Enriched Oil Coatings for Controlled Therapeutic Release

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Solution Overview

Problem

The availability of biocompatible oils that can be cured for use as drug delivery vehicles or coatings on medical devices is limited due to their inherent physical and chemical properties, which render them unsuitable for specific applications, such as forming solid gels or coatings, or controlling the release of therapeutic agents.

Innovation Solution

The development of methods and compositions that modify the chemical properties of marine and plant oils by enriching them with fatty acid alkyl esters, such as ethyl esters of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), to tailor their viscosity, hydrophilicity, and hydrolysis rate, allowing for the creation of biocompatible coatings that can elute therapeutic agents and be tailored for specific medical device applications.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If native oils are used to form cured coatings, then the coatings can be formed, but the hydrolysis rate and therapeutic agent release cannot be adequately controlled

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol of hydrolysis rateVSAvoidtailoring of physical characteristics

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the chemical composition parameters of the oil through enrichment with specific fatty acid alkyl esters. By adjusting the concentration and type of fatty acid esters (e.g., ethyl esters of EPA and DHA), the patent controls the hydrolysis rate and physical characteristics of the cured coating, enabling tailored therapeutic agent release profiles while maintaining coating formation reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates composite oil materials by combining native oils with enriched fatty acid alkyl esters. This composite approach allows the cured coating to exhibit both the coating-forming properties of native oils and the controlled hydrolysis characteristics of the enriched ester components, achieving simultaneous control over structure formation and therapeutic release

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If oils are enriched with fatty acid alkyl esters to control hydrolysis rate, then therapeutic agent release can be controlled, but the complexity of oil preparation increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetherapeutic agent release controlVSAvoidoil preparation process

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-enriching the native oil with fatty acid alkyl esters before the curing process. This advance preparation ensures that the oil composition is optimized for controlled hydrolysis and therapeutic release from the outset, eliminating the need for complex post-curing modifications and simplifying the overall process by integrating the enrichment step into the initial oil preparation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If the chemical properties of oils are modified to alter viscosity and hydrophilicity, then suitability for medical applications is enhanced, but the availability of suitable starting materials is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesuitability for medical applicationsVSAvoidavailability of suitable oils

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent overcomes the limited availability of suitable oils by applying parameter changes to commonly available native oils. Through enrichment with specific fatty acid alkyl esters, ordinary oils are transformed into medically suitable materials with controlled viscosity, hydrophilicity, and hydrolysis rates, thereby expanding the pool of usable starting materials without requiring rare or specialized oil sources

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

These modified oils can form hydrolyzable or non-hydrolyzable coatings that control the release of therapeutic agents, enhancing their suitability for medical applications by altering their physical characteristics, such as viscosity and hydrophilicity, thereby expanding their use as coatings on medical devices.

Implementation Method 1

compositions and methods for altering the rate of hydrolysis of cured oil-based materials

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHydrolysis: Hydrolysis

Implementation Method 2

tailor their viscosity, hydrophilicity, and hydrolysis rate

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHydrophilicity alteration: Hydrophile

Data Source

PatentUS11097035B2Compositions and methods for altering the rate of hydrolysis of cured oil-based materials

Publication Date: 2021.08.24 ATRIUM MEDICAL CORP

AI summary

Disclosed herein is the correlation of chemical properties of oils with the physical properties of a resulting cured oil composition. Also disclosed are biocompatible materials and coatings for medical devices prepared using enriched oils and methods for enhancing or modifying the physical and chemical characteristics of cured oils by enriching such oils with fatty acid alkyl esters. Methods of tailoring the properties of biocompatible materials and coatings to deliver one or more therapeutic agents are also provided.