Biointerface with macro- and micro-architecture

Abstract

Disclosed herein are biointerface membranes including a macro-architecture and a micro-architecture co-continuous with and bonded to and / or located within at least a portion of the macro-architecture. The macro- and micro-architectures work together to manage and manipulate the high-level tissue organization and the low-level cellular organization of the foreign body response in vivo, thereby increasing neovascularization close to a device-tissue interface, interfering with barrier cell layer formation, and providing good tissue anchoring, while reducing the effects of motion artifact, and disrupting the organization and / or contracture of the FBC. The biointerface membranes of the preferred embodiments can be utilized with implantable devices such as devices for the detection of analyte concentrations in a biological sample (for example, from a body), cell transplantation devices, drug delivery devices, electrical signal delivering or measuring devices, and / or combinations thereof.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a division of U.S. application Ser. No. 11 / 055,779 filed, on Feb. 9, 2005, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 544,722, filed on Feb. 12, 2004, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and is hereby made a part of this specification.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The preferred embodiments relate generally to biointerface membranes that can be utilized with implantable devices such as devices for the detection of analyte concentrations in a biological sample (for example, from a body), cell transplantation devices, drug delivery devices, electrical signal delivering or measuring devices, and / or combinations thereof.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Some medical devices, including implanted analyte sensors, drug delivery devices and cell transplantation devices require close vascularization and transport of solutes across the device-tissue interface for proper function. These device...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]There is a need for a membrane for implantation in soft tissue that supports tissue ingrowth, interferes with and resists barrier cell layer formation, and allows the transport of analytes across the membrane long term in vivo.

Problems solved by technology

A disadvantage of conventional implantable devices is that they often stimulate a local inflammatory response, called the foreign body response (FBR), which has long been recognized as limiting the function of implantable devices that require solute transport.

This has led to widely supported speculation that poor transport of molecules across the device-tissue interface 26 is due to a lack of vascularization near the interface.

However, it has been observed that once the monolayer of cells (barrier cell layer) is established adjacent to a membrane, increasing angiogenesis is not sufficient to increase transport of molecules such as glucose and oxygen across the device-tissue interface 26.

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