Hemocompatibility of Degradable Polar Hydrophobic Ionic Polyurethane for Blood Contact Applications

Biomaterial hemocompatibility is an important concern in the development of synthetic blood-contacting surfaces, specifically to help mitigate thrombosis which can lead to blood vessel occlusion or device failure. A novel biomaterial, degradable polar hydrophobic ionic polyurethane (D-PHI), is studied for its effect on hemocompatibility. Furthermore, this thesis explores a new subject; changes in hemocompatibility of biomaterials over the course of degradation, using both D-PHI and poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) as important classes of materials that are finding their way into numerous applications. The key results from this work are that D-PHI elicits a low level of clotting that is likely initiated by complement activation; however, it is anticipated that this activation favours controlled wound-healing. Furthermore, degradation appears to significantly affect hemocompatibility for PLGA suggesting the need for further studies. Finally, this work highlights the importance of including white blood cells (WBCs) in any platelet-biomaterial testing.M.A.S