Hydrophilized bactericidal polymers

Abstract

A bactericidal polymeric composition includes a hydrophilic first comonomer copolymerized to a second comonomer to produce a polymeric composition that is more hydrophilic or more bactericidal in an aqueous solution than either of the comonomers alone. Methods for identifying bactericidal polymers, methods for rendering materials bactericidal, and methods for using bactericidal compositions to kill or reduce bacterial growth are also described. Applications for the inventive compositions include their use in catheters, stents, medical devices, contact lenses; root canal fillers; and/or wound dressings.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A polymeric composition comprising:
 a. a hydrophilic first comonomer polymerized with a second comonomer in a random copolymerization reaction to form a random copolymer,   b. where the second comonomer comprises a pyridinium-type comonomer;   c. where the second comonomer is quaternized so that the random copolymer contains quaternized second comonomer;   d. where the quaternized second comonomer is bactericidal;   e. where the polymeric composition is more bactericidal than either of the first comonomer or the quaternized second comonomer alone.   
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , where the hydrophilic first comonomer comprises hydroxyethyl methacrylate. 
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 1 , where the hydrophilic first comonomer comprises poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate. 
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 1 , where the second comonomer is a vinyl pyridine. 
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 4 , where the vinyl pyridine is poly(4-vinyl pyridine). 
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 1 , where the second comonomer is quaternized using an alkylating agent selected from the group consisting of alkyl halides, alkyl sulfonates, alkyl mesylates, and alkyl tosylates. 
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 6 , where the alkylating agent is an alkyl halide. 
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 1 , where the hydrophilic first comonomer is biocompatible. 
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 1 , where the hydrophilic first comonomer comprises a member selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol (ethylene oxide); polyethylene glycol derivatives, including poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate, poly(ethylene glycol) acrylate, and vinyl polyethylene glycol; vinyl acetate; vinyl pyrrolidone and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone); vinyl pyrrolidinone and poly(vinyl pyrrolininone); vinyl oxazoline and poly(vinyl oxazoline); vinyl formamide and poly(vinyl formamide); hydroxyalkyl acrylates and hydroxyalkyl methacrylates, such as hydroxyethyl methacrylate and hydroxyethyl acrylate; methacrylamide; acrylamide and methacrylamide based monomers, such as acrylamide, N,N-dimethyl acrylamide, N-ethyl acrylamide, N-isopropyl acrylamide, and hydroxymethyl acrylamide. 
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 1 , where the polymeric composition comprises a polymerization product formed from two monomers. 
     
     
         11 . The polymeric composition of  claim 1 , wherein the second comonomer is quaternized with hexyl bromide. 
     
     
         12 . The polymeric composition of  claim 1 , wherein the quaternized second comonomer is bactericidal and wherein the polymer is more bactericidal than the quaternized second comonomer alone. 
     
     
         13 . The polymeric composition of  claim 1 , wherein the polymeric composition is more hydrophilic than the quaternized second comonomer. 
     
     
         14 . The polymeric composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises a thickener. 
     
     
         15 . The polymeric composition of  claim 1  as applied to a medical device. 
     
     
         16 . A polymeric composition comprising:
 a. a hydrophilic first comonomer polymerized with a second comonomer in a random copolymerization reaction to form a random copolymer;   b. wherein the second comonomer comprises a pyridinium-type comonomer;   c. where the second comonomer is quaternized so that the random copolymer contains quaternized second comonomer;   d. where the quaternized second comonomer is bactericidal;   e. where the polymeric composition is more bactericidal than either of the first comonomer or the quaternized second comonomer alone; and   f. wherein the second comonomer is (a) present in the polymeric composition in an amount between about 50 percent to about 98 percent by weight or (b) comprises a vinyl pyridine in a molar percentage in the polymeric composition of between about 10 to about 99 percent.   
     
     
         17 . The composition of  claim 16 , where the second comonomer is vinyl pyridine and where the molar percentage of the vinyl pyridine in the polymeric composition is between about 50 to about 99 percent. 
     
     
         18 . The composition of  claim 16 , where the second comonomer is vinyl pyridine and where the molar percentage of the vinyl pyridine in the polymeric composition is between about 25 to about 50 percent. 
     
     
         19 . The composition of  claim 16 , where the second comonomer is vinyl pyridine and where the molar percentage of the vinyl pyridine in the polymeric composition is between about 10 to about 25 percent. 
     
     
         20 . The composition of  claim 16 , where the second comonomer is present in the polymeric composition in an amount between about 50% to about 98% by weight.