Polymers

Presented by:DR.Esraa
mamdouh
Polymers

• A wide variety of polymers are used in medicine

as biomaterials.
• The word polymer comes from the Greek words
“poly,” meaning “many”, and “meres,” meaning
“parts” or “repeating units”
• A Polymer consists of a large chain of repeating
molecules (monomers) that are attached in an end
to end fashion.
Polymers

• Polymer
• Macromolecular compound obtained from
natural origin.
• Chemical nature - polysaccharides, protein
and bacterial.
Title
Details
Polymers

Polymerization

• Condensation: A reaction occurs between two

molecules to form a larger molecule with the
elimination of a smaller molecule.
• Addition: A reaction occurs between two molecules
to form a larger molecule without the elimination of a
smaller molecule.
Polymers

Biomedical polymers can be classified into

either
• elastomers or plastics
Elastomers can withstand large deformations
and return to their original dimensions after releasing
the stretching force.

Plastics on the other hand are more rigid materials

and cannot return to its original shape after
deformation.
Polymers

Properties of polymers
1- Flexibility
2- Resistance to biochemical attack
3- Good biocompatibility
4- Light weight
5- Available in a wide variety of compositions with adequate
physical and mechanical properties.
6- Can be easily manufactured into products with the desired
shape.
7-Low coefficients of friction.
8-BIODEGRADABLE
Polymers

PVC Polymers are

PSty everywhere
Transportation
Food
Packaging Electronics
Polyisoprene Polyester

Nylon Clothing PVC

Medical
Supplies
PC
Construction
SAN

Manufactured
Goods
Polymers

1-Non-degradable, 2-Biodegradable
Polymers

General criteria of selection for medical

applications
• Mechanical properties and time of degradation must match application
needs, Ideal polymer:
1. Must be sufficiently strong until surrounding tissue has healed.
2. Does not invoke inflammatory or toxic response to be metabolized
in the body after fulfilling its purpose,
3. leaving no trace to be easily processable into the final product
form must demonstrates acceptable shelf life to be easily sterilized.
Polymers

Types of Polymers
• There are two main types of polymers

• Natural
• (collagen , fibrin …)

• Synthetic
• (plastics, PP,PA…)
Polymers

–Natural polymers, or polymers, derived from living creatures, are of

great interest in the biomaterials field.
Properties of natural polymers:
– Biodegradable.
– Non-toxic/ non-inflammatory.
– Mechanically similar to the tissue to be replaced.
– Highly porous.
–encouraging of cell attachments and growth.
– Easy and cheap to manufacture.
– Capable of attachment with other molecules ( to potentially increase
scaffold interaction with normal tissue).
Polymers

•Polymers may be natural or synthetic

–Natural polymers are derived from sources within the body:
– collagen, fibrin, hyaluronic acid (from carbohydrates),
– or outside: chitosan (from spider exoskeletons) or alginate (from
seaweed)
–Chitostan & alginate are used as wound dressings (bone repair)
biodegradable .
Title
Polymers

Collagen
• Collagen is the most widely found protein in
mammals (25% of our protein mass) and is the major
provider of strength to tissue( provides physical
support to tissues).
• The main applications of collagen are for burn/wound
cover dressings, osteogenic and bone filling materials.
• There are actually at least 15 different types of
collagen, differing in their structure, function, location.
Polymers

• Collagen can be resorbed into

the body, is non-toxic produces
only a minimal immune
response, and is excellent for
attachment and biological
interaction with cell.
• Applications Surgery, Drug
delivery, Prosthetic implants
and tissue-engineering of
multiple organs
Polymers

•Alginate
• Derived from brown seaweed.
• Can be processed easily in water.
• Non-toxic
• Biodegradable
• Controllable porosity
• Applications in Liver, nerve, heart, cartilage
& tissue- engineering
Polymers

Synthetic
1. PMMA (Polymethyle metha crylate) 6. PLA/PGA

2. PVC (Polyvinylchloride) 7. PTFE

3. PE (Polyethylene) 8. PET

4. UHMWPE 9. PUR

5. PP PA 10. Silicones
11. PS (Polystyrene)
Polymers

Synthetic
Advantages of Synthetic Polymers:
• Ease of manufacturability process ability reasonable cost.
•Biocompatibility.
• Sterilizability.
• Physical Property.
• Manufacturability.

•Applications: Medical disposable supplies, Prosthetic materials,

Dental materials, implants, dressings, polymeric drug delivery,
tissue engineering products.
Polymers

Polyethylene (PE)
Thermoplastics, exhibit moderate to high tensile strength with
moderate elongation.
Used for Hip replacement and Fracture Fixation
Metal alternatives have corrosive problems
It is chemically the simplest of all polymers .
Polymers

It is essentially:
1- Stable and suitable for long-time
implantation under many circumstances;
2- Relatively inexpensive;
3- Has good general mechanical properties.
Polymers

PMMA
• Is an amorphous plastic with a high surface gloss, high brilliance,
a clear transparency of 92 % .
• PMMA has good mechanical strength, acceptable chemical
resistance, and extremely good weather resistance.
• Because of the excellent optical properties, weather resistance,
light weight, impact (compared to inorganic glass), dimensional
stability, heat resistance, PMMA has many profound and
diverse uses that affect our lives every day.
Polymers

• Due to its excellent optical properties as well as

its biomedical inertness, is in the human eye as a
permanent implant for the intraocular lens
following cataract surgery.
• Cornea and eye-lens replacements.
Polymers

Polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE)
• High strength and Chemical
resistance
• Used for orthopedic and dental
devices
• Mechanical heart valve and implants
• The material is best known as Teflon
Polymers
Recycling symbols
*
O O *
O n
n * Me
* O O
poly(propylene)
Poly(ethylene terephthalate) or PETE

*
* n *
high density polyethylene *
n

*
* n polystyrene
Cl
polyvinyl chloride

Not recyclable

*
* n
low density polyethylene
Polymers

Applications
• Their applications range from facial prostheses to tracheal tubes,
from kidney and liver parts to heart components,
Polymers

Dentures
Polymers Drug delivery and targeting into sites of
inflammation or tumors.
Polymers

Hip and knee joints.

Polymers

Bags for the transport of blood plasma

Polymers

Finger joints.
Polymers

Biosensors
Nano engineering test
temporary tattoo that
extract and measure
the level of glucose in
the fluid between skin
cell.
Polymers

Plastic tubing for intra-venous infusion;

Polymers

Tissue engineering
Polymers

• Heart pacemaker.
• Blood vessels

• Catheter.
Polymers

Advantages of polymers :
❑ Easy to make complicated items
❑ Tailorable physical & mechanical properties
❑ Surface modification
❑ Biodegradable(tissue engineering, drug
delivery, gene delivery
Polymers

Disadvantage
❑ Absorb water & proteins etc.
❑ Surface contamination.
❑ Wear & breakdown.
❑ Biodegradation.
❑ Difficult to sterilize.
Polymers

• One major drawback to the polymers is their

tendency to soften and/or decompose at modest
temperatures.