Biomaterials of enhanced biocompatibility

Claim 2

A process for enhancing biocompatibility, said process comprising reacting surface hydrocarbons of a selected polymeric biomaterial with a chlorinating agent under suitable conditions to provide a surface-activated biomaterial having chlorine atoms substituted for hydrogen atoms and directly bonded to the biomaterial surface in a density sufficient to provide for immobilization of a biocompatibility-enhancing coating; thereafter, covalently bonding the surfaceactivated biomaterial to spacer arm-providing molecules each having a first functionality covalently reactive with said surface-activated biomaterial, to produce a derivatized biomaterial with said spacer arm-providing molecules covalently attached; and thereafter, covalently bonding compounds forming said biocompatibility-enhancing coating, to said derivatized biomaterial via available covalently reactive functionalities of the attached spacer arm-providing molecules.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1, further comprising prior to the step of covalently bonding said biomaterial to said spacer arm-providing molecules, hydrolyzing chlorine atoms directly bonded to said biomaterial surface to provide a surfacehydroxylated biomaterial.

Claim 4

The process of claim 2, further comprising prior to the step of covalently bonding said compounds forming said biocompatibility-enhancing coating to the spacer armderivatized biomaterial, removing any adsorbed spacer arm-based polymer from the biomaterial surface.

Claim 5

The process of claim 1, wherein said compounds forming said biocompatibility-enhancing coating are phospholipids.

Claim 6

The process of claim 1, wherein said polymeric biomaterial is a polyolefin.

Claim 7

The process of claim 5, wherein said polyolefin is polypropylene.

Claim 8

The process of claim 1, wherein said polymeric biomaterial is a polycarbonate.

Claim 9

The process of claim 1, wherein said polymeric biomaterial is a polyurethane.

Claim 10

A process for enhancing biocompatibility, said process comprising reacting a blood oxygenator comprising polycarbonate and polypropylene biomaterials with a chlorinating agent under suitable conditions to provide surface-activated polycarbonate and polypropylene biomaterials having chlorine atoms substituted for hydrogen atoms and directly bonded to the surfaces thereof in a density sufficient to provide for immobilization of a biocompatibility-enhancing coating; thereafter, covalently bonding the surface-activated biomaterials to spacer arm-providing molecules each having a first functionality covalently reactive with said surface-activated biomaterials, to produce derivatized biomaterials with said spacer arm-providing molecules covalently attached; and thereafter, covalently bonding compounds forming said biocompatibility-enhancing coating, to said derivatized biomaterials via available covalently reactive functionalities of the attached spacer arm-providing molecules.

Claim 11

A process for enhancing biocompatibility, said process comprising reacting a blood oxygenator comprising polycarbonate and polypropylene biomaterials with a chlorinating agent under suitable conditions to provide surface-activated polycarbonate and polypropylene biomaterials having chlorine atoms substituted for hydrogen atoms and directly bonded to the surfaces thereof in a density sufficient to provide for immobilization of a biocompatibility-enhancing coating; thereafter, covalently bonding the surface-activated biomaterials to spacer arm-providing molecules each having a first functionality covalently reactive with said surface-activated biomaterials, to produce derivatized biomaterials with said spacer arm-providing molecules covalently attached; and thereafter, covalently bonding compounds forming said biocompatibility-enhancing coating, to said derivatized biomaterials via available covalently reactive functionalities of the attached spacer arm-providing molecules.

Claim 12

The process of claim 9, further comprising prior to the step of covalently bonding the surface-activated biomaterials to said spacer arm-providing molecules, hydrolyzing chlorine atoms directly bonded to said surfaces to provide surface-hydroxylated biomaterials.

Claim 13

The process of claim 9, wherein said compound forming said biocompatibility-enhancing coating are phospholipids.

Claim 14

A process for enhancing biocompatibility, said process comprising reacting surface hydrocarbons of a selected polymeric biomaterial with a chlorinating agent under suitable conditions to provide a surface-activated biomaterial having chlorine atoms substituted for hydrogen atoms and directly bonded to the biomaterial surface in a density sufficient to provide for immobilization of a biocompatibility-enhancing coating; thereafter, covalently bonding the surface-activated biomaterial to spacer arm-providing molecules each having a first functionality covalently reactive with said surface-activated biomaterial, to produce a derivatized biomaterial with said spacer arm-providing molecules covalently attached; and thereafter, covalently bonding compounds forming said biocompatibility-enhancing coating, to said derivatized biomaterial via available covalently reactive functionalities of the attached spacer arm-providing molecules; wherein each of said spacer arm-providing molecules has a plurality of said available covalently reactive functionalities, whereby increased density of said coating is provided for.

Claim 15

A process for enhancing biocompatibility, said process comprising reacting surface hydrocarbons of a selected polymeric biomaterial with a chlorinating agent under suitable conditions to provide a surface-activated biomaterial having chlorine atoms substituted for hydrogen atoms and directly bonded to the biomaterial surface in a density sufficient to provide for immobilization of a biocompatibility-enhancing coating; thereafter, covalently bonding the surface-activated biomaterial to spacer arm-providing molecules each having a first functionality covalently reactive with said surface-activated biomaterial, to produce a derivatized biomaterial with said spacer arm-providing molecules covalently attached; and thereafter, covalently bonding compounds forming said biocompatibility-enhancing coating, to said derivatized biomaterial via available covalently reactive functionalities of the attached spacer arm-providing molecules; wherein each of said spacer arm-providing molecules has a plurality of said available covalently reactive functionalities, whereby increased density of said coating is provided for.

Claim 16

The process of claim 12, wherein each of said spacer arm-providing molecules comprises branching side arms comprising a plurality of said available covalently reactive functionalities.

Claim 17

The process of claim 12, further comprising prior to the step of covalently bonding the surface-activated biomaterial to said spacer arm-providing molecules, hydrolyzing chlorine atoms directly bonded to said biomaterial surface to provide a surface-hydroxylated biomaterial.

Claim 18

The process of claim 12, wherein said compounds forming said biocompatibility-enhancing coating are phospholipids.

Claim 19

The process of claim 12, wherein said polymeric biomaterial is a polyolefin.

Claim 20

The process of claim 16, wherein said polyolefin is polypropylene.

Claim 21

The process of claim 12, wherein said polymeric biomaterial is a polycarbonate.