초록 ▼

A method of forming polymeric microspheres for biomedical applications includes forming polymeric microspheres by an emulsion/aggregation process from a precursor monomer species, and treating the polymeric microspheres to attach a biomedical functional material to the polymeric microspheres, where

A method of forming polymeric microspheres for biomedical applications includes forming polymeric microspheres by an emulsion/aggregation process from a precursor monomer species, and treating the polymeric microspheres to attach a biomedical functional material to the polymeric microspheres, where the polymeric microspheres have an average particle diameter of from about 1 to about 15 microns with a narrow particle geometric size distribution. The biomedical functional material may be, for example, a radioactive material, a radioactive precursor material, a bioactive agent, or a ligand.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A method of forming polymeric microspheres for biomedical applications, comprising: forming polymeric microspheres by an emulsion/aggregation process from a precursor monomer species; and attaching a biomedical functional material selected from the group consisting of a

The invention claimed is: 1. A method of forming polymeric microspheres for biomedical applications, comprising: forming polymeric microspheres by an emulsion/aggregation process from a precursor monomer species; and attaching a biomedical functional material selected from the group consisting of a radioactive material, radioactive precursor material, a bioactive agent, and a ligand to said polymeric microspheres, wherein said polymeric microspheres have an average particle diameter of from about 1 to about 15 microns with a narrow particle geometric size distribution of less than about 1.25, and wherein said emulsion/aggregation process comprises forming a polymeric resin from said precursor monomer species and aggregating and coalescing said polymeric resin into polymeric microspheres. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein said biomedical functional material is a ligand. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein said ligand is a pharmacologically active compound selected from the group consisting of peptides, enzymes, analytes, antigens, and antibodies. 4. The method of claim 2, wherein said ligand is an antigen selected from the group consisting of protein, peptide, polysaccharide, glycoprotein, glycolipid, nucleic acid, and mixtures thereof. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein said biomedical functional material is a radioactive material or a radioactive precursor material. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein said biomedical functional material is selected from the group consisting of yttrium-89, yttrium-90, phosphorus-31, and phosphorus-32. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein said biomedical functional material is a bioactive agent. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein said bioactive agent is a medicament. 9. The method of claim 7, wherein said bioactive agent is selected from the group consisting of antibiotics, antimicrobials, antiseptics, bacteriocins, bacteriostats, disinfectants, steroids, anesthetics, fungicides, anti-inflammatory agents, antibacterial agents, antiviral agents, antitumor agents, growth promoters, and mixtures thereof. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the biomedical functional material is attached to said polymeric microspheres by at least one of covalent bonding, complexation, physical adsorption and physical absorption. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymeric microspheres are formed from said precursor monomer species and one or more additives. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more additives are selected from the group consisting of colorants, fluorescent materials, magnetic materials, superparamagnetic materials, and bioactive agents. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more additives comprises a colorant. 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more additives comprises a magnetic material. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the magnetic material is a magnetite. 16. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more additives comprises a superparamagnetic material. 17. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more additives comprises a bioactive agent. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the bioactive agent is encapsulated in said polymeric microsphere. 19. The method of claim 1, further comprising surface treating said polymeric microspheres subsequent to said forming step but prior to said treating step, to alter a chemical property of a surface of said polymeric microspheres. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein said chemical property is selected from the group consisting of hydrophobicity, hydrophilicity, surface charge, and presence of functional groups. 21. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymeric microspheres are biocompatible. 22. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymeric microspheres are biodegradable. 23. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymeric microspheres are non-biodegradable. 24. The method of claim 1, wherein said emulsion/aggregation process comprises: forming a polymeric resin from said precursor monomer species; aggregating said polymeric resin into polymeric particles; coalescing said polymeric particles into polymeric microspheres; and optionally isolating said polymeric microspheres. 25. The method of claim 1, wherein said emulsion/aggregation process comprises: forming a polymeric resin from said precursor monomer species; forming an emulsion comprising said polymeric resin; coalescing said polymeric resin into polymeric microspheres; and optionally isolating said polymeric microspheres. 26. The method of claim 1, wherein said emulsion/aggregation process comprises: providing a polyester resin formed from said monomeric species; dispersing said polyester resin in an aqueous media optionally comprising a surfactant, to provide a suspension of suspended particles of said polyester resin; homogenizing said suspension; aggregating and coalescing said homogenized suspension by adding a cationic metal salt and optional additives, and heating the aggregates, to form polymeric microspheres; and optionally isolating said polymeric microspheres. 27. The method of claim 26, wherein said hearing is conducted at or near a glass transition temperature of the polyester resin. 28. The method of claim 1, wherein a polymer formed from said precursor monomer species is a functionalized polymer.