초록 ▼

Pharmaceutically acceptable hydrogel polymers of natural, recombinant or synthetic origin, or hybrids thereof, are introduced in a dry, less hydrated, or substantially deswollen state and rehydrate in a physiological environment to undergo a volumetric expansion and to affect sealing, plugging, or a

Pharmaceutically acceptable hydrogel polymers of natural, recombinant or synthetic origin, or hybrids thereof, are introduced in a dry, less hydrated, or substantially deswollen state and rehydrate in a physiological environment to undergo a volumetric expansion and to affect sealing, plugging, or augmentation of tissue, defects in tissue, or of organs. The hydrogel polymers may deliver therapeutic entities by controlled release at the site. Methods to form useful devices from such polymers, and to implant the devices are provided.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A medical implant to seal a lumen or void in a body of a patient comprising: a sterilized pharmaceutically acceptable covalently crosslinked hydrogel polymerized from at least one synthetic hydrophilic polyethylene glycol macromer, the hydrogel having a substantially le

The invention claimed is: 1. A medical implant to seal a lumen or void in a body of a patient comprising: a sterilized pharmaceutically acceptable covalently crosslinked hydrogel polymerized from at least one synthetic hydrophilic polyethylene glycol macromer, the hydrogel having a substantially less than equilibrium level of hydration for undergoing a volumetric expansion of at least about 50% after swelling with physiological fluid and having a size and a swellability to press against tissue surrounding the lumen or void upon swelling to seal and thereby occlude the lumen or void upon swelling from exposure to a fluid from the body, wherein the hydrogel, at the substantially less than equilibrium level of hydration, has a shape selected from the group consisting of a rod and a sheet rolled from one edge to another to form a roll, with the rod or roll outer diameter being no more than 1.5 mm. 2. The implant of claim 1 wherein the volumetric expansion is between about 50% and about 700%. 3. The implant of claim 1 wherein the volumetric expansion is between about 100% and about 500%. 4. The implant of claim 1 wherein the volumetric expansion is between about 150% and about 400%. 5. The implant of claim 1 wherein the hydrogel is biodegradable. 6. The implant of claim 1 wherein the fluid from the body is blood. 7. The implant of claim 1 wherein the lumen or void is created by a biopsy procedure. 8. The implant of claim 1 wherein the lumen or void is created by a needle. 9. The implant of claim 1 wherein the lumen or void is selected from the group consisting of a naturally occurring body passageway, a fallopian tube, an arteriovenous malformation, and a bone canal. 10. The implant of claim 1 wherein the macromer, before polymerization, comprises a functional group polymerizable by a polymerization reaction that is selected from the group consisting of free radical, condensation, anionic, and cationic. 11. The implant of claim 1 wherein the macromer is polymerized by an electrophile-nucleophile reaction. 12. The implant of claim 1 wherein the hydrogel further comprises a therapeutic bioactive molecule. 13. The implant of claim 12 wherein the therapeutic bioactive molecule is selected from the group consisting of peptides, antibiotics, antitumor agents, hemostatics, and analgesics. 14. The implant of claim 1 wherein the hydrogel further comprises a contrast agent. 15. The implant of claim 14 wherein the contrast agent is a radio-opaque contrast agent. 16. The implant of claim 1 wherein the shape is the sheet rolled from one edge to another to form a roll. 17. The implant of claim 1 wherein the shape is the rod. 18. A medical implant to seal a lumen or void in a body of a patient comprising: a sterilized pharmaceutically acceptable covalently crosslinked hydrogel polymerized from at least one synthetic hydrophilic polyethylene glycol macromer, the hydrogel having a substantially less than equilibrium level of hydration for undergoing a volumetric expansion of at least about 50% after swelling with physiological fluid and having a size and a swellability to press against tissue surrounding the lumen or void upon swelling to seal and thereby occlude the lumen or void upon swelling from exposure to a fluid from the body, wherein the hydrogel, at the substantially less than equilibrium level of hydration, has a shape selected from the group consisting of a rod and a sheet rolled from one edge to another to form a roll, with the rod or roll outer diameter being about 1.5 mm. 19. The implant of claim 18 wherein the volumetric expansion is between about 100% and about 500%. 20. The implant of claim 18 wherein the hydrogel is biodegradable. 21. The implant of claim 18 wherein the fluid from the body is blood. 22. The implant of claim 18 wherein the macromer is polymerized by an electrophile-nucleophile reaction.