Polyurethane scaffold formation via a combination of salt leaching and thermally induced phase separation

Abstract

Porous scaffolds have been made from two polyurethanes based on thermally induced phase separation of polymer dissolved in a DMSO/water mixture in combination with salt leaching. It is possible to obtain very porous foams with a very high interconnectivity. A major advantage of this method is that variables like porosity, pore size, and interconnectivity can be independently adjusted with the absence of toxic materials in the production process. The obtained compression moduli were between 200 kPa and 1 MPa with a variation in porosity between 76 and 84%. Currently the biological and medical aspects are under evaluation.

Synthesis and structure-property relationships of biodegradable polyurethanes

“…Thus, porous scaffolds have been made from two PUs based on the TIPS of a polymer dissolved in a DMSO / water mixture in combination with salt leaching. In this way, it is possible to obtain very porous foams with very high interconnectivity [152]. Also, a PUU-based porous scaffold designed for bone tissue engineering is prepared by using a mixture of inorganic (sodium chloride) and polymeric PEO porogen and the compression moulding process under optimum conditions.…”

Biodegradable Polyurethanes and Poly(ester amide)s

“…pore size of about 150 -350 μ m, and that minimum interconnecting openings should be larger than 10 -12 μ m in order to facilitate the transport of nutrients and cellular waste products, as well cell diffusion in the scaffold [40] . In general, the design of degradable devices for reconstruction must meet several biological and mechanical criteria, such as (i) high initial strength to prevent mechanical failure of the implant prior to tissue in -growth; (ii) a moderate degradation rate to induce in -growth of organized tissue since rapid degradation may cause failure of host tissue, whereas stress yielding may occur if the degradation rate is too slow, and (iii) good blood compatibility.…”

Preparation of Three‐Dimensional Scaffolds from Degradable Poly(ether)esterurethane by Thermally‐Induced Phase Separation

“…[12,13] Removal of the solvent, e.g. by sublimation or washing processes, [14] renders the final scaffold. Scaffolds prepared by TIPS are normally open-porous and show pores in the range of 50-200 mm.…”