Hydroswellable, segmented, aliphatic polyurethanes and polyurethane ureas

Abstract

Hydroswellable, absorbable and non-absorbable, aliphatic, segmented polyurethanes and polyurethane-urea capable of swelling in the biological environment with associated increase in volume of at least 3 percent have more than one type of segments, including those derived from polyethylene glycol and the molecular chains are structurally tailored to allow the use of corresponding formulations and medical devices as carriers for bioactive agents, rheological modifiers of cyanoacrylate-based tissue adhesives, as protective devices for repairing defective or diseased components of articulating joints and their cartilage, and scaffolds for cartilage tissue engineering.

1 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A hydroswellable, segmented, aliphatic polyurethane composition, comprising at least a first and a second different polyoxyalkelene chain segment covalently linked by a second group of chain segments including both aliphatic urethane segments and aliphatic urea segments, wherein said composition swells at least 5% when immersed in water. 
     
     
         15 . The composition according to  claim 14  wherein a first polyoxyalkyene chain segment comprises poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol). 
     
     
         16 . The composition according to  claim 14  wherein a second polyoxyalkyene chain segment comprises polytetramethylene glycol. 
     
     
         17 . A hydroswellable, segmented, aliphatic polyurethane composition, comprising at least a first and a second different polyoxyalkelene chain segment covalently linked by a second group of chain segments including both aliphatic urethane segments and aliphatic urea segments, wherein said composition swells at least 5% when immersed in water, and wherein said first polyoxyalkyene chain segment comprises poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol), and said second polyoxyalkyene chain segment comprises polytetramethylene glycol. 
     
     
         18 . The composition according to  claim 14  or  17 , wherein the second group of chain segments comprise urethane segments derived from at least one diisocyanate selected from the group consisting of hexamethylene diisocyanate, hexamethylene diisocyanate, octamethylene diisocyanate, decamethylene diisocyanate, dodecamethylene, diisocyanate, 1,4 cyclohexane diisocyanate, lysine-derived diisocyanate, and cyclohexane bis(methylene isocyanate), and wherein the resulting polyoxyalkylene urethane molecules have isocyanate terminal groups that are chain-extended with an alkylene diamine selected from the group consisting of ethylene-, trimethylene-, tetramethyl ene-, hexamethylene-, and octamethylene-diamine, thereby forming polyetherurethane-urea segmented chains. 
     
     
         19 . The composition according to  claim 14  or  17  formed into a film. 
     
     
         20 . The composition according to  claim 14  or  17  formed into a sheet. 
     
     
         21 . The composition according to  claim 14  or  17 , further comprising a controlled release formulation of at least one bioactive agent selected from the group consisting of anti-inflammatory agents, anesthetic agents, cell growth promoting agents, anti microbial agents, antiviral agents, and antineoplastic agents.