Adhesive structure with stiff protrusions on adhesive surface

Abstract

A laminate and process of making the laminate is disclosed comprising: a surgical mesh having first and second surfaces; and an adhesive structure having adhesive and non-adhesive surfaces, wherein the non-adhesive surface of the adhesive structure is laminated to at least one of said first and second surfaces of said surgical mesh, and the adhesive surface of said adhesive structure has protrusions extending therefrom comprising a resin having a Young's modulus of greater than 17 MPa, which protrusions are of sufficiently low diameter to promote adhesion by increasing physical attractive forces between the adhesive structure and a target surface, as measured by shear adhesion.

1 . A laminate comprising:
 a surgical mesh having first and second surfaces; and   an adhesive structure having adhesive and non-adhesive surfaces, wherein the non-adhesive surface of the adhesive structure is laminated to at least one of said first and second surfaces of said surgical mesh, and the adhesive surface of said adhesive structure has protrusions extending therefrom comprising a resin having a Young's modulus of greater than 17 MPa, which protrusions are of sufficiently low diameter to promote adhesion by increasing physical attractive forces between the adhesive structure and a target surface, as measured by shear adhesion.   
     
     
         2 . The laminate of  claim 1  wherein the protrusions have an average diameter ranging from 0.2 to 5 microns, an average length greater than 2 microns and an aspect ratio (length/diameter) of 1 to 33. 
     
     
         3 . The laminate of  claim 1 , wherein the surgical mesh has said adhesive structures laminated to both said first and second surfaces. 
     
     
         4 . The laminate of  claim 1 , wherein said surgical mesh comprises a knitted, woven, nonwoven or porous film mesh. 
     
     
         5 . The laminate of  claim 1 , wherein said surgical mesh comprises a biodurable polymer. 
     
     
         6 . The laminate of  claim 1 , wherein the adhesive structure is integrally molded from a resin selected from at least one of thermoplastic resin, thermosetting resin, and curable resin. 
     
     
         7 . The laminate of  claim 1 , wherein the adhesive structure resin comprises at least one polymer having a Young's modulus of ranging from 20 MPa to 5 GPa. 
     
     
         8 . The laminate of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer of the surgical mesh is different from the adhesive structure resin. 
     
     
         9 . The laminate of  claim 8 , wherein the polymer of the surgical mesh is biodurable and the resin of the adhesive structure is bioresorbable. 
     
     
         10 . The laminate of  claim 8 , wherein the polymer of the surgical mesh is bioresorbable, the resin of the adhesive structure is bioresorbable, and the resin of the adhesive structure resorbs more quickly than the polymer of the surgical mesh. 
     
     
         11 . The laminate of  claim 1 , further comprising an adhesion barrier on the surface of the surgical mesh opposite to the adhesive structure. 
     
     
         12 . A method of forming a laminate of a surgical mesh having first and second surfaces, and an adhesive structure having adhesive and non-adhesive surfaces, comprising:
 a) providing a first specific solvent-dissolvable mold including indentations;   b) providing a first meltable polymer having a Young's modulus of greater than 17 MPa to the first mold under conditions sufficient to permit filling the indentations of the first mold by the first polymer, said first polymer being substantially non-dissolvable by the specific solvent;   c) treating the first mold and first polymer of step b) to an extent sufficient to substantially solidify the first polymer;   d) laminating a surgical mesh, also non-dissolvable by said specific solvent, to an exposed surface of said first meltable polymer at the top of said first mold; and   e) exposing the first mold, first polymer and surgical mesh to the specific solvent under mold-dissolving conditions to dissolve said first mold.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising
 f) providing a second specific solvent-dissolvable mold including indentations;   g) providing a second meltable polymer having a Young's modulus of greater than 17 MPa to the second mold under conditions sufficient to permit filling the indentations of the second mold by the second polymer, said second polymer being substantially non-dissolvable by the specific solvent;   h) treating the second mold and second polymer of step g) to an extent sufficient to substantially solidify the second polymer;   i) laminating an exposed surface of said second meltable polymer at the top of said second mold to the surgical mesh; and   j) exposing both said first and second molds, first and second polymers and the surgical mesh to the specific solvent under mold-dissolving conditions.