvent swelling and partial shrinking of the inherent memory polymer material such that each bore has enlarged predetermined diameters greater than the diameters of the segments of the denuded optical fibers so as to freely receive the end segments of the denuded optical fibers.

Abstract: Gas permeable, filled pore membranes in which the pores are filled with a substantially non-aqueous mixture of a polyhydroxy solvent and a gas carrier. A typical example is a membrane filled with glycerol and triethanolamine.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for preparing polyacrylonitrile copolymers by Heterogeneous reaction of polyacrylonitrile aquagel. Generally, the method includes the steps of preparing a solution of polyacrylonitrile by dissolving the polyacrylonitrile in a water-miscible solvent which is capable of dissolving the polyacrylonitrile but incapable of hydrolyzing the nitrile groups of the polyacrylonitrile under the dissolution conditions. Coagulating the polyacrylonitrile solution by replacing the solvent with a coagulating fluid such as water or a water-miscible fluid incapable of dissolving polyacrylonitrile at temperatures below 80.degree. C. and incapable of reacting with the nitrile groups of the polyacrylonitrile, thus obtaining the polymer in the aquagel state. Replacing the coagulating fluid with a fluid reagent capable of reacting with the nitrile groups of the polyacrylonitrile aquagel but incapable of dissolving the polyacrylonitrile aquagel at the selected reaction temperature.