Biodegradable Elastomer Vascular Graft Design
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current vascular grafts, especially small diameter ones, face challenges such as undesirable long-term patency, inner layer thickening, and vascular narrowing due to limited biocompatibility and mechanical properties, which hinder their effectiveness in replacing blood vessels with lower blood flow.
Innovation Solution
A biocompatible and biodegradable elastomer is developed, comprising a polyurethane main chain with a hard segment formed by diisocyanate and a chain extender, and a soft segment made from biodegradable oligomers like polycaprolactone diol and polylactic acid diol, which is used to create a vascular graft with specific mechanical properties and pore structures to promote endothelialization and reduce blood coagulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If allogenic transplantation grafts are used to provide abundant source material, then the availability of graft material is improved, but immune response and thrombus formation occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the graft material by using biodegradable polymers (PLA, PCL, PGA) instead of traditional non-biodegradable materials. This parameter change allows the material to be gradually degraded by the body, reducing long-term immune response and thrombus formation while providing sufficient quantity for transplantation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining multiple biodegradable polymers (PLA, PCL, PGA) in specific ratios to create a vascular graft with optimized properties. This composite approach maintains material availability while reducing harmful biological responses through the synergistic effects of different biodegradable components.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If non-biodegradable synthesized vascular grafts are used to avoid immune response, then biocompatibility is improved, but long-term integration and tissue regeneration are hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the discarding principle by designing a vascular graft that is intentionally meant to be temporary. The biodegradable material gradually degrades and is discarded by the body over time, allowing native tissue to regenerate and take over the function, thus solving the problem of long-term integration while maintaining initial biocompatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temporal parameter of material persistence by using biodegradable polymers with controlled degradation rates. This parameter change enables the material to provide structural support initially (avoiding immune response) and then gradually degrade to allow tissue regeneration, resolving the contradiction between biocompatibility and long-term integration.
3Adaptability or versatility
If small diameter vascular grafts are used to replace blood vessels with lower blood flow, then surgical applicability is improved, but undesirable long-term patency and vascular narrowing occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the mechanical parameters of the graft by using biodegradable polymers with specific molecular weights and crystallinity levels. This allows the small diameter graft to have appropriate flexibility and compliance initially for surgical application, while the gradual degradation prevents long-term vascular narrowing and maintains patency by allowing tissue remodeling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by creating a graft that changes its properties over time. The material transitions from a rigid structural support in the early phase (enabling small vessel surgery) to a gradually degrading state that allows vascular remodeling and prevents narrowing, thus improving long-term patency while maintaining surgical applicability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The biodegradable elastomer-based vascular graft exhibits improved biocompatibility, mechanical properties, and endothelial cell adhesion, with reduced inflammatory response and blood coagulation, enhancing the long-term patency and functionality of the graft.
Implementation Method 1
the soft segment is a biodegradable oligomer diol
Implementation Method 2
Biodegradable elastomer is the macromolecule that exhibits advantages such as elasticity and biodegradability
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a biocompatible and biodegradable elastomer, comprising a hard segment and a soft segment. The hard segment is formed by reacting diisocyanate and a chain extender; and the soft segment is comprising a biodegradable oligomer diol, wherein the biodegradable oligomer diol is selected from the group consisting of polycaprolactone diol, polyethylene butylene adipate diol (PEBA diol), poly-L-lactic acid diol (PLLA diol), polylactic acid diol and any combination thereof. The biocompatible and biodegradable elastomer of present invention can be used to produce vascular graft, cell carrier, drug carrier or gene carrier.