The invention relates to compositions suitable for use as adhesives, especially for medical products. This invention also relates to medical devices that include portions bonded together by the adhesives.
Adhesives can be used in the medical field in a variety of ways. Medical adhesives can be used, for example, in manufacturing and/or implantation of medical devices. In surgical settings, medical adhesives provide an alternative to sutures, staples and the like for closing wounds in soft tissue. Certain tissues, such as nerves and particular vital organs, are too delicate for suturing or stapling, so the use of medical adhesives may be a viable repair option. In manufacturing settings, medical adhesives can be used to adhere one or more components of a medical device together.
Generally, the use of an adhesive for the manufacturing and/or implantation of medical devices or to repair wounds in soft tissue can be desirable due to potential sealing properties and uniform stress distribution. Adhesives provide a means for attaching substrates in the medical devices. The use of an adhesive may form an adhesive bond over the length of an attachment site. Adhesives tend to distribute the stress exerted on the attachment site over the length of the attachment site.
Generally, medical adhesives can be classified according to whether they include synthetic polymers, natural (biological) polymers or both. A variety of synthetic urethane based polymers have been developed as medical glues. Natural surgical adhesives generally are based on proteins. For example, fibrin glues include the protein fibrinogen. Fibrinogen is used in natural wound healing mechanisms in humans and other mammals. Synthetic adhesives have the disadvantage of being potentially toxic. On the other hand, biological/natural adhesives generally have relatively low binding (cohesive) strengths and rapid degradation times.
In a first aspect, the invention pertains to an adhesive composition including an epoxyamine and a curing agent. The epoxyamine is at a concentration of between about 25 percent by weight and about 90 percent by weight in the adhesive composition.
In a further aspect, the invention pertains to a prosthesis including a first substrate. The first substrate is associated with an adhesive composition that includes an epoxyamine. The concentration of the epoxyamine in the adhesive composition is between about 25percent by weight and about 90 percent by weight.
In another aspect, the invention pertains to method of securing a first substrate to a second substrate. The method includes contacting a first substrate including an adhesive composition with a second substrate to form an adhesive bond between the first and the second substrate. The adhesive composition includes an epoxyamine.
In a further aspect, the invention pertains to a method of manufacturing a heart valve prosthesis. The method includes associating a first valve component with an adhesive composition and adhering the first valve component with a second valve component to form an adhesive bond between the first valve component and the second valve component. The adhesive composition includes an epoxyamine.
In another aspect, the invention pertains to a prosthesis including at least two substrates. The substrates are adhered together by an adhesive bond. The adhesive bond is formed when an epoxyamine adhesive between the substrates is cured.