Introduction - Multifaceted Aspects of Research on Biomedical Polymers

1 Introduction - Multifaceted Aspects of Research on Biomedical Polymers 

Multifaceted aspects of research on biomedical polymers are shown in Table 1. End-use devices are manufactured starting from their original concept. To approach the target, materials design is carried out so that the materials can exhibit the desirable property when they are brought into contact with any particular biological element. Fundamental studies are carried out in order to elucidate structure-property relationships in the interaction of materials with biological elements. 

In Fig. 1, the author schematically shows how device manufacturing and fundamentals are positioned relative to concept, property and materials design. Some researchers may be interested mostly in device manufacturing for end-use, while others are more concerned with fundamentals. It is evident, however, these five elements play a complementary role with respect to one another. 

Biocompatibility (See Table 1), which is a phenomenological concept, is the essential property of biomaterials. For instance, the inner surface of an implanted vascular graft or blood pump (artificial heart) must be blood-compatible, while its outer surface must be tissue-compatible. In other words, the material surfaces must not exert any adverse elfects upon blood or tissue, or upon other biological elements at the interfaces. 

Physical or physico-chemical capability (Table 1), including mechanical strength, permeation, or sieving characteristics, is another important requirement of biomaterials. Cuprammonium rayon, for instance, maintains its dominant position as the most popular material for hemodialysis (artificial kidney). Thanks to its good mechanical strength, cuprarayon can be fabricated into much thinner membranes than synthetic polymer membranes as a consequence, much better clearance of low-molecular-weight solutes is achieved. 

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