Handbook of Polymers in Medicine


Book Description

Handbook of Polymers in Medicine combines core concepts and advanced research on polymers, providing a better understanding of this class of materials in medicine. The book covers all aspects of medical polymers from characteristics and biocompatibility, to the diverse array of applications in medicine. Chapters cover an introduction to polymers in medicine and the challenges associated with biocompatibility in human tissue, polyurethane and supramolecular polymers and their specific applications in medicine, from tissue regeneration to orthopedic surgery and cancer therapeutics. This book offers an interdisciplinary approach that will appeal to researchers in a range of disciplines, including biomedical engineering, materials science, chemistry, pharmacology and translational medicine. The book will also make a useful reference for clinicians and those in medical fields who are interested in materials for medical applications, as well as R&D groups involved in medical device design. - Systematically covers individual polymer classes, from characteristics and biocompatibility to applications in biomedicine - Covers a broad range of applications in medicine, such as cardiac tissue engineering, targeted drug delivery, dentistry, and more - Provides an interdisciplinary review of polymers in medicine, allowing advanced students and experienced researchers in a range of biomedical and clinical fields to learn more about this fast-evolving area




Handbook of Polymer Applications in Medicine and Medical Devices


Book Description

This chapter focuses on adhesives used in direct physiological contact in dental and medical procedures. Activity in both areas has been quite extensive outside the United States for decades. In contrast, adhesive use in medical devices, patches, and plasters has been ongoing in the United States for a long time. In the case of medical devices, adhesion is concerned with the joining of materials such as plastics, elastomers, textiles, metals, and ceramics, which are examined in other chapters of the present volume and are covered in various references [1–6], The coverage of this chapter is devoted to applications where to adhesives are in direct contact with tissues and other live organs.




Handbook of Polymers


Book Description

Handbook of Polymers, Third Edition represents an update on available data, including new values for many commercially available products, verification of existing data, and removal of older data where it is no longer useful. Polymers selected for this edition include all primary polymeric materials used by the plastics and chemical industries and specialty polymers used in the electronics, pharmaceutical, medical and aerospace fields, with extensive information also provided on biopolymers. The book includes data on all polymeric materials used by the plastics industry and branches of the chemical industry, as well as specialty polymers in the electronics, pharmaceutical, medical and space fields. The entire scope of the data is divided into sections to make data comparison and search easy, including synthesis, physical, mechanical, and rheological properties, chemical resistance, toxicity, environmental impact, and more. - Provides key data on all primary polymeric materials used in a wide range of industries and applications - Presents easy-to-access data divided into sections, making comparisons and search simple and intuitive - Includes data on general properties, history, synthesis, structure, physical properties, mechanical properties, chemical resistance, flammability, weather stability, toxicity, and more




Handbook of Biodegradable Polymers


Book Description

Handbook of Biodegradable Polymers, the seventh volume in the Drug Delivery and Targeting book series, provides a source manual for synthetic procedures, properties and applications of bioerodible polymers. The authors describe widely available materials such as polyactides, collagen and gelatin, as well as polymers of emerging importance, such as the genetically-engineered and elastin-based polymers which are either proprietary or in early stages of development. Section I addresses synthetic absorbable polymers, and Section 2 profiles natural, semi-synthetic and biosynthetic polymers. Section 3 discusses the surface characterization of degradable polymers, the modeling of biodegradation and non-medical polymers. This book is ideal for researchers from academia and industry as well as chemists, pharmacists and physicians who deal with biopolymers, drug delivery and targeting, bioengineering and implantable devices.




Handbook of Biodegradable Polymers


Book Description

A comprehensive overview of biodegradable polymers, covering everything from synthesis, characterization, and degradation mechanisms while also introducing useful applications, such as drug delivery systems and biomaterial-based regenerative therapies. An introductory section deals with such fundamentals as basic chemical reactions during degradation, the complexity of biological environments and experimental methods for monitoring degradation processes. The result is a reliable reference source for those wanting to learn more about this important class of polymer materials, as well as scientists in the field seeking a deeper insight.




Natural-Based Polymers for Biomedical Applications


Book Description

Polymers from natural sources are particularly useful as biomaterials and in regenerative medicine, given their similarity to the extracellular matrix and other polymers in the human body. This important book reviews the wealth of research on both tried and promising new natural-based biomedical polymers, together with their applications as implantable biomaterials, controlled-release carriers or scaffolds for tissue engineering.The first part of the book reviews the sources, processing and properties of natural-based polymers for biomedical applications. Part two describes how the surfaces of polymer-based biomaterials can be modified to improve their functionality. The third part of the book discusses the use of natural-based polymers for biodegradable scaffolds and hydrogels in tissue engineering. Building on this foundation, Part four looks at the particular use of natural-gelling polymers for encapsulation, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The penultimate group of chapters reviews the use of natural-based polymers as delivery systems for drugs, hormones, enzymes and growth factors. The final part of the book summarises research on the key issue of biocompatibility.Natural-based polymers for biomedical applications is a standard reference for biomedical engineers, those studying and researching in this important area, and the medical community. - Examines the sources, processing and properties of natural based polymers for biomedical applications - Explains how the surfaces of polymer based biomaterials can be modified to improve their functionality - Discusses the use of natural based polymers for hydrogels in tissue engineering, and in particular natural gelling polymers for encapsulation and regenerative medicine




PEEK Biomaterials Handbook


Book Description

PEEK biomaterials are currently used in thousands of spinal fusion patients around the world every year. Durability, biocompatibility and excellent resistance to aggressive sterilization procedures make PEEK a polymer of choice, replacing metal in orthopedic implants, from spinal implants and hip replacements to finger joints and dental implants. This Handbook brings together experts in many different facets related to PEEK clinical performance as well as in the areas of materials science, tribology, and biology to provide a complete reference for specialists in the field of plastics, biomaterials, medical device design and surgical applications. Steven Kurtz, author of the well respected UHMWPE Biomaterials Handbook and Director of the Implant Research Center at Drexel University, has developed a one-stop reference covering the processing and blending of PEEK, its properties and biotribology, and the expanding range of medical implants using PEEK: spinal implants, hip and knee replacement, etc. Covering materials science, tribology and applications Provides a complete reference for specialists in the field of plastics, biomaterials, biomedical engineering and medical device design and surgical applications




Plastics in Medical Devices


Book Description

No book has been published that gives a detailed description of all the types of plastic materials used in medical devices, the unique requirements that the materials need to comply with and the ways standard plastics can be modified to meet such needs. This book will start with an introduction to medical devices, their classification and some of the regulations (both US and global) that affect their design, production and sale. A couple of chapters will focus on all the requirements that plastics need to meet for medical device applications. The subsequent chapters describe the various types of plastic materials, their properties profiles, the advantages and disadvantages for medical device applications, the techniques by which their properties can be enhanced, and real-world examples of their use. Comparative tables will allow readers to find the right classes of materials suitable for their applications or new product development needs.




Handbook of Polymer Applications in Medicine and Medical Devices


Book Description

While the prevalence of plastics and elastomers in medical devices is now quite well known, there is less information available covering the use of medical devices and the applications of polymers beyond medical devices, such as in hydrogels, biopolymers and silicones beyond enhancement applications, and few books in which these are combined into a single reference. This book is a comprehensive reference source, bringing together a number of key medical polymer topics in one place for a broad audience of engineers and scientists, especially those currently developing new medical devices or seeking more information about current and future applications. In addition to a broad range of applications, the book also covers clinical outcomes and complications arising from the use of the polymers in the body, giving engineers a vital insight into the real world implications of the devices they're creating. Regulatory issues are also covered in detail. The book also presents the latest developments on the use of polymers in medicine and development of nano-scale devices. - Gathers discussions of a large number of applications of polymers in medicine in one place - Provides an insight into both the legal and clinical implications of device design - Relevant to industry, academic and medical professionals - Presents the latest developments in the field, including medical devices on a nano-scale




Handbook of Polymer Applications in Medicine and Medical Devices


Book Description

The design and development of tissue-engineered products has benefited from many years of clinical utilization of a wide range of biodegradable polymers. Newly developed biodegradable polymers and modifications of previously developed biodegradable polymers have enhanced the tools available for creating clinically important tissue-engineering applications. Insights gained from studies of cell-matrix interactions, cell-cell signaling, and organization of cellular components, are placing increased demands on medical implants to interact with the patient’s tissue in a more biologically appropriate fashion. Whereas in the twentieth century biocompatibility was largely equated with eliciting no harmful response, the biomaterials of the twenty first century will have to elicit tissue responses that support healing or regeneration of the patient’s own tissue. This chapter surveys the universe of those biodegradable polymers that may be useful in the development of medical implants and tissue-engineered products. Here, we distinguish between biologically derived polymers and synthetic polymers. The materials are described in terms of their chemical composition, breakdown products, mechanism of breakdown, mechanical properties, and clinical limitations. Also discussed are product design considerations in processing of biomaterials into a final form (e.g., gel, membrane, matrix) that will effect the desired tissue response.