Biocompatible polyurethane-based hydrogel.

A polyurethane polymer developed at W. R. Grace has been evaluated for a variety of biomedical applications. The primary property of the polymer exploited for these applications is its ability to prevent protein adsorption when coated on a surface. The prepolymer consists of a trifunctional poly(ethyleneoxide-propylene oxide) triol end capped with isophorone diisocyanate. The prepolymer is reactive with water and can be converted to a hydrogel, a thin coating, or a soluble conjugate with another compound. Each category lends itself to separate biomedical applications which are described in detail. The non-toxic nature of the polymer was demonstrated in a number of systems and suggests its utility in biomedical applications.