Elastomers in Medicine

Abstract

The last review in Rubber Chemistry and Technology of the role of elastomers in medicine was that of Silas Braley in 1971, “Elastomers for Implantation in the Human Body”. The present review focuses on the elastomer/biomedicine interface of the past dozen years, although the need for historical perspective requires inclusion of some earlier references. The technical literature during this period dealing with elastomeric biomaterials has broadened at what might be called an exponentially increasing rate. It becomes quickly apparent in reviewing the recent literature that elastomers have been making profound contributions to both the quality and the extension of human life. It is to some of these applications that this review will be confined. The dozens of less critical, albeit important, medical applications—population control devices, surgeon's gloves, medical tubing, finger cots, etc.—will have to be the subject of another review. Even with this attenuation of focus, only a small fraction of the most serious applications can be discussed. This review is addressed more to the rubber technologist than to the medical community; for this reason, it includes sections on testing, purification, and surface modification of elastomers, as well as the practical issue of the newly developing regulatory aspects of elastomeric medical devices. while this review was in preparation, the first total replacement of a human heart with a permanent artificial one constructed of rubber, metal, and plastic took place on December 2, 1982, at the University of Utah. Although the news media understandably focused attention on the few medical and engineering scientists immediately involved, the technical literature on development of the artificial heart (including left ventricular assist devices) tells the story of the labors of scores of biomedical scientists who made this event possible.

In vivo feasibility test using transparent carbon nanotube‐coated polydimethylsiloxane sheet at brain tissue and sciatic nerve

“…Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)‐based elastomers have been used in a wide range of biomedical applications because of their optical transparency, physiological inertness, blood compatibility, non‐toxicity, and gas permeability . Medical devices based on PDMS include blood pumps, cardiac pacemaker leads, mammary prostheses, artificial skin, contact lens, and catheter implants . PDMS tubes have frequently been used for nerve regeneration.…”

“…[21][22][23] Medical devices based on PDMS include blood pumps, cardiac pacemaker leads, mammary prostheses, artificial skin, contact lens, and catheter implants. 24,25 PDMS tubes have frequently been used for nerve regeneration. Lundborg et al 26 studied the range of growth-promoting effects from a distal nerve stump on a regenerating proximal stump using a cylindrical silicone chamber to encase transected rat sciatic nerves.…”

Selected topics in biomedical polyurethanes. A review

“…Pericardial patches from aromatic polyetherurethaneurea [170] and aliphatic polyesterurethanes [207] have been implanted in animals with promising results. Polyurethanes were also used in blood filters [208,209], blood oxygenators [210], ventricular assist devices [211,212], catheters [213], pacing leads insulation [96], intra-aortic balloons [214], artificial kidney [215], wound dressings [217][218][219][220], mammary implants [221], implants for craniofacial and maxillofacial reconstruction [222], oesophageal prostheses [223,224], and a number of other devices. A survey of biomedical applications of polyurethanes can be found in [86].…”

Surface modification of silicone rubber with poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogel coatings

“…), surface hydrophilization is desirable for combining the stability of hydrophobic silicone rubber with the advantages of hydrophilic materials and for providing good wetting by physiological liquids. 1,20 A suitable surface modification could extend the biomedical applications of silicone rubber. 23,24,29 Poly-(ethylene glycol)s (PEGs) are often used for polymer surface modification to improve biocontact properties.…”

“…For many years, silicone rubber has been investigated as a biomaterial for the production of medical devices, such as artificial heart and prosthetic heart valves, 1 breast implants, 2 ophthalmologic devices (including ocular lenses, 3,4 scleral buckling implants for retinal detachment surgery, 5 and drainage implants for glaucoma 6 ), artificial noses, ears, and chins in maxillofacial reconstruction, 7 artificial skin, 8 -10 rubber esophagi, 11 biosensors, 12,13 temporomandibular joints, 14 catheters, 15,16 and kidneys. 17 The stability, toxicity, hydrophobicity, tissue response, and oxygen permeability of this material have been reported in many articles.…”