METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING POLYDIOXANONE PARTICLES FOR FILLER

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing polydioxanone particles (PDO) for a filler, more particularly to a method for manufacturing polydioxanone particles, which includes a step of mixing a solution of polydioxanone dissolved in a perfluoroalcohol with a polymer emulsion containing a polyethylene oxide-polypropylene oxide-polyethylene oxide terpolymer at a predetermined ratio to generate polydioxanone particles and then recovering the polydioxanone particles through aging and washing. The polydioxanone particles manufactured by the manufacturing method of the present invention can be favorably used as an injection for regenerating skin tissues.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing polydioxanone particles for a filler, comprising: a) preparing a polydioxanone solution by dissolving polydioxanone in a perfluoroalcohol; b) preparing a polymer emulsion by mixing and stirring a polyethylene oxide-polypropylene oxide-polyethylene oxide terpolymer, an acid, water and a surfactant; c) generating polydioxanone particles by mixing the polymer emulsion with the polydioxanone solution and stirring the mixture; d) aging the polydioxanone particles by adding a stabilizer to the dispersion in which the particles are dispersed and stirring the same; and e) recovering the polydioxanone particles and purifying them by washing.

2. The method for manufacturing polydioxanone particles for a filler according to claim 1, wherein the perfluoroalcohol in a) is a C.sub.1-C.sub.6 alcohol compound substituted with 3-13 fluorine atoms.

3. The method for manufacturing polydioxanone particles for a filler according to claim 2, wherein the perfluoroalcohol in a) is 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol.

4. The method for manufacturing polydioxanone particles for a filler according to claim 1, wherein the concentration of the polydioxanone in the polydioxanone solution in a) is 1.0-5.0 wt %.

5. The method for manufacturing polydioxanone particles for a filler according to claim 1, wherein the concentration of the polyethylene oxide-polypropylene oxide-polyethylene oxide terpolymer in the polymer emulsion in b) is 0.1-2.0 wt %.

6. The method for manufacturing polydioxanone particles for a filler according to claim 1, wherein the polyethylene oxide-polypropylene oxide-polyethylene oxide terpolymer in b) has a weight-average molecular weight of 1,000-50,000 g/mol.

7. The method for manufacturing polydioxanone particles for a filler according to claim 1, wherein the acid in b) is one or more selected from a group consisting of hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, acetic acid, sulfuric acid, carbonic acid, phosphoric acid and boric acid and is used as an aqueous solution by being dissolved in water at a concentration of 20-40 wt %.

8. The method for manufacturing polydioxanone particles for a filler according to claim 1, wherein the acid in b) is used in an amount that the pH of the polymer emulsion is 1.5-4.5.

9. The method for manufacturing polydioxanone particles for a filler according to claim 1, wherein the surfactant in b) is one or more selected from a group consisting of polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate, polyoxyethylene sorbitan monopalmitate, polyoxyethylene sorbitan monostearate, polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate and polyoxyethylene sorbitan trioleate.

10. The method for manufacturing polydioxanone particles for a filler according to claim 1, wherein the stirring in c) is performed using an ultrasonicator or a high-speed stirrer.

11. The method for manufacturing polydioxanone particles for a filler according to claim 1, wherein the stabilizer in d) is one or more selected from a group consisting of methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, butanol, ethyl acetate, acetic acid, acetaldehyde, methylene chloride, chloroform, acetone, dimethylformamide and an aqueous solution thereof.

12. The method for manufacturing polydioxanone particles for a filler according to claim 1, wherein the stabilizer in d) is used in an amount of 100-500 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the polymer emulsion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0020] FIG. 1 shows an electron microscopic image (100) of amorphous polydioxanone particles manufactured by a manufacturing method of the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 2 shows an electron microscopic image (100) of amorphous polydioxanone particles manufactured by the existing seed polymerization method.

[0022] FIG. 3 shows an electron microscopic image of polydioxanone particles manufactured by the existing suspension polymerization method. It can be seen that particles were not formed.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT INVENTION

[0023] The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing polydioxanone particles which are readily applicable to a living body and provide a useful effect in tissue growth when injected into the living body and thus can be widely used in the field of tissue engineering.

[0024] Hereinafter, the individual steps of the method for manufacturing polydioxanone particles according to the present invention are described in detail.

[0025] The first step is a step wherein a polydioxanone solution is prepared.

[0026] That is to say, a polydioxanone solution is prepared by dissolving polydioxanone in a perfluoroalcohol. The polydioxanone (PDO) is a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer. As the polydioxanone, one having a weight-average molecular weight ranging from 200,000 to 250,000 is used.

[0027] A perfluoroalcohol is used as a solvent for dissolving the polydioxanone. As the perfluoroalcohol, a C.sub.1-C.sub.6 alcohol compound substituted with 3-13 fluorine atoms is used. For example, 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol may be used.

[0028] The concentration of the polydioxanone in the polydioxanone solution is maintained at 1.0-5.0 wt %. When the concentration exceeds the above limit, the polydioxanone particles may not be formed stably due to separation of aqueous and organic layers and the formed particles may have a nonuniform particle size.

[0029] The second step is a step wherein a polymer emulsion is prepared.

[0030] That is to say, a polymer emulsion is prepared by mixing and stirring a polyethylene oxide (PEO)-polypropylene oxide (PPO)-polyethylene oxide (PEO) terpolymer, an acid, water and a surfactant.

[0031] The PEO-PPO-PEO terpolymer serves as a stabilizer which allows the polydioxanone solution to be stably and uniformly dispersed in water. As the PEO-PPO-PEO terpolymer, one having a weight-average molecular weight of 1,000-50,000 g/mol, specifically 10,000-20,000 g/mol, is used. In the present invention, the PEO-PPO-PEO terpolymer is adsorbed on the surface of the polydioxanone and prevents interaction between the particles. That is to say, the PEO-PPO-PEO terpolymer acts as a bridge between the aqueous solution and the polydioxanone particles, thereby preventing aggregation and precipitation due to hydrophobic interaction of the dispersed polydioxanone particles. Specifically, the hydrophobic groups of the PEO-PPO-PEO terpolymer dispersed in the polydioxanone solution surround the polydioxanone dissolved in the solvent and perform a microemulsion to form an adsorbed film on the particles, thereby preventing the aggregation. Specifically, the PEO-PPO-PEO terpolymer may be contained in the polymer emulsion at a concentration of 0.1-2.0 wt %. When the concentration of the PEOPPO-PEO terpolymer contained in the polymer emulsion is lower than 0.1 wt %, the polydioxanone particles may aggregate with each other without being uniformly dispersed in the solvent. And, when the concentration exceeds 2.0 wt %, the size and shape of the polydioxanone particles may not be maintained uniformly.

[0032] In the present invention, an acid is used in the process where the polymer emulsion is prepared. The acid aids in the formation of the polydioxanone particles in the presence of the PEO-PPO-PEO terpolymer. The acid may be one or more selected from a group consisting of hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, acetic acid, sulfuric acid, carbonic acid, phosphoric acid and boric acid and may be used as an aqueous solution by being dissolved in water at a concentration of 20-40 wt %. When the acid is used as a 40 wt % acid solution, it may be used in an amount of 0.5-3.5 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the solution containing the PEO-PPO-PEO terpolymer. The acid may be used in such an amount that the pH of the polymer emulsion is 1.5-4.5. When the acid is used outside of the range, the size of the polydioxanone particles may be nonuniform or the particles may not be formed due to phase separation.

[0033] The water and the surfactant are used to form the emulsion. The water and the surfactant used to form the emulsion may be used at a weight ratio of specifically 1:0.001-1:0.02, more specifically 1:0.01-1:0.02. The surfactant may be any commonly used surfactant, including anionic, cationic or amphoteric surfactants. In the present invention, the commercially available Tween products may be used as the surfactant. For example, polyoxyethylene sorbitan monolaurate (Tween 20), polyoxyethylene sorbitan monopalmitate (Tween 40), polyoxyethylene sorbitan monostearate (Tween 60), polyoxyethylene sorbitan monooleate (Tween 80), polyoxyethylene sorbitan trioleate (Tween 85), etc. may be used.

[0034] The third step is a step wherein polydioxanone particles are formed.

[0035] That is to say, polydioxanone particles with an average particle diameter of 1-150 m and a uniform particle size are prepared by mixing the polymer emulsion with the polydioxanone solution and stirring the mixture. During the stirring, the particles may be stabilized according to a method commonly used in the art, for example, using an ultrasonicator or a high-speed stirrer. The method for stabilizing the particles in the step of generating the polydioxanone particles is not particularly limited in the present invention.

[0036] The fourth step is a step wherein the generated polydioxanone particles are aged.

[0037] That is to say, the polydioxanone particles are aged by adding a stabilizer to the dispersion in which the particles are dispersed and stirring the same. In the present invention, the stabilizer is added so that the particles can be aged stably. The stabilizer may be one or more selected from a group consisting of a C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alcohol (e.g., methanol, ethanol, isopropanol or butanol), ethyl acetate, acetic acid, acetaldehyde, methylene chloride, chloroform, acetone, dimethylformamide and an aqueous solution thereof. In the examples of the present invention, ethanol or an aqueous ethanol solution are mainly used as the stabilizer. However, the stabilizer is never limited to them in the present invention. The stabilizer may be used in an amount of 100-500 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the polymer emulsion. Outside this range, it is difficult to obtain polydioxanone particles of the size desired in the present invention.

[0038] The fifth step is a step wherein the polydioxanone particles are purified.

[0039] That is to say, the polydioxanone particles are recovered and then purified by washing with a solvent. The solvent used for the washing may be water or one or more selected from ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, diethyl ether, ethyl acetate and acetic acid. More specifically, a mixture solvent of water and ethanol may be used and washing may be conducted while varying a weight ratio of water:ethanol from 5:5 to 9:1.

[0040] Because the polydioxanone particles manufactured by the manufacturing method described above are readily applicable to a living body and highly biocompatible, they are useful as an injection for skin resurfacing and tissue reconstruction. When injected into the living body, the polydioxanone particles manufactured by the manufacturing method of the present invention can improve skin's vitality and elasticity by activating the skin's dermal layer and thereby regenerating cells around the particles. In addition, they can improve skin's volume for several months by being injected into the skin.

[0041] Accordingly, an injection for a filler containing the polydioxanone particles manufactured by the manufacturing method described above is also included in the scope of the present invention. The injection for a filler may further contain, in addition to the polydioxanone particles as an active ingredient, other filler additives commonly used for the purpose of cosmetic surgery. The filler additive that may be used in the present invention is one or more selected from a group consisting of hyaluronic acid, heparin, dextran, alginic acid, collagen, albumin, gelatin, chitosan, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyethylene, polyurethane, polyethylene glycol, polyglycol, polylactide, polyhydroxyvalerate, alginate and carboxymethyl cellulose. The filler additive may be used in an amount commonly used in the art and there is no particular limitation in the manufacturing method of the injection for a filler or the content of the filler additive in the present invention.

[0042] The present invention will be described in more detail through examples. The following examples are for illustrative purposes only and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the scope of this invention is not limited by the examples.

EXAMPLES

Example 1

[0043] A polydioxanone solution was prepared by dissolving 0.5 g of polydioxanone (PDO; weight-average molecular weight 200,000) in 50 g of 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol.

[0044] In a separate container, a polymer emulsion of pH 2.5 was prepared by stirring a mixture of 10 g of a polyethylene oxide (PEO)-polypropylene oxide (PPO)-polyethylene oxide (PEO) terpolymer (BASF, F127; weight-average molecular weight 12,600), 25 g of a 40% aqueous hydrochloric acid solution, 940 g of water and 0.1 g of Tween-80 as a surfactant.

[0045] A dispersion in which polydioxanone particles are uniformly dispersed was prepared by mixing the polydioxanone solution and the polymer emulsion and then high-speed stirring at 1500 rpm. After adding 1025 g of ethanol as a stabilizer to 1025 g of the dispersion, the particles were aged by stirring at 100 rpm. The aged polydioxanone particles were filtered, washed with water and then dried.

[0046] A result of measuring the size and physical properties of the manufactured polydioxanone particles is shown in Table 1.

Example 2. Properties of Polydioxanone Particles Manufactured with Polydioxanone Solutions of Different Concentrations

[0047] Polydioxanone particles were manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the concentration of polydioxanone in the polydioxanone solution was varied to be 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 and 5.5 wt %. The yield and size of the polydioxanone particles manufactured with the polydioxanone solutions of different concentrations are summarized in Table 1.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Concentration of PDO solution (wt %) 0.5 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 5.5 PDO Particle size (m) x 1-150 1-50 1-50 1-50 1-50 x particles Yield (%) 23 97 96 95 12 x: Polydioxanone particles were not formed or particle aggregation occurred.

[0048] As seen from Table 1, polydioxanone particles could be formed when the concentration of the polydioxanone solution was 1-5 wt %. Specifically, polydioxanone particles with more uniform size could be manufactured when the concentration of the polydioxanone solution was 2-4 wt %.

Example 3. Properties of Polydioxanone Particles Manufactured with Polymer Emulsions Having Different Terpolymer Concentrations

[0049] Polydioxanone particles were manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the content of the PEO-PPO-PEO terpolymer used in the preparation of the polymer emulsion was varied. That is to say, the concentration of the PEO-PPO-PEO terpolymer in the polymer emulsion was varied to be 0.05, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 wt %. The yield and size of the polydioxanone particles manufactured with the polymer emulsions of different compositions are summarized in Table 2.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Concentration of PEO-PPO- PEO (wt %) 0.05 0.1 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 PDO Particle size x 1-150 1-150 1-150 1-150 1-150 x particles (m) Yield (%) 97 96 96 94 91

[0050] As seen from Table 2, polydioxanone particles could be formed when the concentration of the PEO-PPO-PEO terpolymer in the polymer emulsion was 0.1-2.0 wt %. When the concentration of the PEO-PPO-PEO terpolymer was 0.05 wt % or 2.5 wt %, polydioxanone particles were not formed or the particle size was not uniform.

Example 4. Properties of Polydioxanone Particles Manufactured with Polymer Emulsions Having Different Water and Surfactant Concentrations

[0051] Polydioxanone particles were manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the weight ratio of the water and the surfactant used to prepare the polymer emulsion was varied. That is to say, the weight ratio of water/surfactant was varied to be 1/0, 1/0.001, 1/0.01, 1/0.02 and 1/0.1. The yield and size of the polydioxanone particles manufactured with the polymer emulsions of different compositions are summarized in Table 3.

TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Weight ratio of water/surfactant 1/0.001 1/0.01 1/0.02 1/0.1 PDO particles Particle size (m) 1-150 1-150 1-150 x Yield (%) 75 98 95

[0052] As seen from Table 3, polydioxanone particles could be formed when the weight ratio of water/surfactant in the polymer emulsion was 1/0.001-1/0.02 weight ratio. In contrast, polydioxanone particles were not formed when the weight ratio of water/surfactant in the polymer emulsion was 1/0.1.

Example 5. Properties of Polydioxanone Particles Manufactured with Polymer Emulsions Having Different Amounts of Hydrochloric Acid Added

[0053] Polydioxanone particles were manufactured in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the addition amount of the aqueous hydrochloric acid solution added when preparing the polymer emulsion was varied. That is to say, the pH of the polymer emulsion was adjusted by adding different amounts of the 40 wt % aqueous hydrochloric acid solution. The yield and size of the polydioxanone particles manufactured with the polymer emulsions of different pH are summarized in Table 4.

TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 pH of polymer emulsion 1.0 1.5 2.5 3.5 4.5 5.0 PDO Particle Amorphous Amorphous Amorphous Amorphous Amorphous Amorphous particles form Particle 1 18 10 51 10 84 10 139 10 150 size (m) Yield (%) 97 96 98 98

[0054] As seen from Table 4, an average particle size of 1-150 m could be maintained when the pH of the polymer emulsion was 1.5-4.5. The particle size tended to increase as the pH of the polymer emulsion increased. At pH<1.0, particles were not formed or fine particles smaller than 1 m were formed. At pH>5.0, large particles of 150 m or greater were formed.

Comparative Example 1

[0055] Polydioxanone (PDO) Particles were Manufactured by Seed Polymerization.

[0056] That is to say, polydioxanone (PDO) particles with a uniform particle size distribution in micrometer scale were manufactured by dispersing polydioxanone seed particles in 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol as a dispersion medium and swelling monomers.

Comparative Example 2

[0057] Polydioxanone (PDO) Particles were Manufactured by Suspension Polymerization.

[0058] Suspension polymerization is a method of manufacturing polydioxanone (PDO) particles using water-insoluble monomers in water as a dispersion medium in the presence of a steric stabilizer. However, because the suspension polymerization method manufactures the particles by dispersing the monomers in an aqueous solution by applying mechanical force, the obtained polymer particles have a very nonuniform size or particles are not formed due to remarkably decreased solubility of polydioxanone (PDO), as shown in FIG. 3.

TABLE-US-00005 TABLE 5 Comparative Comparative Example 1 Example 1 Example 2 PDO Particle form Amorphous Amorphous Not formed particles Particle size (m) 1-150 0.1-1500 x Yield (%) 96 42

[0059] FIGS. 1-3 show the electron microscopic images of the polydioxanone particles manufactured according to the present invention in Example 1 (FIG. 1), the polydioxanone particles manufactured by seed polymerization in Comparative Example 1 (FIG. 2) and the polydioxanone particles manufactured by suspension polymerization in Comparative Example 2 (FIG. 3).

[0060] From FIG. 1, it can be seen that the polydioxanone particles manufactured in Example 1 are uniform in size and shape. In contrast, although the polydioxanone particles manufactured by seed polymerization (FIG. 2) were amorphous, the size was very nonuniform. And, polydioxanone particles were not formed by the suspension polymerization method due to aggregation (FIG. 3).

Test Example 1. Comparison of Properties of PDO Raw Material and PDO Particles

[0061] The physical and chemical properties of the polydioxanone raw material and the polydioxanone particles manufactured by the method of the present invention using the raw material were compared as follows.

[0062] [Test Method]

[0063] 1) Inherent viscosity (IV) was measured using a high-frequency viscometer for smallest sample volumes. First, after taking samples (0.1 g) r and then dissolving them in a 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP) solvent at a concentration of 0.1% (w/v) at 30 C., 5 mg of each sample was subjected to the measurement.

[0064] 2) Glass transition temperature (T.sub.g) and melting point (T.sub.m) were measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) while raising temperature from 20 C. to 150 C. at a rate of 1 C./min.

[0065] 3) Average molecular weight was measured by THF-GPC. Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) in a 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP) eluent was used as a reference material and the measurement was made at room temperature (251 C.).

TABLE-US-00006 TABLE 6 PDO pellets PDO particles Inherent viscosity (dL/g) 1.8 3 1.7 1 T.sub.g ( C.) 7 2 8 1 T.sub.m ( C.) 112 2 112 1 Average molecular weight (g/mol) 230,000 20,000 210,000 10,000 PDO pellets: PDO raw material used in Example 1 PDO particles: PDO particles manufactured in Example 1 using PDO raw material

[0066] As seen from Table 6, no distinct difference could be found in the intrinsic viscosity, glass transition temperature, melting point or average molecular weight. Accordingly, it can be seen that the method of the present invention causes little difference in the physical and chemical properties of the polydioxanone.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0067] As described above, polydioxanone is a biodegradable and biocompatible material and the polydioxanone (PDO) particles manufactured by the manufacturing method of the present invention can be usefully used as an injection for regenerating skin tissues.