Patent ID: 7943678
Filing Date: 2011-05-17
Classification: A61L,C08G

Abstract:
1. A method for making a porous scaffold from a polymer, the polymer comprising a polyurethane obtained by a process comprising: 1a) reacting either a macrodiol or a chain extender with an excess of diisocyanate, resulting in a macrodiisocyanate or a reaction product of the diisocyanate and the chain extender, 1b) removing the remaining unreacted diisocyanate, and 1c) reacting, the macrodiisocyanate with the chain extender or the macrodiol with the reaction product, wherein a) and c) are carried out in the substantial absence of a catalyst: the method for making a porous scaffold comprising: 2a) providing a homogeneous solution of the polymer in a solvent wherein the polymer-solvent combination is chosen in such a way that for the chosen combination liquid-liquid phase separation occurs, upon cooling down, at a temperature (T 2b) adding a particulate material that is insoluble in the solvent, 2c) cooling down the mixture obtained in b) at a rate that allows liquid-liquid phase separation to result in the desired micropore morphology for the porous scaffold, to a temperature below the crystallization temperature of either the polymer (T 2d) washing the mixture obtained in c) with a non-solvent, wherein the polymer is insoluble, but wherein the particulate material can be dissolved, at a temperature below the melting temperature of the polymer in solution (T