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.

A hydrogel-based biological delivery vehicle used to effectively deliver drug and biological material to tissue or organ sites. More specifically, a hydrogel binding matrix having a biopolymer backbone containing carboxyl groups. Tyramine may be substituted for at least a portion of the carboxyl groups, so that, when hydrogen peroxide is added, it causes creation of covalent bonds between tyramine molecules and cross-links the hydrogel binding matrix, thereby enabling the hydrogel binding matrix to transition from liquid to gel state. The hydrogel binding matrix, in its liquid form, is capable of encapsulating drug reservoirs to create a homogenous liquid with evenly distributed particles containing drugs or target molecules. As the hydrogel binding matrix solidifies into a gel state, the newly created cross-links do not disrupt or react with the drugs or target molecules contained within the drug reservoirs. This hydrogel-based biological delivery vehicle can be used in several medical applications.

The invention provides liquid injectable copolymers of TMC and HTMC that are degradable in vivo. Degradation can be tailored by adjusting the amount of HTMC in the copolymer, the initial molecular weight of the copolymer, and the characteristics of the initiator used in its preparation. Specifically, the degradation rate increases as the amount of HTMC incorporated into the copolymer increases, as the molecular weight of the copolymer decreases, and as the hydrophobicity of the initiator decreases. Moreover, the degradation yields products such as glycerol and carbon dioxide that are non-toxic in vivo, and which will not cause a substantive change in tissue pH upon implantation in vivo. The copolymers may be used in applications such as drug delivery and as coatings.

Medical grade yarns, medical devices constructed of such yarns, and methods for making such yarns and devices are described. Polyester drawn fibers, and more particularly high strength and high tenacity micro polyester fibers for use in medical devices, and methods of preparing the same are provided.

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.

Inventive concepts relate generally to the field of implantable urological devices, and more particularly to compositions that inhibit crystallization of urine components. Described are implantable urological devices including a surface and a crystallization inhibitor composition, the crystallization inhibitor composition including: (a) an inhibitor of urine component crystallization in combination with a biodegradable polymer, or a polyalkene homopolymer or copolymer, or (b) a biodegradable polymer that includes an inhibitor of urine component crystallization, wherein the crystallization inhibitor composition provides controlled release of the inhibitor of urine component crystallization from the surface of the device into a subject. Methods of making the implantable urological devices are also described.

A flushable catheter having an outer wall defining an inner conduit and an inner core member positioned within the inner conduit. The inner core being made from flushable materials, which are preferably degradable water soluble materials such that the inner core degrades as urine or water pass through the inner conduit defined by the outer wall.

A coating for an expandable portion of a catheter comprising a lipophilic matrix and a plurality of micro-reservoirs dispersed in the lipophilic matrix is disclosed. The plurality of micro-reservoirs comprises an active agent. A coating formulation and a method for forming the coating are also disclosed. A catheter comprising the coating on the expandable portion and a method for treating a condition are also provided.

A method of reducing the risk of embolization of peripheral blood vessels by providing a medical device having an expandable member having a drug coating layer which has a crystalline morphological form including a plurality of crystal particles of a water-insoluble drug regularly arranged and uniformly sized on the surface of the medical device, inserting the medical device in peripheral blood vessels, expanding the expandable member, pressing the drug coating layer to a blood vessel wall such that at least part of the plurality of crystal particles are transferred to the blood vessel wall, and deflating the expandable member such that the generation of microparticulates having a size that causes embolization of peripheral blood vessels is suppressed.

Methods have been discovered that make it possible to continuously extrude tubes of P4HB and copolymers thereof. These methods allow tubes of P4HB and copolymers thereof to be produced without radial deformation of the tubes despite the slow crystallization of the polymer and copolymers. The methods can produce tubes of P4HB and copolymers thereof with tightly defined outside and inside diameters which are required for medical application. These tubes are produced by radial expansion at temperatures above the melting temperature of P4HB and copolymers thereof, and using low tube cooling temperatures and prolonged cooling times. The tubes made from P4HB and copolymers thereof are flexible, and can be prepared with high elongation to break values.