Bioactive Polymers

INTRODUCTION

Bioactive polymer made of synthetic or artificial polymers

substituted with specific chemical functional groups carried by the
macromolecular chain are designed to develop specific interactions with living
systems.
When a polymeric material is exposed to a biological environment,
there is a natural tendency to induce different reactions such as blood coagulation,
complement activation and cell interactions.
Polymer scientists have synthesized a large number of polymers and
have evaluate their behavior when they are in contact with biomolecules, viruses,
bacteria, body fluids, cells and whole organisms.
Bioactive polymers are used to repair, restore or replace damaged or
diseased tissue or to interface with the physiological environment.
They are basically three main types of polymers used in a biological
environment.
• Polymer used as bio materials, e.g. in organ replacement and bone surgery.

• Polymers serve as matrices in devices that permit control release of an

active substance over along period of time.
• Soluble polymers: synthetic polymers that themselves display biological
activities.

Uses of bioactive polymers:

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Bioactive polymers in medicines and surgery are currently widely

used and include intracorporeal, paracorporeal and extracorporeal (inside,
interfacing or outside the body, respectively) Applications are given below:
Intracorporeal Materials

Temporary devices:

• Surgical dressings

• Sutures

• Adhesives

• Polymeric intermedulary nails

• Polymer - fiber composite bone plates

Simple semipermanent devices:

• Tendons

• Reinforcing meshes

• Heart valves

• Joint reconstruction & bone cement

• Tubular devices

• Soft-tissue replacement materials for cosmetic reconstruction

• Drug delivery implants.

Complex devices simulating physiological processes:

• Artificial kidney/Blood dialysis

• Artificial lung/Blood oxygenator

• Artificial pancreas/Insulin delivery system

• Artificial heart
According to a soon-to-be-released updated report from Business
Communications Company, Inc. the U.S. biocompatible materials market is

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estimated at $8.2 billion in sales at the manufacturer's sales level in 2003.

Fueled by greater demand from the aging population and the relatively
short medical device product life cycles (as compared to other medical
products) this market is forecast to grow at a 7.7% AAGR (average annual
growth rate) through 2008 reaching nearly $1.9 billion.

The biocompatible materials market is a niche market comprised of

polymers, metals, advanced ceramics, natural materials, pyrolytic carbon,
composites and coatings. The industry requires superior grade materials in
relatively small volumes when compared to the volume of these materials
consumed in other industries.

PVC accounts for 80% of polymer consumption; other polymers commonly

consumed are silicone, polyurethane, polycarbonates, polyester and
polyethylene. Emerging polymer applications include biodegradable
polymers, bioactive polymers (polypeptides), hydrogels, molecular
imprinted polymers, conductive polymers and biopolymers. Many of these
are being applied to meshes, foams, sponges or hydrogels to stimulate
tissue growth.

MARKET DATA

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U.S. Market Size for Biocompatible Materials in Medical Devices,

through 2008 ($ Millions)
AAGR %
Materials 2003 2008
2003-2008
Polymer 7,200 10,500 7.8
Metals 162.5 212.8 5.5
Other materials * 834.5 1,178.4 7.1
Total 8,197.0 11,891.2 7.7
Medical Device market using
38,000.0 57,380.0 8.6
biocompatible materials

* Includes advanced ceramics, natural materials, pyrolytic carbon, natural materials,

companies and coatings. Source: BCC, Inc.

U.S. Market Size for Biocompatible Materials

in Medical Devices, through 2008
($ Millions)

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FEATURES OF BIOACTIVE POLYMERS

Some of important properties should be required for bioactive polymers are as
follows.
 Biocompatibility.
 Mechanical, Physical and Chemical Properties.
 Purity.
 Fabrication.
 Stability.
 Tolerability.
 Sterilizability.
 Foreign body reaction.

 Biocompatibility:
Acceptance of an artificial important by the surrounding tissue and by the
body as a whole.

 Physical, Chemical & Mechanical Properties:

These must be capable with the proposed and for eg.. in the design of heart
, the flexing characteristics of the polymer have often been overlooked.

 Polymer Purity :
Industrial reins are highly variable in nature from manufacture to
manufacturer. A variety of other materials incidental to the polymer process such
as residual initiators, initiator fragments, solvents, plasticizers, trapped free
radicals, inhibitors, lubricants, heat sand light stabilizers, fillers, parting agents,
anti oxidants, degradation products, curing agents, residual monomers and allow

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molecular weight oligomers may be present. There may be variations in the

molecular weight and in the mol. Wt. distribution, as well linkages and branching.
 Ease of fabrication:
The desired device should be capable of fabrication without damages in
properties, surface characteristics, crystallinity, surface oxidation, or
contamination by processing aids such as oils, solvents or like that.

 Stability:
Bioactive polymers should not be adversely affected by the normal
physiological environment. No biodegradation that could compromise function
over the short or long term should occur, and no process should release toxic to the
environment.

 Tolerability:
Bioactive polymers should not exhibit toxic or irritant qualities, or elicit
adverse physiological responses locally or systemically. Toxicity can also be
affected by the rate of release of the substance and the biological processing and
removal of the substance.

 Sterilizability:
The physical, chemical, mechanical and biochemical characteristics of the
device or material must not undergo any change during sterilization. This is often
not as easy as it may seem. Light, heat, radiation, or chemical treatment may be
used during this process.

 Foreign body reaction:

The polymer should cause only minimal, if any, foreign body interaction,
inflammation, encapsulation or cell change response in the surrounding tissue. It
also should not cause tissue or other reaction rmote from the site of implantation
and should be free of response.

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Materials used as bioactive polymers

The following materials using as bioactive polymers.
 PEUU’s [Poly(ether urhane urea )s]
 Silicons
 TFE polymers
 PVC
 Polyolefins
 Polycarbonate
 PMMA
 Polyesters
 Cellulose
 Polyvinyl alcohol
 Epoxy resins

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Comparison with Other Materials

PROPERTIES Glass Metal plastics
Flexibility Poor Poor Excellent
Clarity Excellent Poor Good
Design Versatility poor poor Excellent
Barrier Properties Excellent Excellent Good
Chemical Resistance
Excellent Poor Good

Saleability Poor Good Excellent

Performance weight/vol.
Poor Poor Excellent
Ratio
Cost/ Performance
Poor Poor Excellent
Ratio

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Application of bioactive polymer

 Application of bioactive polymers in artificial heart.

Numerous polymeric systems have been explored for use in cardiovascular

systems. For example the materials used in artificial heart studies include
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), silicone rubber (silatic), Polyurethane, Biomer and
polyolefin rubber. However among polyurethanes the most promising materials
appear to be some of the polyether urethane ureas.

Your heart is the engine inside your body that keeps everything running. Basically,
the heart is a muscular pump that maintains oxygen and blood circulation through
your lungs and body. In a day, your heart pumps about 2,000 gallons of blood.
Like any engine, if the heart is not well taken care of it can break down and pump
less efficiently, a condition called heart failure.

The AbioCor is the first artificial heart to be used in nearly two

decades.

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Until recently, the only option for many severe heart failure patients has been heart
transplants. However, there are only slightly more than 2,000 heart transplants
performed in the United States annually, meaning that tens of thousands of people
die waiting for a donor heart. On July 2, 2001, heart failure patients were given
new hope as surgeons at Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky, performed the
first artificial heart transplant in nearly two decades. The AbioCor Implantable
Replacement Heart is the first completely self-contained artificial heart and is
expected to at least double the life expectancy of heart patients.

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 Application of bioactive polymers in artificial Lung

An artificial implantable lung that uses tiny hollow fibers and the heart’s
own pumping power to oxygenate blood is showing promise in pre-clinical
studies, and may reach clinical trials in about a year for lung failure patients
awaiting a lung transplant.

The materials used in artificial lung studies include Polyvinyl Chloride

(PVC), silicone rubber (silatic), Polyurethane, Biomer and polyolefin rubber.
However among polyurethanes the most promising materials appear to be some of
the polyether urethane ureas.

A heart-lung bypass machine can be used for major operations but it could
not be used to keep a patient alive who has a long-term lung problem or while

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their lungs are recovering from some form of damage. Also, an artificial ventilator
will not be of any use if the patient's lungs are unable to take in the oxygen
required.

To try and solve this problem, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center,
in the United States, is developing an artificial lung that can sit inside a blood
vessel and oxygenate blood as it moves past a series of porous membrane tubes
attached to an external oxygen supply.

Called the Intravenous Membrane Oxygenator (IMO), it is intended to treat

patients with life-threatening lung problems. This could be due to some form of
trauma or it could be used with patients who have lung infections like pneumonia.
Their lungs cannot take in sufficient oxygen and the IMO is designed to add extra
oxygen to the blood before it gets to the patient's lungs. In this way the damaged
lungs are assisted until they are able to recover.

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 Application of bioactive polymers in artificial kidney

Artificial kidney is another example of an interesting development in the
field of biomaterials. Artificial kidney is often referred to as haemodialysis unit
which removes waste products from the blood with polymeric semipermeable
membrane. Which purifies the blood against artificial liquids in a process known
as hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. In peritoneal dialysis, silicone elastomer or
polyurethane elastomer is generally used as caterers to access the peritoneal cavity
A polyester cuff surrounds the segment of each catheter. In haemodialysis, the
dialyser is normally made of several thousand hollow polymer fibers mounted in a
polyurethane potting . The dialysis tubing is generally made of PVC. The
membranes used are generally based on cellulose or cellulose derivatives.

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Advantages & Disadvantages

The major advantages and few disadvantages of bioactive polymers are as
follows.

 Advantages
• The bioactive polymers must be capable of good response from body
surrounding body tissue.
• They will not cause of inflammation.
• They will not produce infection.
• They will not responsible for thrombogenesis.
• No adverse immunological response or neoplasm induction or promotion.
• The artificial heart and valve, kidney, lung saves the life of the patient by
improving the function of organ.

 Disadvantages
• Sometimes growth of bacteria takes place on the surface of implant.
• Implant will be cause of cancer due to foreign body reaction.
• Bioprosthetic valve fail due to calcification (Calcium from the blood
stream form deposits on the implant).
• Bioprosthetic valves are also susceptible to mechanical fatigue.
Artificial heart, kidney, lung is more expensive and also involves great
risk of life.

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Scope
Recent advance in material science and surgery now make it possible to
rebuild many parts of the human body.
Some polymers have mechanical properties that resemble those of natural
tissues, making them suitable as bioactive polymers.
Polymer engineering coupled genetic engineering to produced material that
interact and control biological system.
The synthetic polymer industry has expanded and polymeric materials with
a vast spectrum of properties are available.

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Conclusion
Thus ,from the discussion we concluded that
Polymers are most important and largest family of materials being used in medical
technology such as used in conventional medical technology and ,surgery and drug
delivery.
Polymers have been used in the augmentation and repair of the human body
with much success.
Bioactive polymers must be capable of being used in or on human body
without eliciting rejection response from surrounding body tissues.
They must passed stringent tests to assured that they will not cause of
inflammation, infaction, thrombogenesis, adverse immunological response of
neoplasm induction or promotion.

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Bibliography
(1) Nass And Mark, “Encyclopedia of polymer Sci. & Engg.”
Vol 2, Second Edition, Pg-No. 243-280
(2) Nass And Mark, “Encyclopedia of polymer Sci. & Engg.”
Vol 9, Second Edition, Pg-No. 459-461,488-491
(3) J.A.Brydson “Plastics materials.” Sixth Edition,
Mar-Apr 1999, Pg-No. 345-370

Web Sites
http://www.expasy.ch/spdbv/mainpage.htm.
http://www.msi.com.
http://www.povray.org.
http://www.chemistry.mcmaster.ca/faculty/brook/bio.html
http://www.uroplasty.com/
http://www.biomedical.com/

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CONTENTS

• Introduction

• Market Data

• Features of bioactive polymers

• Bioactive polymers

• Comparison with other material

• Application of bioactive polymers

• Advantage & Disadvantage

• Scope

• Conclusion

• Bibliography

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