Porous materials, methods of making and uses

Abstract

The present specification discloses porous materials, methods of forming such porous materials, biocompatible implantable devices that include such porous materials, and methods of making such biocompatible implantable devices.

1 . A method of forming a textured implant shell, the method comprising the steps of:
 coating porogens with an elastomer base to form an elastomer-coated porogen mixture;   treating the elastomer-coated porogen mixture (1) to fuse porogens to form a porogen scaffold and (2) to cure the elastomer base; and   removing the porogen scaffold from the cured elastomer base to form the textured implant shell.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the porogens have a mean particle diameter of between about 300 μm to about 600 μm. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the porogens comprise a polymer. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(alkylene oxide), poly(acrylamide), poly(acrylic acid), poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid), poly(acrylamide-co-diallyldimethylammonium chloride), polyacrylonitrile, poly(allylamine), poly(amide), poly(anhydride), poly(butylene), poly(ε-caprolactone), poly(carbonate), poly(ester), poly(etheretherketone), poly(ethersulphone), poly(ethylene), poly(ethylene alcohol), poly(ethylenimine), poly(ethylene oxide), poly(glycolide) ((like poly(glycolic acid)), poly(hydroxybutyrate), poly(hydroxyethylmethacrylate), poly(hydroxypropylmethacrylate), poly(hydroxystyrene), poly(imide), poly(lactide)((like poly(L-lactic acid) and poly(D,L-lactic acid)), poly(lactide-co-glycolide), poly(lysine), poly(methacrylate), poly(methylmethacrylate), poly(orthoester), poly(phenylene oxide), poly(phosphazene), poly(phosphoester), poly(propylene fumarate), poly(propylene), poly(propylene glycol), poly(propylene oxide), poly(styrene), poly(sulfone), poly(tetrafluoroethylene), poly(vinylacetate), poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(vinylchloride), poly(vinylidene fluoride), poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), poly(urethane), any copolymer thereof (like poly(ethylene oxide) poly(propylene oxide) copolymers (poloxamers), poly(vinyl alcohol-co-ethylene), poly(styrene-co-ally) alcohol, and poly(ethylene)-block-poly(ethylene glycol). 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the elastomer base is selected from the group consisting of bromo isobutylene isoprene, polybutadiene, chloro isobutylene isoprene, polychloroprene, chlorosulphonated polyethylene, ethylene propylene, ethylene propylene diene monomer, fluorinated hydrocarbon, fluoro silicone, hydrogenated nitrile butadiene, polyisoprene, isobutylene isoprene butyl, methyl vinyl silicon, acrylonitrile butadiene, polyurethane, styrene butadiene, styrene ethylene/butylene styrene, polydimethylsiloxane, polysiloxane, and acrylonitrile butadiene carboxy monomer. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the elastomer base is a silicon-based elastomer. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the porogens are coated with the elastomer base by dipping, spraying, knifing, curtaining, brushing, vapor deposition, thermal application, adhering application, chemical bonding, self-assembly, molecular entrapment, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the porogens are coated with the elastomer base to a thickness of about 1 μm to about 10 μm. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising devolatizing the elastomer base. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the elastomer-coated porogen mixture is treated with a thermal treatment, chemical treatment, catalyst treatment, radiation treatment, or physical treatment to fuse the porogens to form the porogen scaffold and to cure the elastomer base. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the thermal treatment is at a temperature between about 5° C. and about 50° C. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the thermal treatment is at a temperature between about 30° C. and about 140° C. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the thermal treatment is performed for about 10 minutes to about 360 minutes. 
     
     
         14 . A method of forming a porous material, the method comprising the steps of:
 fusing porogens to form a porogen scaffold;   coating the porogen scaffold with an elastomer base to form an elastomer-coated porogen scaffold;   treating the elastomer-coated porogen scaffold to cure the elastomer base; and   removing the porogen scaffold from the cured elastomer base to form the porous material.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the porogens are fused by heating to a temperature of about 110° C. to about 140° C. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the porogens are heated for about 65 minutes to about 105 minutes. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the fused porogens have a mean fused diameter of about 100 μm to about 800 μm. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the porogen scaffold is removed by thermal extraction, degradation extraction, mechanical extraction, or soaking in water. 
     
     
         19 . A method of forming a textured implant shell, the method comprising the steps of:
 coating porogens with an elastomer base to form an elastomer-coated porogen mixture, wherein the porogens comprise a polymer;   treating the elastomer-coated porogen mixture (1) to fuse porogens to form a porogen scaffold and (2) to cure the elastomer base; and   removing the porogen scaffold from the cured elastomer base to form the textured implant shell.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(alkylene oxide), poly(acrylamide), poly(acrylic acid), poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid), poly(acrylamide-co-diallyldimethylammonium chloride), polyacrylonitrile, poly(allylamine), poly(amide), poly(anhydride), poly(butylene), poly(ε-caprolactone), poly(carbonate), poly(ester), poly(etheretherketone), poly(ethersulphone), poly(ethylene), poly(ethylene alcohol), poly(ethylenimine), poly(ethylene oxide), poly(glycolide) ((like poly(glycolic acid)), poly(hydroxybutyrate), poly(hydroxyethylmethacrylate), poly(hydroxypropylmethacrylate), poly(hydroxystyrene), poly(imide), poly(lactide)((like poly(L-lactic acid) and poly(D,L-lactic acid)), poly(lactide-co-glycolide), poly(lysine), poly(methacrylate), poly(methylmethacrylate), poly(orthoester), poly(phenylene oxide), poly(phosphazene), poly(phosphoester), poly(propylene fumarate), poly(propylene), poly(propylene glycol), poly(propylene oxide), poly(styrene), poly(sulfone), poly(tetrafluoroethylene), poly(vinylacetate), poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(vinylchloride), poly(vinylidene fluoride), poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), poly(urethane), any copolymer thereof (like poly(ethylene oxide) poly(propylene oxide) copolymers (poloxamers), poly(vinyl alcohol-co-ethylene), poly(styrene-co-ally) alcohol, and poly(ethylene)-block-poly(ethylene glycol).