Heparin-Loaded Bioabsorbable Polymer Porous Substrate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for producing porous substrates containing bioabsorbable polymers and heparin are complicated and often use toxic solvents or surfactants, which hinder tissue regeneration and thrombus formation prevention in artificial blood vessels.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a heparin-bioabsorbable polymer solution prepared with a poor solvent, a good solvent, and a common solvent, followed by cooling and freeze-drying, to create a porous substrate without surfactants, allowing for adjustment of pore size and bulk density, and incorporation of heparin for thrombus prevention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a surfactant is used to incorporate heparin into a porous substrate containing a bioabsorbable polymer, then heparin can be effectively incorporated, but the substrate becomes toxic and hinders tissue regeneration
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the surfactant from the production process while finding an alternative method to incorporate heparin into the porous substrate. The phase separation method allows heparin incorporation without requiring surfactants, thereby eliminating the toxic effect on tissue regeneration while maintaining thrombus formation prevention
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a phase separation process as an intermediary mechanism to incorporate heparin into the porous substrate. Instead of using surfactants as mediators to solubilize heparin, the phase separation process creates a controlled environment where heparin can be incorporated through the interaction of good and poor solvents, achieving the same goal without toxic intermediaries
2Reliability
If conventional methods are used to produce a porous substrate containing heparin, then heparin incorporation is achieved, but the production process becomes complicated or heparin is denatured
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the parameters of the production process by using a phase separation approach based on good and poor solvents. This method controls the incorporation of heparin through solvent composition ratios and temperature control, simplifying the process while maintaining heparin activity and avoiding denaturation that occurs in conventional methods
Solution Approach 2:
The invention performs preliminary preparation of the solvent system before heparin incorporation. By pre-establishing the good and poor solvent system and their phase separation characteristics, the process creates optimal conditions for heparin incorporation in a controlled manner, avoiding the need for complex subsequent adjustments or denaturing conditions
3Strength
If non-absorbable polymers are used in artificial blood vessels, then mechanical strength is maintained, but the vessels remain as foreign matter requiring continuous anticoagulant administration
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by making different parts of the artificial blood vessel have different properties. The porous substrate uses bioabsorbable polymers that provide temporary mechanical support while allowing tissue ingrowth, and incorporates heparin specifically in the regions contact with blood to prevent thrombus formation. Over time, the bioabsorbable polymer degrades and is replaced by native tissue, eliminating the foreign body effect
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite materials by combining bioabsorbable polymers with heparin in a porous structure. This composite approach provides both the mechanical strength needed for blood vessel function and the thrombus prevention properties of heparin, while the porous structure facilitates tissue integration and eventual replacement by native tissue
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 method simplifies the production of porous substrates with controlled pore size and bulk density, reduces toxicity, and effectively prevents thrombus formation, enabling efficient tissue regeneration and blood vessel reconstruction.
Implementation Method 1
a precipitating step of cooling the heparin-bioabsorbable polymer solution to precipitate a porous body containing the bioabsorbable polymer and the heparin
Implementation Method 2
a freeze-drying step of freeze-drying the porous body containing the bioabsorbable polymer and the heparin to provide a porous substrate containing the heparin
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention aims to provide a method for producing a porous substrate containing a bioabsorbable polymer and heparin in a simple manner without use of a surfactant, a porous substrate containing a bioabsorbable polymer and heparin, and an artificial blood vessel. The present invention provides a method for producing a porous substrate containing a bioabsorbable polymer and heparin, including: a solution preparing step of preparing a heparin-bioabsorbable polymer solution having heparin uniformly dispersed therein and a bioabsorbable polymer dissolved therein, using the bioabsorbable polymer, the heparin, a solvent 1 that is a poor solvent having a lower solvency for the bioabsorbable polymer, a solvent 2 that is a good solvent having a higher solvency for the bioabsorbable polymer and is incompatible with the solvent 1, and a common solvent 3 compatible with the solvent 1 and the solvent 2; a precipitating step of cooling the heparin-bioabsorbable polymer solution to precipitate a porous body containing the bioabsorbable polymer and the heparin; and a freeze-drying step of freeze-drying the porous body containing the bioabsorbable polymer and the heparin to provide a porous substrate containing the heparin.