Local thermal actuation of material surfaces via micro- and nanowire heating for the prevention of cellular attachment and biological fouling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10179180-B2
Application number	US-201414451967-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2014
Priority date	Aug 6, 2013
Publication date	Jan 15, 2019
Grant date	Jan 15, 2019

Abstract

The invention relates in various embodiments to a composite useful as e.g. a medical implant device, and a method of treating fouling, including biofouling as may occur on an implant. The composite comprises a matrix phase and a patterned phase that comprises an energetically activatable wire intermixed with the matrix phase, the wire when energetically activated, which includes thermal activation, causes modification of at least a portion of the matrix phase to treat fouling that might otherwise occur. The method of treating biofouling may be practiced on a patent while the medical implant of the invention is in situ.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A composite comprising:
a matrix phase; and
a single continuous patterned wire having a length in the centimeter range and completely embedded within the matrix phase and having a periodicity at the sub-cellular scale, wherein the single continuous patterned wire is energetically activatable to cause a physical change in the matrix phase effective to treat fouling of the composite, wherein the physical change comprises mechanical motion.

2. The composite of claim 1 wherein the matrix phase comprises a polymer.

3. The composite of claim 2 wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of a fluoropolymer, a polycarbonate-based polyurethane, a polyether-based polyurethane, a polyester-based polyurethane, nylon, a nylon block copolymer; high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and combinations thereof.

4. The composite of claim 2 wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of a polyester, a polyurethane, a polyamide, a polyamide block copolymer, a polyolefin, a silicone; a latex; a polyvinyl chloride, a polyimide, a polyetheretherketone, and combinations thereof.

5. The composite of claim 1 wherein the composite is a catheter, shunt, artificial joint, dental implant, or cosmetic implant.

6. The composite of claim 1 wherein said single continuous patterned wire is composed of a metal selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, copper, iron, palladium, platinum, carbon, and conducting organic polymers, and combinations thereof.

7. The composite of claim 1 wherein said single continuous patterned wire is lithographically defined.

8. The composite of claim 1 wherein the composite is a laminate and said single continuous patterned wire is present in an insert geometry or a sheet geometry.

9. The composite of claim 1 wherein said single continuous patterned wire is activated by time-varying electrical current, pulse-varying electrical current, or combination thereof.

10. The composite of claim 1 wherein said single continuous patterned wire has a sinuous pattern.

11. The composite of claim 1 wherein said periodicity is about 10 microns or less.

12. The composite of claim 1 wherein said periodicity is about 10 microns.

13. The composite of claim 1 wherein said single continuous patterned wire is composed of a metal selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, palladium, and platinum.

14. The composite of claim 1 wherein said single continuous patterned wire is composed of a metal selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, palladium, and platinum, and wherein the matrix phase is a polyurethane polymer.

15. A medical implant device comprising the composite of claim 1 .

16. The medical implant device of claim 15 wherein said device is a catheter, shunt, artificial joint, dental implant, or cosmetic implant.

17. A composite comprising:
a matrix phase; and
a single continuous patterned wire having a length in the centimeter range and completely embedded within the matrix phase and having a periodicity at the sub-cellular scale of about 10 microns or less, wherein the single continuous patterned wire is energetically activatable to cause a physical change in the matrix phase effective to treat fouling of the composite.

Assignees

• Ut Battelle Llc

Inventors

• Allman Steve L
• Doktycz Mitchel J
• Retterer Scott T
• Allison David P

Classifications

• A61L27/48

  with macromolecular fillers · CPC title

• Y10T428/31938

  Polymer of monoethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon · CPC title

• A61L27/446

  with other specific inorganic fillers other than those covered by A61L27/443 or A61L27/46 · CPC title

• Y10T428/31721

  Of polyimide · CPC title

• Y10T428/31681

  Next to polyester, polyamide or polyimide [e.g., alkyd, glue, or nylon, etc.] · CPC title