Copolymer Suppressing Protein Adsorption in Medical Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing polymer materials used in medical instruments and artificial organs suffer from protein adsorption issues, leading to low reproducibility of detection sensitivity and poor purification, and materials like PMEA have low glass transition temperatures and complex production processes.
Innovation Solution
A copolymer containing specific constitutional units derived from (meth)acrylic acid esters and macromonomers, with a weight-average molecular weight of 75,000 or more, is used to suppress protein adsorption and is suitable for producing articles that come in contact with proteins, including medical instruments and artificial organs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If PMEA is used as a coating material, then protein adsorption is suppressed, but the coating film lacks sufficient hardness and practicality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a copolymer comprising both PMEA units (for protein adsorption suppression) and PMMA units (for hardness). This composite polymer structure allows simultaneous achievement of biocompatibility and mechanical strength, resolving the contradiction between softness and hardness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adjusts the glass transition temperature parameter by incorporating PMMA units with higher Tg than PMEA. This parameter change enables the coating film to maintain sufficient hardness and practicality while preserving the protein adsorption suppression capability through the PMEA component.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If heat treatment and ultrapure water exposure method is used, then platelet adsorption is suppressed, but the producing process becomes complicated and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates platelet adsorption suppression functionality directly into the polymer structure during synthesis, rather than requiring post-synthesis heat treatment and water exposure steps. This preliminary action eliminates complex processing steps while achieving the desired biological performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The copolymer structure itself provides the platelet adsorption suppression capability through its chemical composition, eliminating the need for external heat treatment and water exposure processes. The material serves its own function without requiring additional complex processing steps.
3Reliability
If PMEA is used as a molding material, then biocompatibility is achieved, but the very low glass transition temperature makes it difficult to use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a copolymer combining PMEA (for biocompatibility) with PMMA (for high glass transition temperature). This composite structure maintains the low Tg characteristics needed for biocompatibility while incorporating higher Tg units to enable practical molding and processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the glass transition temperature parameter of the polymer system by incorporating PMMA units. This parameter adjustment enables the material to be suitable for molding processes while preserving the essential biocompatibility properties through the PMEA component.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a copolymer for suppressing protein adsorption, which contains a constitutional unit (a) represented by Formula 1 and a constitutional unit (b) represented by Formula 2, and which is used for producing an article that comes in contact with a protein. In the formula, R1 represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, R2 represents an OR33, a halogen atom, COR34, COOR35, CN, CONR36R37, or R38, where R33 to R37 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alicyclic group, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted non-aromatic heterocyclic group, a substituted or unsubstituted aralkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkaryl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted organosilyl group, and R38 represents a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group or a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl group.