Sulzer Brothers Limited

Ims-Biopur Ag

Peter Bittmann

Marko Turina

Werner Muller

Peter Dittes

Werner Billeter

A prosthesis wall for an artificial organ, e.g. an artificial arterial blood vessel, to be coated without gaps on one side with biologically active epithelial, e.g. endothelial cells is provided with a structure of open continuous micropores a few microns in size. The pore size is limited to between 0.1 and 3 microns, at least on the surface to be coated with cells with the thickness of the partitions between the pores being not more than 3 microns to permit a continuous layer of endothelial cells with prolonged and firm adhesion to the prosthesis to be subsequently formed.

Artificial body for a prosthesis

The arterial vessel is made of a microporous membrane having pores which are filled with a permeable gel or which are closed over by a thin porous layer. A monolayer of endothelial cells is provided on the internal surface for exposure to the blood flow and smooth muscle cells are layered on the outer surface for increasing the viability of the live cells on the membrane and to impart elasticity. A support structure formed of a braided construction of monofilaments of inert material can be provided to limit dilation of the vessel.

Artificial vessel

The artificial vessel has a membrane of at least semi-permeable bio-inert synthetic material with a monolayer of endothelial cells on the internal surface and a layer of smooth elastic fiber-generating muscle cells on the outer surface. The membrane may be made pore-less or may be made with a network of opened micropores filled with an aqueous gel to provide a smooth internal surface on which the endothelial cells may be coated.

The repository probe or drug dispenser consists of a tube which is divided into a probe head and a probe end part. In addition, a series of medicine carriers are disposed in the probe head which contain active ingredients and which have an axial length of at most three times the outside diameter of the tube. In addition, openings are provided in the tube transversely of each medicine carrier for the passage of fluids. Joint zones are provided between the segments of the tube in which the medicine carriers are placed. Because of the limitation on the axial length of the medicine carriers and the joint zones, the flexibility of the probe head between the relatively stiff medicine carriers is increased without distortion or a closing of the openings to the medicine carriers when deflecting the probe.

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Herrliberg, Switzerland

Peter Bittmann