| abstract |
The present application provides biocompatible medical implant comprising poly(4-hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyalkanoate) copolymer. The implant may, for example, be a device selected from guided tissue regeneration devices, tissue engineering devices, tissue engineering scaffolds, foams, coatings, meshes, microparticles, resorbable wound closure materials such as suturing and stapling materials, controlled release devices, drug delivery devices, cell encapsulation devices, targeted delivery devices, devices with biocompatible coatings, orthopedic devices, prosthetics, bone cements (including adhesives and/or structural fillers), diagnostic devices, rods, bone screws, pins, surgical sutures, stents, patches (such as hernial patches and pericardial patches), devices with vascular applications, and tubes suitable for the passage of bodily fluids. The application also provides a biocompatible polyhydroxyalkanoate that has a controlled degradation rate of less than one year under physiological conditions for use in medicine, optionally wherein the biocompatible polyhydroxyalkanoate is processed to form a medical device. The biocompatible polyhydroxyalkanoate may, for example, be produced by a process consisting of fermentation, enzymatic synthesis, chemical synthesis, melt processing, reactive blending, and recombinant techniques. The biocompatible polyhydroxyalkanoate may, for example, be produced by fermentation (a) using a co-feed, and/or (b) by a fermentation process that uses transgenic bacteria. |