Fabrication and application of post surgical anti-adhesion barrier using bio-compatible materials

생체 적합성 재료를 이용한 수술후 유착 방지막의 제작과 응용

  • Park S.H. (Mechanical Engineering Dept. KAIST) ;
  • Kim H.C. (Mechanical Engineering Dept. KAIST) ;
  • Yang D.Y. (Mechanical Engineering Dept. KAIST) ;
  • Kim T.K. (Biological Science Dept., KAIST) ;
  • Park T.K. (Biological Science Dept., KAIST)
  • Published : 2006.05.01

Abstract

Studies on some biodegradable polymers and other materials such as hydrogels have shown the promising potential for a variety of surgical applications. Postoperative adhesion caused by the natural consequence of surgical wound healing results in problems of the repeated surgery. Recently, scientists have developed absorbable anti-adhesion barriers that can protect a tissue from adhesion in case they are in use; however, they are dissolved when no longer needed. Although these approaches have been attempted to fulfill the criteria for adhesion prevention, none can perfectly prevent adhesions in all situations. Overall of this work, a new method to fabricate an anti-adhesion membrane using biodegradable polymer and hydrogel has been developed. The ideal barrier for preventing postoperative adhesion would have the following properties; it should be (i) resorbable (ii) non-reactive (iii) easy to apply (iv) capable of being fixed in position. In order to fulfill these properties, we adopted solid freeform fabrication method combined with surface modification which includes the hydrogel coating, therefore, inner or outer structure can be controlled and the property of anti adhesion can be improved.

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