Reversible thermoresponsive adhesives for implants

1. A method of reversibly attaching a material to a biological tissue, comprising:

providing a material having an area of a surface coated with a substance that becomes adherent at temperatures above 32° C.;

contacting said substance with said biological tissue, and

allowing the temperature of said substance to rise above 32° C.,

wherein said substance will attach said material with said biological tissue once the temperature rises above 32° C. and said material will detach from said biological tissue when the temperature is allowed to reach below 32° C.,

wherein an adhesive force between said substance and said tissue is greater than the weight of said material when attached to the biological tissue,

wherein the temperature is raised by applying liquid with a temperature greater than 32° C.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said substance is polymeric.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said substance is applied to said material using a plasma deposition process.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said substance is polymerized N-isopropyl acrylamide.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said substance is plasma polymerized N-isopropyl acrylamide (ppNIPAM).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said substance further comprises a component selected from the group consisting of alginate, cross linked alginate, hyaluraonic acid, collagen gel, fibrin glue, fibrin clot, agarose, chitin, chitosan, cellulose, polysaccharides, poly(oxy-alkylene), a copolymer of poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide), poly(vinyl alcohol), polyacrylate, plasma polymerized N-isopropyl acryl amide, polymerized N-isopropyl acrylamide, laiminin, solubilized basement membrane, and a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising one or more agents to secure said material selected from the group consisting of tissue tacks, fasteners, staples, additional adhesives, and sutures.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said material comprises poly(dimethyl siloxane), Polyimide, or parylene C (poly(monochloro-p-xylylene)), or a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said biological tissue is ocular tissue.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said biologic tissue is selected from the group consisting of cornea, sclera, conjunctiva and palpebral mucosa.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said biologic tissue is retina.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said material is a microelectronic retinal prosthesis.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprises one or more agents to secure said microelectronic retinal prosthesis, wherein said agents are selected from the group consisting of tissue tacks, fasteners, staples, additional adhesives, and sutures.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein said material is a biomimetic microelectronic device.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a means of repairing a ppNIPAM coated punctum plug for temporary occlusion of the nasolacrimal duct for dry eye.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a means of repairing an intraocular lens with ppNIPAM coated haptics inside the eye.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein said substance is polymerized N-isopropyl acrylamide, said material is parylene C (poly(monochloro-p-xylylene)), and said biological tissue is ocular tissue.

18. A method of reversibly attaching a material to a biological tissue, comprising:

providing a material that is coated with a substance that becomes adherent at temperatures above 32° C.;

contacting said substance with said material; and

allowing the temperature of said substance to rise above 32° C., wherein said material attaches to said biological tissue once the temperature rises above 32° C.,

wherein an adhesive force between said substance and said biological tissue is greater than the weight of said device when attached to the biological tissue,

wherein the temperature is raised by applying liquid with a temperature greater than 32° C.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein said substance is polymerized N-isopropyl acrylamide.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein said substance is N-isopropyl acrylamide, polymerized N-isopropyl acrylamide, or plasma polymerized N-isopropyl acryl amide, or a combination thereof.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein said material is biodegradable.

22. The method of claim 18 , wherein said material comprises fibrin.

23. The method of claim 18 , wherein when said material is attached to said biological tissue, bleeding is controlled.

24. The method of claim 18 , wherein said material is a glaucoma shunt.

25. The method of claim 18 , wherein when said material is attached to said biological tissue, a barrier is formed to by separating apposing tissue surfaces.

26. The method of claim 18 , wherein the material comprises stem cells.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein said biological tissue is ocular tissue.

28. The method of claim 18 , wherein said material comprises a local radiotherapy agent.

29. The method of claim 18 , wherein said material is an episcleral or other ocular or periocular implant to deliver a chemotherapeutic-antineoplastic agent for treatment of intraocular tumors or other drugs.

30. The method of claim 18 , wherein said substance is polymerized N-isopropyl acrylamide, said material is parylene C (poly(monochloro-p-xylylene)), and said biological tissue is ocular tissue.

31. A method of reversibly attaching a material to a biological tissue, comprising:

providing a material that is coated with a substance that becomes adherent at temperatures above 32° C.;

contacting said substance with said material; and

allowing the temperature of said substance to rise above 32° C., wherein said material attaches to said biological tissue once the temperature rises above 32° C., wherein an adhesive force between said substance and said biological tissue is greater than the weight of said device when attached to the biological tissue, and

collecting cell samples from an ocular surface with said material.