Biocompatibility general tissue-fluid

A device that is to be placed in contact with living tissue or biological fluids must be made of material that is biocompatible. However, biocompatible is not a precisely defined term or a measurable property. In general, biocompatibil-... 

A main requirement for a polymeric candidate is its biocompatibility with biological tissues and fluids. Biocompatibility will depend on the polymer intrinsic chemical nature and the additives present. It is a complex issue not dealt with here. It is not always possible to distinguish the medical-grade polymers from the conventional polymers. They may come from a batch intended for general purposes, but are selected on the basis of clean condition or trace element analysis or mechanical properties. Subsequent processing requires clean room conditions and care to avoid any contamination. There is still some inherent uncertainty about constituents unless there has been complete disclosure and/or only a pure polymer is used. With new developments in polymeric biomaterials, the situation should improve. 

Black, J. and G. W. Hastings. 1998. Handbook of Biomaterial Properties. London/New York Chapman and Hall. This is a compilation of data on natural tissues and fluids and how various implantable materials interact with than. The materials covered range from stainless steels, CoCr-based alloys, titanium, and titanium alloys, to thermoplastic polymers and oxide bioceramics. Biocompatibility is discussed with each material and in a chapter on general concepts of biocompatibUity. Available online on Knovel. 

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