What is claimed is:
1. An antimicrobial lens comprising a coated zeolite.
2. The antimicrobial lens of claim 1, wherein the zeolite is coated with a composition comprising at least one silane.
3. The lens of claim 2 wherein the coated zeolite comprises silver.
4. The lens of claim 2 wherein the lens is a contact lens.
5. The lens of claim 2 wherein the silane comprises a composition of Formula I.
R1nSi(OR2)4-n1
wherein
R1 is C1-20alkyl, C1-8alkenyl, phenyl, phenylC1-8alkyl, haloC1-8alkyl, fluoroC1-8alkyl, C1-8alkoxycarbonylC1-8alkyl, or C1-8alkylsiloxy;
R2 is C1-6alkyl, C1-8alkenyl phenyl, phenylC1-8alkyl, haloC1-8alkyl, or C1-8alkoxycarbonylC1-8alkyl; and
n is 1-3.
6. The lens of claim 5 wherein R1 is C10alkyl.
7. The lens of claim 5 wherein R1 is C18alkyl.
8. The lens of claim 5 wherein R1 is C8alkyl.
9. The lens of claim 5 wherein R2 is C1-3alkyl.
10. The lens of claim 2 wherein, the silane comprises a composition of Formula II
R1nSi(X)4-nII
wherein
R1 is C1-20alkyl, C1-8alkenyl, phenyl, phenylC1-8alkyl, haloC1-8alkyl, fluoroC1-8alkyl, C1-8alkoxycarbonylC1-8alkyl, or C1-8alkylsiloxy;
X is any group that can be displaced with a nucleophile; and
n is 1-3.
11. The lens of claim 10 wherein X is selected from the group consisting of is chloro, bromo, iodo, acyloxy, hydroxyl, and NHSi(CH3)3.
12. The lens of claim 10 wherein R1 is C10alkyl.
13. The lens of claim 10 wherein X is acyloxy or chloro.
14. The lens of claim 10 wherein R1 is C18alkyl.
15. The lens of claim 2 wherein the silane is selected from the group consisting of phenyltrimethoxysilane, phenyltriethoxysilane, diphenyldimethoxysilane, diphenyldiethoxysilane, methyltrimethoxysilane, methyltriethoxysilane, methyltripropoxysilane, ethyltrimethoxysilane, ethyltriethoxysilane, ethyltripropoxysilane, propyltrimethoxysilane, propyltriethoxysilane, propyltripropoxysilane, butyltrimethoxysilane, butyltriethoxysilane, hexyltrimethoxysilane, hexyltriethoxysilane, benzyltrimethoxysilane, octyltrimethoxysilane, octyltriethoxysilane, octyltripropoxysilane, decyltrimethoxysilane, dodecyltrimethoxysilane, octadecyltrimethoxysilane, tetradecyltrimethoxysilane, tetradecyltriethoxysilane, hexadecyltrimethoxysilane, hexadecyltriethoxysilane, dimethyldimethoxysilane, dimethyldiethoxysilane, dibutyldimethoxysilane, octadecylmethyldimethoxysilane, octadecyldimethylmethoxysilane, acetoxypropyltrimethoxysilane, octadecyltrichlorosilane, trifluoropropyltrimethoxysilane, perfluorodecyl-1H,1H,2H,2H-dimethylchlorosilane, N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, and 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane.
16. The lens of claim 2 wherein the silane is selected from the group consisting of octadecyltrimethoxy silane, octyltrimethoxysilane, butyltrimethoxysilane, octadecyltrichlorosilane, and acetoxypropyltrimethoxysilane.
17. The lens of claim 2 wherein the silane is octyldecyltrimethoxysilane.
18. The lens of claim 2 having
more than about 0.02 weight percent coated zeolite, and
less about 1.0 weight percent coated zeolite.
19. The lens of claim 2 having
more than about 0.025 weight percent coated zeolite, and
less about 0.1 weight percent coated zeolite.
20. The lens of claim 2 having
more than about zero weight percent coated zeolite, and
less than about 0.1 weight percent coated zeolite.
21. The lens of claim 17 having
more than about zero weight percent coated zeolite, and
less than about 0.1 weight percent coated zeolite.
22. The lens of claim 17 wherein the coated zeolite comprises silver.
23. The lens of claim 2 wherein the coated zeolites comprise at least two different compositions of Formula I.
24. The lens of claim 2 wherein the coated zeolites comprise at two different compositions of Formula II.
25. The lens of claim 2 wherein the coated zeolites comprise at least one compositions of Formula I, at least one compositon of Formula II or mixtures thereof.
26. The antimicrobial lens of claim 1 wherein the zeolite is coated with a composition comprising at least one hydrophobic monomer.
27. The lens of claim 26 wherein the hydrophobic monomer is selected from the group consisting of perfluoropropylene oxide, diethylene glycol vinyl ether, methyl methacrylate, lauryl methacrylate, styrene, 1,3-butadiene, propylene glycol, hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane, and mixtures thereof.
28. The lens of claim 26 wherein the hydrophobic monomer is selected from the group consisting of perfluoropropylene oxide, diethylene glycol vinyl ether and mixtures thereof.
29. The lens of claim 26 having
more than about 0.02 weight percent coated zeolite, and
less about 1.0 weight percent coated zeolite.
30. The lens of claim 26 having
more than about 0.025 weight percent coated zeolite, and
less about 0.1 weight percent coated zeolite.
31. The lens of claim 26 having
more than about zero weight percent coated zeolite, and
less than about 0.1 weight percent coated zeolite.
32. A method of reducing the adverse effects associated with microbial infections in the ocular regions of a mammal comprising placing an antimicrobial lens comprising a coated zeolite on the eye of a mammal.
33. The method of claim 32 wherein the adverse effect is contact lens acute red eye.
34. The method of claim 32 wherein the mammal is a human.
35. A method of producing an antimicrobial lens comprising a coated zeolite where the method comprises the steps of
(a) coating a zeolite with a silane or with a hydrophobic monomer to produce a coated zeolite
(b) adding the coated zeolite of step (a) to a lens formulation prior to curing said lens formulation.
36. A method of producing an antimicrobial lens comprising a coated zeolite where the method comprises, the steps of
(a) coating a zeolite containing a non-antimicrobial metal with a silane or a hydrophobic monomer to form a coated zeolite;
(b) adding the zeolite of step (a) to a lens formulation prior to curing said lens formulation;
(c) curing the lens formulation to produce a lens and
(d) treating the lens of step (d) with an solution containing soluble salts of an antimicrobial metal.
37. The method of claim 36 wherein the non-antimicrobial metal is sodium, potassium, or calcium.
38. The method of claim 36 wherein the solution is about 20% silver nitrate in deionized water.
39. A method of coating a zeolite with a silane comprising contacting the zeolite with the silane at a pH of about greater than 4 and about less than 5.5.
40. A method of coating a zeolite with a silane comprising contacting the zeolite with a silane at a pH of about greater than 10 and about less than 12.
41. An antimicrobial lens comprising silver wherein the lens has sufficient movement on the eye of a patient, provided that the lens does not contain un-coated zeolites having a diameter of greater that 200 nm.
42. The lens of claim 41 having about 50 to about 100 percent movement.
43. The lens of claim 41 having about 75 to about 100 percent movement.
44. The lens of claim 41 having about 90 to about 100 percent movement.
45. A method of preparing an antimicrobial lens comprising heating a lens with a silver containing solution.
46. The method of claim 45 wherein the lens is heated at about 40 to about 140 C.
47. An antimicrobial lens comprising silver and an oxidizing agent.
48. The lens of claim 47 wherein further comprising a silver zeolite.
49. The lens of claim 47 wherein the oxidizing agent is hydrogen peroxide.
50. A method of reducing discoloration in an antimicrobial lens comprising contacting said antimicrobial lens with an oxidizing agent.
51. An antimicrobial lens comprising nano-sized zeolites.
52. The lens of claim 51 wherein the nano-sized zeolites have a diameter of about 50 nm to about 150 nm.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A system for delivering brachytherapy to a target tissue region within a breast, the system comprising a plurality of elongate therapy devices, each therapy device comprising:
an elongate tubular member comprising a tail portion including a proximal end, and a therapy delivery portion including a distal end sized for introduction through tissue of a breast to a target tissue region, and a first lumen extending between an opening in the proximal end and the distal end;
a support member extending along the therapy delivery portion of the tubular member outside the first lumen without extending to the tail portion, the support member substantially fixed relative to the therapy delivery portion;
the therapy delivery portion positionable in a curved configuration within the breast for delivery of radiation to the target tissue region, wherein the support member biases the target therapy portion for advancement through tissue in a straight configuration and allows deployment to the curved configuration within the target tissue region, the support member substantially maintaining the therapy delivery portion in a fixed or static position in the curved configuration when deployed within the target tissue region; and
the tail portion sufficiently long to extend from the breast when the target delivery portion is introduced into the target tissue region of the breast,
whereby the plurality of elongate therapy devices is advanceable through tissue until the therapy delivery portion of each of the tubular members is positioned within or around the target tissue region in the curved configuration, allowing a radiation source to be introduced into the first lumen of the each of the tubular members through the opening in the proximal end for delivering radiation therapy to the target tissue region.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein each therapy delivery portion is configured in the curved configuration to provide conformance of the therapy delivery portion to a shape of the target tissue region to be irradiated.
3. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for delivering the plurality of elongate therapy devices through tissue to the target tissue region.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein the means for delivering the plurality of elongate therapy devices comprises a plurality of tubular members for receiving respective therapy devices therethrough.
5. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more radiation sources introduceable into the first lumen through the opening in the proximal end for delivering radiation therapy to the target tissue region.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more radiation sources comprise a plurality of radioactive seeds spaced apart along each of the therapy delivery portions.
7. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more radiation sources comprise a HDR afterload cable.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the tubular member comprises heat shrink tubing.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the support member has curvature in its relaxed state.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein the support member is sufficiently flexible to permit curved implantation.
11. The system of claim 1, wherein the tubular member comprises a second lumen containing the support member.
12. The system of claim 1, wherein the support member is encased within the tubular member.
13. The system of claim 1, wherein the tubular member and support member comprise a plastic co-extrusion.
14. The system of claim 1, wherein the support member is configured for attenuating or shielding radiation to surrounding tissue.
15. The system of claim 1, wherein the support member comprises a strip of material.
16. The system of claim 1, wherein the support member has a cross-section defining a width extending transversely relative to the first lumen and a height orthogonal to the width, the height being smaller than the width.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein the support member is disposed adjacent the first lumen such that the width of the support member extends only partially around the first lumen.
18. The system of claim 1, wherein the support member has a flat cross-section.
19. The system of claim 1, wherein the support member has an arcuate cross-section.
20. An implantable brachytherapy treatment system for treating a target tissue region within a breast, comprising:
at least one elongate tubular member comprising a proximal end, a distal end sized for introduction through tissue of a breast to a target tissue region, and a first lumen extending between an opening in the proximal end and the distal end; and
a support member extending along a therapy delivery portion between the proximal end and distal end of the tubular member outside the first lumen, the support member substantially fixed relative to the therapy delivery portion, the support member offset asymmetrically relative to the first lumen for delivering the tubular member through tissue in a straight configuration and deploying the target delivery portion in a curved configuration within or around the target tissue region, wherein the support member biases the therapy delivery portion for advancement through tissue in a straight configuration and allows deployment to the curved configuration within the target tissue region; and
a radiation source receivable in the first lumen of the tubular member through the opening in the proximal end for delivering radiation therapy to the target tissue region in the curved configuration after the target delivery portion has been introduced into the target tissue region.
21. The system of claim 20, wherein the support member substantially maintains the therapy delivery portion in a fixed or static position in the curved configuration when deployed within the target tissue region.
22. The system of claim 20, wherein the wherein the at least one tubular member comprises heat shrink tubing.
23. The system of claim 20, wherein the support member is enclosed within the tubular member along the therapy delivery portion.
24. The system of claim 20, wherein the tubular member comprises a second lumen extending along the therapy delivery portion adjacent the first lumen, and wherein the support member is substantially fixed within the second lumen.
25. The system of claim 20, wherein the support member comprises a strip of material.
26. The system of claim 20, wherein the support member is configured for attenuating or shielding radiation to surrounding tissue.
27. The system of claim 20, wherein the support member has curvature in its relaxed state, the system further comprising a cannula for constraining the tubular member in the straight configuration for introduction through tissue.
28. The system of claim 20, wherein the radiation source comprises an afterload HDR cable.
29. The system of claim 20, wherein the support member has a flat cross-section.
30. The system of claim 20, comprising a plurality of tubular members including the at least one tubular member, the plurality of tubular members configured for simultaneous introduction through tissue of a breast to a target tissue region in a straight configuration and deployable in a curved configuration within or around the target tissue region.