Polymer composites for biomedical applications and methods of making

Abstract

A biomedical polymer composite that exhibits ultra-low thermal conductivity properties. In a preferred embodiment, the biomedical polymer composite comprises a base polymer component with a dispersed thermally non-conductive filler component consisting of glass or ceramic nanospheres or microspheres that have a thermal conductivity of less than 5 W/m-K, and preferably less than 2 W/m-K. In one embodiment, the polymer composite has an electrically conductive filler and can be used in a filament for treating arteriovascular malformations. In another embodiment, the polymeric composite can be used as an energy-coupling means to apply energy to tissue.

1 . A therapeutic method for treating tissue, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a biocompatible polymer composite comprising a base polymer component and a dispersed filler component, the filler component having a thermal conductivity of less than 5 W/m-K;   introducing the polymer composite to a site about a body structure;   performing a thermally-mediated treatment on a first region of the body structure wherein the polymer composite thermally protects an adjacent second region of the body structure.   
   
   
       2 . A method of applying energy to tissue, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a biocompatible polymer composite comprising a base polymer component and a first dispersed filler component having a thermal conductivity of less than 5 W/m-K and a second filler component comprising energy-coupling means;   introducing the polymer composite to a targeted site about a body structure;   applying energy to the polymer composite wherein the energy-coupling means localizes energy application the targeted site.   
   
   
       3 . A method of applying energy as in  claim 2 , wherein the providing step provides energy-coupling means that comprise at least one of electrically conductive filler materials, ferromagnetic filler materials and chromophore filler materials. 
   
   
       4 . A method of applying energy as in  claim 2 , wherein the applying step comprises applying energy selected from the class consisting of electrical energy for ohmic heating, magnetic energy for inductive heating and light energy for chromophore absorption. 
   
   
       5 . A method for controlled application of energy to tissue, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a biocompatible composite comprising a flowable media that carries a dispersed first component comprising energy-coupling means and a dispersed second component comprising a hollow microspheres;   introducing the composite to a treatment region in a body;   applying ultrasound imaging means to the targeted region thereby acquiring data relating to the distribution energy-coupling means about the treatment region;   utilizing algorithms in a controller system to locally and selectively modulate energy application to the energy-coupling means based on its distribution about the treatment region.