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A Processable Shape Memory Polymer System for Biomedical Applications

Journal Article · · Advanced Healthcare Materials
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  1. Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States)
  2. California Polytechnic State Univ. (CalPoly), San Luis Obispo, CA (United States)
  3. Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

Polyurethane shape memory polymers (SMPs) with tunable thermomechanical properties and advanced processing capabilities are synthesized, characterized, and implemented in the design of a microactuator medical device prototype. The ability to manipulate glass transition temperature (Tg) and crosslink density in low-molecular weight aliphatic thermoplastic polyurethane SMPs is demonstrated using a synthetic approach that employs UV catalyzed thiol-ene “click” reactions to achieve postpolymerization crosslinking. Polyurethanes containing varying C=C functionalization are synthesized, solution blended with polythiol crosslinking agents and photoinitiator and subjected to UV irradiation, and the effects of number of synthetic parameters on crosslink density are reported. Thermomechanical properties are highly tunable, including glass transitions tailorable between 30 and 105 °C and rubbery moduli tailorable between 0.4 and 20 MPa. This new SMP system exhibits high toughness for many formulations, especially in the case of low crosslink density materials, for which toughness exceeds 90 MJ m–3 at select straining temperatures. To demonstrate the advanced processing capability and synthetic versatility of this new SMP system, a laser-actuated SMP microgripper device for minimally invasive delivery of endovascular devices is fabricated, shown to exhibit an average gripping force of 1.43 ± 0.37 N and successfully deployed in an in vitro experimental setup under simulated physiological conditions.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); National Science Foundation (NSF); National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-07NA27344
OSTI ID:
1828129
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL--828368; 1043766
Journal Information:
Advanced Healthcare Materials, Journal Name: Advanced Healthcare Materials Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 4; ISSN 2192-2640
Publisher:
WileyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (22)

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Shape memory polymers based on uniform aliphatic urethane networks journal January 2007
Post-polymerization crosslinked polyurethane shape memory polymers journal February 2011
In vivo response to an implanted shape memory polyurethane foam in a porcine aneurysm model
  • Rodriguez, Jennifer N.; Clubb, Fred J.; Wilson, Thomas S.
  • Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A, Vol. 102, Issue 5, p. 1231-1242 https://doi.org/10.1002/jbm.a.34782
journal May 2013
Photothermal properties of shape memory polymer micro-actuators for treating stroke journal January 2002
Recent Trends in the Chemistry of Shape-Memory Polymers journal December 2012
Three-Dimensional Flexible Electronics Enabled by Shape Memory Polymer Substrates for Responsive Neural Interfaces journal November 2012
Evaluation of fracture toughness and mechanical properties of ternary thiol–ene–methacrylate systems as resin matrix for dental restorative composites journal July 2013
Novel waterborne UV-crosslinkable thiol–ene polyurethane dispersions: Synthesis and film formation journal September 2005
Effect of chemical structure and crosslinking density on the thermo-mechanical properties and toughness of (meth)acrylate shape memory polymer networks journal September 2008
Newly UV-curable polyurethane coatings prepared by multifunctional thiol- and ene-terminated polyurethane aqueous dispersions mixtures: Preparation and characterization journal March 2009
Synthesis and thermomechanical behavior of (qua)ternary thiol-ene(/acrylate) copolymers journal November 2009
Photopolymerized thiol-ene systems as shape memory polymers journal September 2010
UV curable glycidyl carbamate based resins journal January 2012
The effect of free radical inhibitor on the sensitized radiation crosslinking and thermal processing stabilization of polyurethane shape memory polymers journal February 2013
A Structural Approach to Establishing a Platform Chemistry for the Tunable, Bulk Electron Beam Cross-Linking of Shape Memory Polymer Systems journal November 2013
Comparison of Small Molecule and Polymeric Urethanes, Thiourethanes, and Dithiourethanes: Hydrogen Bonding and Thermal, Physical, and Mechanical Properties journal February 2009
Review of progress in shape-memory polymers journal January 2007
Thiol-click chemistry: a multifaceted toolbox for small molecule and polymer synthesis journal January 2010
Biomedical applications of thermally activated shape memory polymers journal January 2010
Porous Shape-Memory Polymers journal January 2013
Mechanical Requirements of Shape-Memory Polymers in Biomedical Devices journal January 2013

Cited By (14)

Poly(ethylene glycol)-sheddable reduction-sensitive polyurethane micelles for triggered intracellular drug delivery for osteosarcoma treatment journal March 2020
Electrical Properties of Thiol-ene-based Shape Memory Polymers Intended for Flexible Electronics journal May 2019
Degradable Poly(ether-ester-urethane)s Based on Well-Defined Aliphatic Diurethane Diisocyanate with Excellent Shape Recovery Properties at Body Temperature for Biomedical Application journal June 2019
Increased X-ray Visualization of Shape Memory Polymer Foams by Chemical Incorporation of Iodine Motifs journal August 2017
Stereolithographic 4D Bioprinting of Multiresponsive Architectures for Neural Engineering journal July 2018
In Situ Generated Medical Devices journal March 2019
Development of a Shape‐Memory Tube to Prevent Vascular Stenosis journal August 2019
3D printing of shape memory poly( d , l ‐lactide‐ co ‐trimethylene carbonate) by direct ink writing for shape‐changing structures journal June 2019
4D Printing of Shape Memory-Based Personalized Endoluminal Medical Devices journal December 2016
Influence of the soft segment nature on the thermomechanical behavior of shape memory polyurethanes journal March 2017
Hydrogel‐coated polyurethane/urea shape memory polymer foams journal May 2019
Experimental study of thermo-mechanical behavior of a thermosetting shape-memory polymer journal January 2018
3D printing of thermoreversible polyurethanes with targeted shape memory and precise in situ self-healing properties journal January 2019
Surface Structures, Particles, and Fibers of Shape-Memory Polymers at Micro-/Nanoscale journal January 2020

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