I-Corps: Translation Potential of an Elastomeric Low-Friction Fluoropolymer Alternative for the Medical Device Industry

I-Corps：医疗器械行业弹性体低摩擦含氟聚合物替代品的转化潜力

• 批准号: 2406968
• 负责人: Travis Bailey
• 金额: $ 5万
• 依托单位: Colorado State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-03-01 至 2025-02-28
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2406968&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Corps; Translation; Potential; Elastomeric; Low

The broader impact of this I-Corps project is the development of a new medical polymer possessing a unique and rare combination of elastic-like durability and gel-like lubrication properties. These new hydrogel elastomers have the potential for broad impact across the U.S. healthcare and medical device industries. Their utility as both a low-friction, durable structural design material and as a bio-inert surface coating alternative makes them relevant in a wide range of new and existing medical device technologies. To avoid environmentally damaging perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) substances, the need for new, low friction, durable polymer alternatives has become more acute. This technology is in a prime position to fill an emerging void in the biomedical materials landscape. The potential broader impact can be extended to new tools, ranging from complex surgical instruments and implant technologies to simple wound care dressings and medical tubing.This I-Corps project utilizes experiential learning coupled with a first-hand investigation of the industry ecosystem to assess the translation potential of the technology. The solution is based on the development of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) hydrogels possessing the necessary durability, elasticity, wear resistance, biostability, and biocompatibility to be considered as structural materials in medical device design. These materials were engineered to exhibit intrinsic surface lubricity at a range of material durometers while remaining perfluoroalkyl substance- (PFAS) and fluoropolymer-free. TPEs are key components in a broad range of medical devices, but there is a critical need for low friction lubricity at the exposed surface to minimize interactions with biological tissues. Existing TPE materials lack such lubricity, and biomedical device designers are forced to depend on expensive and complex hydrophilic surface treatments or on the use of hydrophobic, fluoropolymer liners or resin coatings to achieve low surface friction and biological surface passivation. Hydrogel based materials, with their intrinsic lubricity and tendency to suppress bioactivation, have been touted as possible players in such devices, and the hydrogel material technology this project explores would be one of the first on the market that can meet the durability demands required in most product applications.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

这个I-Corps项目的更广泛的影响是开发一种新的医疗聚合物，具有弹性样耐用性和类似凝胶的润滑性能的独特而罕见的组合。这些新的水凝胶弹性体具有在美国医疗保健和医疗设备行业中产生广泛影响的潜力。它们既是低摩擦，耐用的结构设计材料，又是生物int涂层的替代方案，使它们在各种新的和现有的医疗设备技术中都具有相关性。为了避免环境破坏全氟烷基物质（PFAS）物质，需要新的，低摩擦，耐用的聚合物替代品的需求变得更加急剧。这项技术是填补生物医学材料景观中新兴空隙的主要位置。潜在的更广泛的影响可以扩展到新工具，从复杂的手术器械和植入技术到简单的伤口护理敷料和医疗管道。该I-Corps项目利用体验式学习以及对行业生态系统的第一手研究以评估技术的翻译潜力。该解决方案基于具有必要的耐用性，弹性，耐磨性，生物稳定性和生物相容性的热塑性弹性体（TPE）水凝胶的发展，以被视为医疗设备设计中的结构材料。这些材料经过精心设计，可在一系列材料持续时间范围内表现出内在的表面润滑性，同时保持全氟烷基物质（PFA）和无氟聚合物。 TPE是广泛的医疗设备中的关键组成部分，但是在暴露表面迫切需要低摩擦润滑性，以最大程度地减少与生物组织的相互作用。现有的TPE材料缺乏这种润滑性，生物医学设备设计人员被迫依靠昂贵且复杂的亲水性表面处理，或使用疏水，氟聚合物衬里或树脂涂层来实现低表面摩擦和生物表面钝化。基于水凝胶的材料及其内在的润滑性和抑制生物活化的趋势已被吹捧为此类设备中的可能参与者，并且该项目探讨的水凝胶材料技术将是市场上最早满足大多数产品应用所需的持久性需求的产品之一，这些奖项反映了NSF的法规及其范围的范围，并且通过评估的范围及其构成的构成，并在范围内得到了良好的影响，并且在范围内得到了良好的支持。 标准。