Lendlein Andreas, Langer Robert
mnemoScience GmbH, Pauwelsstrabetae 19, D-52074 Aachen, Germany.
Science. 2002 May 31;296(5573):1673-6. doi: 10.1126/science.1066102. Epub 2002 Apr 25.
The introduction of biodegradable implant materials as well as minimally invasive surgical procedures in medicine has substantially improved health care within the past few decades. This report describes a group of degradable thermoplastic polymers that are able to change their shape after an increase in temperature. Their shape-memory capability enables bulky implants to be placed in the body through small incisions or to perform complex mechanical deformations automatically. A smart degradable suture was created to illustrate the potential of these shape-memory thermoplastics in biomedical applications.
在过去几十年里，医学中可生物降解植入材料以及微创手术的引入极大地改善了医疗保健。本报告描述了一类可降解热塑性聚合物，它们在温度升高后能够改变形状。它们的形状记忆能力使大型植入物能够通过小切口植入体内，或自动执行复杂的机械变形。一种智能可降解缝线被制造出来，以说明这些形状记忆热塑性塑料在生物医学应用中的潜力。
