Polymer fiber scaffolds and uses thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018243232-A1
Application number	US-201615757561-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 6, 2016
Priority date	Sep 3, 2015
Publication date	Aug 30, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A multilayered polymer composite film includes a water-soluble polymer matrix and a plurality of fibers embedded within the water soluble polymer matrix. The fibers include a water insoluble polymer material and at least one of a non-polymeric hydrophobic therapeutic agent or a non-polymeric hydrophobic cosmetic agent incorporated in the water insoluble polymer material. The fibers have a rectangular cross-section, and extend the entire length of the multilayered polymer composite film.

First claim

Having described the invention, we claim:

1 . A multilayered polymer composite film comprising:
a water-soluble polymer matrix and a plurality of fibers embedded within the water soluble polymer matrix; the fibers including a water insoluble polymer material and at least one of a non-polymeric hydrophobic therapeutic agent or a non-polymeric hydrophobic cosmetic agent incorporated in the water insoluble polymer material, the fibers having a rectangular cross-section, and extending the entire length of the multilayered polymer composite film.

2 . The multilayer polymer composite film of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic therapeutic agent is at least partially soluble in the water insoluble polymer material.

3 . The multilayer composite film of claim 1 , wherein the fibers having a surface area to volume ratio of at least about 4 m 2 /g.

4 . The multilayer composite film of claim 1 , wherein the water soluble polymer is coextruded with the water insoluble polymer material and the at least one of a non-polymeric hydrophobic therapeutic agent or a non-polymeric hydrophobic cosmetic agent.

5 . The multilayer composite film of claim 4 , wherein the water insoluble polymer material is substantially immiscible with the the water soluble polymer during coextrusion.

6 . The multilayer composite film of claim 1 , wherein the water soluble polymeric matrix comprises polyethylene oxide and the water insoluble polymer material comprises polycaprolactone.

7 . The multilayer composite film of claim 1 , wherein the non-polymeric hydrophobic therapeutic agent is clotrimazole.

8 . The multilayer composite film of claim 1 , wherein the fibers comprise about 1% to about 50% by weight of the non-polymeric hydrophobic therapeutic agent or a non-polymeric hydrophobic cosmetic agent.

9 . A polymer nanofiber scaffold comprising:
a plurality of melt extruded polymer nanofibers, the nanofibers each having a rectangular cross-section defined in part by an encapsulating polymer material that is separated from the nanofibers, the nanofibers including a water insoluble polymer material and at least one of a non-polymeric hydrophobic therapeutic agent or a non-polymeric hydrophobic cosmetic agent incorporated in the water insoluble polymer material.

10 . The scaffold of claim 9 , wherein the hydrophobic therapeutic agent is at least partially soluble in the water insoluble polymer material.

11 . The scaffold of claim 9 , wherein the fibers having a surface area to volume ratio of at least about 4 m 2 /g.

12 . The scaffold of claim 9 , wherein the water soluble polymer is coextruded with the water insoluble polymer material and the at least one of a non-polymeric hydrophobic therapeutic agent or a non-polymeric hydrophobic cosmetic agent.

13 . The scaffold of claim 12 , wherein the water insoluble polymer material is substantially immiscible with the water soluble polymer during coextrusion.

14 . The scaffold of claim 9 , wherein the water insoluble polymer comprises polycaprolactone.

15 . The multilayer composite film of claim 9 , wherein the non-polymeric hydrophobic therapeutic agent is clotrimazole.

16 . The scaffold of claim 9 , wherein the fibers comprise about 1% to about 50% by weight of the non-polymeric hydrophobic therapeutic agent or a non-polymeric hydrophobic cosmetic agent.

17 . A method of producing polymer fibers,
extruding a water soluble polymer material to form a first layer and a water insoluble polymer material and at least one of a non-polymeric hydrophobic therapeutic agent or a non-polymeric hydrophobic cosmetic agent to form a second layer, layering the first layer over the second layer; multiplying the overlapping layers to form a multilayered composite film; separating the water soluble polymer material from the water insoluble polymer material to form a plurality of fibers having a rectangular cross-section.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the at least one of a non-polymeric hydrophobic therapeutic agent or a non-polymeric hydrophobic cosmetic agent is incorporated in the water insoluble polymer material.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein multiplying the overlapping layers comprises vertical layer multiplication of the overlapping first layer and second layer by cutting the flow horizontally of the overlapping layers through a die,
surface layering the water soluble polymer material on a top and bottom surface of vertical layers formed by the vertical layer multiplication, and horizontal layer multiplication of the surface layered vertical layers to stack one side portion of the surface layered vertical stack on a second side portion.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the first layer comprises about 90% by weight of the overlapping layers and the second layer comprise about 10% by weight of the overlapping layers.

21 . The method of claim 15 , wherein separating the water soluble polymer material from the water insoluble polymer material comprises immersing the multilayered composite film in a water to dissolve the water soluble polymer material.

22 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the vertical layer multiplication is repeated eight times to yield vertical layers composed of 1024 alternating 512 layers of the first layer and 512 layers of second layer.

23 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the processing temperature of multilayered polymer composite film is 180° C.

24 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the hydrophobic therapeutic agent is at least partially soluble in the water insoluble polymer material.

25 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the fibers having a surface area to volume ratio of at least about 4 m 2 /g.

26 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the water soluble polymer is coextruded with the water insoluble polymer material and the at least one of a non-polymeric hydrophobic therapeutic agent or a non-polymeric hydrophobic cosmetic agent.

27 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the water insoluble polymer material is substantially immiscible with the water soluble polymer during coextrusion.

28 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the water insoluble polymer comprises polycaprolactone.

29 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the non-polymeric hydrophobic therapeutic agent is clotrimazole.

30 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the fibers comprise about 1% to about 50% by weight of the non-polymeric hydrophobic therapeutic agent or a non-polymeric hydrophobic cosmetic agent.

Assignees

• Univ Case Western Reserve

Inventors

• Baer Eric
• Wnek Gary E
• Mofidfar Mohammad
• Wang Jia

Classifications

• B32B2262/0276

  Polyester fibres · CPC title

• A61Q19/00

  Preparations for care of the skin · CPC title

• B29C48/185

  comprising six or more components, i.e. each component being counted once for each time it is present, e.g. in a layer · CPC title

• A61K2800/54

  Polymers characterized by specific structures/properties · CPC title

• A61L27/54 Primary

  Biologically active materials, e.g. therapeutic substances {(A61L27/227 takes precedence)} · CPC title