Prof. P. Vadgama , Prof. D. Bader , Dr. J. Shelton , Dr. D. Lee , Dr. J. Darr Polymers have been used in biomedical applications, ranging from naturally occurring materials such as natural rubber and cellulose to synthetic elastomers, polyurethanes and hydro gels. Carefully selected polyurethanes are being used in greater amounts for medical devices. The medical community, in collaboration with polymer research groups is finding that polyurethanes with a wide range of properties can be made and that there are further means of modifying and fabricating various compositions to match the exact requirement. Polymers and co-polymers based on urethanes form the basis of the study because they can be readily tailored.
Typical polyurethanes consist of hard and soft alternating segments.
Aliphatic polyethers or polyesters are, at present, the most widely utilised as soft segments in polyurethanes. In designing polymers that can act as tissue engineering templates it is beneficial to consider methods of mimicking the natural support structures used by the human body to guide the behaviour and development of cells within tissues. Polyurethanes of both the ether and ester types will be synthesised to construct such scaffolds. Surface modification of polyurethanes will be carried out to obtain both hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties. An excellent example of an application for this material will be the development of a tissue-engineered tendon, whereby adhesion could be prevented during repair Biosensors are devices that detect, record, and transmit information regarding a physiological change or the presence of various chemical or biological materials in the local environment.