Resorbable PBS Mesh Implants for Prolonged Strength Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing resorbable polymers used in surgery, such as copolymers of glycolide and lactide, and polydioxanone, suffer from rapid loss of strength retention, limiting their use in procedures requiring high and prolonged tensile strength, necessitating the use of permanent materials like polypropylene meshes.
Innovation Solution
Development of biocompatible implants made from poly(butylene succinate) and copolymers thereof, which are produced without crosslinking agents, ensuring prolonged strength retention and degradation to non-toxic metabolites, and can be made into oriented fibers or 3D printed structures for specific surgical applications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If resorbable polymers (copolymers of glycolide and lactide, polydioxanone) are used for wound closure, then biocompatibility and resorbability are improved, but strength retention deteriorates rapidly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by using poly(butylene succinate) and its copolymers instead of traditional resorbable polymers. This parameter change maintains biocompatibility while significantly improving strength retention properties, allowing the material to sustain high loads for prolonged periods before resorption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material strategies by creating copolymers of poly(butylene succinate) with other biocompatible monomers. These composite polymer structures combine the desirable properties of different monomers to achieve both prolonged strength retention and complete resorbability, resolving the contradiction between strength and biocompatibility.
2Strength
If permanent materials (polypropylene meshes) are used for hernia repair, then strength retention is improved, but biocompatibility and resorbability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from permanent synthetic polymers to resorbable poly(butylene succinate) copolymers. This parameter change enables the material to provide high initial strength for hernia repair while maintaining biocompatibility and ultimately being resorbed by the body, eliminating the need for permanent foreign materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the principle of using temporary support structures that are resorbed after serving their purpose. The poly(butylene succinate) copolymer meshes provide necessary structural support during healing and then completely resorb, functioning as a temporary scaffold that eliminates the long-term presence of permanent materials.
3Strength
If isocyanate chemistry is used to increase molecular weight of PBS, then mechanical properties are improved, but biocompatibility deteriorates due to toxicity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the toxic isocyanate component from the polymer synthesis process. By using alternative non-toxic polymerization methods, the patent achieves high molecular weight poly(butylene succinate) copolymers with excellent mechanical properties while maintaining biocompatibility, removing the harmful factor entirely.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potential harm of toxic synthesis chemistry into a benefit by developing non-toxic polymerization routes. This approach not only eliminates toxicity but also creates a safer manufacturing process that produces biocompatible materials suitable for implantation, turning the original problem into an advantage.
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
The implants provide high initial tensile strength and prolonged strength retention, suitable for procedures like hernia repair and breast reconstruction, while maintaining biocompatibility and avoiding toxic by-products, with methods allowing for minimal invasiveness and integration with 3D printing technologies.
Implementation Method 1
The poly(butylene succinate) polymer comprises succinic acid and 1,4-butanediol, two compounds that are converted by hydrolysis to natural metabolites in vivo
Data Source
AI summary
Resorbable implants comprising poly(butylene succinate) and copolymers thereof have been developed. The implants implants are preferably sterilized, and contain less than 20 endotoxin units per device as determined by the limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) assay, and are particularly suitable for use in procedures where prolonged strength retention is necessary, and can include one or more bioactive agents. The implants may be made from fibers and meshes of poly(butylene succinate) and copolymers thereof, or by 3d printing, and the fibers may be oriented. Coverings and receptacles made from forms of poly(butylene succinate) and copolymers thereof have also been developed for use with cardiac rhythm management devices and other implantable devices. These coverings and receptacles may be used to hold, or partially/fully cover, devices such as pacemakers and neurostimulators. The coverings and receptacles are made from meshes, webs, lattices, non-wovens, films, fibers, and foams, and contain antibiotics such as rifampin and minocycline.