U.S. patent application number 14/595551 was filed with the patent office on 2015-06-25 for advanced functional biocompatible polymeric matrix used as a hemostatic agent and system for damaged tissues and cells.
The applicant listed for this patent is University of Maryland, Baltimore, University of Maryland, College Park. Invention is credited to Grant Bochicchio, Matthew Dowling, John Hess, Srinivasa Raghavan.
Application Number | 20150175714 14/595551 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 66634165 |
Filed Date | 2015-06-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150175714 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Dowling; Matthew ; et
al. |
June 25, 2015 |
ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL BIOCOMPATIBLE POLYMERIC MATRIX USED AS A
HEMOSTATIC AGENT AND SYSTEM FOR DAMAGED TISSUES AND CELLS
Abstract
A hemostatic tissue sealant sponge and a spray for acute wounds
are disclosed. The sponge comprises hydrophobically modified
polymers that anchor themselves within the membrane of cells in the
vicinity of the wound. The seal is strong enough to substantially
prevent the loss of blood inside the boundaries of the sponge, yet
weak enough to substantially prevent damage to newly formed tissue
upon recovery and subsequent removal of the sponge. In examples,
the polymers inherently prevent microbial infections and are
suitable for oxygen transfer required during normal wound
metabolism. The spray comprises hydrophobically modified polymers
that form solid gel networks with blood cells to create a physical
clotting mechanism to prevent loss of blood. In an example, the
spray further comprises at least one reagent that increases the
mechanical integrity of the clot. In another example, the reagent
prevents microbial infection of the wound.
Inventors: |
Dowling; Matthew;
(Washington, DC) ; Hess; John; (Baltimore, MD)
; Bochicchio; Grant; (Columbia, MD) ; Raghavan;
Srinivasa; (Silver Spring, MD) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
University of Maryland, Baltimore
University of Maryland, College Park |
Baltimore
College Park |
MD
MD |
US
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
66634165 |
Appl. No.: |
14/595551 |
Filed: |
January 13, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12231571 |
Sep 4, 2008 |
8932560 |
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14595551 |
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12077173 |
Mar 17, 2008 |
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12231571 |
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60969721 |
Sep 4, 2007 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
424/400 ; 514/57;
536/56 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C08B 37/003 20130101;
A61K 47/543 20170801; A61K 9/127 20130101; A61L 2300/418 20130101;
C08L 5/08 20130101; A61L 26/0023 20130101; C08L 5/08 20130101; A61K
47/61 20170801; A61K 47/56 20170801; A61K 9/7007 20130101; A61K
47/69 20170801; A61L 2400/04 20130101; A61L 27/20 20130101; C08B
37/0084 20130101; A61L 26/0023 20130101; A61K 9/1271 20130101; A61L
2300/626 20130101; A61L 2400/12 20130101; C08B 15/00 20130101; A61L
2300/216 20130101; A61L 27/20 20130101; A61K 31/722 20130101; A61L
2300/232 20130101 |
International
Class: |
C08B 15/00 20060101
C08B015/00 |
Claims
1. An hydrophobically modified cellulosic film, comprising: one or
more hydrophobic moieties covalently attached to an cellulosic
film, wherein said cellulosic film is lyophilized.
2. The film of claim 1, wherein one or more hydrophobic moieties
have a molecular formula of C.sub.12H.sub.25.
3. The film of claim 1, wherein said one or more hydrophobic
moieties comprise n-alkyl functional groups.
4. The film of claim 1, wherein the cellulosic film adheres to
lipid or surfactant bilayers through hydrophobic interactions.
5. The film of claim 1, wherein .ltoreq.10% of available functional
groups in the cellulosic are occupied by the one or more
hydrophobic moieties.
6. The film of claim 1, wherein the one or more hydrophobic
moieties are organic compounds with a backbone of at least six and
no more than thirty six carbon residues.
7. The film of claim 1, further comprising a vesicle.
8. The film of claim 7, wherein the vesicle is functionalized with
at least one bioactive agent
9. A method of using a hydrophobically modified cellulosic matrix
of claim 1 for treatment of wounds, comprising: administering the
hydrophobically modified cellulosic matrix formulated as a solid
state sponge that has been made from a solution having a
concentration of about 1% to about 2.5% by weight relative to the
total weight of the solution of the hydrophobically modified
cellulosic matrix and wherein hydrophobic substitutions occur in up
to 10% of available functional groups of the cellulosic matrix
backbone, to a damaged tissue or a red blood cell, wherein the
hydrophobically modified cellulosic matrix is capable of adhering
to the damaged tissue or red blood cell via hydrophobic
interactions; wherein the hydrophobic modifications comprise
hydrocarbon substituents of eight to eighteen carbon residues in
length covalently attached to the ii cellulosic matrix.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the solid state sponge is
formulated by a process that comprises dehydration by at least one
of a drying process, freezing process or a lyophilization
process.
11. The method of claim 9, wherein hydrophobic substitutions occur
in between 1.5 and 4.5% of available functional groups of the
cellulosic matrix.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 12/231,571, filed on Sep. 4, 2008, now U.S.
Pat. No. 8,932,560, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119
to the U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/969,721, filed on
Sep. 4, 2007, and as a continuation in part under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.120 to the U.S. aplication Ser. No. 12/077,173, filed on Mar.
17, 2008, which are all herein incorporated by reference in their
entireties.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention generally relates to the field of
hydrophobically modified polymers and their use in promoting
hemostasis in wounded tissues and cells.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Currently, every year 21 million people worldwide suffer
from serious injuries resulting in severe blood loss, and more than
one third of these cases lead to death. (See Bledsoe, B. E."The
Golden Hour: Fact or Fiction." Emergency Med. Serv. 6, 105 (2002),
which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.) Among
these patients are American soldiers in Iraq whose fatality rate
with severe injuries is 90%. Uncontrolled hemorrhaging from these
injuries is the leading cause of preventable combat deaths among
U.S. soldiers in Iraq. According to the Marine Corps registry,
45-60% of combat casualty deaths are due to potentially preventable
uncontrolled hemorrhage. (See Clarke, Patrick E."Z-Medica's
Products Cited as Life Saving on Battlefield", which is herein
incorporated by reference in its entirety.) Similarly, uncontrolled
hemorrhage is the leading cause of potentially preventable deaths
in the U.S with 30-40% of all trauma deaths in the civilian
population due to uncontrolled bleeding. In many cases, these
deaths occur before the injured are able to be transported to
medical treatment with approximately 40% of civilian and 90% of
military casualties occurring before the patients reach a treatment
facility. (See Kim, Seung-Ho MD; Stezoski, S. William; Safar, Peter
MD; Capone, Antonio MD; Tisherman, Samuel MD. Journal of
Trauma-Injury Infection & Critical Care. 42(2):213-222,
February 1997, which is herein incorporated by reference in its
entirety.) Many of these casualties can be prevented if an
effective treatment is used to quickly stop the significant loss of
blood.
[0004] Controlling hemorrhage is also a critical issue in medical
facilities with 97 million patients experiencing surgical bleeding
every year worldwide. (See B. S. Kheirabadi, E. M. Acheson, R.
Deguzman, J. L. Sondeen, K. L. Ryan, A. Delgado, E. L. Dick, J. B.
Holcomb, "Hemostatic efficacy of two advanced dressings in an
aortic hemorrhage model in swine." J. Trauma. (2005), which is
herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.) Despite advances
in medical technology, hemorrhage control is still a major problem
in emergency medical care. In the first 48 hours of
hospitalization, approximately 51% of deaths are due to hemorrhage*
(See F W Verheugt, M J van Eenige, J C Res, M L Simoons, P W
Serruys, F Vermeer, D C van Hoogenhuyze, P J Remme, C de Zwaan, and
F Baer. Bleeding complications of intracoronary fibrinolytic
therapy in acute myocardial infarction. Assessment of risk in a
randomised trial, which is herein incorporated by reference it its
entirety.)
[0005] Improving the ability to control hemorrhage for injuries
that are otherwise survivable would greatly reduce trauma
mortality, and this knowledge has encouraged numerous advancements
in hemostatic control; however, the currently available hemostatic
bandages are not sufficiently resistant to termination in high
blood flow and they do not have strong enough adhesive properties
to stop severe blood flow for an adequate time period.
[0006] Today the application of continuous pressure using gauze
bandages remains the primary technique used to stanch blood flow,
particularly in severe bleeding wounds. This procedure neither
successfully nor safely stops severe blood flow. As in the past,
this method continues to be a major survival problem in the case of
serious life-threatening bleeding. Other currently available
hemostatic bandages, such as collagen wound dressings or dry fibrin
thrombin wound dressings do not have strong enough adhesive
properties to serve any realistic purpose in the stanching of
severe blood flow. These hemostatic bandages are also fragile and
are therefore liable to fail if damaged due to bending or
application of pressure. (See Gregory, Kenton W. and Simon J.
McCarthy. Wound dressings, apparatus, and methods for controlling
severe, life-threatening bleeding, which is herein incorporated by
reference in its entirety.)
[0007] Recent advancement in hemostatic bandages have targeted the
immediate treatment of acute wounds, such as the prevention of
casualties due to hemorrhage on the battlefield. Chitosan based
bandages have been approved and used in numerous settings including
battlefield use with success. Chitosan is an amino-polysaccharide
that is commercially produced from the deacetlyation of chitin
which is an abundant natural biopolymer that is found in the
exoskeleton of crustaceans. Advantages of chitosan as a material
for wet wound dressings include its ability to accelerate
wound-healing, its hemostatic properties, its stimulation of
macrophage activity, and its general anti-microbial impact which
helps prevent infection at the wound site. Chitosan is used as a
hemostatic agent because of its cationic nature. Since the surfaces
of most biological cells are anionic, including red blood cells,
chitosan strongly adheres to the cells of tissue at wound sites
because of an electrostatic interaction and is able to initially
halt blood flow. (See Dornard, Alain and Monique. "Chitosan:
Structure-Properties Relationship and Biomedical Applications."
(2002), which is herein incorporated by reference it its
entirety.)
[0008] Despite the advantages of using a chitosan-based dressing,
there are also significant disadvantages. In a study conducted in
2005 by Kheirabadi et al, researchers caused injury to the aorta of
pigs and attempted to control hemorrhage using the Hemostatic
HemConA.RTM. Bandage. The results of the study showed that though
the chitosan bandage effectively reached hemostasis immediately
after its application, secondary bleeding resumed approximately 2
hours later and resulted in the death of the pigs. They found that
the adhesion between the bandage and the tissue decreased as the
bandaged became saturated with blood. (See B. S. Kheirabadi, E. M.
Acheson, R. Deguzman, J. L. Sondeen, K. L. Ryan, A. Delgado, E. L.
Dick, J. B. Holcomb, "Hemostatic efficacy of two advanced dressings
in an aortic hemorrhage model in swine." J. Trauma. (2005), which
is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.) In realistic
situations in which patients are incapable of reaching adequate
medical treatment, such as on the battlefield, this time period is
too short and the Hemostatic HemConA.RTM. Bandage would be an
insufficient hemostatic agent.
[0009] Wound physiology is difficult to manipulate due to the
complexity of cell-to-cell signaling networks which communicate
during wound healing, but fortunately for healthy individuals,
severe wounds can be healed quite well by simply disinfecting the
wound area and stopping the loss of blood by suturing the open,
damaged tissue. However, in many cases of acute wounds, internal or
external, suturing is neither effective nor practical. In these
cases, it is advantageous to use solid materials which adhere
strongly enough to tissue such that they provide a seal upon
pressing such materials onto the damaged tissue, thus preventing
the loss of blood within the boundaries of the seal.
[0010] Additionally, blood clotting is a necessary aspect of wound
physiology, and in many practical cases it is highly valuable for
survival. However, for human beings and most mammals, the ability
for blood to clot is limited because a significant increase in the
ability of healthy mammalian organisms to form blood clots would
most likely result in death of the organism as a result of any
minor internal injury. In such cases, clots would form at the site
of the injury, enter into the blood stream and eventually cause a
stroke or heart failure due to blockage of important blood vessels.
Because clotting ability must be limited under normal physiological
conditions, in the case of acute wounds, which refers to a fast
impact injury resulting in a high rate of blood loss, clotting is
not a legitimate means to provide hemostasis. Therefore, acute
wounds typically drain blood banks of their stocks as large blood
transfusions are required to keep patients alive during transport
to treatment facilities and subsequently during the surgery
required to close the wound.
[0011] Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a strongly
adhesive hemostatic bandage that promotes increased adhesion to
wounded tissue or cells. It would also be desirable to provide a
strongly adhesive flowable spray solution or surgical sealant to
stop minor bleeding and to seal tissues in surgical
applications.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] Accordingly, the present invention provides a novel hybrid
composition of matter that provides a strongly adhesive hemostatic
agent. In a preferred exemplary embodiment, the composition of
matter is a film or solid state tissue sealant sponge that is
composed of a hydrophobically modified biopolymer matrix capable of
hydrophobically interacting with tissue, particularly hemostatic
interaction with damaged tissue. It is contemplated that this
sponge may be included as part of a bandage or other applicator
form as may be known by those skilled in the art. The hemostatic
interaction occurs through a process wherein a plurality of short
hydrophobic substituent, that are attached with the polymer
backbone, interact with and adhere to the tissue.
[0013] In a further preferred exemplary embodiment, the composition
of matter is formulated in a liquid state as a spray solution. The
solution is composed, at least in part, of the hydrophobically
modified biopolymer matrix capable of hydrophobically interacting
with and/or gelling with cells, particularly a hemostatic
interaction with tissue and/or red blood cells. Similar to the
solid state film's interaction process, the hemostatic interaction
of the solution occurs through a process wherein a plurality of
short hydrophobic substituent, that are attached with the polymer
backbone, interact with and adhere to the tissue and/or cells.
[0014] In other preferred exemplary embodiments, the current
invention provides a system for delivering the novel solution
including the functional capabilities of the hydrophobically
modified polymer matrix. In one exemplary embodiment, the system
includes a container for storing the solution and an ejection
mechanism connected with the container to eject the solution to an
environment outside the container. In an alternative exemplary
embodiment the system includes two or more containers operationally
connected through an ejection mechanism for ejecting a mixture of
the solution and various other secondary components.
[0015] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general
description and the following detailed description are exemplary
and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as
claimed. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and
constitute a part of the specification, illustrate an embodiment of
the invention and together with the general description, serve to
explain the principles of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] The numerous advantages of the present invention may be
better understood by those skilled in the art by reference to the
accompanying figures in which:
[0017] FIG. 1 is a structural and graphical illustration
representing a readily reactive, hydrophobically modified chitosan
matrix(hm-Chitosan), wherein the hm-Chitosan "backbone" or
"scaffold" is capable of binding with a plurality of short
hydrophobic substituents and the resulting compound being
formulated as a tissue sealant sponge (solid state) or solution
(liquid state) in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the
present invention;
[0018] FIG. 2 is an illustration of a tissue sealant sponge showing
the matrix including the plurality of short hydrophobic substituent
that provide the hydrophobic interaction functional capability to
the solid state and liquid state formulation of the current
invention.
[0019] FIG. 3 is an illustration providing a representation of
hydrophobic interaction between the short hydrophobic substituents
of the modified polymer matrix and the bi-layer of tissue and/or
cells;
[0020] FIG. 4 is a block diagram representation of a method of
using the hydrophobically modified biopolymer matrix of the current
invention.
[0021] FIG. 5 is a graph showing the Force required for removal of
chitosan and hm-chitosan films vs. level of hydrophobic
modification.
[0022] FIG. 6A is an illustration of 4-octadecyloxybenzaldehyde
2.5% modified hm-chitosan and blood solution when first mixed.
[0023] FIG. 6B is an illustration of -octadecyloxybenzaldehyde 2.5%
modified hm-chitosan and blood solution immediately after mixture
with inverted test tube to show gelation of solution.
[0024] FIG. 7A is an illustration of a dynamic rheology frequency
sweep showing a chitosan (0.75 wt %)+blood (heparinized).
[0025] FIG. 7B is an illustration of a dynamic rheology frequency
sweep showing 2.5% C12 mod hm-chitosan (0.75 wt %)+blood
(heparinized).
[0026] FIG. 7C is an illustration of a dynamic rheology frequency
sweep showing 6% C12 mod hm-Chitosan (0.75 wt %)+blood
(heparinized).
[0027] FIG. 7D is an illustration of a dynamic rheology frequency
sweep showing 2.5% mod (C18-benz) hm-Chitosan (0.4 wt %)+blood
(heparinized).
[0028] FIG. 8A is an illustration of time to gelation showing a
chitosan (0.75 wt %)+blood (heparinized).
[0029] FIG. 8B is an illustration of time to gelation showing 2.5%
C12 mod hm-chitosan (0.75 wt %)+blood (heparinized).
[0030] FIG. 8C is an illustration of time to gelation showing 6%
C12 mod hm-Chitosan (0.75 wt %)+blood (heparinized).
[0031] FIG. 8D is an illustration of time to gelation showing 2.5%
mod (C18-benz) hm-Chitosan (0.4 wt %)+blood (heparinized).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0032] Reference will now be made in detail to the presently
preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are
illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
[0033] Referring generally to FIGS. 1 and 2, the current invention
provides a novel composition of matter that is capable of promoting
hemostasis and/or hemostatic response through hydrophobic
interactions with tissue and/or cells. In preferred embodiments,
the current invention provides a hydrophobically modified polymer
matrix capable of hydrophobic interactions with various tissue
and/or cells to promote hemostasis. The hydrophobically modified
polymer provides a readily reactive matrix and is capable of
maintaining its reactive nature through various formulations, such
as in a solid-state film or liquid state solution.
[0034] In a preferred embodiment, the current invention provides a
solid state, hemostatic tissue sealant sponge that is composed of
at least one polymer and a plurality of short hydrophobic
substituents attached along the backbone of the polymer is
disclosed. The sponge extends the hemostatic lifespan of a
polymer-based bandage due to anchoring of the hydrophobic grafts
into the membranes of cells in the vicinity of the damaged tissue.
As a result, the sponge is an effective hemostatic sealant device.
The level of hydrophobic modification of the polymer as well as
hydrophobic substituent type is substantially optimized to develop
materials which adhere to tissue in a manner idealized for clinical
applications: the material comprising the sponge adheres strongly
enough to provide hemostasis for a long enough time period to allow
for substantially full patient recovery, yet weakly enough such
that newly formed tissue is substantially undamaged upon removal of
the tissue sealant device after patient recovery.
[0035] In another preferred embodiment, a hemostatic spray solution
(liquid state) is composed of the hydrophobically modified polymer
matrix providing at least one water-soluble polymer and a plurality
of short hydrophobic substituent attached along the backbone of the
polymer. The hydrophobically modified polymer sprayed in aqueous
solution is able to form solid networks upon interaction with
blood, as the hydrophobic substituent are able to anchor themselves
within the bilayers of blood cell. The result is a localized
"artificial clot" which physically prevents further blood loss
around the newly formed solid network. "Artificial clots" herein
refer to physical networks of hydrophobically modified polymers,
blood cells, and surround tissue cells which effectively act as a
solid barrier to prevent further blood loss. Additionally, the
level of hydrophobic modification of the polymer as well as
hydrophobic substituent type can be substantially optimized to
yield rapidly forming and mechanically robust artificial clots. In
an example, the hydrophobically modified polymer spray solution is
mixed with at least one water-soluble reagent that results in
faster and more efficient healing of the wound.
[0036] The novel hemostatic agent of the current invention is
suitable for use with any various tissues and cells. These agents
may be used with the tissues and cells of mammals. As used herein,
the term "mammals" means any higher class of vertebrates that
nourish their young with milk secreted by mammary glands, e.g.
humans, rabbits and monkeys.
[0037] The polymer that forms the backbone of this reactive matrix
is of synthetic or natural origin, including for example,
water-soluble polysaccharides and water-soluble polypeptides. In
particularly preferred embodiments, the polymer is one or more
hydrophobically modified polysaccharides, including but not limited
to cellulosics, chitosans and alginates, all of which are abundant,
natural biopolymers. All three types of materials allow for the
transfer of oxygen and moisture required to metabolize the wound
healing physiology.
[0038] The natural origin of these polysaccharides varies,
cellulosics are found in plants, whereas chitosans and alginates
are found in the exoskeleton or outer membrane of a variety of
living organisms. Many of these naturally occurring polymers, in
addition to being able to form long stable chains for forming the
backbone of the current invention, have other benefits that may
promote further advantages for their use in environments of damaged
tissue, hemorraghing, and/or exposed red blood cells. For instance,
chitosan also has inherent anti-microbial properties; this is a
crucial asset for materials covering open wounds because it
eliminates the need to constantly change wound dressings in order
to disinfect the wound manually between changes. Positive charges
along the backbone of chitosan cause it to interact
electrostatically with negatively charged blood cells, thus
creating a sticky interface between a chitosan sponge and the
wound. Chitosan provides hemostasis for an extended period of time
when compared against standard bandages. For example, the sponge of
the current invention provides substantially 30 minutes more
absorption/adherence time before becoming saturated with blood
cells and losing adhesion to the wound site.
[0039] The form of the natural polymers used may vary to include
standard states, derivatives and other various formulations. For
example, the cellulosics may include without limitation,
hydroxyetyhl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, methyl cellulose,
hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, and/or hydroethyl methyl cellulose.
Chitosans may include without limitation, the following chitosan
salts: chitosan lactate, chitosan salicylate, chitosan pyrrolidone
carboxylate, chitosan itaconate, chitosan niacinate, chitosan
formate, chitosan acetate, chitosan gallate, chitosan glutamate,
chitosan maleate, chitosan aspartate, chitosan glycolate and
quaternary amine substituted chitosan and salts thereof. Alginates
may include without limitation, sodium alginate, potassium
alginate, magnesium alginate, calcium alginate, and/or aluminum
alginate. It is to be understood that various other forms of any of
these natural polysaccharides that provide the proper functional
capabilities may be employed without departing from the scope and
spirit of the present invention.
[0040] In alternative embodiments of this invention the polymeric
component of the current invention is a mixture of polysaccharides.
For instance, the mixture may be of various different sub-classes
of a single polymer class. Alternatively, the mixture may include
two or more different classes of polymer, for instance a cellolusic
and a chitosan.
[0041] In a preferred embodiment, a matrix of the current invention
is formed through the binding of numerous hydrophobically modified
chitosan compounds, as shown in FIS. 1. These novel compounds
consist of a biopolymer (e.g., chitosan) backbone that includes a
hydrophilically reactive functional group (e.g., amino groups) that
binds with the hydrophilically reactive head groups (e.g., carbonyl
functional group) of an amphiphilic compound (e.g., aldehyde). The
head group is further associated with a hydrophobic tail group. In
the current embodiment, the hydrophobic tail may be for example a
hydrocarbon. Thus, a hydrophobic tail is associated with the
biopolymer's chitosan backbone providing the hydrophobic
modification to the molecule that extends from the backbone and may
interact with a surrounding environment in numerous ways, such as
through hydrophobic interaction with other tissues, cells,
molecules and/or structures. The hydrophobic interaction between
the modified chitosan and the bi-layer of various tissues and/or
cells occurs via the "insertion and anchoring" of the hydrophobic
tail group of the short hydrophobic substituent into the bi-layer
membrane of the tissues or cells. The insertion process is driven
by the generally understood hydrophobic interaction and those
forces that are at work which tend to group like molecules when
they exist in a heterogenous environment. Thus, the hydrophobic
effect or interaction is evidenced by the tendency of hydrophobic
components to group together versus interacting or bonding with
other molecules.
[0042] Typically, and for the purposes of the preferred embodiments
of the instant application, these hydrophobically modified polymers
(biopolymers) are referenced as being composed of a chitosan
"backbone", "scaffold", and/or "lattice". Thus, the backbone of the
hydrophobically modified biopolymer film matrix of the preferred
embodiments of the current invention is the biopolymer chitosan.
Other biopolymers, including but not limited to the cellulosics and
alginates, which include similar characteristics of the chitosan
backbone may be employed with departing from the scope and spirit
of the instant invention.
[0043] Chitosan is a deacetylated derivative of chitin, wherein the
degree of deacetylation (% DA) may range from 60-100% and
determines the charge density. Chitosan is a linear polysaccharide
composed of repeating .beta.-(1-4)-linked D-glucosamine monomeric
units.
##STR00001##
Chitosan structure showing three of the repeating beta-(1-4)-linked
D-glucosamine units (deacetylated)
[0044] These repeating monomeric units include a free amino group
(functional group) and may make molecules or compounds containing
chitosan or its derivatives readily reactive. The hydrophic
modification of the chitosan backbone is through the association of
an amphiphilic compound with the amino group, such that the
hydrophobic tail of the amphiphilic compound is bound with the
hydrophilic backbone structure. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, this
hydrophobically modified chitosan backbone (hm-Chitosan) may then
be cast into a film. In the preferred embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2,
numerous hm-Chitosan backbones may fill a solution which may then
be cast into a film forming the novel hm-Chitosan film of the
current invention. This film matrix is a solid-state or dried film
of the hm-Chitosan.
[0045] The formation or fabrication of the novel solid-state,
hm-Chitosan matrix occurs through well known processes. The
formation of the sponge of the current invention includes the
formation step of freeze drying the solid state film of the matrix.
Thus, a preferred embodiment of the current invention is a freeze
dried, hm-Chitosan sponge or composition of matter which may be
readily reactive with tissue, cells and additional molecules and/or
compounds. The sponge composition of matter is prepared as a
readily reactive, solid-state film matrix for application and use
in damaged tissue adhesion and red blood cell gelling for promoting
hemostasis. The sponge may be a bandage or included as part of a
bandage that may be applied to a wounded area. However, various
other implementation states of the current invention as may be
contemplated by those of ordinary skill in the art are hereby
assumed to fall within the scope of the current invention.
[0046] The sponge and spray solution of the current invention
include at least one polymer and a plurality of short hydrophobic
substituent attached along the backbone of the polymer. The short
hydrophobic substituent preferably includes a hydrocarbon group
having from about 8 to about 18 carbon atoms attached to the
backbone of the at least one polymer. In preferred embodiments, the
hydrocarbon group comprises an alkyl or arylalkyl group. As used
herein, the term "arylalkyl group" means a group containing both
aromatic and aliphatic structures. Examples of procedures for
modifying polymers are as follows: [0047] (1) Alginates can be
hydrophobically modified by exchanging their positively charged
counterions (e.g. Na.sup.+) with tertiary-butyl ammonium (TBA*)
ions using a sulfonated ion exchange resin. The resulting
TBA-alginate is dissolved in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) where
reaction occurs between alkyl (or aryl)bromides and the carboxylate
groups along the alginate backbone. [0048] (2) Cellulosics can be
hydrophobically-modified by first treating the cellulosic material
with a large excess highly basic aqueous solution (e.g. 20 wt %
sodium hydroxide in water). The alkali cellulose is then removed
from solution and vigorously mixed with an emulsifying solution
(for example, oleic acid) containing the reactant, which is an
alkly (or aryl) halide (e.g. dodecyl bromide). [0049] (3) Chitosans
can be hydrophobically-modified by reaction of alkyl (or aryl)
aldehydes with primary amine groups along the chitosan backbone in
a 50/50 (v/v)% of aqueous 0.2 M acetic acid and ethanol. After
reaction, the resulting Schiff bases, or imine groups, are reduced
to stable secondary amines by dropwise addition of the reducing
agent sodium cyanoborohydride.
[0050] The degree of substitution of the hydrophobic substituent on
the polymer is from about 1 to about 30 moles of the hydrophobic
substituent per mole of the polymer, which hydrophobic
substitutions occur in up to 10% of available amines of the
chitosan backbone, preferably between 1.5% and 4.5%. It is
contemplated that more than one particular hydrophobic substituent
is substituted onto the polymer, provided that the total
substitution level is substantially within the ranges set forth
above.
[0051] The short hydrophobic substituent is an amphiphilic compound
meaning it is composed of a hydrophilic Head group and a
hydrophobic Tail group. The Head group binds with the polymer and
positions the Tail group to extend from the backbone of the polymer
scaffold. This makes the hydrophobic Tail group available for
hydrophobic interactions. The Tail group is preferably a
hydrocarbon of various forms. As used herein, hydrocarbon(s) are
any organic molecule(s) or compound(s) with a "backbone" or
"skeleton" consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon atoms and
which lack a functional group. Thus, these types of compounds are
hydrophobic in nature, unable to react hydrophilically, and
therefore provide an opportunity for hydrophobic interaction. The
hydrophobic interaction capability of the amphiphilic compound
bound to the chitosan backbone may provide significant advantage to
the current invention when compared to the prior art in that the
interaction of the hydrophobically modified polymer matrix, whether
chitosan, cellulosic or alginate based, with the bi-layer membrane
of tissue(s) and cell(s) is a self-driven, thermodynamic process
requiring less energy input. Thus, regardless of any particular
form of the Tail group of the short hydrophobic substituent
(amphiphilic compound), so long as it provides the opportunity for
hydrophobic interaction with the tissue(s), cell(s), or other
hydrophobically active molecules and/or compounds it falls within
the scope and spirit of the current invention. [0052] (1)
Hydrocarbons, which are hydrophobic, may form into various types of
compounds/molecules, such as gases (e.g. methane and propane),
liquids (e.g., hexane and benzene), waxes or low melting solids
(e.g., paraffin was and naphthalene), polymers (e.g., polyethylene,
polypropylene and polystyrene), or biopolymers. Currently,
hydrocarbons may be classified as follows: [0053] (2) Saturated
Hydrocarbons (alkanes) are composed entirely of single bonds
between the carbon and hydrogen atoms and are denoted by (assuming
non-cylcic structures) the general formula C.sub.nH.sub.2n+2 .
These types of compounds are the most simple of the hydrocarbons
and are either found as linear or branched species of unlimited
number. [0054] (3) Unsaturated Hydrocarbons include one or more
multiple bonds between carbon atoms of the compound, such as double
bonds (alkenes-C.sub.nH.sub.2n) or triple bonds
(alkynes-C.sub.nH.sub.2+2). These multiple bonds create carbon
atoms which are also commonly referred to as hydrogenated in that
they are in need of the addition of further hydrogen atoms. [0055]
(4) Cycloalkanes consist of only carbon and hydrogen atoms are
cyclic or "ring-shaped" alkane hydrocarbons denoted by the general
formula C.sub.nH.sub.2(n+1-g) where n=number of C atoms and
g=number of rings in the molecule. Cycloalkanes are saturated
because there are no multiple (double or triple) C--C bonds to
hydrogenate (add more hydrogen to). [0056] (5) Aromatic
Hydrocarbons, also known as arenes, are hydrocarbons that contain
at least one aromatic ring and may be denoted by the formula
C.sub.nH.sub.n, wherein at a minimum n=6. Arenes (e.g.,
Benzene-C.sub.6H.sub.6) or Aromatic Hydrocarbons include a
molecular structure which incorporates one or more planar sets of
six carbon atoms connected by delocalized electrons numbering the
same as if they consisted of alternating single and double covalent
bonds.
[0057] From this basic classification system there exist many
derivatives and further types of compounds that build therefrom.
For example, numerous and varied compounds include more than one
aromatic ring and are generally referred to as polyaromatic
hydrocarbons (PAH); they are also called polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. Various
alternative/derivative forms of the saturated or unsaturated
cycloalkanes, and aromatic hydrocarbons as are known and
contemplated by those skilled in the art may be employed with the
current invention and should be read as falling within the
contemplated scope of the current invention.
[0058] Various types of other hydrophobic, organic compounds may
generally include hydrocarbon backbones but may also include other
types of atoms and/or incorporate/bind to other compounds/molecular
structures that incorporate other types of atoms than just carbon
and hydrogen. Thus, another classification system has developed by
which organic compounds with generally hydrocarbon backbones but
bound with other types of molecules may be separated, wherein such
compounds may be designated either aromatic or aliphatic. Thus,
compounds composed mainly, substantially or at least partially, but
not exclusively of carbon and hydrogen may be divided into two
classes:
[0059] 1. aromatic compounds, which contain benzene and other
similar compounds, and
[0060] 2. aliphatic compounds (G. aleiphar, fat, oil), which do
not.
[0061] In aliphatic compounds, carbon atoms can be joined together
in straight chains, branched chains, or rings (in which case they
are called alicyclic). They can be joined by single bonds
(alkanes), double bonds (alkenes), or triple bonds (alkynes).
Besides hydrogen, other elements can be bound to the carbon chain,
the most common being oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and chlorine. Those
of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other molecules
may also be bound to the carbon chains and that compounds of such
heteroatomic structure are contemplated as falling within the scope
of the current invention.
[0062] The hydrophobic Tail group of the amphiphilic compound bound
to the polymer backbone of the current invention is capable of
branching and/or allowing the inclusion of side chains onto its
carbon backbone. This may promote the hydrophobic interaction
between the hydrophobically modified polymer matrix and damaged
tissue and/or cell, as discussed throughout the instant
specification. It may be understood that the strength of the
hydrophobic interaction is based upon the available amount of
"hydrophobes" that may interact amongst themselves or one another.
Thus, it may further promote the hydrophobic effect by increasing
the amount of and/or "hydrophobic" nature of the hydrophobic Tail
group that is interacting. For instance, a hydrophobic Tail group,
which in its original form may include a hydrocarbon chain, may
promote an increase in its hydrophobicity (ability to
hydrophobically bond and strength of hydrophic interaction) by
having a hydrophobic side chain attach to one of the carbons of its
carbon backbone. In a preferred embodiment of the current
invention, this may include the attachment of various polycyclic
compounds, which may include for instance various steroidal
compounds and/or their derivatives such as sterol type compounds,
more particularly cholesterol.
[0063] In alternative embodiments, the current invention
contemplates the use of various molecules and/or compounds that may
increase the hydrophobic interaction allowed between the Tail group
and the bi-layer membrane of tissues and cells. The side chains may
be linear chains, aromatic, aliphatic, cyclic, polycyclic, or any
various other types of hydrophobic side chains as contemplated by
those skilled in the art. Some of the contemplated hydrophobic side
chains may include the following :
I. Linear Alkanes
TABLE-US-00001 [0064] Number of C atoms Formula Common name
Synonyms 1 CH.sub.4 Methane marsh gas; methyl hydride; natural gas
2 C.sub.2H.sub.6 Ethane dimethyl; ethyl hydride; methyl methane 3
C.sub.3H.sub.8 Propane dimethyl methane; propyl hydride 4
C.sub.4H.sub.10 n-Butane butyl hydride; methylethyl methane 5
C.sub.5H.sub.12 n-Pentane amyl hydride; Skellysolve A 6
C.sub.6H.sub.14 n-Hexane dipropyl; Gettysolve-B; hexyl hydride;
Skellysolve B 7 C.sub.7H.sub.16 n-Heptane dipropyl methane;
Gettysolve-C; heptyl hydride; Skellysolve C 8 C.sub.8H.sub.18
n-Octane dibutyl; octyl hydride 9 C.sub.9H.sub.20 n-Nonane nonyl
hydride; Shellsol 140 10 C.sub.10H.sub.22 n-Decane decyl hydride 11
C.sub.11H.sub.24 n-Undecane hendecane 12 C.sub.12H.sub.26
n-Dodecane adakane 12; bihexyl; dihexyl; duodecane 13
C.sub.13H.sub.28 n-Tridecane 14 C.sub.14H.sub.30 n-Tetradecane 15
C.sub.15H.sub.32 n-Pentadecane 16 C.sub.16H.sub.34 n-Hexadecane
cetane 17 C.sub.17H.sub.36 n-Heptadecane 18 C.sub.18H.sub.38
n-Octadecane 19 C.sub.19H.sub.40 n-Nonadecane 20 C.sub.20H.sub.42
n-Eicosane didecyl 21 C.sub.21H.sub.44 n-Heneicosane 22
C.sub.22H.sub.46 n-Docosane 23 C.sub.23H.sub.48 n-Tricosane 24
C.sub.24H.sub.50 n-Tetracosane tetrakosane 25 C.sub.25H.sub.52
n-Pentacosane 26 C.sub.26H.sub.54 n-Hexacosane cerane; hexeikosane
27 C.sub.27H.sub.56 n-Heptacosane 28 C.sub.28H.sub.58 n-Octacosane
29 C.sub.29H.sub.60 n-Nonacosane 30 C.sub.30H.sub.62 n-Triacontane
31 C.sub.31H.sub.64 n-Hentraiacontane untriacontane 32
C.sub.32H.sub.66 n-Dotriacontane dicetyl 33 C.sub.33H.sub.68
n-Tritriacontane 34 C.sub.34H.sub.70 n-Tetratriacontane 35
C.sub.35H.sub.72 n-Pentatriacontane 36 C.sub.36H.sub.74
n-Hexatriacontane 37 C.sub.37H.sub.76 n-Heptatriacontane 38
C.sub.38H.sub.78 n-Octatriacontane 39 C.sub.39H.sub.80
n-Nonatriacontane 40 C.sub.40H.sub.82 n-Tetracontane 41
C.sub.41H.sub.84 n-Hentetracontane 42 C.sub.42H.sub.86
n-Dotetracontane 43 C.sub.43H.sub.88 n-Tritetracontane 44
C.sub.44H.sub.90 n-Tetratetracontane 45 C.sub.45H.sub.92
n-Pentatetracontane 46 C.sub.46H.sub.94 n-Hexatetracontane 47
C.sub.47H.sub.96 n-Heptatetracontane 48 C.sub.48H.sub.98
n-Octatetracontane 49 C.sub.49H.sub.100 n-Nonatetracontane 50
C.sub.50H.sub.102 n-Pentacontane 51 C.sub.51H.sub.104
n-Henpentacontane 52 C.sub.52H.sub.106 n-Dopentacontane 53
C.sub.53H.sub.108 n-Tripentacontane 54 C.sub.54H.sub.110
n-Tetrapentacontane 55 C.sub.55H.sub.112 n-Pentapentacontane 56
C.sub.56H.sub.114 n-Hexapentacontane 57 C.sub.57H.sub.116
n-Heptapentacontane 58 C.sub.58H.sub.118 n-Octapentacontane 59
C.sub.59H.sub.120 n-Nonapentacontane 60 C.sub.60H.sub.122
n-Hexacontane 61 C.sub.61H.sub.124 n-Henhexacontane 62
C.sub.62H.sub.126 n-Dohexacontane 63 C.sub.63H.sub.128
n-Trihexacontane 64 C.sub.64H.sub.130 n-Tetrahexacontane 65
C.sub.65H.sub.132 n-Pentahexacontane 66 C.sub.66H.sub.134
n-Hexahexacontane 67 C.sub.67H.sub.136 n-Heptahexacontane 68
C.sub.68H.sub.138 n-Octahexacontane 69 C.sub.69H.sub.140
n-Nonahexacontane 70 C.sub.70H.sub.142 n-Heptacontane 71
C.sub.71H.sub.144 n-Henheptacontane 72 C.sub.72H.sub.146
n-Doheptacontane 73 C.sub.73H.sub.148 n-Triheptacontane 74
C.sub.74H.sub.150 n-Tetraheptacontane 75 C.sub.75H.sub.152
n-Pentaheptacontane 76 C.sub.76H.sub.154 n-Hexaheptacontane 77
C.sub.77H.sub.156 n-Heptaheptacontane 78 C.sub.78H.sub.158
n-Octaheptacontane 79 C.sub.79H.sub.160 n-Nonaheptacontane 80
C.sub.80H.sub.162 n-Octacontane 81 C.sub.81H.sub.164
n-Henoctacontane 82 C.sub.82H.sub.166 n-Dooctacontane 83
C.sub.83H.sub.168 n-Trioctacontane 84 C.sub.84H.sub.170
n-Tetraoctacontane 85 C.sub.85H.sub.172 n-Pentaoctacontane 86
C.sub.86H.sub.174 n-Hexaoctacontane 87 C.sub.87H.sub.176
n-Heptaoctacontane 88 C.sub.88H.sub.178 n-Octaoctacontane 89
C.sub.89H.sub.180 n-Nonaoctacontane 90 C.sub.90H.sub.182
n-Nonacontane 91 C.sub.91H.sub.184 n-Hennonacontane 92
C.sub.92H.sub.186 n-Dononacontane 93 C.sub.93H.sub.188
n-Trinonacontane 94 C.sub.94H.sub.190 n-Tetranonacontane 95
C.sub.95H.sub.192 n-Pentanonacontane 96 C.sub.96H.sub.194
n-Hexanonacontane 97 C.sub.97H.sub.196 n-Heptanonacontane 98
C.sub.98H.sub.198 n-Octanonacontane 99 C.sub.99H.sub.200
n-Nonanonacontane 100 C.sub.100H.sub.202 n-Hectane 101
C.sub.101H.sub.204 n-Henihectane 102 C.sub.102H.sub.206 n-Dohectane
103 C.sub.103H.sub.208 n-Trihectane 104 C.sub.104H.sub.210
n-Tetrahectane 105 C.sub.105H.sub.212 n-Pentahectane 106
C.sub.106H.sub.214 n-Hexahectane 107 C.sub.107H.sub.216
n-Heptahectane 108 C.sub.108H.sub.218 n-Octahectane 109
C.sub.109H.sub.220 n-Nonahectane 110 C.sub.110H.sub.222
n-Decahectane 111 C.sub.111H.sub.224 n-Undecahectane
II. Cyclic Compounds
[0065] Cyclic compounds can be categorized:
TABLE-US-00002 Alicyclic Compound An organic compound that is both
Cycloalkane aliphatic and cyclic with or without Cycloalkene side
chains attached. Typically include one or more all-carbon rings
(may be saturated or unsaturated), but NO aromatic character.
Aromatic hydrocarbon See above and below Polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbon Heterocyclic compound Organic compounds with a ring
structure containing atoms in addition to carbon, such as nitrogen,
oxygen, sulfur, chloride as part of the ring. May be simple
aromatic rings or non-aromatic rings. Some examples are Pyridine
(C5H5N), Pyrimidine (C4H4N2) and Dioxane (C4H8O2). Macrocycle See
below.
III. Polycyclic Compounds--polycyclic compound is a cyclic compound
with more than one hydrocarbon loop or ring structures (Benzene
rings). The term generally includes all polycyclic aromatic
compounds, including the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, the
heterocyclic aromatic compounds containing sulfur, nitrogen,
oxygen, or another non-carbon atoms, and substituted derivatives of
these. The following is a list of some known polycyclic
compounds.
TABLE-US-00003 Polycyclic Compounds Sub-Types Example Compounds
Bridged Compound-- Bicyclo compound adamantane compounds which
contain amantadine interlocking rings biperiden memantine
methenamine rimantadine Macrocyclic Compounds-- Calixarene any
molecule containing a Crown Compounds ring of seven, fifteen, or
any Cyclodextrins arbitrarily large number of Cycloparaffins atoms
Ethers, cyclic Lactams, macrocyclic Macrolides Peptides, cyclic
Tetrapyrroles Trichothecenes Polycyclic Hydrocarbons, Acenaphthenes
Aromatic Anthracenes Azulenes Benz(a)anthracenes Benzocycloheptenes
Fluorenes Indenes Naphthalenes Phenalenes Phenanthrenes Pyrenes
Spiro Compounds Steroids Androstanes Bile Acids and Salts
Bufanolides Cardanolides Cholanes Choestanes Cyclosteroids Estranes
Gonanes Homosteroids Hydroxysteroids Ketosteroids Norsteroids
Prenanes Secosteroids Spirostans Steroids, Brominated Steroids,
Chlorinated Steroids, Fluorinated Steroids, Heterocyclic
[0066] The addition of the side chains may increase the stability
and strength of the hydrophobic interaction between the Tail group
and other hydrophobically active locations, such as a hydrophobic
cavity in the bi-layer membrane of various biological structures
including tissue and cell membrane structures. This increase in
strength and stability may provide further advantages in the
ability of the hydrophobically modified polymer matrix to
self-assemble, such as providing increased or stabilized rates of
reaction in the formation of the network film. The ability to
adjust the side chain hydrophobicity may directly impact upon the
tertiary and quaternary structure of the hydrophobically modified
polymer matrix either as a reactive, solid-state matrix or as a
liquid-state solution.
[0067] The molecular weight of the polymers comprising the tissue
sealant sponge ranges from about 50,000 to about 500,000 grams per
gram mole. It is contemplated that the molecular weight of the
polymers in the sponge or solution formulations may be less than or
greater than the range identified without departing from the scope
and spirit of the current invention. For instance, the molecular
weight of the polymers comprising the spray ranges from about
10,000 to about 200,000 grams per gram mole. As used herein, the
term "molecular weight" means weight average molecular weight. In
preferred examples, average molecular weight of polymers is
determined by low angle laser light scattering (LLS) and Size
Exclusion Chromatography (SEC). In performing low angle LLS, a
dilute solution of the polymer, typically 2% or less, is placed in
the path of a monochromatic laser. Light scattered from the sample
hits the detector, which is positioned at a low angle relative to
the laser source. Fluctuation in scattered light over time is
correlated with the average molecular weight of the polymer in
solution. In performing SEC measurements, again a dilute solution
of polymer, typically 2% or less, is injected into a packed column.
The polymer is separated based on the size of the dissolved polymer
molecules and compared with a series of standards to derive the
molecular weight.
[0068] The hydrophobically modified polymer spray solution is mixed
with a variety of water-soluble reagents which results in faster
and more efficient healing of the wound in alternative embodiments
of the current invention. A first class of reagents that is mixed
with the hydrophobically modified polymer is comprised of those
reagents that contribute to the hemostatic integrity of the clot
such as for example human thrombin, bovine thrombin, recombinant
thrombin, and any of these thrombins in combination with human
fibrinogen. Other examples of the first class of reagents include
fibrinogen and Factor XIII. A second class of reagents that is
mixed with the hydrophobically modified polymer is comprised of
those reagents that prevent microbial infection such as
norfloxacin, silver, ampicillin and penicillin. Reagents from both
classes, e.g. recombinant thrombin and norfloxacin, or reagents
from the same class, e.g. recombinant thrombin and fibronectin, may
be mixed with the polymer. Various other reagents, catalysts,
excipients, transporters, and/or penetrating agents as are known in
the art may be employed by the current invention.
[0069] In another preferred embodiment of the current invention,
the solution of the hydrophobically modified polymer matrix is
formulated into a novel adhesive foam. Therefore, the current
invention contemplates a method of preparing a foam of the
hydrophobically modified polymer matrix. The foam formulation and
development techniques employed may vary, including development by
standard mechanical agitation means, freeze-dried foam, and various
other techniques and formulations as may be contemplated by those
of ordinary skill in the art. For instance, the foam may be
produced by beating or otherwise agitating the polysaccharide
polymer, including the plurality of short hydrophobic substituents,
until it foams. It is also contemplated that depending on the
polymer being used to prepare the foam, the foaming process takes
place in an acidic solution or aqueous base.
[0070] It is contemplated that the foaming process may include the
introduction of various other materials, such as various gases,
into the solution that is being foamed. Different means of mixing
the various other gases into the solution to provide a dispersion
throughout the solution may be employed. Various foaming agents,
modifiers, plasticizers and/or stabilizers may also be employed by
the current invention to assist in foaming the solution. For
instance, various ionic or non-ionic surfactants, cross-linkers or
coagulant stabilizers may be used. It is also further contemplated
that the various physical dimensions of and within the foam may be
modified and/or controlled by various means as contemplated by
those skilled in the art and such means may be employed without
departing from the scope and spirit of the current invention.
[0071] The various forms of the novel composition of matter
provided by the current invention may be used separately and
independently. It is also contemplated that these various forms,
whether sponge, solution and/or foam, may be employed in
combination to provide their beneficial effect. It is also
contemplated that one or more the different forms may be mixed
and/or blended together for use as a combination product. It is
contemplated that the different forms may include similar or
different formulations of the novel matrix of the current
invention. The interaction of the different forms may be promoted
or affected through the use of various different agents as may be
contemplated by those of ordinary skill in the art.
[0072] In FIG. 4 a method 400 of using a hydrophobically modified
biopolymer matrix is provided. The method includes a step 410 of
administering a polymer attached with a plurality of short
hydrophobic substituent to a wounded tissue or a red blood cell,
wherein the attached plurality of short hydrophobic substituent is
capable, through hydrophobic interaction, of adhering with the
wounded tissue or red blood cell. Administration may preferably
occur through directly contacting the polymer matrix with the
wounded tissue and/or cells and the application of pressure. The
pressure is sustained thereby maintaining contact between the
polymer matrix and the wounded tissue and/or cells. It is
contemplated that the hydrophobically modified biopolymer matrix is
formulated as a solid state sponge that is administered to a
wound/damaged tissue by pressing the sponge firmly against a wound
area. It is contemplated that the length of time for which pressure
is applied may vary, but perhaps most preferably pressure is
applied for about 5 to about 10 seconds. The administration of the
sponge to the wounded area allows for the interaction between the
hydrophobically modified polymer matrix and the damaged tissue. By
contacting of the sponge to the damaged tissue the hydrocarbon
chains of the plurality of short hydrophobic substituent are able
to anchor into the tissue through hydrophobic interaction.
[0073] In an alternative embodiment, the hydrophobically modified
biopolymer matrix is formulated as an aqueous solution of about 1
to about 2.5% by weight of the polymer. The solution may be
administered by spraying it onto a wound area whereby the matrix of
the current invention is allowed to hydrophobically interact with
the red blood cells and damaged tissue to promote the prevention of
blood loss. In either embodiment, sponge or solution, the current
invention provides for increased tissue and cellular adhesion which
promotes the hemostatic progression in a wounded area.
[0074] A method of manufacturing the sponge and/or solution of the
current invention is contemplated as an independent method or as a
part of the method of using the hydrophobically modified biopolymer
matrix, in either the sponge or solution formulation, prior to the
administration step. It is contemplated that the sponge is
manufactured by dehydrating the hydrophobically modified polymer
dissolved in aqueous solution. In a first step, an aqueous liquid
solution containing between about 1 and about 2.5% by weight of the
hydrophobically modified polymer is cast into a container having
the desired dimensions of the sponge. In an example, the container
is substantially sealed and frozen in a solution of liquid nitrogen
and left in the liquid nitrogen solution for about 20 to about 30
seconds. The container is then opened and placed into a vacuum
chamber attached to a freeze drying system which dehydrates the
polysaccharide over a period of about 24 hours.
[0075] In another example, the container is cast as described above
and is placed inside a vacuum oven at about 60.degree. C. for a
period of about 48 hours to produce a thin, flexible absorbent film
material that is able to be used as a bandage wrap for wounds with
extraordinary geometries which are difficult to treat with
freeze-dried sponges.
[0076] A system of the current invention includes a container that
is used to store the solution form of the hydrophobically modified
matrix. The container is operationally connected to an ejection
mechanism or spray mechanism which is capable of ejecting the
solution from the container by means of applying a mechanical
pressure to the fluid. The ejection mechanism may be a manual spray
mechanism or may provide its functionality through the use of
engaging any type of actuator (mechanical, electrical, magnetic,
and the like).
[0077] In an alternative embodiment of the system, there may be two
or more containers wherein a first container stores the solution
and a second container stores at least one secondary component like
a reagent such as thrombin or norfloxacin, as described above. It
is contemplated that the secondary component may be mixed with the
hydrophobically modified polymer solution in the same reservoir, or
is simultaneously dispensed from a separate chamber. It is further
contemplated that the solution and the secondary component may be
mixed together prior to ejection. The means used to blend the
solution and secondary components may be any such means as
contemplated by those of ordinary skill in the art.
[0078] The following methods and results provide an exemplary
formulation of the matrix of the current invention and its efficacy
in promoting hemostasis. It is understood that alternative
formulations, such as those explicitly described in the instant
specification as well as those that are contemplated by those of
ordinary skill in the art, may be used and achieve similar
results.
[0079] Chitosan was hydrophobically modified in order to increase
its adhesion to tissue at the site of injury and to improve its
hemostatic properties. Hydrophobes were attached along the backbone
of the chitosan polymer. Based on previous work done by Lee et al,
the working hypothesis for the present study is that hydrophobes
will insert themselves into the bilayers of cells, thus providing
chitosan with an added functionality in treating acute wounds. (See
J. H. Lee, J. P. Gustin, T. Chen, G. F. Payne and S. R. Raghavan,
"Vesicle-biopolymer gels: Networks of surfactant vesicles connected
by associating biopolymers." Langmuir. (2005), which is herein
incorporated by reference in its entirety). If applied to a
hemostatic bandage, this property could overcome the primary
problem with the HemCon bandage while maintaining the advantages of
using chitosan as the base polymer.
[0080] Due to these advanced properties of the hm-chitosan, the
biopolymer is a viable option for usage as a strongly adhesive
hemostatic bandage as well as a flowable spray or surgical sealant
to stop minor bleeding and to seal tissues in surgical
applications. In this study, the tissue adhesion relative to the
level of hydrophobic modification was observed as well as the use
of hm-chitosan to gel blood.
[0081] Materials and Methods; Hydrophobic Modification of Chitosan;
Synthesizing hm-chitosan using dodecaldehyde.
[0082] Two grams of chitosan was dissolved in 100 mL of 0.2 M
acetic acid by stirring for 30 minutes in a beaker covered with
aluminum foil. The solution was filtered using a vacuum filter.
Once the chitosan solution was poured from the flask into a 600 mL
beaker, 100 mL of ethanol was added to the flask gradually and
swirled around to remove the remaining chitosan on the sides of the
flask. The ethanol and remaining chitosan was poured into the
beaker with the rest of the chitosan. In a separate beaker, 20 mL
of ethanol was added to dodecaldehyde (27.9 .mu.L for the 1%, 69.7
.mu.L for the 2.5%, 97.8 .mu.L for the 3.5%, and 167 .mu.L for the
6% modification), which was then slowly poured into the chitosan
solution. Sodium cyanoborohydride, 0.78 g, was dissolved in 10mL of
ethanol and added to the chitosan solution. The sodium
cyanoborohydride and ethanol solution was added twice more at 2
hour intervals. The mixture was stirred for 24 hours and the
hm-chitosan was then precipitated from the solution by adding 0.2 M
sodium hydroxide dropwise.
[0083] Synthesizing hm-chitosan using 4-octadecyloxybenzaldehyde
(2.5% Modification).
[0084] The same procedure to modify the chitosan using the
dodecaldehyde is used, except 0.1178g of 4-octadecyloxybenzaldehyde
was added instead of the dodecaldehyde. In this study, only a 2.5%
modification was made using the 4-octadecyloxybenzaldehyde.
[0085] Purification of hm-chitosan Solutions.
[0086] After precipitating the hm-chitosan, the solution was poured
into centrifuge tubes, equalized in weight by adding ethanol, and
centrifuged at 3,000 rpm for 10 minutes. The supernatant was
removed and 20-25 mL of ethanol was added to each tube, stirred
using a vortex, and centrifuged again. This process was repeated
for a total of three times using ethanol and three additional times
using deionized water.
[0087] Tissue Adhesion Experiments; Preparation of Films.
[0088] After the purification process, the hm-chitosan was removed
from the centrifuge tubes into a beaker and an arbitrary amount of
0.2 M acetic acid so that the hm-chitosan was completely submerged.
The solution was stirred for 2 hours and then poured into aluminum
foil. It was vacuum dried to remove all of the water. Once dry, the
hm-chitosan sheets were removed from the foil and dissolved in 0.2
M acetic acid to form a 2 wt % solution. Then 11 g of the
hm-chitosan (or chitosan) was dropped into a 2.25'' diameter
plastic petri dish and left overnight to dry under the hood.
[0089] Bovine Tissue Adhesion Tests--By Mass.
[0090] The dried films were removed from the petri dishes very
carefully to prevent tearing the edges. Each film was cut in half
and each piece weighed. All of the films were then further cut and
reweighed until all of them were approximately the same weight. The
films were then placed on bovine muscle tissue and pressed down
gently so that all of the film, except for the raised edges, was in
contact with the tissue. For ten minutes, the films were allowed to
adhere to the tissue. Then the bovine muscle tissue was inverted
and weights were hung sequentially to the edge of the film until it
was fully removed from the tissue.
[0091] Bovine Tissue Adhesion Tests--By Area.
[0092] Once the films were removed from the petri dishes, two
rectangles measuring 1.5'' by 0.75'' each were cut from each film.
With the film arranged vertically, a line was measured and drawn
0.5'' from the bottom of the film using a thin permanent marker.
The films were then placed on bovine muscle tissue so that the line
was on the edge of the tissue with the majority of the film adhered
to the tissue and the 0.5'' by 0.75'' rectangle hanging off the
side. After being pressed gently into the tissue, the films were
left to adhere to the tissue for ten minutes. The bovine muscle
tissue was then held vertically so the films were perpendicular to
the floor with the unattached portion of the film on the bottom.
Weights were hung sequentially to the films until they were
completely peeled from the tissue.
[0093] Texture Analyzer.
[0094] A TA.XT2i Texture Analyzer with a 5 kg load cell was used to
perform this set of experiments. The instrument was set to the
compression test mode. Small viles were filled approximately half
full with 2 wt % solutions of hm-chitosan of varying levels of
modification as well as the unmodified chitosan. A 1/2'' diameter
cylindrical probe was attached and aligned with the vile of
solution. The settings were applied with a pre-test speed of 3
mm/s, a test speed of 2 mm/s, and a post test speed of 1 mm/s. The
target mode was distance and the distance the probe traveled after
touching the surface of the solution was set to 2 mm. As the probe
was lowered into the vile, the force on the probe when it came in
contact with the solution triggered the instrument to record the
data. The resulting graphs produced were then used to calculate the
adhesion of each solution.
[0095] Blood Gelling Experiments; Initial Blood Gelling Tests.
[0096] When the human blood was drawn, it was put into test tubes
whose interior walls were lined with heparin. A pipette was then
used to measure out 1 mL of blood, which was relocated to another
test tube. Another pipette was used to add 1 mL of the chitosan (or
hm-chitosan) to the blood. During the experiments, the 1%, 2.5%,
and 3.5% modified hm-chitosan (modified using dodecaldehyde) was
used as well as 2.5% modified hm-chitosan that was modified with
the 4-octadecyloxybenzaldehyde. The time that it took for the
mixture to gel was observed and recorded.
[0097] Rheology of Blood and Chitosan Solution.
[0098] A AR2000 advanced rheometer with a cone and plate geometry
was used to measure the dynamic viscoelastic properties for these
experiments. The cone had a 40 mm diameter with a 2 degree angle.
In order to ensure that all the measurements were within the linear
viscoelastic regions, first stress amplitude sweeps were performed.
After the human blood was drawn into the test tubes with the
heparin, a pipette was used to add 1 mL of blood onto the plate of
the rheometer. Then 1 mL of the chitosan (or hm-chitosan) solution
was added to the blood on the plate. Once the solutions were
combines, the parameters for the rheometer were set up and the run
was started. The cone lowered into contact with the solution and a
sinusoidal strain was subjected to the subject with increasing
frequency of oscillations. The elastic and viscous moduli were
obtained over the frequency range of 0.01 to 10 Hz. Dynamic
rheology experiments were performed using unmodified chitosan, 2.5%
and 6% modified hm-chitosan (modified using dodecaldehyde), and
2.5% modified hm-chitosan modified using
4-octadecyloxybenzaldehyde.
[0099] Results and Discussion; Tissue Adhesion Experiments; Texture
Analyzer.
[0100] In comparison of the varying hm-chitosan solutions, an
obvious relationship was not observed in the relative adhesion
calculations found using the texture analyzer. As shown in Table 1
below, the 1% and 3.5% modified hm-chitosan had the highest level
of adhesion while the unmodified chitosan was the least
adhesive.
TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 1 Adhesion of hm-Chitosan Solutions-Texture
Analyzer Level of Modification 0% 1% 2.5% 3.5% Adhesion (g.sec)
3.126 3.409 3.200 3.404
[0101] The difference between the highest level of adhesion (1%
modification) and the lowest (0% modification) was 0.278 g.sec. The
adhesion calculations found does not show a trend with the
increasing level of modification with the 2.5% modified hm-chitosan
being lower than the 1% and 3.5%; however, with the unmodified
chitosan having the lowest adhesion, the data indicates that the
hydrophobic modification of the chitosan does increase the adhesion
of the solution.
[0102] Bovine Muscle Tissue; Standardized Film Weight.
[0103] The experiments in which the chitosan and hm-chitosan films
were adhered to bovine muscle tissue and removed by sequentially
hanging weights from the inverted tissue were repeated several
times. As shown in FIG. 5, the average force to needed to remove
the films increased nearly linearly with the increasing level of
hydrophobic modification. The standard deviation of force for each
level of modification is fairly low with a high of 0.056 N. This
precision in data significantly contributes to the credibility of
the relationship between the adhesion and modification level.
[0104] In unmodified chitosan, the high adhesion to tissue is due
to an electrostatic attraction between cationic chitosan and
anionic cell surfaces. As previously mentioned, it is hypothesized
that the increase in adhesion with increasing hydrophobic
modification is due to the anchoring of the hydrophobes on the
backbone of the chitosan into the bilayer of the tissue cells. In
this study, the highest level of modification tested is 6% modified
using dodecaldehyde, and this hm-chitosan produced the greatest
adhesion to the bovine muscle tissue. Due to the hydrophobic nature
of the modification, a percentage of modification higher than 6%
would be difficult to dissolve into solution which would make it
unusable in this study.
[0105] Though the results of the experiments provide a nearly
linear relationship between the adhesion and the level of
hydrophobic modification, the actual measurements of the force
necessary to remove the films is negligible and the main focus is
on the relationship. In this adhesion experiment, the
standardization was administered by equalizing the weights of the
films and by adhering all levels of modification to the same piece
of bovine muscle tissue. With this method of standardization, the
films were of varying surface area and thickness which could have
had an affect on the adhesion.
[0106] Standardized Area of Contact Between Film and Tissue.
[0107] To vary the method of standardization of the films,
additional adhesion experiments were performed using films with the
same surface area in contact with the bovine muscle tissue. The
films measured 0.75'' by 1.5'' with the portion in contact with the
tissue measuring 0.75'' by 1.00''.
TABLE-US-00005 TABLE 2 Weight required to remove the films of
varying levels of hydrophobic modification 0% 1% 2.5% 3.5% 6% 2.5%
(C18) Trial 1 78.6451 g 50.6870 g 175.8375 g 104.4592 g 82.0132 g
249.0300 g Trial 2 104.2906 g 112.8136 g 129.0033 g 144.4069 g
118.2246 g 171.9973 g
[0108] In addition to the five levels of modification of the
hm-chitosan modified using dodecaldehyde that were used in the
previous bovine muscle tissue adhesion experiments, a film composed
of 2.5% modified solution of hm-chitosan that was modified using
4-octadecyloxybenzaldehyde was also used. As shown in Table 2, the
2.5% 4-octadecyloxybenzaldehyde modified hm-chitosan films required
the greatest amount of force for removal which was notably higher
than the amount required for the second most adhesive film. As the
first experiment to test the adhesion of the
4-octadecyloxybenzaldehyde modified hm-chitosan film, the results
suggest that this modification causes an even higher increase in
adhesive properties.
##STR00002##
[0109] Shown above are the chemical structures and names of the two
aldehydes used for the modification of the chitosan: a)
dodecaldehyde and b) 4-octadecyloxybenzaldehyde. The dodecaldehyde
has a 12 carbon chain while the 4-octadecyloxybenzaldehyde has an
18 carbon chain connected to an oxygen atom that is bonded to a
benzene ring. Whether or not the increased adhesion is due to the
increase in carbon chain length or in the addition of the benzene
ring is unknown, and this is a topic of interest for future
experiments in this study.
[0110] This series of experiments differs significantly from the
other bovine muscle tissue adhesion experiment in terms of
standardization in addition to the forces involved. With the
inversion of the tissue in the other set of experiments, the films
were pulled at a 90 degree angle. In these experiments, the tissue
was held vertically and the films were pulled along the direction
of the alignment of the tissue. Due to this setup, the force needed
to remove the films was higher since there was a shear force
involved in the removal and the experiment was actually a type of
static load shear holding test.
[0111] Since the surface area of the films was equalized in these
experiments, the weight and thickness of the films varied.
Similarly to the other adhesion experiments, the same piece of
bovine muscle tissue was used for each trial in order to reduce
variation due to the properties of the tissue.
[0112] Blood Gelling Experiments; Initial Blood
Gelling--Qualitative Data.
[0113] In the blood gelling experiments, the blood that was drawn
was mixed with heparin which is an anticoagulant. The purpose of
adding the heparin was to ensure that the change in blood viscosity
and the blood gellation was due to the addition of the hm-chitosan
solutions and not a result of the natural blood coagulation
process. In the initial experiments, it was observed that the
addition of unmodified chitosan to blood did not have a visually
apparent increase in viscosity. The mixture was very fluidic and
immediately flowed when the test tube was inverted. The blood, when
mixed with 1%, 2.5%, and 3.5% modified hm-chitosan, became
exceptionally viscous, though never gelled completely. A gel is
characterized as a solution of infinite viscosity, and does not
flow even when inverted in a test tube. In this experiment, the 1%,
2.5%, and 3.5% modified hm-chitosan, when mixed with blood, became
so viscous that the solutions could remain intact for several
seconds when the test tube was inverted; however, after a few
seconds, the solutions slowly flowed down the side.
[0114] The 2.5% hm-chitosan solution that was modified using the
4-octadecyloxybenzaldehyde completely gelled the blood almost
instantaneously (less than 30 seconds) after being added. FIG. 6
shows a photo of the 2.5% modified hm-chitosan, modified using
4-octadecyloxybenzaldehyde, mixed with the blood in a test tube and
then another photo of the test tube completely inverted. The gelled
solution remains in the bottom of the inverted test tube. The
instantaneous gellation of the blood by the 2.5% modified
hm-chitosan, modified using 4-octadecyloxybenzaldehyde, is a
significant characteristic and has promising future applications as
a medical spray or surgical sealant.
[0115] Rheology of Blood and hm-Chitosan; Frequency Sweep.
[0116] The qualitative observations obtained in the initial blood
gelling experiments were further quantified using an advanced
rheometer. Dynamic rheology experiments ultimately yield plots of
G' (elastic modulus) and G'' (viscous modulus) as functions of
frequency which are collectively called the frequency spectrum of
the material. For our purposes of quantitatively defining the
solutions of chitosan and blood as viscous or elastic, the graphs
shown in FIG. 7, identify each solution as liquid or gel (solid)
form. For the unmodified chitosan and the 2.5% modified hm-chitosan
modified using dodecaldehyde, the results show that the viscous
modulus is higher than the elastic modulus. In general terms, this
data indicates that the solutions have stronger viscous properties
than elastic and remain in liquid form. The graph of the 2.5%
modified hm-chitosan (dodecaldehyde) seems to show some
visco-elastic properties with the intersection of the elastic and
viscous modulous; however, for our purposes the viscous modulus is
higher than the elastic modulus over most of the frequency range
and only shows elastic behavior at high frequencies.
[0117] Both the graphs of the 6% modified hm-chitosan
(dodecaldehyde) and the 2.5% modified hm-chitosan
(4-octadecyloxybenzaldehyde) quantifies the solutions as gels since
the elastic modulus remains above the viscous modulus throughout
the frequency range. With the dodecaldehyde 6% modified hm-chitosan
and blood solution, the moduli are closer together than the
4-octadecyloxybenzaldehyde 2.5% modified hm-chitosan and blood
solution. This suggests that the elastic properties of the
4-octadecyloxybenzaldehyde 2.5% modified hm-chitosan and blood
solution are more dominant than with the dodecaldehyde 6% modified
hm-chitosan.
[0118] Dynamic Rheology--Time to Gellation.
[0119] The previous frequency sweep graphs quantitatively show that
blood, when mixed with two of the hm-chitosan solutions, form gels;
however, the primary factor for these solutions applicability as
liquid medical sprays or surgical sealants lies within the time of
gellation after the blood and hm-chitosan solutions mix. As shown
in FIG. 8, the hm-chitosan and blood solutions experience
negligible variation with time after the initial mixture. For both
the blood and unmodified chitosan and the blood and 2.5% modified
hm-chitosan (dodecaldehyde) solutions that remained in liquid form,
the elastic modulus and viscous modulus remain relatively constant
over time. One unexplainable anomaly in the data is shown in the
graph of the unmodified chitosan and blood solution with the
initial nearly linear decrease in moduli. This is believed to be a
result of an instrumental malfunction rather than a representation
of the visco-elastic response of the solution; however, even with
the initial decrease, the moduli quickly level out and remains
constant with time.
[0120] In this experiment, the blood and hm-chitosan solutions are
mixed together and the cone of the advanced rheometer immediately
lowers into the solution and begins the oscillations of low
frequency. As shown above in the graphs of the 6% modified
hm-chitosan (dodecaldehyde) and the 2.5% modified hm-chitosan
(4-octadecyloxybenzaldehyde) and blood solutions, the elastic
modulus is higher than the viscous modulus for the first
measurement which is determined only seconds after the solutions
are mixed. This data corresponds with the initial blood gelling
experiment results in showing the gellation time of only a few
seconds. With nearly instantaneous gellation when it comes in
contact with blood, the application of hm-chitosan liquid solutions
could potentially mean a significant advancement in surgical
sealants and sprays.
CONCLUSION
[0121] The motivation behind this study was to develop a new
material with advanced properties for use as a hemostatic bandage
for acute wounds and as a flowable spray or surgical sealant to
stop minor bleeding and to seal tissues in surgical procedures.
With our hydrophobic modification of chitosan using dodecaldehyde
and 4-octadecyloxybenzaldehyde, the experiments of this study
focused on the impact of the modification on tissue adhesion in
addition to the polymers interaction with blood. In the tissue
adhesion experiments, it was concluded that tissue adhesiveness
increases proportionally with the level of hydrophobic modification
on the chitosan backbone. The experiments on the interaction of the
modified chitosan with blood revealed that the 6% dodecaldehyde
modified hm-chitosan and the 4-octadecyloxybenzaldehyde 2.5%
modified hm-chitosan instantly forms a gel when mixed with blood.
With these results showing the impact of the hydrophobic
modification of chitosan in terms of tissue adhesion and
interaction with blood, hm-chitosan has advanced qualities which
give it a promising future as a hemostatic bandage and surgical
sealant.
[0122] It is believed that the present invention and many of its
attendant advantages will be understood by the forgoing
description. It is also believed that it will be apparent that
various changes may be made in the form, construction and
arrangement of the components thereof without departing from the
scope and spirit of the invention or without sacrificing all of its
material advantages. The form herein before described being merely
an explanatory embodiment thereof. It is the intention of the
following claims to encompass and include such changes.
* * * * *