Scimed Life Systems, Inc.

Sheng Ping Zhong

Ronald A Sahatjian

Arthur R Madenjian

Samuel Anthony Thompson

Douglas E Godshall

James Wagner

John M Ronan

Stabilizing an object in the body of a patient involves the injection of a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) material in a flowable form into the body of the patient so that the material contacts the object. The LCST material then forms a gel in the body due to a temperature inside the body such that the object is contained at least partially within the gel and thereby stabilized by the gel such that the object can then be easily fragmented within the body and/or retrieved from the body.

Immobilizing objects in the body

The invention provides a means of boosting the mechanical performance of shaped shaped medical devices comprising polymer hydrogels, such as stents, so that they may be more easily inserted into or removed from the body. In one aspect, the invention provides shaped medical devices having increased mechanical strength and comprising both ionic and covalent crosslinks. In another aspect, the invention provides a shaped medical device having a heterogeneous polymer composition and a variable dissolution or degradation rate along its length. The shaped medical devices according to the present invention retain their shape and stiffness during insertion into the body and can swell and soften inside the body to enhance patient comfort.

Medical devices comprising hydrogel polymers having improved mechanical properties

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Northboro, MA, United States of America

Sheng Ping Zhong