Date of Award

12-17-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Applied Science

First Advisor

Alexandru Biris

Abstract

Understanding how polymer-based medical devices behave post-implantation is critical for proper product development and ultimate acceptance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In contrast to previous medical devices intended to remain biostable, the development of novel, polymer-based tissue regeneration devices encourages material breakdown for native tissue integration. These devices can utilize chemical cocktails and nanoparticles to promote tissue differentiation and encourage proper cellular responses to foreign devices. Nanoparticle fillers used to develop new regenerative technologies have demonstrated many potential benefits, such as increased bioactivation and enhanced material strength. However, there is little research on the stabilizing influence that these nanoparticles can have on medical devices. Therefore, the focus of this research will study the polymeric degradation in both hydrolytic and oxidative conditions of a potential medical device. Additionally, various nanoparticles will be analyzed to determine the influence of nanoparticles on the stability of commercially available biodegradable polyether urethane (“PEU”). These efforts will confirm that the primary pathway PEU degrades is via oxidation of the soft segment in the polymer backbone. The introduction of various nanoparticles will be shown to drastically affect the stability of PEU films in the presence of oxidative conditions.

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