ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses a number of experimental and commercially available materials. Among non-polymeric materials, polished, low temperature isotropic carbons deposited in fluidized beds near 1500°C show excellent blood compatibility without the need of heparinization of the surfaces. All materials, especially polymers, degrade in the biological environment. Biomaterials that may be nontoxic and show other tolerable biological properties may in fact become harmful with the passage of time when exposed to the highly corrosive effects of tissue, body fluids, and blood. Ethylcellulose perfluoroesters were originally intended as membranes in blood oxygenators. Hydrogels, especially those based on polyacrylamide, show promising biological properties. Glow-discharge polymers are highly cross-linked networks and differ significantly from conventional polymers. Glow-discharge polymers of hexamethyldisiloxane and tetramethyldisiloxane are nontoxic and exhibit good biological properties. Synthetic copolymers of various amino-acids and amino-acid derivatives have been prepared for possible use in biomedical applications.
