Shape memory polymers and their composites in biomedical applications.

As a kind of intelligent material, shape memory polymer (SMP) can respond to outside stimuli and possesses good properties including shape memory effect, deformability and biological compatibility, etc. SMPs have been introduced for medical applications such as tissue engineering, biological sutures, stents and bladder sensors. Due to the shape memory effect, the medical devices based on SMP can be implanted into body through minimally invasive surgery in contraction or folded state and recovered to their requisite original shapes at target position. In this paper, a review of SMPs utilized in biomedical applications and their actuation methods are listed. Various biomedical applications and potential applications based on the beneficial properties of SMP are also summarized.