Membrane composite materials for medical application - primary material and biological study
Ewa Stodolak*, Ewa Zaczyńska**, Marta Błażewicz***, Dorota Wołowska-Czapnik****, Rafał Leszczyński***** *AGH University Science and Technology, Department od Biomaterials, Faculty of Material Science and Ceramics, Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow **Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Weigla 12, 53-114 Wroclaw ***AGH University Science and Technology, Department od Biomaterials, Faculty of Material Science and Ceramics, Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow ****Technical University of Lodz, Institute of Man - Made Fibers, Faculty of Textile Engineering and Marketing, Żeromskiego 16, 90-534 Lodz *****Medical University of Silesia, Department Ophthalamology, Ceglana 35, 40-952 Katowice
Quarterly No. 4, 2006 pages 47-51
DOI:
keywords: composiete membrane, biomedical membrane, polimer materials
abstract Polymer implant materials have been widely applied in medicine within the past several years. Polymers defined as biostable find use as vascular implants, surgical threads and elements of various types of endoprostheses. They are also useful as laryngological, dental, cardiosurgical and neurological implants. Recently, composites made of polymers combined with such materials as bioactive ceramics, ceramic or carbon fibres, are being increasingly used in clinical practises. Fibrous polymer implants become an alternative to pure ceramic or metal implants in biomaterials engineering. The distribution of fibers in polymer matrix affects not only its mechanical parameters, but also the surface properties, such as wettability, roughness, etc. It seems necessary to examine the effects of fibers on polymer matrix before commencing works on design of composite materials for medical applications. It is also important to define whether composites based on polymer matrix would not be toxic for living cells. The experiments were carried out on polymer membranes made of polymer and soluble alginate fibres. The aim of the work was the analysis of cellular response to polimer matrix, functionalized with use of resorbable (soluble) fibres. Materials in form of membranes and fibre/polymer composites of different microstructures were put in contact with one type of cell under in vitro conditions (viability of cells presented in Tables 2-3). The surface morphology of composite materials was observed using scaning electron microscope Jeol, JSM-5400. Figure 2 AI-EI shows surface images of polymer sample (foil), and surface of composite materials before dissolved the alginate fibres. Figure 2 AII-EII presents the photomicrographs of membrane surfaces. Changes of masses and thickness of composites material during dissolved biopolimer fibres (32 h/80°C) are shown in Table 1. Polymer membranes produced by washing out of alginate fibres have surfaces showing pores of irregular as well as spheroidal shape. This study suggests, that the composite materials which is compounds with biostable matrix and alginate fibres (biopolymer) may be used like membrane in ophthalmology (cornea implants).