Physiochemical Factors That Affect Ionic Hydrogels (PHEMA/MAA) as Materials for Use in the Urinary Tract
Abstract
Prosthetic hydrogel ureters, made from poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate), pHEMA, have demonstrated resistance to calcification during long term implantation in the urinary tract of dogs (1). Recent data suggests that impurity quantities of an ionizable comonomer, methacrylic acid, MAA, incorporated into the structure of the gel, may play a critical role in the calcification resistance of these materials. The ionic constituent of MAA in pHEMA leads to complex physicochemical behavior of gels in environments where the pH, ionic strength, and other aspects of the electrochemical solvent composition may vary. Specifically, small changes of pH or electrolyte near a critical value can produce massive changes of physical properties, such as the swollen volume or water content of these gels. Urine exhibits a changeable composition, and importantly, the critical pH and electrolyte content of pHEMA/MAA copolymers is within the common range of urine compositions. The physiochemical changes of these copolymers were exploited in the design of a prosthetic material for use in the urinary tract.
Recommended Citation
L. Pinchuk et al., "Physiochemical Factors That Affect Ionic Hydrogels (PHEMA/MAA) as Materials for Use in the Urinary Tract," Electrochemical Society Extended Abstracts, The Electrochemical Society (ECS), Jan 1985.
Meeting Name
Electrochemical Society Extended Abstracts (1985, Toronto, Ont, Can)
Department(s)
Chemistry
Document Type
Article - Conference proceedings
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 1985 The Electrochemical Society (ECS), All rights reserved.
Publication Date
01 Jan 1985