Stimuli-Responsive Polymer Nanofiber Composite for Surgical Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional stimuli-responsive polymers used in medical applications face challenges in achieving both application convenience and high mechanical characteristics, particularly in complex shapes and during endoscopic or laparoscopic surgeries, due to issues with adhesiveness, handling ability, and mechanical strength.
Innovation Solution
A stimuli-responsive material comprising a stimuli-responsive polymer and fibers with a specific diameter range dispersed in water, which changes mechanical properties in response to stimuli, such as temperature, to provide improved strength and handling characteristics, suitable for use as a medical coating or anti-adhesive material.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a stimuli-responsive polymer is used to provide application convenience (liquid state at room temperature, solid state at body temperature), then the material can be easily supplied and applied to complex shapes and surgical sites, but the mechanical strength and barrier characteristics are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines stimuli-responsive polymer with nanofibers to create a composite material that maintains the temperature-responsive properties of the polymer while gaining mechanical strength from the nanofiber network. The nanofibers form a scaffold that provides structural support, allowing the material to be supplied as a liquid at room temperature and solidify at body temperature with sufficient mechanical properties for surgical applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a material with spatially varying properties by incorporating nanofibers into the polymer matrix. The nanofibers are distributed throughout the material to provide localized mechanical reinforcement, while the polymer provides the temperature-responsive behavior. This allows different regions of the material to fulfill different functions - the polymer provides the phase transition behavior while the nanofibers provide structural integrity.
2Reliability
If a sheet type anti-adhesive material is used to prevent adhesion, then the barrier property is provided, but the material is difficult to use on organs with three-dimensional shape and has poor handling ability when wet
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes temperature as a control parameter to change the physical state of the material. At room temperature, the material remains liquid for easy handling and application to complex three-dimensional shapes. When applied to the body, the temperature increase to body temperature triggers solidification, providing the barrier property needed for anti-adhesion while maintaining excellent handling characteristics during application.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a dynamic material that can change its physical state from liquid to solid in response to temperature changes. This dynamic behavior allows the material to adapt to different operational requirements - liquid state for easy application and conformability to complex shapes, and solid state for providing effective barrier properties and maintaining structural integrity in the surgical environment.
3Reliability
If the stimuli-responsive polymer is solidified at body temperature to exhibit barrier property, then the anti-adhesive effect is achieved, but the mechanical characteristics remain too low to satisfy requirements for solid state applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite system where nanofibers are dispersed within the stimuli-responsive polymer matrix. The nanofibers form a three-dimensional network that provides mechanical reinforcement to the gel structure formed by the polymer at body temperature. This composite structure maintains the temperature-responsive barrier properties while providing sufficient mechanical strength for surgical applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the porous network formed by nanofibers to create a gel structure with improved mechanical properties. The nanofiber scaffold provides a three-dimensional framework that enhances the mechanical characteristics of the polymer gel while maintaining the temperature-responsive behavior. The porous structure allows the material to maintain its barrier properties while gaining mechanical strength from the nanofiber network.
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 material exhibits enhanced mechanical characteristics and application convenience, allowing for effective coating and anti-adhesion properties, particularly in complex shapes and surgical operations, with a significant improvement in storage elastic modulus and dispersibility.
Implementation Method 1
a homopolymer or copolymer of N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAM) disclosed in Patent document 3 or may be a poloxamer. Particularly, they are attracted to studying a poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM)-based polymer compound disclosed in Patent document 4. Such a compound changes the volume as swelling-shrinking to form a solid gel around 32°C close to body temperature
Implementation Method 2
A stimuli-responsive material according to claim 1 of the present invention is a stimuli-responsive material which contains a stimuli-responsive polymer, fibers having a number average diameter of 1 to 900nm and water wherein the fibers are contained as being dispersed
Data Source
AI summary
A stimuli-responsive material characterized by comprising a stimuli-responsive polymer, fibers and water, wherein the fibers have a number average diameter of 1 to 900 nm and are present in the stimuli-responsive material in a dispersed state; and a medical material and an anti-adhesive material, each of which comprises a stimuli-responsive material comprising a stimuli-responsive polymer, fibers and water, wherein the fibers have a number average diameter of 1 to 900 nm and are present in the stimuli-responsive material in a dispersed state. A stimuli-responsive material can be provided, which has improved convenience upon application and fulfills all of mechanical characteristics upon being coated and properties required for various use applications (e.g., biodegradability, biocompatibility, low toxicity).