Abstract Details

Presented By: Hogrebe, Paul
Affiliated with: University of Utah, Biomedical Engineering
Authors: Paul Hogrebe, Kent Bachus PhD, David Grainger PhD
From: University of Utah
Title
The Development of a Porous Polyurethane Combination Device: Promoting Rapid Tissue Integration through Controlled Release and Directed Healing
Abstract

An exciting new avenue in medical device design, potentiated by the advent and rapid advancement of relevant biotechnology, is the incorporation of bioactive agents into medical implants. Such constructs are known as combination devices. We have developed a method to fabricate highly tunable, porous biomedical polyurethane implants to be used as combination devices, capable of the controlled release of protein and cell-based therapeutics. Implant designs were visualized using CAD and physically realized through rapid prototype printing. Carbosil® medical grade polyurethane was solvent cast with a salt porogen into resultant ceramic molds. The interconnected, open porous structure of the implants, suitable for tissue attachment, was impregnated with collagen to facilitate cellular infiltration. Collagen was chemically modified with heparin to create a controlled release modulator suitable for many relevant growth factors. This work provides the foundation for a combination device that promotes accelerated healing through the mediated release of powerful healing cues and the facilitated infiltration of wound healing cell types through permeation of collagen throughout the porous structure. Construct properties such as pore size and polymer degradation rate can be controlled to accommodate tissue specific applications.