Hydrophilic medical devices

Abstract

A medical device including a plasma-treated porous substrate that is functionalized to provide a hydrophilic surface, and a process for preparing such a medical device, are disclosed. The method includes plasma treating at least a portion of a surface of a porous substrate with a gas species selected from oxygen, nitrogen, argon, and combination thereof. The gas species is configured to functionalize the surface of the medical device and form a hydrophilic surface.

1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . An absorbent surgical buttress, comprising a non-woven material having a plurality of fibers adhered to one another, the fibers being formed from a melt extruded bioabsorbable polymeric material, the non-woven material being plasma treated on at least a portion of a surface of the non-woven material so that the surface is chemically modified or functionalized, the non-woven material being cut into a desired shape for the surgical buttress. 
     
     
         21 . The absorbent surgical buttress according to  claim 20 , wherein the fibers are formed from a polymeric material selected from the group consisting of lactide homopolymer, glycolide homopolymer, polydioxanone homopolymer, glycolide trimethylene carbonate copolymer, glycolide lactide copolymer, glycolide dioxanone trimethylene carbonate, and glycolide caprolactone trimethylene carbonate lactide. 
     
     
         22 . The absorbent surgical buttress according to  claim 20 , wherein the fibers are formed from a polymeric material having a melting temperature of between about 180° C. and about 250° C. 
     
     
         23 . The absorbent surgical buttress according to  claim 20 , wherein the fibers are formed from a polymeric material having a melting temperature of between about 80° C. and about 190° C. 
     
     
         24 . The absorbent surgical buttress according to  claim 20 , wherein the non-woven material is cut into a shape corresponding to the shape of a linear surgical stapler. 
     
     
         25 . The absorbent surgical buttress according to  claim 20 , wherein the non-woven material is cut into a shape corresponding to the shape of a circular surgical stapler. 
     
     
         26 . An absorbent surgical buttress, comprising a non-woven material having a plurality of fibers adhered to one another, the fibers being formed by:
 melt extruding a copolymer of glycolide, caprolactone, trimethylene carbonate and lactide having a melting temperature between about 140° C. and about 185° C. from a die head;   blowing hot air at the plurality of fibers as they exit the die head;   collecting the plurality of fibers so that they adhere to one another to form the non-woven material; and   plasma treating at least a portion of a surface of the non-woven material with an ionizable gas species or combination of ionizable gas species to chemically modify or functionalize the surface of the non-woven material,   wherein the non-woven material is cut into a desired shape for the surgical buttress.   
     
     
         27 . The absorbent surgical buttress according to  claim 26 , wherein the non-woven material is cut into a shape corresponding to the shape of a linear surgical stapler. 
     
     
         28 . The absorbent surgical buttress according to  claim 26 , wherein the non-woven material is cut into a shape corresponding to the shape of a circular surgical stapler.