Fundamental study on the development of a surgical device for polymer‐tissue adhesion using vibration damping of polymeric materials

Abstract

To develop a surgical handheld device that can be used to promote polymer-tissue or tissue-tissue adhesion, we designed a polymeric clamp material (PCM) that self-heats as a result of vibration. By using the PCM, heat can be applied to the target biomaterial and the tissue simultaneously. The optimal temperature is high enough to promote adhesion but low enough to retain the native tissue's integrity. Furthermore, the PCM should not adhere to the target polymer or the native tissue. We found that the temperatures of fluorinated polymers, such as poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) and perfluoroalkoxy (PFA), increased within 60 s to 150 C and maintained a stable temperature thereafter. The heat that was transferred to the saucer attached to the potential PCM was slightly above 100 C, a temperature that promotes adhesion but does not damage the native tissue. No deformation or melting was observed during the experiment, indicating that PTFE or PFA possess desirable PCM characteristics for use as a surgical heating device.

Adhesion between polymer surface modified by graft polymerization and tissue during surgery using an ultrasonically activated scalpel device

“…This technique, which was originally developed to stop bleeding by coagulating the proteins in the tissue, is very effective for the adhesion of materials such as polymers and metals to tissue because the heat and pressure applied to the materials and the tissue enables bonding by a mechanism similar to that of protein coagulation as mentioned above . We found that this principle could be used to develop a new device for achieving adhesion between materials and tissue . However, not all materials can be bonded with tissue in this way.…”