There is much interest in polymers as biomaterials for medical applications. The aim is to develop polymers with tailor made mechanical properties that exhibit good durability and biodegradation properties and can be easily sterilized without alteration in properties. These materials can be implanted in the body to provide a special prosthetic function. They can also be used in surgical, diagnostics and therapeutic applications. Keywords: Biopolymer Materials, Surgery Devices, Diagnostics, Therapeutic Applications, Tissue Engineering, Neurosurgery, Ophthalmology, Guided Tissue Regeneration, Membranes for Dental Applications, Denture Lining Materials, Guided Bone Regeneration.

The use of polymers in medical devices is growing at a steady rate. These materials are generally relatively cheap and versatile, qualities required in many bulk applications. In more specialised medical devices, polymeric components have been developed to meet challenging property and performance requirements. This review describes the process of developing polymeric products for medical applications from design requirements through to specific examples of medical devices and packaging. An additional indexed section containing several hundred abstracts from the Rapra Polymer Library database gives useful references for further reading.

This chapter focuses on adhesives used in direct physiological contact in dental and medical procedures. Activity in both areas has been quite extensive outside the United States for decades. In contrast, adhesive use in medical devices, patches, and plasters has been ongoing in the United States for a long time. In the case of medical devices, adhesion is concerned with the joining of materials such as plastics, elastomers, textiles, metals, and ceramics, which are examined in other chapters of the present volume and are covered in various references [1–6], The coverage of this chapter is devoted to applications where to adhesives are in direct contact with tissues and other live organs.

The book provides an up-to-date overview of the diverse medical applications of advanced polymers. The book opens by presenting important background information on polymer chemistry and physicochemical characterization of polymers. This serves as essential scientific support for the subsequent chapters, each of which is devoted to the applications of polymers in a particular medical specialty. The coverage is broad, encompassing orthopedics, ophthalmology, tissue engineering, surgery, dentistry, oncology, drug delivery, nephrology, wound dressing and healing, and cardiology. The development of polymers that enhance the biocompatibility of blood-contacting medical devices and the incorporation of polymers within biosensors are also addressed. This book is an excellent guide to the recent advances in polymeric biomaterials and bridges the gap between the research literature and standard textbooks on the applications of polymers in medicine.

The past decade has witnessed a vigorous growth in activities toward the development of a variety of biomedical devices ranging from the simple A-V shunt to the complex artificial heart. Re search and development teams have been created comprising engi neers, material scientists and clinicians and, perhaps for the first time, such groups are collaboratively bringing their respec tive talents to bear on problems associated with defects in the human organism. These collaborations have resulted in a prolifera tion of new information and a rapid and continuing redefinition of the frontiers of progress. It was to keep pace with these changes, and provide an updated view of the state of the art that this meeting was conceived. The present volume marks the publication of the proceedings of the Johnson & Johnson Symposium held in Morristown, New Jersey, on July 11 and 12, 1974. It surveys the applications of polymers to medical and surgical problems and contains discus sions on the biocompatibility of polymers, polymers as biomate rials, and the use of polymers in prosthetic devices and drug re lease systems. In addition, the Symposium offers recent perspec tives on the critical problems of the material-tissue interface, the design criteria for silicone-based systems, and the varied use of polymers in artificial hearts, kidneys, eyes and lungs.

Smart Polymers and Their Applications, Second Edition presents an up-to-date resource of information on the synthesis and properties of different types of smart polymers, including temperature, pH, electro, magnetic and photo-responsive polymers, amongst others. It is an ideal introduction to this field, as well as a review of the latest research in this area. Shape memory polymers, smart polymer hydrogels, and self-healing polymer systems are also explored. In addition, a very strong focus on applications of smart polymers is included for tissue engineering, smart polymer nanocarriers for drug delivery, and the use of smart polymers in medical devices. Additionally, the book covers the use of smart polymers for textile applications, packaging, energy storage, optical data storage, environmental protection, and more. This book is an ideal, technical resource for chemists, chemical engineers, materials scientists, mechanical engineers and other professionals in a range of industries. - Includes a significant number of new chapters on smart polymer materials development, as well as new applications development in energy storage, sensors and devices, and environmental protection - Provides a multidisciplinary approach to the development of responsive polymers, approaching the subject by the different types of polymer (e.g. temperature-responsive) and its range of applications

The design and development of tissue-engineered products has benefited from many years of clinical utilization of a wide range of biodegradable polymers. Newly developed biodegradable polymers and modifications of previously developed biodegradable polymers have enhanced the tools available for creating clinically important tissue-engineering applications. Insights gained from studies of cell-matrix interactions, cell-cell signaling, and organization of cellular components, are placing increased demands on medical implants to interact with the patient’s tissue in a more biologically appropriate fashion. Whereas in the twentieth century biocompatibility was largely equated with eliciting no harmful response, the biomaterials of the twenty first century will have to elicit tissue responses that support healing or regeneration of the patient’s own tissue. This chapter surveys the universe of those biodegradable polymers that may be useful in the development of medical implants and tissue-engineered products. Here, we distinguish between biologically derived polymers and synthetic polymers. The materials are described in terms of their chemical composition, breakdown products, mechanism of breakdown, mechanical properties, and clinical limitations. Also discussed are product design considerations in processing of biomaterials into a final form (e.g., gel, membrane, matrix) that will effect the desired tissue response.

While the prevalence of plastics and elastomers in medical devices is now quite well known, there is less information available covering the use of medical devices and the applications of polymers beyond medical devices, such as in hydrogels, biopolymers and silicones beyond enhancement applications, and few books in which these are combined into a single reference. This book is a comprehensive reference source, bringing together a number of key medical polymer topics in one place for a broad audience of engineers and scientists, especially those currently developing new medical devices or seeking more information about current and future applications. In addition to a broad range of applications, the book also covers clinical outcomes and complications arising from the use of the polymers in the body, giving engineers a vital insight into the real world implications of the devices they're creating. Regulatory issues are also covered in detail. The book also presents the latest developments on the use of polymers in medicine and development of nano-scale devices. - Gathers discussions of a large number of applications of polymers in medicine in one place - Provides an insight into both the legal and clinical implications of device design - Relevant to industry, academic and medical professionals - Presents the latest developments in the field, including medical devices on a nano-scale

Polymers are used in everything from nylon stockings to commercial aircraft to artificial heart valves, and they have a key role in addressing international competitiveness and other national issues. Polymer Science and Engineering explores the universe of polymers, describing their properties and wide-ranging potential, and presents the state of the science, with a hard look at downward trends in research support. Leading experts offer findings, recommendations, and research directions. Lively vignettes provide snapshots of polymers in everyday applications. The volume includes an overview of the use of polymers in such fields as medicine and biotechnology, information and communication, housing and construction, energy and transportation, national defense, and environmental protection. The committee looks at the various classes of polymersâ€"plastics, fibers, composites, and other materials, as well as polymers used as membranes and coatingsâ€"and how their composition and specific methods of processing result in unparalleled usefulness. The reader can also learn the science behind the technology, including efforts to model polymer synthesis after nature's methods, and breakthroughs in characterizing polymer properties needed for twenty-first-century applications. This informative volume will be important to chemists, engineers, materials scientists, researchers, industrialists, and policymakers interested in the role of polymers, as well as to science and engineering educators and students.

Polymers and polymer-based composites possess a wide spectrum of properties, which allow them to be used in a diverse range of medical applications. This volume in the book series New Concepts in Polymer Science deals with the application features of polymeric implants, their interaction with surrounding living tissues, the demands imposed upon the objects implanted and polymeric materials used for their manufacture, and the main types of polymers applied and their properties.Chapters 1-8 are devoted to various polymer applications in medical and biological fields; chapters 9-10 consider individual polymeric materials used in this field.This monograph is designed for use as a textbook for specializations in chemical and technological courses in universities, as well as a methodical manual and directory for scientists and researchers in both academia and industry.