Development of Porous polyurethane Arterial-Venous Shunt by Thermal Control

온도 조절을 통한 다공성 폴리우레탄 동정맥 누관의 개발

A technique or the preparation of porous polyurethane vascular prostheses was investigated. Small-diameter vessels are not in general clinical use due to their limited long-term biocompatibility and low patency rates in experimental trial. These limits are mainly due to the failure of mechanical unction of the vascular grafts. This failure has been suggested to result partially from compliance mismatch. The long-term patency is considered to depend critically on the properties of the material and the fabrication process of the graft. So the control of pores is very important and main points to develop a available vascular grafts. Two-kind polymer sheets was compared. One was the porous PU-sheet made at room temperature by the solvent/non-solvent exchange. And the other was the porous PU-sheet which was fabricated by thermal phase transition and solvent-/non-solvent exchange using the thermal controller. The polymer sheets had a uniform pore size and pore occupation. According to the result of the above experiments, polyurethane solution was injected into a mold designed or U-type tube. The average pore size and pore occupation were easily changed by changing polyurethane concentration, freezing temperature, and methods. This technique can give a proper pore size ($10{\sim}45\;{\mu}m$) or tissue in growth, and suitable compliances or matching with arteries and veins. Besides, the fabrication of more complicated shaped vessels such as the U-type vascular grafts is easily controlled by using the fixed mold. this method might give a desired compliant graft or artificial implantation with the presently valid medical polymers.