US4539981A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Absorbable bone fixation device
Assignee: Johnson and Johnson Professional Inc
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Filing: 1982-11-08
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Granted: 1985-09-10
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Expires: 2002-11-08
Abstract
Abstract An absorbable internal bone fixation device is disclosed. The device is made from a high molecular weight polymer of L(-)lactide having an inherent viscosity above 4.5. The polymer contains less than 2% unreacted monomer and is polymerized under conditions of selected monomer to catalyst ratios and temperatures.
Inventors
- 👤 Deger C. Tunc
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-22 23:58
CPC Classifications
C; C08; C08G; C08G63/00; C08G63/02; C08G63/06; C08G63/08; A; A61; A61L; A61L31/00; A61L31/04; A61L31/06; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S606/00; Y10S606/907; Y10S606/908; Y10S606/91
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
117 words
A process of forming a high molecular weight polyactide polymer capable of being used as a resorbable bone fixation device comprising: polymerizing L(-)lactide monomer in an inert atmosphere in the presence of a stannous octoate catalyst, said catalyst being present in a monomer to catalyst mole ratio of from 1000 to 300,000, the polymerization being conducted at a temperature of from 105° C. to 170° C., the temperature and monomer to catalyst mole ratio being selected to fall within the curve A of FIG. 1 to form a polymer having an unreacted monomer content of less than 2% and an inherent viscosity as a 1 percent solution in chloroform at 25° C. of between 4.5 and 10.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
117 words
A process of forming a high molecular weight polyactide polymer capable of being used as a resorbable bone fixation device comprising: polymerizing L(-)lactide monomer in an inert atmosphere in the presence of a stannous octoate catalyst, said catalyst being present in a monomer to catalyst mole ratio of from 1000 to 300,000, the polymerization being conducted at a temperature of from 105° C. to 170° C., the temperature and monomer to catalyst mole ratio being selected to fall within the curve A of FIG. 1 to form a polymer having an unreacted monomer content of less than 2% and an inherent viscosity as a 1 percent solution in chloroform at 25° C. of between 4.5 and 10.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
The process of claim 1 in which the temperature of polymerization and the monomer to catalyst mole ratio are selected to fall within curve B of FIG. 1.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
The process of claim 1 in which the monomer to catalyst mole ratio is between 1,100 and 45,000 and the temperature of polymerization is between 105° C. and 155° C.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
The process of claim 1 in which the monomer to catalyst mole ratio is between 1,300 and 20,000 and the temperature of polymerization is between 110° C. and 130° C.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
162 words
A process of forming a high molecular weight polylactide polymer capable of being used as a resorbable bone fixation device comprising: polymerizing L(-)lactide monomer in an inert atmosphere in the presence of a stannous octoate catalyst, said catalyst being present in a monomer to a catalyst mole ratio of from 1,000 to 300,000, the polymerization being conducted at a temperature of from 110° C. to 170° C., the temperature and monomer to catalyst mole ratio being selected so that the inherent viscosity of the polymer as a 1 percent solution in chloroform at 25° C. is between 4.5 and 10 and satisfies the equation, inherent viscosity=(4.45+9.18L-0.207T-1.51L 2 +0.032LT) and the unreacted monomer content of the polymer is less than 2% based on the total weight of reaction product and satisfies the equation, unreacted monomer=(28.89-15.33L+6.29L 2 +0.0026T 2 -0.213LT) wherein L is the log to the base 10 of the monomer to catalyst mole ratio and T is the temperature in degrees Celsius.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
162 words
A process of forming a high molecular weight polylactide polymer capable of being used as a resorbable bone fixation device comprising: polymerizing L(-)lactide monomer in an inert atmosphere in the presence of a stannous octoate catalyst, said catalyst being present in a monomer to a catalyst mole ratio of from 1,000 to 300,000, the polymerization being conducted at a temperature of from 110° C. to 170° C., the temperature and monomer to catalyst mole ratio being selected so that the inherent viscosity of the polymer as a 1 percent solution in chloroform at 25° C. is between 4.5 and 10 and satisfies the equation, inherent viscosity=(4.45+9.18L-0.207T-1.51L 2 +0.032LT) and the unreacted monomer content of the polymer is less than 2% based on the total weight of reaction product and satisfies the equation, unreacted monomer=(28.89-15.33L+6.29L 2 +0.0026T 2 -0.213LT) wherein L is the log to the base 10 of the monomer to catalyst mole ratio and T is the temperature in degrees Celsius.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
The process of claim 5 in which the monomer to catalyst mole ratio is between 1,100 and 45,000 and the temperature of polymerization is between 105° C. and 155° C.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
The process of claim 5 in which the catalyst is present in a monomer to catalyst mole ratio of from 1,300 to 20,000 and the temperature of polymerization is between 110° C. and 130° C.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1988-09-09 | 1989-03-11 | 1989-09-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1992-09-09 | 1993-03-11 | 1993-09-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1996-09-09 | 1997-03-11 | 1997-09-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |