CA2011268A1

CA2011268A1 - Methods of forming permeation-resistant, silicone elastomer-containing composite laminates and devices produced thereby

Info

Publication number: CA2011268A1
Application number: CA002011268A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Eldon E. Frisch
Original assignee: Dow Corning Wright Corp
Current assignee: Dow Silicones Corp
Priority date: 1989-03-13
Filing date: 1990-03-01
Publication date: 1990-09-13
Also published as: ES2067667T3; DE69014396D1; JPH02277634A; EP0396230B1; AU616598B2; EP0396230A2; AU5120590A; EP0396230A3; US4992312A

Abstract

METHODS OF FORMING PERMEATION-RESISTANT, SILICONE
ELASTOMER-CONTAINING COMPOSITE LAMINATES AND DEVICES
PRODUCED THEREBY

ABSTRACT

A method of making a permeation-resistant silicone elastomer-containing laminate useful for making fluid-containing implants such as mammary prostheses and gastric balloons. The method is accomplished by a) applying a layer of an unvulcanized heat-curable silicone elastomer composition to a cured silicone elastomer substrate, b) applying a layer of a solvent dispersion of a permeation-resistant elastomer and a solvent on the layer of unvulcanized silicone elastomer composition to form a three-layered laminate, and c) exposing the three-layered laminate to heat until the unvulcanized silicone elastomer composition is vulcanized. The unvulcanized silicone elastomer composition must be bondable to the cured silicone elastomer substrate, the permeation-resistant elastomer is selected from the group consisting of polyurethane, silicone-polyurethane copolymer and silicone-polycarbonate copolymer, and the permeation-resistant elastomer solvent must be compatible with both the permeation-resistant elastomer and the unvulcanized silicone elastomer composition.

Description

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METHODS OF FORMING PERMEATION-RESISTANT, SILICONE
ELASTOMER- CONTAINING COMPOSITE LAMINATES AND DEVICES
PRODUCED THEREBY

Even in view of the currently-available permeation-resistant materials, there remains a need in the medical field for an easy method of making improved permeation-resistant materials which are resistant to the pe~eation of silicone gels, saline~ air and various other fluids and are suitable for implantin~. It is an object of this invention to satisfy this need. It is also an ob~ect of ~his invention to provide a method of making composite materials of silicone elastomer and a barrier-coat elastomer that 1) exhibit minimal swelling or softening in the presence of fluids such as silicone gels or saline; 2) are stronger than the silicone elastomers used currently as barrier coats and are, thus, more resistant to rupture; and 3) can have a continuous outer layer of polydimethyl siloxane elastomer, so that only medically acceptable materials will come in contact with various tiss~es of the body. The method of this invention is a) suitable for making strong, permeation-resistant laminates of many shapes, including those that have curve~, b~ a way in which to firmly adhere thermoplastic polyurethane, silicone-polyurethane copolymer or silicone-polycarbonate copolymer elastomer to a cured silicone body even on the surface of hollow silicone elastomer 'oodies, c) a way to form clear and transparent laminates from thermoplastic polyurethane, silicone-polyurethane copolymer or silicone-polycarbonate copolymer elastomer and silicone elastomers, d) a method which can use materials which are readily available, have a history of use in medical applications and are relatively economical, and e) flexible in terms of controlling when curing takes place and the cure rate.

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~J ~ .~. .L .~ ~ r3 The method of the invention basically entails the steps of: a) applying a layer of an unvulcanized heat-curable silicone elastomer composition to a cured silicone elastomer substrate~ wherein the unvulcanized silicone elastomer composition is covalently-bondable to the cured silicone elastomer substrate, b) applying a layer of a solvent dispersion of a permeation-resistant elastomer and a first solvent on said layer of unvulcanized silicone elastomer composition to form a three-layered laminate, wherein the permeation-resistant elastomer is selected from the group consisting of polyurethane, silicone-polyurethane copolymer and silicone-polycarbonate copolymer elastomers, and wherein the first solvent is at least a partial solvent for the unvulcanized silicone elastomer composition, and c) exposing the three-layered laminate to heat until said un~ulcanized silicone elastomer composition is substantially vulcanized.
This invention provides a means of adherently coating any size or shape of cured silicone elastomer with a permeation-resistant elastomer selected from the group consisting of polyurethane, silicone-polyurethane copolymer and silicone-polycarbonate copolymer elastomers. One type of silicone elastomer which is suitable for the cured silicone ~`
body for this invention is, e.g., those heat-curable silicone elastomers which cure by reaction between a -SiH and -SiVi ("Vi" = vinyl) groups in the presence of a rare metal catalyst, such as a platinum catalyst. Another suitable type of silicone elastomer is the peroxide-cured silicone elastomer which cures through any of a variety of free-radical reactions. Many types of methyl-containing silicone elastomers may be used for the cured substrate, if a peroxide-curing sys~em is used for the applied unvulcanized silicone elastomer composition discussed below. Rare metal . : . . :-, , , . ~
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catalyzed, hea~-curing silicone elastomers are most preferred due to their physical properties, e.g. tear strength, and ~o their flexibility in controlling when curing takes place and the cure rate.
The silicone elastomer substrate may be fully or partially cured. If partially-cured, it must be cured enough to allow the silicone body to be fully formed, patched (if needed), manipulated and to independently maintain its shape when used in the method of this invention. For example, when a mammary prasthesis is being formed by this invention by spreading the silicone and permeation-resistant elastomer on the inside of an envelope by rotating the envelope (called "rotocoating"), the cured silicone body should be cured enough to maintain its shape without permanent distortion when removed from the fabrication equipment and processes and mounted on rotocoating equipment. Best results are obtained when the silicone elastomer is cured just enough to stabilize and maintain its shape and not completely cured. The remaining uncured reactive sites will allow better bonding to the reactive sites of the subsequently-applied silicone elastomer layer. With systems that use non-selective peroxide catalysts, those that can crosslink polydimethyl-siloxanes containing no silicon-vinyl ligands, the degree of cure in the silicone body is of little importance providing the unvulcanized silicone dispersion added contains sufficient quantities o~ the peroxide to promote vulcanization within the interpenetrating layer and its bonding to the cured silicone body.
For a mammary prosthesis prepared by this invention, a silicone wall thickness of at least 0.005" is pre~erred. This thickness includes both the initially-cured shell wall thickness and the subsequently-coated layer of heat-curable silicone.
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The unvulcanized silicone elastomer applied to thesilicone elastomer substrate must be bondable to the silicone elastomer substrate, thus providing for good adhesion of the silicone elastomer layer on the silicone elastomer substrate.
Preferably, the unvulcanized silicone elastomer is covalently-bondable to the silicone elastomer substrate.
Suitable types of silicone compositions for the unvulcanized silicone elastomer are the aforementioned heat-curable types of silicone elastomers, the rare metal- or peroxide-catalyzed silicone elastomers. To enable the unvulcanized silicone elastomer layer to bond to the silicone substrate, certain combinations of unvulcanized elas~omer and vulcanized elastomer are possible. For example, a platinum-curing unvulcanized silicone elastomer composition will bond to a partly-cured platinum-cured silicone elastomer and a peroxide-curing unvulcanized silicone elastomer composition may bond to either a peroxide-cured silicone elastomer or a rare metal catalyzed elastomer depending upon the composition of the elastomer and the nature of the peroxide. In addition, a rare metal-curing unvulcanized silicone elastomer composition can bond to a peroxide-cured silicone elastomer, so long as the unvulcanized silicone elastomer composition contains some of the effective peroxide also. Similarly, a rare metal-curing unvulcanized silicone elastomer composition can bond to a peroxide-cured silicone ela5tomer, so long as the peroxide-cured silicone elas~omer contains some unreacted vinyl or -SiH groups or both. Ano~her approach to having a platinum-curing unvulcanized silicone elastomer composition bond to a peroxide-cured silicone elastomer is to coat the fully cured silicone elastomer with a non-selective, hot air effective peroxide, such as 2,4 dichlorobenzoyl peroxide.
This peroxide would then be available at the interface of the - ~ .
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bonding the two silicones by crosslin~ing.
The unvulcanized silicone compositions may be applied solventless or as a solvent dispersion. Typically, it is preferred to use a high-consistency composition suitable only for application from a solvent dispersion.
Solvent dispersions of high molecular weight polymers have lower viscosities for easier application. The types of solvents useful for the silicone elastomer dispersion are those solvents typically suitable for silicones~ e.g.
aliphatic, aromatic and chlorinated hydrocarbons and hexamethyldisiloxane. The preferred solvents are the chlorinated solvents, such as 1,1,1 trichloroethane. The solvent for the unvulcanizPd silicone elastomer does not have to be a solvent for the permeation-resistant elastomer to be applied. The desired concentration of the silicone elastomer dispersion will depend on the specific method used.
Preferably, the viscosities and concentrations are such that the dispersion flows freely, allowing it to coat the substrate, but not continue to flow substantially after some evaporation of the solvent. For examples only, and not meant to be limiting, concentrations ranging from about 10 - lS
weight percent solids, which corresponds to viscosities of about 500 - 3000 cps. at 2SC. (as measured with a B~OOKFIELD
viscometer using a #1 spindle at 10 RPM's), have suitable spreading capabilities and drying times.
A multi-molecular layer of the unvulcani~ed silicone elastomer layer is required for the invention. It has been found that thicknesses of about 0.006 inch of dried unvulcanized silicone elastomer are very suitable or this invention, although the thickness should not be limited to this amount. Typically, more than the minimum required -,:. , , ~ :
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amount of unvulcanized silicone elastomer composition is applied to assure complete coverage of the substrate.
The silicone elastomer dispersion may be applied, e.g., by brushing, spreading, swabbing, dipping, spraying, gravure, rolling or using any of many known equipment, e.g., kiss roll, air knife or doctor blade or any other way of causing the silicone elastomer dispersion to become spread on the vulcanized silicone elastomer.
If a solvent dispersion is used as the unvulcanized silicone elastomer layer, the solvent may be left unevaporsted or partially or fully evaporated from the uncured silicone elastomer before applying the permeation-resistant elastomer. It is usually desirable before applying the permeation-resistant elastomer/solvent mixture, however, to allow some evaporation so that the layer of uncured silicone elastomer composition is in such a state that it is generally non-flowing. At this state, the permeation-resistant elastomer is more easily applied and there is a better chance that the uncured ~ilicone will remain in contact with the cured silicone. In other words, the uncured silicone elastomer will be less likely to become significantly disturbed by the application of the permeation-resistant elastomer. The amount of solvent removal desired ?
will depend upon each situation, but in general, it is desired to have the uncured silicone elastomer dry enough so that it does not readily flow upon observing after tilting the coated substrate vertically. If the substrate is thin, the uncoated side of the substrate will also no longer feel cool, as it does when solvent is evaporating.
The evaporation of the solvent may be done in various ways. For example, the evaporation may be accelerated by increased temperature, increased air flow or by lowering pressure or the evaporation may merely be allowed , . . , ,~ , . .

to happen at room conditions. In the case of making bubble-type body, such as a mammary prosthesis, the coating of the uncured silicone elastomer may be applied to the inside of a cured silicone elastomer bubble and the solvent will evaporate gradually permeating throu~h the silicone bubble walls, due to its solubility in and permeability through the cured silicone material.
Once the unvulcanized silicone coating has been applied and has developed a suitable viscosity, a coating of permeation-resistant elastomer in solvent dispersion is applied on the silicone coating. The types of permeation-resistant elastomers suitable for use in this invention are those that are non-foaming, solvent-dispersible and elastomeric when set. "Solvent-dispersible" is in$ended to mean that the permeation-resistant elastomer is capable of distributing more or less evenly througho~t a medium even if not completely soluble. Solvent-dispersible can mean that from "capable of forming minute particles distinct and separate from one another and suspended in a liquid medium"
to that oi "being soluble in the liquid medium". Similarly, sn elastomer in "solvent dispersion" is intended to mean that the elastomer is distributed more or less evenly throu~hout a solvent. "When set" is intended to mean when the permeation-resistant elastomer develops its final elastomeric properties either because of evaporation o~ the solvent or because its final chemical reaction such as polymerization or cross-linking has occurred. It is pre~erred that the permeation-resistant elastomer be fully-reacted prior to application.
"Fully-reacted" is intended to mean that the permeation-resistant elastomer does not require further polymerization or reaction after application to obviate the potential ~or monomQrs or other small molecules being present which rould leach ~rom the laminate and cause problems biologicall~. The . - . - :
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presence of minor amounts of small molecules in the permeation-resistant elastomer, as is typically found as impurities in materials, may, however, be acceptable depending on the final use of the laminate.
Thermoplastic polyurethane, silicone-polycarbonate copolymer and silicone-urethane copolymer elastomers, those that soften under heat but are rigid at normal temperature (2SC.) and conditions of stress, are typical of suitable materials. Methods of making thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers can be found in Polyurethane Elastomers by C.
Hepburn (New York: Applied Science Publishers, 1982). There are two classes of thermoplastic polyurethanes (or thermo-plastic linear urethane block copolymers) usable in this invention. These classes are, namely, Class 1: those that are completely soluble in solvents and possess no chemical crosslinks before or after processing and Class 2: those that possess no crosslinks before processing but if given a heated post-cure will develop a ligh~ly crosslinked structure. After crosslinking the polyurethanes of Class 2, the polyurethanes of Class 2 are insoluble in solvents.
Therefore, Class 2 thermoplastic polyurethanes would not be usable in the invention method to adhere to the layer of unvulcanized silicone elastomer if it is alread~ post-cured.
Thermoplastic silicone polycarbonate copolymer elastomers are known in the art and are described in Block Copolymers~ Overview and Critical Survey by A. Noshay and J.
E. McGrath ~New York: Academic Press, 1977). Thermoplastic silicone polyurethane copolymer elastomers are also known in the art and are described, e.g., in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,631,329 and 4,793,555 to Gornowic~ et al. and Lee et al., respectively.
The preferred permeation-resistant elastomers are those that have a modulus of elasticity and potential for ~ ,3~3 elongation as close to the silicone elastomer as possible to improve the adherence of the materials during movement or stretching. Many available polyurethanes have moduli of elasticities greater than the silicone elastomers typically used for fluid-containing prostheses. Therefore, to achieve a better match in elasticity and to maintain the softness of the prostheses, relatively thin layers of polyurethane are usually desired. A specific example of a suitable poly-urethane is TECOFLEX~ EG-80A Thermoplastic Polyurethane Elastomer available from Thermedics, Inc., Woburn, MA
01888-1799. TECOFLEX~ EG-80A polyurethane is a linear, segmented urethane rubbery reaction product of hydrogenated methylene diisocyanate, a 20~0 MW polytetramethylene ether glycol and 1,4 butane diol.
Polyurethanes are usually the preferred material over silicone-polyurethane or silicone-polycarbonate copolymers due to its availability and higher resistance to permeation of gases or liquids (especially silicone fluids).
In addition, polyurethanes are stronger and have higher melting and softening points than silicone-polyurethane block copolymers.
Suitable permeation-resistant elastomer solvents or mixture of solvents are those that are generally mutual solvents for both the unvulcanized heat-curable silicone elastomers and the permeation-resistant elastomer used. The solvents will depend on the specific permeation-resistant elastomer employed. As examples, solvents which can be used alone with polyurethane are methylene chloride, tetrahydro-furan, dimethyl~ulfoxide and toluene. Examples of sol~ents which can be used in combination with these solvents are dimethylformamide, methyl ethyl ketone and acetone.
The amount of permeation-resistant elastomer applied will depend on the result desired. Generally, for .. .
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2 ~ rJ ~ 3 silicone gel-filled prostheses, with silicone elastomer envelopes, it is desired to have a minimum permeation-resistant elastomer thickness o~ about 0.001". The thicker the permeation-resistant elastomer, the stronger and the more permeation-resistant the laminate, but the result will also be a higher modulus laminate (less stretchy). Usually for gel-filled prostheses, it is desired to have a soft, flexible feel, so layers of the permeation-resistant elastomer so thick as to cause the prosthesis to feel too stiff would be avoided. The permeation-resistant elas~omer dispersion may be applied by the same methods as those described for applying the unvulcanized silicone elastomer coating above.
Preferably, however, the permeation-resistant e~astomer is applied by a method which involves continual and repetitive movement, such as rotation of random and variable axes (generally known as rotocoating), so that the permeation-resistant elastomer solution is uniformly and randomly applied and interpenetration with the unvulcanized silicone elastomer at the interface is assisted, resulting in better adherence.
The concentration of the permeation-resistant elastomer in solvent used will depend on the specific permeation-resistant elastomer used and other specifics o~
the method employed. Viscosities similar to those o~ the unvulcanized silicone elastomer solution are suitable.
Preferably, the solvent is allo~ed to evaporate rom the permeation-resistant elastomer layer before heat curing the laminate. It is preferable that the solvent be evaporated to the extent that the permeation-resistant elastomer coating be substantially non-flowing prior to oven cure to help insure that the coating will remain in the desired place for curing. It is also preferable, before heat-curing the laminate, to dry the permeation-resistant ,. . ~ . . .

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elastomer and silicone dispersion layers substantially to avoid bubbles and blistering caused by any fast evaporation of the solvent during heating o~ the laminate. The evaporation can be accelerated by heat, lowered pressure or increased air flow.
After the permeation-resistant elastomer has been applied and is in the desired place for the final product, the laminated body is subject to heat to cure ~he uncured silicone elastomer and to drive off any remaining solvent present. A practice which avoids bubbling and b~istering of quickly evaporating solvent in the elastomPrs is to place the laminate in a cool oven and then gradually increase the temperature of the oven. This allows slow evaporation of any solvent remaining in the coated elastomers. The temperature to which the body is sub3ected will depend upon the silicone elastomer composition used, but the temperature must be below the decomposition temperature of the permeation-resistant elastomer or any degradation temperature of the permeation-resistant elastomer or silicone elastomer. If peroxide is included in the permeation-resistant elastomer applied to provide a means for bonding o~ the permeation-resistant elastomer to the silicone elastomer layer, the cure temperature must be high enough to activate the bonding process.
The result a~ter curing will be a shaped body o~
silicone having a permeation-resistant elastomer coating firmly-adhered to the silico~e body. At this stage, another layer of permeation-resistan~ elastomer may be adhered to the permeation-resistant elastomer-coated surface either by solvent-welding or heat-welding another layer o permeation-resistant elastomer onto the existing permeation-resistant elastomer coat. To laminate another layer of permeation-resistant elastomer without heat, a solvent mixture o~

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As mentioned, the method of the invention results in a laminate wherein a permeation-resistant elastomer is firmly adhere~ to silicone elastomer. It is believed that the two elastomers adhere due to the intermingling or interpenetrating of the permeation-resistant elastomer with the unvulcani~ed silicone elastomer composition at the interface of the two layers and once the silicone elastomer layer is vulcanized, the permeation-resistant elastomer is locked into the silicone elastomer. However, generally, the permeation-resistant elastomer layer predominantly provides the properties for good resistance to fluid permeation. The permeation-resistant elastomer and the silicone mix to only a small degree at their interface, so the permeation-resistant elastomer is not diluted throughout with properties of the silicone elastomer. ~
This invention can be used to make laminates for -various applications. For example, the laminates may be used for implantable prostheses, such as mammary or testicular .. ~

implants, for externally worn mammary prostheses, for gastric balloons and for tissue expanders.
Now example methods of making mammary prostheses using this invention will be described. Both of these methods result in a prosthesis shell which has silicone elastomer on the outside and polyurethane on ~he inside surface. These me~hods take advantage of the fact that silicone elastomers are recognized as suitable implanting material and, therefore, have the silicone on the surface which is to come in contact with the patient's internal tissues. Alternatively, if the prosthesis is to be worn externally, next to the skin, having an appropriate silicone exterior assures minimal irritation.
One such method of making a mammary prosthesis consists of first preparing a silicone elastomer shell hy dipping a mammary-shaped mandrel in a silicone elastomer dispersion until a suitable thickness of dispersion is achieved, curing the coated dispersion, then removing the cured shell from the mandrel. Any hole that remains in the shell as a result of the mandrel's handle is patched with silicone elastomer. The patched, cured shell is then in~ected with a dispersion of heat-curable silicone elastomer and randomly rotated so that the dispersion can evenly coat the inside of the shell (called "rotocoating"). It is often useful to add air into the cured shell to keep it from collapsing and wrinkling during the coating process. The silicone dispersion solvent i8 then allowed to permeate and evaporate through the shell walls, until the coating is no longer visibly flowable. Next, a solvent solution or disper-sion of the polyurethane is in~ected in the silicone-coated shell. This dispersion, too, i9 allowed to spread evenly on the inside of the silicone-coated shell by rotating the shell in a bipolar axis mode (rotocoating). Once the polyurethane .

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is evenly coated, the polyurethane solvent is allowed to evaporate through ~he shell wall for several hours (e.g. 4-6 hours) to assure good evaporation of the solvent. The composite shell is then heat-cured in an oven.
Another suitable method of making a mammary prosthesis would be to first repeatedly dip a ma~nary-shaped mandrel in a silicone elastomer solvent dispersion, and9 after solvent evaporation, minimally cure the elastomer to form a silicone body, optionally remove the cured silicone body from the mandrel, dip the cured silicone body in a heat-curable silicone dispersion, allow the silicone dispersion to dry to a generally non-flowing state, then dip the silicone-coated silicone body in a polyurethane dispersion and then cure the composite. The cured laminate body is then inverted to place the polyurethane on the inside. The prosthesis shell will require patching at some point during the process, e.g. ~ust before or after curing.
The decision whether to use the rotocoating ~ethod or the dipping method will depend on the situation. For hollow, collapsible bodies which require patching, such as the shells used for mammary prostheses, it is preferred that the rotocoating method be used since the shell is more apt to maintain its shape and coverage oi the patch with the barrier coat is easier to achieve. Additionally, the dipping process has inherent the concern of washing off some of the unvulcanized silicone elastomer layer with the dips into the permeation-resistant elastomer solvent dispersion and does not provide for inte~ningling of the unvulcanized silicone composition and the polyurethane as well as does the rotocoating method.
The following examples are presented for purposes of illustrating the scope of the invention which is properly delineated in the claims.

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Example 1 A mammary prosthesis using the invention wa5 prepared using a rotocoating method as follows. A patched, cured silicone elastomer envelope having a volume of 200 cm3 was prepared by first dipping a mandrel in a 13 weight %
solvent dispersion of a heat-curable silicone elastomer composition in l,l,l-trichloroethane, wherein the composition consisted primarily of a dimethylvinylsiloxy endblocked predominantly polydimethylsiloxane containing occasional methylvinylsiloxy units, a copolymer of polydimethyl and polymethylhydrogen silo~ane, fumed silica and a platinum catalyst. The coated elastomer was then cured, the envelope removad from the mandrel and the resultant hole in the envelope was patched with silicone elastomer of a similar composition. The envelope was then attached to equipment which rotated it, bipolar axis. The envelope was inflated as needed with air to keep it wrinkle-free. Next, 10 cm3 of silicone elastomer dispersion (the same silicone elastomer dispersion as was ~sed to make the envelope) per 100 cm3 of the envelope's volume was inserted into the inflated envelope using a hypodermic needle and the rotation was activa~ed to coat the inside of the envelope uniformly with the dispersion. Air was added as needed to the envelope to keep the envelope smooth and wrinkle-free. When the l,l,l-trichloroethane solvent had evaporated such that the silicone coating was no longer flowin~ and the envelope was not cool to the touch, 10 cm3 of a 6 weight % solution of TECOFLEX~ EG-80A Thermoplastic Polyurethane Elastomer in methylene chloride per 100 cm3 of envelope volume was inserted into the envelope. The envelope was again rotated bipolarly to coat the inside surface with the polyurethane solution. When the methylene chloride solvent had evaporated so that the polyurethane was no longer flowin~ and the ,. ' -~ ~ ,, ` ~ .
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envelope was no longer cool to the touch, the coated envelope W8S placed in a room temperature oven and the oven was heated gradually to 200F. The temperature of 200F. was maintained for two hours to cure the silicone interpenetrating composite. The result was a mammary-shaped sili~one elastomer shell having an adhered polyurethane elastomer inner coating.
ExamPle 2 This example illustrates making a tes~ieular prosthesis not according to the invention.
A small amount of a 5 weight percent solution of TECOFLEX~ EG80A in tetrahydrofuran was injected using a small hypodermic needle into the center of a cured, patched silicone elastomer testicular envelope. The envelope was rotated until the solution uniformly coa~ed its interior.
The odor of tetrahydrofuran was clearly detectable through the envelope indicating permea~ion of the solvent through the silicone and its dissipation. The coating soon dried, but as it dried, it tended to separate from the silicone and eventually shriveled into a tiny ball.
Example 3 .

This example illustrates making a testicular prosthesis according to the invention.
Example 2 was repeated except a small quantity of fresh chlorothene dispersion of heat-vulcanizing silicone elastomer, the same material used to ori~inally fabricate the testicular envelope, was first in~ected and the envelope rotated to provide a uniform coating. When the chlorothene was essentially dissipated and, without vulcanization of the silicone layer, a small quantity of the polyurethane solution was injected and the envelope was again rotated to provide a uniform coating. After allowing the envelope to stand overnight, it was placed in an oven at 2S0F. APter removal `

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from the oven, separation between the polyurethane and the silicone generally did not occur and the laminated film was clear, transparent, highly glossy on the interior and firmly adherent.
Example 4 This example illustrates measurements of bleed resistance.
A 200 cm3-volume envelope was prepared by the procedure described in Example 1 and the envelope was then in~ected with a liquid silicone gel composition using a syringe. The silicone gel contained predominantly free polydimethylsiloxane fluid having a viscosity of about 1000 cst. at 25C. and a small portion of silicone elastomer composition. A small amount of silicone adhesive was applied to the needle punch hole. The gel-filled envelope was then placed in an oven for four hours at 225F. to cure the gel.
Similarly, a 260 cm3-volume gel-filled implant having only a silicone elastomer wall (i.e. no laminations) was also prepared using the same silicone elastomer for the envelope as that described for the envelope in Example 1.
The outer surface of both the silicone elastomer implant and the silicone elastomer/polyurethane implant were wsshed thoroughly with isopropyl alcohol. The implants were then placed in a hot air oven set at 100C. for 2 hours to remove any residual alcohol. The implants were then weighed to the nearest 1/100 gram. The implants were then each placed in a wide-mouth screw-top one-gallon glass jar along with 500 grams CELITE SUPERFLOSS~ diatomaceous earth, placed on a ~ar roll mill and rolled for 24 hours. The implants were then removed and their surfaces thoroughly cleaned with a cloth saturated with a 5 weight % solution of IVORY0 dishwashing liquid in distilled water to remove any adherent diatomaceous earth. The implants were then conditioned for 2 hours in a 100C. oven and then weighed. The rolling, cleaning, heat conditioning and weighing were repeated several times to measure weight losses over time. No sdditional diatomaceous earth was added after the initial 500 grams. Table 1 presents the cumulative weight loss vs. time for both the solely-silicone implant and the polyurethane-coated silicone implant. To obviate any difference due to size of the implant, calculations were made to determine the % weight loss relative to the original weight of the implants, where % weight loss = (~umulative weight loss X lO0)/(original weight). Table 2 gives the %
weight losses corresponding to the values in Table 1. The data clesrly demonstrates the effectiveness of the invention in preparing a permeation-resistant gel-filled implant.
Table 1 Silicone- Polyurethane-Walled Coated Silicone ImPlant Wallsd ImPlant Cumulative Cumulative Time Weight Wt. Loss Weight Wt. Loss (hrs~ (~ms) (~ms) (~ms) (~ms) 0 250.24 0.0 194.28 0.0 24 248.89 1.35 193.86 0.42 48 247.54 2.70 120245.6~ 4.63 193.32 0.96 144244.23 6.0~ - -192 - - 192.98 1.3 Table 2 Silicone- Polyurethane-Walled Coated Silicone Implant Walled ImPlant Time Weight Weight (hrs) Loss (%1 Loss (%) O O O
24 0.53 0.22 48 1.06 ~20 1.82 0.49 144 2.36 192 - 0.67 These and other variations of the present invention may be made which fall within the scope of the appended claims even though such variations were not specifically discussed above.

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Claims

Claims:

1. A method of making a permeation-resistant silicone elastomer-containing laminate comprising the steps of:
a) applying a layer of an unvulcanized heat-curable silicone elastomer composition to a cured silicone elastomer substrate, wherein said unvulcanized silicone elastomer composition is bondable to said cured silicone elastomer substrate, b) applying a layer of a solvent dispersion of a permeation-resistant elastomer and a first solvent on said layer of unvulcanized silicone elastomer composition to form a three-layered laminate, wherein said permeation-resistant elastomer is selected from the group consisting of poly-urethane, silicone-polyurethane copolymer and silicone-polycarbonate copolymer, and wherein said first solvent is at least a partial solvent for said unvulcanized silicone elastomer composition, and c) exposing said three-layered laminate to heat until said unvulcanized silicone elastomer composition is substantially vulcanized.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said unvulcanized silicone elastomer composition is dispersed in a second solvent.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 further comprising the step, after the applying step a) and before the applying step b), of evaporating said second solvent until said unvulcanized silicone elastomer composition layer is substantially non-flowing.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 further comprising, after said applying step b) and before said permeation-resistant elastomer layer is substantially non-flowing, the step of moving said substrate to assist the mixing of said permeation-resistant elastomer dispersion with said unvulcanized silicone elastomer composition at their interface.

5. A method of making a fluid-containing body comprising the steps of:
a) applying a layer of an unvulcanized heat-curable silicone elastomer composition to the inside surface of a hollow substrate of cured silicone elastomer, wherein said unvulcanized silicone elastomer composition is bondable to said cured silicone elastomer substrate, b) applying a layer of a solvent dispersion of a permeation-resistant elastomer and a first solvent on said layer of unvulcanized silicone elastomer composition to form a three-layered laminated substrate, wherein said permeation-resistant elastomer is selected from the group consisting of polyurethane, silicone-polyurethane copolymer and silicone-polycarbonate copolymer, and wherein said first solvent is at least a partial solvent for said unvulcanized silicone elastomer composition, and c) exposing said three-layered laminated substrate to heat until said unvulcanized silicone elastomer composition is substantially vulcanized, and d) filling said cured three-layered laminated substrate with fluid.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5 wherein said fluid is a silicone gel.

7. A laminate prepared by the method of claim 1.

8. A fluid-containing body prepared by the method of claim 5.