W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.

Thane L Kranzler

Carey V Campbell

Benjamin M Trapp

Mei Li

Robert L Cleek

Bruce M Steinhaus

Thomas G Triebes

Theresa A Holland

Jon P Moseley

Michael L McDonald

Edward H Cully

Michael J Vonesh

Cody L Hartman

Paul D Drumheller

Peter Heicksen

James F Davidson

Norman J Sharber

Daniel L Crandall

Gregory LoStracco

Gregory Lostracco

The invention is directed to delivery medical devices that enable consistent 'on-demand' delivery of therapeutic agents to a vessel. The medical device of the current invention comprises retractable sheath comprising neckable elements. The medical device of the current invention comprises an expandable member, a hydrophilic coating comprising at least one therapeutic agent about the expandable member or structural layer and a retractable outer sheath with a selectively permeable microstructure. The design and methods disclosed herein ensures that therapeutic agent delivery occurs essentially only during retraction of the outer sheath, minimizing coating and/or therapeutic agent loss to the bloodstream and providing controlled delivery to the treatment site.

Retractable sheath devices, systems, and methods

The invention is directed to eluting medical devices that enable consistent 'on-demand' delivery of therapeutic agents to a vessel. The medical device of the current invention comprises an expandable member, a hydrophilic coating comprising at least one therapeutic agent about the expandable member or structural layer and an outer sheath with a variably permeable microstructure. The design and methods disclosed herein ensures that therapeutic agent delivery occurs essentially only during expansion of the expandable member, minimizing coating and/or therapeutic agent loss to the bloodstream and providing controlled delivery to the treatment site.

Eluting medical devices

A high strength, porous PTFE sheet material having high strength in all directions within the plane of the sheet material. The sheet material has, within the plane of the sheet, a higher minimum tensile strength, matrix tensile strength, secant modulus and matrix secant modulus than previously known porous PTFE sheet materials. The sheet material is a laminate of multiple layers of porous PTFE film, preferably uniaxially expanded film, wherein the orientation of the direction of the fibrils of any layer varies slightly, such as about ten degrees, from the orientation of the fibrils of the adjacent layer. The sheet material is particularly useful as a surgical repair patch and especially as a blood vessel repair patch because of its high strength, flexibility, biocompatibility and very low rate of suture line bleeding.

High strength porous PTFE sheet material

A sheet of implantable patch tissue repair material having the form of a layer of porous polytetrafluoroethylene sheet material laminated to a layer of mesh-type sheet material having a multiplicity of openings through the mesh-type sheet material, said openings having a mean minimum diameter of about 0.1 mm. The inventive patch tissue repair material offers good strength characteristics, good biocompatibility, suture retention, and flexibility.

Laminated patch tissue repair sheet material

A sheet of implantable patch tissue repair material comprising a layer of porous polytetrafluoroethylene sheet material laminated to a layer of mesh-type sheet material having a multiplicity of openings through the mesh-type sheet material, said openings having a mean minimum diameter of at least about 0.1 mm. The inventive patch tissue repair material offers good strength characteristics, good biocompatibility, suture retention, and flexibility.

A carvable implant material for use in surgery and especially in plastic and reconstructive surgery is described which comprises porous PTFE having a coating of a stiffening agent intended to stiffen the PTFE in order to render it carvable. This material may thus be carved into a desired shape prior to implantation. The stiffening agent is biodegradable to allow tissue ingrowth to stabilize the location of the implant as the biodegradable stiffening agent is degraded and absorbed by the body.

Carvable implant material

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Flagstaff, AZ, United States of America

Thane L Kranzler