OXYGEN ENHANCING MEMBRANE SYSTEMS FOR IMPLANTABLE DEVICES

摘要

The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for increasing oxygen availability to implantable devices. The preferred embodiments provide a membrane system (18) configured to provide protection of the device from the biological environment and/or a catalyst for enabling an enzymatic reaction, wherein the membrane system includes a polymer formed from a high oxygen soluble material. The high oxygen soluble polymer material is disposed adjacent to an oxygen-utilizing source on the implantable device so as to dynamically retain high oxygen availability to the oxygen-utilizing source during oxygen deficits. The membrane system (18) can include a cell disruptive domain (40), a cell impermeable domain (42), a resistance domain (44), an enzyme domain (46), an interference domain (48), and an electrolyte domain (50) adjacent to the electrochemically reactive surfaces. Membrane systems of the preferred embodiments are useful for implantable devices with oxygen-utilizing sources and/or that function in low oxygen environments, such as enzyme-based electrochemical sensors and cell transplantation devices.