Non-toxic Polysiloxane Material Synthesis for Resorbable Fibers

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing biodegradable silicon polymer fibers used in medical and technical applications often exhibit cytotoxicity and require filtration steps that result in material loss and reduced spinnability, limiting their effectiveness and safety for use in human medicine and other fields.

Innovation Solution

A method involving a hydrolysis-condensation reaction of Si compounds in the presence of a water-soluble solvent, followed by evaporation and ripening, which eliminates the need for filtration and produces non-toxic, biologically resorbable and bioactive polysiloxane materials that can be processed into fibers, powders, or coatings without cytotoxicity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If filtration steps are used to remove solid phases and toxic liquid Si polymers, then material purity is improved, but spinnable sol mass is lost and device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematerial purityVSAvoidspinnable sol mass
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The harmful solid phase and toxic liquid Si polymers are selectively extracted and removed from the sol mass through filtration, while the beneficial spinnable sol is retained and recovered for further processing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The filtration process separates and discards the harmful solid phase and toxic components, while recovering and reusing the spinnable sol mass to minimize material loss

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

2Reliability

If filtration steps are used to remove solid phases, then material purity is improved, but device complexity and process steps increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematerial purityVSAvoidprocess steps
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The filtration step is integrated into the existing sol-gel processing workflow, combining purification with the overall material synthesis process to minimize additional device complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Stability of the object's composition

If gel-like phase of highly condensed Si compounds is formed during maturing, then material stability is improved, but spinnable sol mass is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematerial stabilityVSAvoidspinnable sol mass
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The maturing process is controlled to allow partial formation of the gel-like phase, achieving sufficient material stability while maintaining enough spinnable sol mass for fiber production

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

Maturing conditions (temperature, time, pH) are optimized to control the extent of condensation, balancing gel phase formation with retention of spinnable sol mass

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Duration of action of moving object

If direct degradation of fibers occurs after spinning, then material resorbability is improved, but cytotoxicity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematerial resorbabilityVSAvoidcytotoxicity
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of moving objectVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The sol-gel process and maturing steps are performed in advance to pre-form a stable, non-toxic gel structure before fiber spinning, ensuring that degradation occurs in a controlled manner that maintains biocompatibility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The chemical composition and structural parameters of the polysiloxane material are optimized during synthesis and maturing to control degradation rate and products, ensuring non-toxic resorbability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 produces polysiloxane materials that are non-toxic, biologically compatible, and bioactive, improving cytotoxicity test results and enabling their safe use in medical and technical applications, such as wound healing and filtration, without the need for filtration steps.

Implementation Method 1

a second HKR of the material obtained in step (a) with simultaneous removal of the solvent by evaporation in a closed apparatus in which the material is mixed and evaporated in vacuo

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectEvaporation: Evaporation

Implementation Method 2

a first hydrolysis-condensation reaction (HKR) of at most one radical X of one or more different Si compounds

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHydrolysis: Hydrolysis

Implementation Method 3

a first hydrolysis-condensation reaction (HKR) of at most one radical X of one or more different Si compounds

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCondensation: Condensation

Data Source

PatentEP2225180B1Nontoxic polysiloxane material for producing biologically resorbable and/or bioactive articles containing polysiloxane material
Publication Date: 2018.09.05 BAYER INTPROP GMBH

AI summary

The invention relates to a nontoxic polysiloxane material and matured polysiloxane material which has been formed using one or more different polysiloxane materials. Such a matured polysiloxane material can according to the invention be, for example, spun to produce biologically resorbable and/or bioactive fibres and then be processed further to form nonwovens.