Bioactive and biocompatible polyurethane-buthanediol-glycosaminoglycan salt copolymers

1. A copolymer comprising the polymerization reaction product of a biocompatible polyurethane and a bioactive polysaccharide, wherein the bioactive polysaccharide is incorporated into the polyurethane backbone of the copolymer.

2. The copolymer of claim 1 , wherein the bioactive polysaccharide is a bioactive glycosaminoglycan.

3. The copolymer of claim 2 , wherein the bioactive glycosaminoglycan is a member selected from the group consisting of a suitable salt of hyaluronic acid, a suitable salt of heparin, and a suitable salt of dermatan sulfate.

4. The copolymer of claim 3 , wherein the salt of hyaluronic acid is a member selected from the group consisting of a cetylpyridinium salt and a tetrabutylammonium salt, and wherein the salt of heparin is a dimethyldioctadecylammorium salt.

5. The copolymer of claim 4 , wherein the salt of hyaluronic acid has 5 to 10,000 repeating units, and wherein the dimethyldioctadecylammonium salt of heparin has 5 to 65 repeating units.

6. The copolymer of claim 1 , wherein the weight content of the bioactive polysaccharide is in the range of about 0.05% to about 30%.

7. The copolymer of claim 6 , wherein the high and low range endpoints of the weight content of the bioactive polysaccharide are any combination of members selected from the group consisting of 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.33%, 0.66%, 1.3%, 2.0%, 5.4%, 10%, 20% and 30%.

8. The copolymer of claim 7 , comprising the cetylpyridinium salt of hyaluronic acid.

9. The copolymer of claim 7 , wherein the biocompatible polyurethane is the reaction product of 4,4′-methylene-di-(p-phenyl isocyanate) and poly(tetramethylene oxide) n and further reacted with 1,4-butanediol, and wherein n=10 to 40.

10. The copolymer of claim 8 , wherein the biocompatible polyurethane is the reaction product of 4,4′-methylene-di-(p-phenyl isocyanate) and poly(tetramethylene oxide) n and further reacted with 1,4-butanediol, and wherein n=10 to 40.

11. The copolymer of claim 6 , wherein the biocompatible polyurethane is the reaction product of a suitable isocyanate-containing molecule and a suitable poly(C 2-10 alkylene oxide) n and further reacted with a suitable C 4-50 diol-containing molecule, wherein n=10 to 40, wherein the C 2-10 alkylene is linear or branched, substituted or un-substituted, and wherein the C 4-50 is linear or branched, substituted or un-substituted.

12. A method of making a bioactive and biocompatible polyurethane-diol-polysaccharide copolymer comprising:

reacting a suitable isocyanate-containing molecule and a suitable poly(C 2-10 alkylene oxide) n to produce a diisocyanate reactant, and, reacting the diisocyanate reactant with a suitable C 4-50 diol-containing molecule and a bioactive polysaccharide,

wherein n=10 to 40,

wherein the C 2-10 alkylene is linear or branched, substituted or un-substituted, and,

wherein the C 4-50 is linear or branched, substituted or un-substituted.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the bioactive polysaccharide is a bioactive glycosaminoglycan.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the glycosaminoglycan is a member selected from the group consisting of a suitable salt of hyaluronic acid, a suitable salt of heparin, and a suitable salt of dermatan sulfate.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the salt of hyaluronic acid is a member selected from the group consisting of a cetylpyridinium salt and a tetrabutylammonium salt, and wherein the salt of heparin is a dimethyldioctadecylammonium salt.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the salt of hyaluronic acid has 5 to 10,000 repeating units, and wherein the dimethyldioctadecylammonium salt of heparin has 5 to 65 repeating units.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the weight content of the bioactive polysaccharide is in the range of about 0.05% to about 30%.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the high and low range endpoints of the weight content of the bioactive polysaccharide are any combination of members selected from the group consisting of 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.33%, 0.66%, 1.3%, 2.0%, 5.4%, 10%, 20% and 30%.

19. A method of making a bioactive and biocompatible polyurethane-butanediol-glycosaminoglycan salt copolymer comprising:

reacting 4,4′-methylene-di-(p-phenyl isocyanate) and poly(tetramethylene oxide) n to produce a diisocyanate reactant, and,

reacting the diisocyanate reactant with 1,4-butanediol and a bioactive glycosaminoglycan salt selected from the group consisting of a suitable salt of hyaluronic acid and a suitable salt of heparin,

wherein n=10 to 40.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the salt of hyaluronic acid is a member selected from the group consisting of a cetylpyridinium salt and a tetrabutylammonium salt, and wherein the salt of heparin is a dimethyldioctadecylammonium salt.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the salt of hyaluronic acid has 5 to 10,000 repeating units, and wherein the dimethyldioctadecylammonium salt of heparin has 5 to 65 repeating units.

22. The method of claim 21 , comprising the cetylpyridinium salt of hyaluronic acid having 5 to 10,000 repeating units.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein the weight content of the bioactive glycosaminoglycan salt is in the range of about 0.05% to about 30%.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the high and low range endpoints of the weight content of the bioactive glycosaminoglycan salt are any combination of members selected from the group consisting of 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.33%, 0.66%, 1.3%, 2.0%, 5.4%, 10%, 20% and 30%.