EXPANDED PTFE IMPLANTABLE PROSTHESIS WITH IMPROVED BLOOD AND TISSUE COMPATIBILITY AND SUPERIOR PATENCY

摘要

Synthetic composite materials for surgical implantation are disclosed which are manufactured from a fluoropolymer and a copolymer of a perfluorosulfonate and a perfluorinated monomer. The materials may be manufactured by coextrusion of the fluoropolymer and the perfluorosulfonate copolymer. Alternatively, the perfluorosulfonate copolymer may be attached to the surface of an extruded fluoropolymer material. Preferably, the fluoropolymer is polytetrafluoroethylene and the perfluorosulfonate copolymer is a copolymer of perfluro-3,6-dioxa-4-methyl-7-octane sulfonyl fluoride and tetrafluoroethylene. In a preferred embodiment a synthetic vascular graft is prepared from extruded and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene, coated with a perfluorosulfonate copolymer optionally converted to an alkali salt form and subsequently heated to a temperature above the crystalline melting point of polytetrafluoroethylene.