ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the design of synthetic anticoagulants, hybridization of synthetic reagents, bioactive reagents, or cells with synthetic polymers, after a short explanation of blood components and blood-material interaction. The behavior of platelets at surfaces is a complex phenomenon in which rheology controls the kinetic interactions, and several biochemical and cellular factors determine the outcome of the interactions. Biomembranes have many functions such as construction of cell walls, permeation of indispensable substances, rejection of toxins, and, most importantly, excellent biocompatibility. Hybridization with endothelial cells has been carried out by many researchers. The first seeding of endothelial cells onto a knitted Dacron tube with a 6-mm diameter was performed by Herring et al. Sulfonate groups were introduced to synthetic polymers to enhance the blood compatibility of materials. Multiphase polymers in biomaterial applications are important. The representative example is polyurethane. Therefore, there are many ongoing efforts to synthesize new hybridized polymeric materials.
