CURABLE SILICONE (PRE-) POLYMER COMPOSITION COMPRISING A CONTRAST AGENT

Abstract

The invention relates to a kit of parts suitable for preparing a cured biocompatible silicone polymer material including an X-ray contrast agent, the kit comprising two or more containers containing a fluid component, which componentswhen mixedform a fluid curable biocompatible polymer composition, which upon curing forms the cured biocompatible silicone polymer material, wherein a first container contains a fluid component A, which component A comprises a curable silicone (pre-)polymer and a curing agent and which component A is essentially free of curing catalyst and metallic X-ray contrast agent particles, and

a second container contains a fluid component B, which component B is a dispersion comprising metallic X-ray contrast agent particles and which is essentially free of curing agent.

Claims

1. A kit of parts suitable for preparing a cured biocompatible silicone polymer material including a metallic X-ray contrast agent, the kit comprising two or more containers, each containing a fluid component, which components, when mixed, form a fluid curable biocompatible polymer composition, which upon curing forms the cured biocompatible silicone polymer material, wherein a first container contains a fluid component A, which component A comprises a curable silicone (pre-)polymer and a curing agent, which curing agent is a polyalkylhydrosiloxane polymer, and which component A is essentially free of curing catalyst and metallic X-ray contrast agent particles, and a second container contains a fluid component B, which component B is a dispersion comprising metallic X-ray contrast agent particles, and which is essentially free of curing agent.

2. The kit of parts according to claim 1, wherein the kit of parts further comprises a curing catalyst, preferably a platinum complex, which curing catalyst is present in component B or in a third container, comprising a fluid component C.

3. The kit of parts according to claim 1, wherein component B comprises a curable silicone (pre-)polymer.

4. The kit of parts according to claim 1, wherein the curing agent is a polyalkylhydrosiloxane copolymer comprising alkylhydrosiloxane moieties and dialkylsiloxane moieties, more preferably comprising methylhydrosiloxane moieties and dimethylsiloxane moieties.

5. The kit of parts according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said components contains a filler selected from the group consisting of silica nanofillers, molecular silica, clay nanofillers, mica nanofillers, polymeric microfibres and glass microfibers.

6. The kit of parts according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said components is an amorphous silica filler or an amorphous silica nanofiller.

7. The kit of part according to claim 5, wherein the filler is present in an amount of 1-50 wt. % based on the total weight of the curable polymer composition, obtained when mixing the full contents of the first container and the second container.

8. The kit of parts according to claim 1, wherein the metallic X-ray contrast agent particles comprise tantalum particles.

9. (canceled)

10. The kit of parts according to claim 1, wherein the metallic X-ray contrast agent particles are non-spheroidal, flake-shaped, or chip-shaped, or wherein at least 90% of the total weight of the metallic X-ray contrast agent particles has a particle size of 10 micro-meter or less, as determined by SEM.

11. The kit of parts according to claim 1, wherein the metallic X-ray contrast agent particles content is in the range of about 1 to about 7 w/v %, based on the total weight of the curable polymer composition, obtained when mixing the full contents of the first container and the second container.

12. The kit of parts according to claim 11, wherein the metallic X-ray contrast agent particles content is in the range of about 1 to about 5 w/v %, based on the total weight of the curable polymer composition, obtained when mixing the full contents of the first container and the second container.

13. The kit of parts according to claim 1, wherein the curable polymer composition has a viscosity at 25 C. in the range of 2 000 to 12 000 cSt at 25 C.

14. The kit of parts according to claim 1, wherein the curable polymer composition has a viscosity at 25 C. in the range of at least 100 cSt and less than 2 000 to cSt at 25 C.

15. The kit of parts according to claim 1, comprising component A and component B in a volume to volume ratio in the range of 0.9:1 to 1:0.9, wherein component A comprises: 10-85 wt. %, preferably 30-70 wt. % silicone (pre)polymer 0.1-50 wt. %, preferably 1-25 wt. % curing agent 0.5-50 wt. %, preferably 1.0-20 wt. % filler and wherein component B comprises: 20-75 wt. %, preferably 30-70 wt. % silicone (pre)polymer 2-10 w/v. %, preferably 3-8 w/v. % metallic contrast agent 0.1-10 wt. %, preferably 1-6 wt. % curing catalyst.

16-22. (canceled)

23. The kit of parts according to claim 1 for use in the treatment of a subject having a vascular disease.

24. The kit of parts for use according to claim 23, wherein the treatment involves in situ formation of a stent of a cured silicone polymer material in a blood vessel.

25. The kit of parts for use according to claim 23, wherein the treatment comprises the treatment of an arterial aneurism, in particular an abdominal aortic aneurism, a thoracic aortic aneurism or an aneurism in an iliac artery.

26. The kit of parts or curable polymer composition for use according to claim 23, wherein the treatment comprises a repair of an endoleak of a graft or stent-graft in an artery, in particular a type II or a type I endoleak.

27. The kit of parts according to claim 23 for use in the treatment of an aneurism, wherein the composition is for use as an adjuvant filling of the aneurism in a method wherein an endo-graft is placed in the aneurism.

28. (canceled)

29. The kit of parts according to claim 8, wherein the tantalum particles comprise at least 95 wt. % tantalum, based on the weight of the particles.

Description

EXAMPLE 1

[0101] When tantalum particles (average diameter >5 micrometer) were added to a fluid curable polymer composition (viscosity about 6000-7000 cSt) comprising vinyl terminated PDMS and a curing agent (such as polyalkylhydrosiloxane), it was observed that spontaneous curing observed. Also it was observed that the particles were not dispersed very well.

[0102] However, spontaneous curing was avoided by adding the tantalum particles to a comparable fluid composition of vinyl terminated PDMS, curing catalyst (Pt-complex) without the curing agent (component B).

[0103] In a further experiment about 10 w/v % or less of tantalum particles with 90% of the total weight having a primary particle size of less than 5 micro-meter or of about 2 micrometer or less, or of about 1 micrometer or less was added to a fluid composition of vinyl terminated PDMS, curing catalyst (Pt-complex), amorphous silica filler and silicone oil, without the curing agent (component B). After more than 3 months of storage, no substantial change in viscosity or settling of the tantalum particles was observed. This component B was mixed with a fluid composition having about the same viscosity (6000-7000 cSt) of vinyl terminated PDMS, curing agent, amorphous silica filler and silicone oil, without catalyst and without metallic contrast agent particles (component A). The resultant mixture was found to cure well at about ambient temperature, forming a homogeneous, consistent solidified, elastic mass, with good X-ray visibility.

EXAMPLE 2

[0104] Analogous to Example 1 kits of parts was made, using tantalum particular having an average particle size (agglomerate size) of 8.6 m, ranging from 1 m to 10 m. No large particles were found. The shape was very irregular, like chips (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The particles contained 95 wt % tantalum and 3.7 wt % Carbon. Using the kits of parts, curable polymer compositions were made having 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 wt. % tantalum. Best results were obtained with tantalum. Thereafter several filling tests in 3D printed patient aneurysms were carried out to verify that this % tantalum filling would not hamper the visibility of other interventional tools. It was found that the other endovascular tools like stents, wires etc. were still well visible, so the tantalum filling of the polymer is not hampering this (see also FIG. 3).

[0105] Thereafter, a check under CT-scan to verify that the cured composition comprising 5% tantalum did not give rise to excessive scattering, rendering CT-scan useless. This is of extra importance in EVAR procedures since CT-scans are the golden standard for detecting endoleaks (see also FIG. 4). As can be seen from figure x, the scattering is minimal. The amount of polymer is clearly visible, however without hampering the visibility of other endovascular tools like the endograft.